Time Well Spent

I have learned so much in this program, more than I expected for an online program.  It will be difficult for me to just single out three things that I have learned.  Because I have been given such a wealth of information, information that is considered valuable and that will be cherished. 

Three Things I Learned

One thing that I have learned in this program is the importance of staying current. The early childhood world changes often and research is constantly making new discoveries. Therefore if you do not keep up with what is going on or the latest research, you will be left behind.  I also have learned how to look deep within myself and fight for those things in which I have a passion for and how important it is to advocate for the early childhood profession. Our small children are our biggest investments and it is up to us to fight for their well-being and to continue to be that voice for the voiceless.  Another thing that I learned or just became aware of is that there are so many serious issues in this profession and that it will be impossible for one person to impact the community alone.  Hence, I have learned the importance of effective positive communication, collaboration and leadership. It is important that we master these areas if we are going to make a positive difference in the profession.

Long term Goal

My long term goal will be to open my own school and become a mentor for new and upcoming professionals. I live down the street from a community college and believe that it would be a great opportunity to build a partnership.  The training that I have received from this program has prepared me and has given me the tools needed to get this started on the right path.  

Farewell Message

As I leave this program, at Walden I can say that it is only the beginning. I have so many ideas and things that I want to do in my community. I want to say to all of my fellow colleagues that I wish all of you well as you continue on your professional journey because in the early childhood field the learning continues.  I also want to encourage each of you to stay true to your passion as you continue on to fight for our children. 

And Dr. Teri, you are an excellent professional.  I love your positive spirit.  You were consistent and firm but so sweet about it.  It was amazing.  Once day I was confused and in a panic and your encouraging words cause me to take a step back and relax.  I really wish that I could meet you some day because you really inspired me to work towards keeping a positive attitude even when things got tough.  That positive spirit that you have is the image that I want to portray daily. So thank you so much for your colorful and inspiring announcements because they also helped me to get through this class. You are a very special person, the gift that you have and the passion that you have for your students is evident.  Dr. Teri, I wish you all the best, peace and continued happiness in the near future and in years to come.  Take care, Martha.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Three Early Childhood Careers that appeal to me are as follows:

Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist

Program: Health, Education, and Social Programs

Early Education Services, Pennsylvania

Job duties for this position is designed to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs to ensure high quality Head Start and Early Head Start services in accordance with federal regulations that promote healthy development, encompassing the developmental domains of physical development and health, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language and literacy, and cognition and general knowledge to ensure children’s future success.

Qualifications for this program include: Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development; at least 5+ years of demonstrated experience in the field of early childhood education; 5+ years of experience offering training and technical assistance within early care and education and the ability to maintain up to date knowledge of current child development practices and research based early childhood quality methods and approaches.

Director of Early Childhood

Kingsley Montessori School, Boston, Massachusetts

Job duties for The Director of Early Childhood includes: overseeing all areas of education at the Fairfield campus and serves. With the support of an administrative assistant, the director will supervise all classroom teachers and after-school teachers.

Qualifications include: A minimum of a Masters degree, ideally in Education or Child Development; At least 5 years of teaching and supervision experience; A thorough understanding of, respect for, and ideally certification in Montessori education; A thorough grasp of childhood development, including elements of special education skills.

TRAINING AND CURRICULUM SPECIALIST –

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Navy Child and Youth Programs, NAS Fort Worth JRB.

Job duties for the Training and Curriculum Specialist includes: Provides training that is appropriate for and tailored to the age group of the children and youth with whom the employees and providers work. The trainer maintains training records. Provides support for staff in preparation for inspections. In the absence of CDC Director, may assume responsibilities of the CDC Director and performs duties and responsibilities of the position.

Qualifications that a trainer must have include the following: A 4-year degree in Youth Development, Child Development or related field, which can include recreation, youth recreation, physical education, elementary education, secondary education, early childhood education, psychology, social work; Home economics with an emphasis in Human Development, or other degrees as appropriate; at least 3 years fulltime experience working with children.

Why these positions?

These three positions appeal to me because they include any of the job duties that I enjoy, which involve training and mentoring other ECE professionals.  I have actually applied for positions with each of these titles and will continue to do so. I think out of the three, the one that is most dear to my heart is the training and curriculum specialist.  I am still currently seeking this position and believe that I will be successful soon. 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

   This week I have been researching several organizations and programs that have made an impact on school readiness in prospective communities, particularly those from at-risk families. The three organizations that I have chosen all have very valuable and useful information on defining school readiness. They also have examples of school readiness pilot programs, assessments and the results or finding of each outcome.  Therefore I will be adding them to my community of practice team.  They include:

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER): http://nieer.org

The PEW State and Consumer Initiative: http://www.pewstates.org

Center On the Developing Child – Harvard University: http://developingchild.harvard.edu

As I continue to move forward on my professional journey, I have become more knowledgeable of the variety of positions that are available outside of the teaching profession.  As I began to search additional job opportunities on the national and federal level I came across three that appealed. I also can imagine myself holding each of these positions because they all work for quality care and education for all children.

The first position: SFLDirector of Early Childhood Initiatives- the position is located in Reston, VA and requires supervisory experience, curriculum development and experience with content knowledge related child care licensing, quality rating and improvement systems, professional development systems and other early learning program initiatives.

