Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues in Your Setting

     

Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues 

     I observed my colleague classroom E.H on 1/1/2013 while the children were getting ready to go to center time. Mrs. E.H. gave each child the opportunity and the choice to choose a center. Once the children choose a center, they had to take their picture and place it in the center that they choose. Mrs. E.H. reminded the children that they must clean the area and ask to go to another center before leaving. After the centers were chosen, I went over to the home living area to get to know the 4 children in this center. I asked the children if I could play with them for a little while and they said "yes". One of the children took out the dolls, another child tool out the dress up cloths, and the other two children started to take out the play food. The foods consist of bananas, grapes, bread, pineapple, pears, apples, and ect. I asked the children to give me something to eat and they took a small yellow plate and put a banana, grapes and a pear on the plate. I asked them to named the food hat was on my plate and they were able to name all three. I then asked them did they know what food group are they in.  The children knew that all the items are in the fruit group. I then asked them are fruits good for you? One child said “yes, they are good and they make you strong”. I asked the child who told her that and she said my mommy. I notice that a book was in the home living area and I asked the children would they like it if I read them a book and they allowed me to do so. The book that I read was ‘The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons”.

     This book talked about vegetable and how they are parts of plants that are grown to be eaten. It also talked about how vegetable are nutritious and keep our body strong and healthy. Mrs. E. H. notice the book that I was reading and came over to the home living center. Once I was finish reading the book, the teacher asked the children to show me the project they were working on. The children took me over to a nearby window and showed me the tomatoes they had planted.  I asked them if the tomatoes are a fruit or vegetable and they told me it was a vegetable. I asked the children if I could back to their classroom later to check on their project. I thank the children and teacher for having me and I told them that I will come back to visit them again.

    The second colleague that I spent time with was M.S. the kitchen cook. She was preparing lunch for the children. She told me that she has been working with Head start for 28 years and she know that eating health will help the children form healthful eating habits by starting early. It is one of the most important things that a parent can do for their child. She stated that good eating habits can make big difference in a child's health over a lifetime as well. I asked her about the food that we serve the children in our program. For example, fat, unsaturated fat, and   cholesterol. Mrs. M.S. said that when she prepare the food for our children she, make sure that the children do not get a lot of high fat foods that have a lot of calories. She said that with too many calories, the children may gain weight. She prepares healthy food so that the children can stay healthy. Mrs. M. S. said that unsaturated fats are found in most vegetable products and oils. She said that when she cooks for the children, she reduces the fat and unsaturated fats in their food by using less fat, oil, and margarine. She said eating too much of these types of fat may also increase the children weight.  I thank Mrs. M.S. for her time and helped her to deliver the food to each classroom.