Farewell

Over the past couple of years, I have learned a lot about the early childhood profession and myself.  I have learned that while the profession has come a long way, there are still some avenues to explore.  Avenues such as access and teacher qualification are examples of areas to explore in effort of strengthen the field.  I have learned that we are all on a personal journey.  Each of us are in different places in our journey and where we go on our journey is up to us.  The last thing that has stuck with me throughout this program is leadership and cooperation.  In order for our field to continue on a positive path, it is imperative that we have great leaders as well as the ability to come together as professionals to speak up and advocate for children and families. 

One long term goal I have is to continue to gain more knowledge about the early childhood field and use that knowledge to develop programs that are beneficial for ALL families. 

I would like to give a big shout to my instructor and colleagues throughout this course!  Your contribution to my learning was priceless!  Good luck with all that you do!!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Two international organizations I am interested in is UNICEF, United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and Academy for Educational Development.  I am interested in UNICEF because of their strategic plan that includes several different focus areas.  I believe this allows the organization to effectively work on several different issues that affect children around the world.  I am interested in UNESCO because of the organizations programs that are offered in an effort for peace and non-violence.  I am interested in the Academy for Educational Development because of its focus on education.

One international position I am interested in is Senior Education Advisor/Director of Education.  The qualifications are as follows:

• Masters in one of the following or related fields: Education, Education Planning, Education Policy, Education Management or other relevant field. Experience with literacy or TESOL programs or a degree in literacy/TESOL preferred;
• Minimum of five (5) years field management experience in Africa, and eight (8) years of experience in development programs. Five years experience in developing countries, conflict-affected;
• Experience and facility with rapidly changing project designs;
• Preparation of work plans, budgets and other key project documents. Experience with Do No Harm programming a plus;
• Knowledge and practical experience developing standards for assessment systems, including for student learning outcomes, teacher performance, and school performance;
• Knowledge of USAID project management, evaluation procedures and standards, and requirements;
• Knowledge of education policy issues that affect student learning;
• Knowledge of all technical and management aspects required to develop reliable and meaningful assessment tools that can inform teacher practice as well as policy direction;
• Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English;
• Sensitivity to cultural diversity and understanding of the political, contextual, and ethical issues in South Sudan;
• Articulate and professional and able to communicate in a clear, positive fashion with clients and staff.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has been dedicated, for many years, to ensuring the youngest members of our society or given what they need to be successful.  NAEYC was chosen as one of my national organizations because of its dedication not only to children, but also to the professionals in the field.  Another national organization I’m interested in because of its focus on the professional development of early childhood educators is the CDA council.  The third organization I’m interested in is the National Head Start Association because of its focus on working with children and their families living in poverty.

Currently Bright Horizons has an Executive Director position open in Milpitas, California.  Qualifications includes:  

·       BA, Masters preferred

·       5 years as a Director of a licensed childcare

·       Meet CA licensing requirements for a Director  

·       Well versed in NAEYC accreditation center

Harlem Children’s Zone Education Director Singleton Gems

·       Masters

·       Supervisory experience

·       3-5 years teaching experience

·       New York teaching certificate

·       Knowledge of early childhood education funding sources and performance standards

Exploring roles in the Early Childhood Community

One local organization that appeals to me is the Douglas and Sarpy County Learning Communities.  I am interested in this organization because of its goals of working with children living in poverty and implementing programs to give children an opportunity at a level playing field.  The organization understands the importance of early childhood education and is dedicated to the families they serve, as well as, the professional development of those who work with them.  A local community of practice is the Early Childhood Consortium of the Omaha Area or ECCOA.  ECCOA helps to strengthen the early childhood workforce by providing trainings.  Meetings for early childhood professionals to come together and talk about issue, rather national or local, are also provided.  Educare is another local organization that appeals to me.  Educare provides services through Early Head Start and Head Start.  Educare has provided outcomes for our community that proves the value of quality early childhood education. 

There are not many positions currently available in the early childhood field where I reside.  However there is a position with Step Up to Quality, an Early Childhood Quality Rating and Improvement System.  The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood and 3 years of experience. 

Reflecting on Learning

My hope for my future as an early childhood professional is that I continue to build on the knowledge I have and used that knowledge to help others.  I hope to be an example to others and work with other professionals to build a successful future for those who are coming after.  I hope my contribution to the early childhood field makes a difference in someone’s life. 

My hope for the children and families that I may touch is that they are given an opportunity to thrive and flourish.  I hope children and families are able to respect others, teach others, and learn from others. 

A special thanks to my colleagues for great conversations!  Your willingness to open up and discuss your point of view provided me with more tools to use when working with children and families.  Thank you.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

The area of the world I choose to look into was South Asia.  My reasons stem from wanting expanded my learning about children from other parts of the world where I may have not have known much.  As I get older, I realize how small the world really is and how things that happen across the globe truly impacts everyone in the world. 

A challenge faced by children of South Asia is child marriage.  There are countries in South Asia where children are betrothed or married before they are 10 years old.  While there is a law against child marriage, it is often hard to implement because of custom and religious practices.  Another challenge is the lack of birth registration.  It was reported in 2007 over 47% of South Asia children were not registered.  The most interesting child issue to me is the juvenile justice system.  In South Asia the juvenile justice system is similar to adults including the death penalty.  These challenges can drastically effect a child’s emotional development and wellbeing.  Children are subject to situations that would be difficult even for adults.

Personally, I realize how much children need are voices and support all over the world.  It saddens me to think about what those of the next generation has gone through.  Professionally, I believe it is important to establish a means to stop the cycle of child mistreatment.  This gives me the motivation to keep learning as much as I can about the world around me. 

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

The sexualization of early childhood has added to the difficulty of helping children develop in a healthy manner.  After reading the article, I could completely understanding where they authors and parents where coming from in how sexualization is a big part of our world now.  While reflecting on why this may be happening, I challenged myself to think about how adults in the 50’s or 60’s handled things.  I know things are more extreme now then it was then, but at that time couldn’t the adults of that time say the same thing?  Although I struggle with that, I still firmly believe how girls and boys are portrayed has an unhealthy influence on our children.

I have observed the sexualiztion of early childhood through toys, media, and music.  Songs such as “Anaconda” and “All about that Bass” are songs are consistently playing on the radio and are some of the favorite songs of young children.  Dolls such as Bratz also suggest young girls to wear heavy makeup and dress a particular way to be popular.  These messages can impact a child’s self-esteem and self-worth.  Messages about who is popular gives children a false reality of what it means to have true friendships and relationships.

As early childhood professionals it is critical for us to be aware of what is surrounding our children.  We must know what songs are playing on the radio and what the new toy or fad is so that we may be there to talk with children about what it really means.  I think it is really easy for us to choose not have particular songs played around our children or not let them play with certain toys, but the reality is they will mostly likely have friends who do.  And we have to prepare them to know what’s right and what’s wrong.