Foundations of Early Childhood Overview

Week 1
I am connected to Walden University as my professional home. I hope to make connections to others as I did in my undergraduate program. Networking in an online setting is possible. Came into teaching by accident and have found my passion.





Week 2
A.  My three professional goals. (Hagel- passion is interactive, explorative, unpredictable, a journey)
     1. Teach college courses (make a difference in the lives and careers of young educators)
     2. Write and collaborate on early childhood literature (develop writing skills and increase my knowledge from colleagues)
     3. Work toward a doctoral degree (continue learning and pursuing my passion)
All align with goals of Walden and Richard W. Riley College of Education.

B.  My goals are connected with my vision and my prior experiences- my professional goals reflect my passion. What drives my passion? The nature of the work, dedication to the children and families. Small successes. Want to support children having harmful early experiences (neglect and abuse). Create safer, more just world for children and families. My passion is similar to leaders' in the field (Renatta Cooper and Louise Derman-Sparks).

References

Hagel, J. (2009, November). Pursuing passion. Message posted to http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2009/11/pursuing-passion.html 

• Passion is fluid, dynamic, always changing. Passion is becoming important for our personal success. Stress can be turned into stimulus.

Rosengren, C. (2010, February 4). Does having passion for your work even matter? U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/04/does-passion-for-work-even-matter 

• Commentary on the benefits of having passion, including having more energy, feeling more confidence, feeding your persistence

Walden University. (2016). About. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/about
 
Walden University. (2016). The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/colleges-schools/riley-college-of-education

Codes of Ethics from NAEYC and DEC

"We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value

and human potential of each child"

(DEC, 2009, p. 1).
This ideal is relevant to my work because it is one of the reasons I have a strong passion for early childhood. The NAEYC Code of Ethics also mentions valuing early childhood as a unique part of the lifespan (2005). This is important to me because some days I find myself losing a little patience with the children- then I remember the reality of young children's experiences. What we don't teach children, they don't know. We must actively teach children what behavior is appropriate and inappropriate. Impatience or inflated expectations of children are not helpful to young children's learning and development. I agree that each child has incredible potential- I would take this further and say that each child has an incredible gift to offer. Even the children with the most challenging of behaviors find ways to make us smile, make us feel fulfilled in our work, and change our perspective on humanity. Young children are truly amazing.

"To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child" (NAEYC, 2005, p. 2).
This quote summarizes my vision for my career. What I want is to promote the practices that I know to be evidence-based and best for young children. This requires following the knowledge-base and staying informed. The quote also touches upon emergent curriculum with young children, which stems from the notion that each child is unique and individual. This also relates to my goal of teaching adults in the early childhood field- I can help other young or new professionals value the knowledge-base and understand its applications to everyday practice.

"To support coworkers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional development" (NAEYC, 2005, p. 5). 
I chose this section of the code in particular because I like that NAEYC makes no implications about what the professional needs of colleagues may be. I had a conversation just yesterday with my supervisor (the assistant director of my center) where I brought her concerns about my classroom and she responded with respect, professionalism, and a strong sense of leadership. This is the kind of support I want to offer those I mentor- if I've learned anything in my journey to become an early childhood educator, it is that a good mentor or supervisor can make all the difference in an early childhood program. I would have never considered the amount of ethical and otherwise challenging situations may arise when working with young children and families. The support from administrative staff can make a huge difference for a childcare program. This is my goal, and why I am pursuing a master's degree- I want to become a mentor that knows how to support my colleagues in meeting their professional needs, whatever those may be.

References

The Division for Early Childhood. (2009). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org/

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Resource Collection

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
  
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
  
• Websites:
  
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
    
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
    
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
  
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
  
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
  
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
  

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the Journal option under Search & Find on the library website to find journals by title.

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education
  Additional Resources
• Fields, M. V., Meritt, P. A., & Fields, D. (2014). Constructive guidance and discipline: Birth to age eight. Boston: Pearson.  One of my favorite resources from my undergraduate program- describes ways to manage challenging behavior in high-quality settings with respect and encouragement. 
• B.S. Fennimore. (2014). Standing up for something every day: Ethics and justice in early childhood classrooms. NewYork: Teachers College. A great resource fo speaking to children and families about sensitive issues and for tackling complex ethical problems in an early childhood program. 
• Works by Frances M. Calrson. She writes a lot about the complexities of play and how play is becoming more and more regulated. She is the author of some of my favorite books on play, Big Body Play and The Power of Touch, among others.
• The magazine Teaching Young Children. In my classroom I inhereted a bunch of old editions of Teaching Young Children and although the articles are out of date, I enjoy reading through them because they offer a lot of insight about curriculum, planning, guidance, and other topics. 
• Education Week. A news organization dedicated to education topics.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming part of a small child's world." -Janet Gonzalez-Mena






"Empathy comes from being empathized with." -Stanley Greenspan

"Good discipline is more than just punishing or laying down the law. It is liking children and letting them see that they are liked. It is caring enough about them to provide good, clear rules for their protection". -Stanley Greenspan




"I had just a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world, to fix all the injustices that exsisted in the world, and I wanted to do that through teaching." - Louise Derman-Sparks










“I learned that it is not all about you, you have to take your ego out of it and think about what is best for the child.” -Renatta Cooper

Personal Childhood Web

My mom: the woman I call my mom came into my life when I was three years old by becoming my legal guardian. She brought me out of a bad situation and nurtured me as her own. She supported me just like a mother- she read to me every night and helped me with my homework. She put up with my tantrums and fits. She inspired me to read and become smarter and find something I loved doing. She granted me every opportunity she could and helped me find my passion in life. She stuck with me when anyone else would have left. My mom makes a great impact on my life today- so much of my knowledge and skills come from her teaching. We have a very close relationship and I try to give back to her as much as I can in as many ways as I can.

