From a Preschoolers Perspective
We talk about germs in the preschool, and how important it is to wash your hands. A preschooler recently confided to me that, "My daddy picked up a dead snake and then he threw it in the woods. And he didn't even wash his hands before he went to bed!"
Using Photography at School
It is well known that I
take lots of pictures of the children in the preschool. Since I worked as a
photographer and graphic designer prior to (and since) becoming a teacher, this
is a natural thing for me to tie in with my current work as an educator. In our
program, taking photographs of the preschoolers serves many practical and
important purposes.
When I am composing and
taking the pictures, it provides an additional way for me to focus on what individual
students, and groups of children, are doing. This type of focused observation
is a fundamental component of how we assess the progress of students in early
education environments.
By immediately showing the
images (through the magic of digital cameras!) to the children, I can give them
instant, and very gratifying, feedback on what they are currently doing. This shared viewing of photos is typically accompanied by positive verbal commentary,
which creates a powerful way for the preschoolers to build a strong self-image of
themselves as learners and members of an educational community.
Sometimes the preschoolers take pictures of their friends with my camera. This gives them a feeling for what it is like to compose and take photographs. And some of their photos come out pretty good!
When class is not in
session I look over all of the pictures that I have taken and edit the many
that I will keep. Once edited, the pictures
are then placed in individual student folders. These collections of images
serve as a permanent record of the depth and quality of each child’s approach
to learning, as well as their specific abilities and skills in the many domains
that are covered by our curriculum and standards.
Slideshows of recent
photographs are typically running on the large computer monitor in the
classroom. This provides yet another opportunity for children and parents to
view first hand the experiences that the students are having in preschool. The
preschoolers like to not only see themselves in the slideshows, but also to see
the friends that they are so connected to in the classroom.
The preschool blog offers another way for me to share photographs of the preschoolers in action. In this format I am typically presenting pictures that illustrate a particular activity or type of learning that we have been engaged in, or that represent a theoretical aspect of our approach to teaching and learning.
Finally, by sending copies
of the photos (through e-mails) to parents I can communicate very directly what their children’s
experiences are in the preschool. At the end of the year each family will receive
a DVD with all of their child’s edited images on it and this will serve as a
detailed and informative document of their child’s time in the preschool. Many
parents have told me that they (and their children) have greatly enjoyed
looking over these photos for years after their children have “graduated” from
our program!
Here are a few suggestions for parents to get the most out of these photos at home:
1. View these pictures
with your child! This is a great way for families to share the experiences that the
children are having at preschool. This can also be a springboard to conversations
about the children’s time in school.
2. If possible, view these pictures on
a larger screen. I enjoy my smart phone too, but there’s nothing like seeing these
high quality pictures in a larger format where they can best be seen and
appreciated.
3. Think about the
educational implications of the pictures you are viewing. I typically photograph and share images from the preschool day that reflect the children’s growth and
development in the many areas covered by our activities and curriculum. I
especially like to take and share photos that reflect students’ positive
social-emotional experiences and their love of learning and being in school.
While the photographs that are e-mailed directly to parents are typically focused on what their own child is doing in school; the photo collections that are presented in the slideshows at school and in the blog provide an opportunity for parents to see how the whole group is engaged.
People at times ask me if I
am still taking landscape photographs (such as the ones that are hanging up
in the classroom). I generally don’t, but I feel that my training and
background as a photographer is being put to even more productive and
meaningful use right in the preschool!
Photographic Portraits of the 2017-2018 Preschoolers
