Allyssa Baranowski

l have been working with AlphaBest at Hildreth Elementary School during the summers for their summer program, as well as after school occasionally during the school year. There, I:

• Work with children in grades K-5 (and a few children in grade 6)
• Lead and guide the children through various kinds of activities involving the use of engineering concepts, technology, science, art, drama and physical activity games
• Walk the children to the town pond and supervise/play with them on the playground or watch them swim
• Supervise and engage in play with the children during Recess
• Facilitate lunch and snack time
• Read to the younger children during quiet reading time (those who cannot yet or are just learning to read)
• Play card and board games with the children
• Lead physical activity games in the gym
• Greet families at pick up and drop off times

I took HDFS 771 in the Fall of 2025 and was placed with a child in the MAP 3 classroom at the Child Study and Development Center. There, I:

• Spent time getting to know the child, her strengths, challenges, and interests
• Lead and observed the child through various tests of developmental progress (fine and gross motor, self-care, speech and language, ESI-R, social skills) and recorded the data in different kinds of records (anecdotal records, running records, checklists, screenings)
• Analyzed and assessed the child's development based on the results of the developmental progress assessments
• Designed a specific lesson plan for the child based on her developmental needs

I took HDFS 709 in the Spring of 2025 where I was placed in the Toddler Room at the Child Study and Development Center. There, I:

• Planned creativity and sensory based activities for the children to do based on what I saw them exploring in the classroom
• Analyzed and documented how each activity went (how the children engaged, what worked well, what I did not expect to happen or would change)
• Engaged in play with the children both outdoors and indoors
• Participated in "Lead Week" where I took on the role of lead teacher for the week (facilitating activities and transitions during the daily schedule)
• Set up the space for rest time and helped children relax during rest
• Changed diapers
• Set up the children's lunches
• Helped clean up the classroom
• Greeted families

When I took HDFS 635 in the Fall of 2024, I was placed in the MAP 3 classroom at the Child Study and Development Center at UNH. There, I:

• Created activities based on the different learning domains for the children with my 2 group members
• Facilitated these activities and documented the children's interactions, experiences, and creations
• Analyzed the outcomes of each activity, noting what went well and what I would change next time
• Learned more about how children learn through play

I took EDUC 500 in the Fall semester of 2023 and I was was placed in a Second Grade classroom at Frances G. Hopkins Elementary School. There, I:

• Helped my cooperating teacher set up classwork for the day
• Participated in group activities with the whole class (circle time, games in the gym, time in the library)
• Read books to and with the children (whole class, small group, and individual)
• Helped the children with reading, writing, and math classwork (individual and small group)
• Engaged in play with the children during recess

Before HES adopted the AlphaBest program which I work for currently, the before/after school and summer program was known as Bridges. There, I:

• Worked with children in grades K-5
• Engaged in dramatic play, storytime, and arts and crafts with the children
• Helped the children with costume design and practice for shows and plays we put on in the auditorium
• Supervised playtime and swimming at the town pond
• Supervised outdoor recess as well as engaging with the children in play
• Facilitated snack and lunch time
• Greeted parents and family members during drop off and pick up times