These are my mom's favorite memories of me, their names are "Ugga Ugga" and "Monkey". Monkey used to have a jail cell for when he was naughty. I would blame all my wrongdoings on Monkey and assure my mom that Monkey was in jail, being punished! Ugga Ugga makes an awful moaning noise which I used to think was hilarious when I was a young child. My mom has held onto these for a long time!

My grandmother: My mom's mother's name is Marian and I saw her a lot when I was a young child. Sometimes I would go visit her for a week at a time. She introduced me to Krakus ham (yum!) and all kinds of Polish foods. She helped me feel like part of the family. I have such fond memories of making food and crafts with her at Christmas-time for her church bazaar. We made pirogi's, stuffed cabbage, little spiders made of beads, and snowmen with stuffing inside. Even today it makes me happy to think about it and I always love Christmas-time because it reminds me of her. I see my grandmother a few times a year now and it's become a tradition that I plant her garden for her. One great way she impacts my life today is by laying the foundation to make me feel like I was part of a family- without her I don't think I would have acclimated to my (adoptive) family as well. My favorite item in my house that reminds me of a grandmother is a bell that has a cardinal on it- her favorite bird. We just moved and I'm not sure where it is but here is an exact replica of the one we have.

Mrs. Rose: Another highly influential figure in my life was my Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Rose. Mrs. Rose wasn't in my life for very long but she made a lasting impact on my ability to trust others. I do not remember a lot of our interactions but my mom says she was incredibly supportive as some events were happening in my life. I remember in first grade we did a Flat Stanley project (where you send a cardboard figure on a "trip" and ask the recipient to respond). I sent my Flat Stanley to Mrs. Rose and she sent back a bunch of stuff from Vermont with all kinds of pictures of Flat Stanley's adventures- I still have all of this stuff! Every time I see it it reminds me of the great level of support she had for me. Mrs. Rose still affects my life because she had a great impact on my social-emotional development and ability to connect with other people.

This is Flat Stanley and some of the things Mrs. Rose sent back from Vermont!

Week 2- Personalizing

Welcome to my Early Childhood Studies blog.
This is a photo of me in Kindergarten. I'm in the back row with the blue and pink dress.

One thing that fuels my passion for early childhood is realizing that Kindergarten, as with the rest of education, was not innate in society but rather created. I really enjoyed learning about early childhood education, including about Froebel, the "father"of Kindergarten, in my undergraduate program. This is why I chose a picture of me in Kindergarten- learning about the beginnings of education was a turning point for me in realizing my passion for the field of Early Childhood.

My favorite children's book is Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Perhaps it is my favorite because it is classic children's literature. Perhaps it is my favorite because it was my grandmother's favorite and she made sure to read it to me every night I was with her. Perhaps it is my favorite because of how much fun it can be to read. My favorite things to do with Goodnight Moon are to prompt the child for the words (I will not say them while reading and wait for a child to offer the word) and to talk about all the objects in the book. It has been great fun watching as a young child says "moon" for the first time. It is also great fun to hear a toddler recite the story word-for-word. Right now I work in a toddler room (ages 15 months to 3 years) and we read Goodnight Moon at least once a day. Of course, I know all the words by heart!

A final thing that makes me love the field of Early Childhood is a boy named Jacob. I met Jacob on my very first day of teaching; I was a substitute student classroom aide and had barely ever played with a young child, much less cared for one. As I found my stride working at the childcare center, Jacob always was on my mind. He displayed very challenging behavior, and even with no experience, I could tell this was extreme. The situation bothered me to no end- what was I doing wrong? How could I help him? Months went by of talking to the lead teachers about what we were seeing with Jacob and being counseled on how to approach him during times of violence. Finally, I went to the director and inquired curiously about Jacob. We had a great conversation about Jacob and his life before age three. Jacob was now adopted and had suffered extreme abuse and neglect as a young toddler and baby. I felt so emotional about the situation because of my own upbringing and the similarities in our situations. I, too presented with extreme violence as a young child due to my own early attachment and lack of nurturing. Jacob became my fuel. I worked hard to meet him where he was, respect him and his autonomy, and help him regulate his own emotions and behaviors. My appreciation for Jacob and his talents only expanded, and my drive to make the world a place where children are nurtured. In my career, there have been countless "Jacob's", but I will never forget the Jacob I met on my first day- I still think about him and wonder how he is. Sometimes when I get frustrated in my own classroom., I think about Jacob, take a deep breath, and continue with my work.