To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment.
One of the primary concerns in a preschool center based program is establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment. I will explain how I maintain this with examples in different areas and the goals I feel are important for a child to achieve.
Two of the activities that I practice are fire safety and tornado drills. The purpose of fire/tornado drills is to let the children know where and what to do in case of and emergency situation. The most important reason for these drills enforces is to try and to teach the children to be calm and feel safe. We practice the drills monthly.
The classroom is another area of significance for safety. The toys are checked daily, the room is clean and clutter free. The child’s personal belongings are put in his …show more content…
or her cubby and marked with their name. All medicines and chemicals are stored in a cabinet and are locked at all times. The room is set up in a manner that my Para’s and I are able to supervise the children at all times. The telephone numbers of each child’s parents are in a file cabinet located next to the office phone. All emergency numbers are posted next to the office phone. The outdoor play area is checked daily for debris and equipment is in good and stable condition.
We practice hygiene habits such as washing hands before and after meals, after the use of the bathroom and after they have their diaper changed.
By establishing this habit at a young age, the children will grow-up developing cleanliness and pride in taking care of themselves. I use a private room separate from the classroom when changing diapers and use the Universal Safety precautions as well. The room is clean and tidy. The toys are washed weekly and the diaper area after each change with Clorox wipes and a disinfecting spray. This helps to keep germs from spreading. Good nutrition is essential in young children. Serving well balanced meals by choosing foods from the Food Pyramid (4 basic food groups) is important. All of our meals and snacks are provided through our school meal service and is pre-portioned for each child. I also use nutrition as an overall theme by doing activities like art, stories, and food tasting projects. The children sit at tables and chairs; also use silverware that is size appropriate. Meal time is a learning experience so all the children serve themselves family
style. The actual room is set in an organized manner with open stations for the children to see materials and are able to play freely. All of the centers are labeled and books are shelved in an orderly fashion. I have developed a daily schedule and weekly themes to provide stimulation and knowledge. Having the room structured assists me to meet my goals as a lead teacher.