Drop-off time can be a challenging and sometimes chaotic time in any program, but especially in an infant/toddler classroom, where you will find very energetic infants, hungry infants, and some struggling with separation anxiety. Teachers need to be tuned into the unique needs of each infant, seek to understand the family dynamics, and be respectful of the cultural, social, economic, and physical differences that affect the children. In this assignment, you will read and respond to questions about three scenarios about the morning drop-off experience of families with children in an infant/toddler room.

After reading the scenarios about Emily, Alex, and twin brothers Noukou and Yupeng (pronounced Newcoo and Upang), you write a short paper where you will respond to the prompts for each scenario.

Emily: Emily is a 10-month-old who was born with one arm. Emily's mom fears other children will make fun of her since she is different from them. Emily's mother starts Emily's day off by quietly entering her bedroom and rubbing her back to wake her up. She shares excitement about Emily's day at her early learning center. Mom takes her time getting

Emily dressed and feeding her breakfast, and then, excitedly, she asks, "Are you ready to go see Mrs. Beck?." Once at school, Emily's mother walks her into the classroom, where the teacher is waiting with a bright smile to welcome Emily. There is soft but fun music playing in the background. Emily's mother greets Mrs. Beck excitedly, and Mrs. Beck asks how Emily's night and the morning were. Then, after Emily's mother shares that everything went well, Mrs. Beck reaches for Emily, and Emily's mother gives her a quick hug, kisses her, and tells her I will see you later and turns around to leave. Emily whimpers a little, but Mrs. Beck quickly distracts her with a toy, and before you know it, Emily is smiling and enjoying her day.

Describe how Emily's mother prepared her for her day before they left home and how she set a positive tone in her interaction with Mrs. Beck and her departure.

Describe how Mrs. Beck's behavior shows her as a professional and demonstrates how she builds a positive relationship with Emily's mother.

Research an article from NAEYC that discusses the acceptance of all children in our classrooms.

Alex: Alex is a 6-month-old who has just been left by his young mother in the infant classroom with Mrs. Sherman. The mother was on her phone when she brought Alex in, hugged him, kissed him, and passed him off. Alex clearly shows signs of being stressed, so Mrs. Sherman sits with Alex in the rocking chair, gently rubs his back, and sings calming lullabies. She holds Alex until he is calm and tells him his mommy will be back. Often, Mrs. Sherman must remind Mom of the program's policy that she is not to be on the telephone when she enters the classroom, and she is reminded to fill out her portion of the daily day sheet, which tells the teachers at the school when Alex ate last and when his previous diaper change was. In the past, Mrs. Sherman put a website link in Alex's backpack about the importance of entering the classroom calmly and spending a few minutes with your child, ensuring your child knows you are leaving, and they are safe and comfortable. Once Alex is settled, Mrs. Sherman walks to the window where a colorful mobile hangs and asks Alex if he wants to touch it, demonstrating what to do. After prompting, Alex tries to reach for the mobile, and Mrs. Sherman excitedly says he did a wonderful job touching the mobile; she then takes out her notepad, checking which hand Alex used to connect the mobile and whether he succeeded. Alex is placed on the floor with some of his little friends; realizing some children have begun grabbing, she offers Alex a soft toy and continues observing his interactions with the other children.

Describe Alex's mother's behavior and ways she could alter her behavior to make the drop-off easier for Alex and the teacher.

Describe Mrs. Sherman's efforts to calm Alex and her attempts to inform his mother about ways to improve the drop-off experience.

Describe how building an ongoing reciprocal partnership with Alex's mom could enhance the drop-off experience, causing less stress for Alex.

Create a sample checklist that Mrs. Sherman could use for her observations of Alex

Noukou and Yupeng: Noukou and Yupeng are 12-month-old twins brought to school each morning by their dad; childcare is a new experience for the dad since, in their culture, children should be home and raised by family members.

Their teacher, Ms. Bell, asks Dad how their night and morning were since the boys are now transitioning into their bedrooms and beds; since birth, they have been co-sleeping with Mom. Dad explains that getting the boys into their cribs the previous evening was rough. However, Mom and Dad referred to Ms. Bell's article on the importance of a bedtime routine. Dad also mentioned to Ms. Bell that from the other resources she recommended, they found a support group in the town where they could meet with other parents in person or via the Internet to discuss similarities they share and try to adapt to American cultures.

• What signs did you recognize of Ms. Bell supporting young children whose language, culture, and daily routines differ from home to the early learning classroom?
• What evidence is there that the parents were open to suggestions and accepting Ms. Bel's recommendations?
• Create a classroom library containing 5 picture books for the literacy center that show the diversity of young children worldwide. You are to give the name/illustrator of the book along with the date of publication and briefly describe why you chose those specific books.