Competency Goal Which New & Cochran (2008)

¶ … competency goal which New & Cochran (2008) identify as "to establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment" can be broken down into a number of areas (functional) which include safe, healthy and last but not least; learning environment. When it comes to the safe functional area, my goal is to ensure that children appreciate the need to adhere to rules and regulations in a way that would ensure they remain safe as they explore.

It can be noted that when it comes to exploration, the relevance of safety cannot be overstated. Indeed, it is through exploration that children learn better and hence safety here should be of the essence. To provide a safe environment so as to bring down the chances of injury, I always ensure that I inspect all the equipment used for play. Here, I ensure that such equipment does not have any breakage, cracks, loose parts or even sharp ends.

Further, I ensure that the children are involved in the rule making process. Children tend to adhere more to the rules 'they helped to establish.' It is also in my scheme of things to ensure that the classroom is organized in a way that reduces clutter as this has a way of reducing accidental falls and other safety issues. Further, in an attempt to guarantee safety and reduce accidents, all the classroom furnishings are child-sized.

When it comes to the healthy functional area, my goals are in line with the provision of an environment that guarantees disease prevention and enhances not only good health but also nutrition. Toys are one of the most popular germ transmission mediums. According to Robertson (2009), regular disinfection of toys is one of the best ways of curbing germ transmission or spread. With that in mind, I ensure that all the toys to be used for play are disinfected on a daily basis.

To enhance good health, I ensure that children are given regular servings of fresh fruits and water. I also occasionally explain to children (in simple terms) the health benefits they derive by ingesting fruits. Hand washing is also an exercise which I have made a routine in an attempt to contain the ingestion of germs as well as the spread of the same.

Further, when a child is unwell, I take all the necessary precautions to ensure that the child is given the attention he deserves whilst taking precautions to ensure that the illness does not spread to other children. This I do by following the sick child guidelines developed by the centre.

In regard to the learning environment as a functional area, my goals are in line with the need to develop an environment that is not only enjoyable but also secure and interesting in a way that enhances learning, exploration as well as play. With that in mind, I ensure that I address all the needs of children while developing the daily classroom schedule. This largely helps me to rope in routines, materials as.