2022-10-21 Meeting notes

• Basic Playground Expectations (Faculty Info Google Drive - make sure that you have access via your utexas.edu account. I cannot with OneDrive, I tried, I really did)
• Creating a barrier for the playground between small world and sand box to help keep the area specifically for small world items
• Idea: instead of moving dinosaurs outside of small world area, ask children why they want to move, what are they looking for? You could search and bring things to the small world area for dinos (sticks for trees)

• Medicine bags - practice using them and teach your teams to use them as well. Ashley will be replacing them in backpacks.
• Keys - Ashley has paper towel keys for every person. They will be dispersed!

We had great conversations around this, I am just summarizing here.

What is the purpose of preschool? (Teacher goals for children)

• Teaching children how to be prosocial. To learn. To make friends. To learn how to function in school environment.
• This purpose should drive all rules and choices in the classroom. Circle times are a good place to create those and revisit them.

Behaviors

• Only stop behaviors that are breaking a rule. Ask child why they think they were asked to sop action. Relate it back to being at school (making friends, being safe, etc)
• Acorn Example: Herb hut materials going all over playground, not just in the hut. Explain that the materials stay there, but create an alternative to it. Idea: create a scavenger hunt, hide clues with pictures to find hidden acorns. Idea: give child a basket to go around a find acorns on the playground.
• Flowers Example - To stop children from picking the flowers, created cards with images of flowers on the playground and children could go find them, matching.

Weapons

• Always an issue, but they do not belong at school. Weapons are scary and dangerous and go against the safety rule. Relate it back to that!
• PD would get a basket and have children put their imaginary weapons in the basket, they could collect them on their way out of school. 
• Hallie has walked children out into the lobby to show them the 'No Weapons' signs posted around.

Pro Tips

• When retiring a dramatic play center inside, can be good to move it outside (post office, space, etc)
• In general, children are at school to learn to be collaborative and prosocial. Alone time, weapons play, etc can be done at home. But at school, they're learning to be inclusive! Keep this in mind when redirecting children.
• The classroom environment and setup will show children how to play without telling them how to play. Think about what could go wrong, if it's inviting, is it clear, thoughtful, etc.

General Tools

• Persona Dolls for 'morality plays' - don't need to buy them, you can make them!
• Undergraduate questions for observations - Hallie uses this to help undergrads take notes