Initially, I conceived of maintaining a safe environment for children as a set of regulations that should be followed to eliminate any danger to kids. They should be under supervision, engaged, and prevented from risk to their health. All childcare facilities should adhere to safety measures and have the stuff that is sufficiently trained to handle children as well as respond to unexpected childcare situations.
One of the most apparent safety issues is group size. The number of children in Candace Ledbetter’s video (2015) and SiouxFallsSchools’ video (2016) is inadequate to the small space in the classroom. In both cases, there are over fifteen children, which creates two problems for the teachers. Firstly, some of the pupils are more easily distracted and cannot be simultaneously observed by the supervisor. Secondly, a large group means loud noise and hustle, which is evident in Autumn Grinstead’s video (2017) and OurSaviorMarlette’ video (2010). Obviously, it can impede active supervision.
Another safety issue is related to the use of technology. In SiouxFallsSchools’ video (2016), a teacher uses a video projector to highlight the lesson’s materials. Some children are sitting too close to the screen, which is potentially harmful to the eyesight. Besides, the multitude of colors on the projector creates the danger of epilepsy for pupils in close proximity. Moreover, the screen operates on electricity from the red electrical outlet. It is located close to the floor and can be accessed by children, which can result in injuries or jeopardize fire safety in the facility.
The organization of classrooms has two potential risks to child safety. First, Oakhill Day School’s video (2016) shows a large group of children. They are constantly moving and playing, which generates heat and leads to the rise of temperature in the room. Shavelaney Dorsett’s video (2013) does not show any windows as all light is artificial. It means that the facility relies on air conditioning rather than fresh air to clear the room. As a result, children are exposed to too high or too cold temperature, which raises the risk of SIDS.
Overall, there are two ways of improving safety regulations in childcare. Legal policies should prohibit using rooms without windows for lessons. It will adequately ventilate a room and allow children to breathe more easily. To increase fire safety, electrical sockets should be placed outside of children’s access. Legal rules should also call for obligatory training in the case of a fire. Teachers can use evacuation drills in a game manner as emergency response training.
The second way of correcting safety measures is via changing facility policies. For instance, Cindy Venckus’ video (2013) shows the only class with an adequate teacher-pupil ratio. Candace Ledbetter’s video (2015) showcases the use of a teacher assistant to keep track of children’s activities. However, social distance has become especially prevalent in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, class groups should be limited to ten children with one teacher at most.
References
Autumn Grinstead. (2017). Mrs. G’s first grade morning meeting – Hit the floor [Video file]. Web.
Candace Ledbetter. (2015). SPE 551 observation 2 [Video file]. Web.
Cindy Venckus. (2013). Early education enrichment one hour class observation [Video file]. Web.
Oakhill Day School. (2016). Toddler time [Video file]. Web.
OurSaviorMarlette. (2010). Mrs Kilmer’s 4yr old class playtime [Video file]. Web.
Shavelaney Dorsett. (2013). The reader’s workshop: Kindergarten guided reading lesson – Early starts reading! [Video file]. Web.
SiouxFallsSchools. (2016). Pettigrew kindergarten Lucy Calkins reading lesson [Video file]. Web.