Another position: An Early Childhood Education Instructor’s position, located in Spokane, Washington. The position requires that the one is able to prepare and instructs, through traditional classroom and distance education classes in the area of Early Childhood Education.  

The next position I found is a Program Analyst 4 – (Early Learning Hub Manager) located in Salem, Oregon. The program requires that the Analyst lead initiatives that put young children first and move forward with reforms to strengthen early care and education system. It also requires advising on various early childhood development and early learning strategies.

References

Center On the Developing Child – Harvard University: http://developingchild.harvard.edu

Community Colleges at Spokane: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ccspokane/default.cfm?action=viewJob&jobID=800634

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER): http://nieer.org

Oregon.Gov: http://www.oregon.gov/jobs/Pages/index

The PEW State and Consumer Initiative: http://www.pewstates.org

The Source for Learning: http://jobview.monster.com/Director-of-Early-Childhood-Initiatives-Job-Reston-VA-US-129434949.aspx?WT.mc_n=Indeed_US&from=indeed

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

There are three local organizations that appeal to me that I would like to include as a part of my community of practice. They include: The United Way; The YMCA and The Department of Social Services. I chose this organizations because of their commitment to serving children and families. The United Way of South Hampton Roads builds relationships, develops partnerships and helps focus energies around our community's common goals. The Y makes strengthening families a priority; families learn communication skills, life skills and family life skills. And the Department of Social Services community Support Department is committed to Childcare provider training and development and supports head start program and oversees the infant and toddler network. I have a desire to get out there and work in the community and these agencies do just that. They will be able to help guide me and point me into the right direction.

As I began to search possible jobs in early childhood, there are a few opportunities that I will be interested in they include: A Program Specialist in Early Childhood and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); Project Director for Early Education Services for ICF international which serves the military community; and an International Licensing Inspector for the Department of Social Services. Each position requires at least a Master’s Degree, comprehensive knowledge of child development and must be able to work in a diverse environment.  And, must be able to communicate well and must be able to multi-task. These are just a few of the qualifications needed to successfully fulfill the job requirement.

References Retrieved from

http://partnership.vcu.edu

dss.virginia.gov

www.icfi.com/careers/

Week 8 Farewell

I can't believe that this class has come to an end. I have really been enlightened by so many of my colleagues.  It has been an amazing journy.  I now understand the importance of effective communication in areas that I never noticed before.  The information that I have gained throughout this course is very valuable and is something that will be used personally and through my professional carreer. 

I would like to take this time to thank all of you for your support and your encouraging comments. I wish each of you the best as you continue on your professional journey.

Sincerely,
Martha

The Adjourning Phase

     As I began to reflect back to the groups or teams that I have worked with, the one that comes to mind is the year I worked with a team of teachers.  We were in my book the perfect team.  There were four classrooms and a total of eight teachers, all women.  However, we got along so well it was unbelievable. We worked together for four wonderful years.  I know that it was because each teacher had a passion for what she did.  We would meet once a week to brainstorm about activities.  We shared lesson plans and often tried to come up with exciting new experiences for our students. We did not always see eye to eye but because our communication was so strong, we always worked it out. The positive energy level was so high that even our parents began to work together; we had so much fun.  After working together for a few years the administrators decided to rotate some of the teachers and send them to different schools.  We were so heart broken because we began to feel like a family of teachers.  Even the parents were sad because some of them had children that were coming the following year.
     During the last week of school, we decided to have a big celebration.  Our parents joined together and helped the teachers out.  We had something different going on each day and on the last day we had a huge cookout that the parents planned.  It was awesome!  The teachers later met for dinner on another day and exchanged information and promised to keep in touch.  We did good for a while but with time, things eventually died down.  I do have one teacher that I still talk to today, after 15 years.  We have a special bond.  Every now and then we will run into the others.
     As I continue on this educational journey, I would love to be able to stay in touch with many of my collegues. I would like to thank all of you for your wonderful support and positive feedback.  It was encouraging to read your post and responses. I wish each of you the best as you continue on your wonderful journey as an early childhood professional.
   I would like to specially thank Dr. Hampshire for such wonderful support and feedback during this course.  I know that the information that I received in this course is something that I will reflect on on a regular basis.  I have learned so much about communcation and about teamwork. Take care and I wish everyone the best!

Managing Conflict

     As I began to think back, the most recent disagreement that I had was two weeks ago.  Although my girls father and I are no longer together, he seems to always find a way to spark a debate about the most simple issues.  At one time I could not understand why we could not have an decent conversation with out it becoming heated. But I soon found out that he wanted to keep me upset. Basically, he would spark debates on purpose. So in turn, I began to avoid direct conversation with him all together.  I know now that that form of management is called the escapist strategy (O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. 2012).  When it comes to our daughters, we often result to quick and simple resolutions.  It may not always resolve the issues but it has been the best solution for the both of us. I also had to learn to manage my emotions while communicating with him. I learned not to engage in the same discussions to avoid repeating the same situations.  I learned to speak calmly to show that I do respect him as my children's father.  Having very limited conversations has been the best solution.  Because he believes that he is right and everyone esle is wrong, I really don't see how any compromise can be made.

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York:

        Bedford/St. Martin's.