Emergent Curriculum
Emergent Curriculum is a modern teaching approach in early childhood education where teachers create lesson plans based on children's interests and natural curiosity, rather than following strict pre-planned lessons. It's like letting children help guide what they learn about, while teachers carefully support and expand on these interests. Similar approaches include Reggio Emilia and Project-Based Learning. This method is becoming increasingly popular in preschools and childcare centers because it helps keep children engaged and excited about learning. When you see this term in resumes or job descriptions, it shows that the teacher or center values child-led learning and flexible teaching methods.
Examples in Resumes
Implemented Emergent Curriculum approaches in a classroom of 18 preschoolers
Documented children's learning through Emergent Curriculum observation techniques
Created learning environments supporting Emergent Curriculum and Child-Led Learning
Typical job title: "Early Childhood Educators"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Early Childhood Educators
Professional Organizations
Online Communities
Job Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How would you train new staff members in implementing emergent curriculum approaches?
Expected Answer: A senior educator should discuss mentoring techniques, observation methods, documentation strategies, and how to help staff recognize and build on children's interests while maintaining educational goals.
Q: How do you evaluate the effectiveness of an emergent curriculum program?
Expected Answer: Should explain methods of documenting children's progress, gathering parent feedback, using observation tools, and maintaining educational standards while following children's interests.
Mid Level Questions
Q: How do you balance emergent curriculum with required learning outcomes?
Expected Answer: Should explain how they incorporate learning standards into child-led activities, provide examples of documenting learning, and discuss methods of ensuring educational goals are met.
Q: Describe how you document and communicate children's learning progress in an emergent curriculum setting.
Expected Answer: Should discuss tools like learning stories, photo documentation, progress notes, and methods of sharing these with parents and colleagues.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is emergent curriculum and how does it differ from traditional teaching methods?
Expected Answer: Should explain basic concept of following children's interests versus pre-planned lessons, and give simple examples of how this works in a classroom.
Q: How do you identify children's interests to develop curriculum activities?
Expected Answer: Should describe basic observation techniques, listening to children's conversations, and how to turn children's interests into learning opportunities.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic observation and documentation
- Following children's interests
- Creating simple activity plans
- Basic parent communication
Mid (2-5 years)
- Developing learning experiences from observations
- Documentation of learning progress
- Parent engagement strategies
- Activity planning and adaptation
Senior (5+ years)
- Program development and evaluation
- Staff training and mentoring
- Curriculum planning and oversight
- Family and community partnership building
Red Flags to Watch For
- No understanding of child development stages
- Preference for strict, pre-planned curriculum only
- Lack of observation and documentation skills
- Poor communication with families about children's learning
