Fall Staff Development Day: The Foundational Principles of Bing, Research, and Dual Language Learning
By Jessica Van Westering, Teacher
On October 11, the Bing teachers came together for a staff development day, when we discussed (1) child-centered and play-based programs, (2) Stanford research on children’s visual exploratory behaviors, and (3) how to incorporate children’s home languages into our classrooms more effectively.
We started the day by discussing Lisa Murphy on Being Child-Centered, a book that delves into the importance of child-centered and play-based programs, two ideologies the Bing Nursery School was founded on. As teachers, we know that play-based programs are not merely about children “playing.” The curriculums we develop, such as games, materials, and projects, are specifically curated to foster children’s foundational skills. This includes social, emotional, and physical development; learning flexibility; creativity; and imagination. Sometimes the children don’t even realize their math, literacy, and science skills are being strengthened through their experiential play. For example, building with blocks challenges children to carefully think about the their size, shape, and organization—all components of spatial awareness.
During the same session, Bing teachers discussed the significance of a child-centered learning environment. “Child-centered spaces,” Murphy writes, “are structured,” though not controlling; “there are boundaries, guidelines, expectations, and adults who are paying attention and acting with intention.” This holds true for the space we create at Bing, where children have freedom of movement, one of the school’s founding principles. Each child is in control of what activity they pursue and how long they engage with that activity. Being child-centered also means that the children choose the direction of their learning, with teachers serving as their guides. For example, if a child chooses to build a tower, teachers may foster that interest by showing them different building materials, construction tools, or books about towers.
Later in the day, Anjie Cao, a third-year psychology doctoral student at Stanford, presented her research conducted at Bing on visual exploratory behaviors in young children. Her study documented children’s visual attention by examining how long they look at animations of appealing characters on a computer. These animations would show up repeatedly, and occasionally novel creatures would appear. Although the results did not find any developmental patterns, the study was able to provide insight into “looking time” in preschool-aged children.
The day continued with discussions about children for whom English is not their first language, as many of the children enrolled at Bing speak a language other than English at home. Following the practices of Dr. Isauro M. Escamilla, who presented at our spring 2022 staff development day, we discussed ways to better incorporate cultural diversity into our classrooms. Some ideas we brainstormed include singing songs and reading books incorporating children’s home languages and learning common phrases in those languages. We quickly attempted to add these ideas into our practices—much to the enjoyment of the children!
At Bing, we are not only teachers—we are also lifelong learners. Staff development days are the perfect opportunity to reflect on what we have done, actively learn about new ideas, and brainstorm the future possibilities of Bing.