You and Early Childhood Education

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You and Early Childhood Education
I Like Milk

• Chapter 1 Mrs. Wagner

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Focus Questions

• Who is an early childhood professional?
• What can you do to embody the personal,
  educational, professional practice, and public
  dimensions of professionalism?
• What is the terminology of early childhood
  education?
• How can you prepare for a career in early
  childhood education?
• What does the future hold for the early childhood
  professional?

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Who is an Early Childhood Professional?

• Early Childhood Professional?
• A person that has the personal characteristics,
  knowledge, and skills necessary to teach and
  conduct programs so that all children learn.
• The ability to inform the public about childrens
  and family issues.
• A professional is a person who promotes high
  standards for themselves, their colleagues, and
  their students.
• Continually improving and expanding their skills
  and knowledge.

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Figure 1.1 Text Page 5

• Definitions of Categories of Early Childhood
  Professionals
• NAEYC National Association for the Education of
  Young Children
• http//www.naeyc.org
• Magazines
• Weekly assignments

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The Four Dimensions of Professionalism

• Personal Characteristics
• Educational Attainment
• Professional Practice
• Public Presentation

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Personal Characteristics

• Four areas
• Personal Character
• Emotional Qualities
• Physical Health
• Mental Health

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Personal Character

• Ethical Behavior
• Having high morals and values
• Legally and ethically proper
• NAEYC developed codes of ethics that help inform
  and guide professional practice.
• PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for
  Educators
• http//www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/lib/teach
  ing/PACodeofConduct.pdf
• Appendix A Activity

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Personal Character (cont.)

• Civility
• Compassion, Patience, Acts of Kindness and
  Helpfulness
• Ex. Courteous with children, parents, and
  colleagues
• Additional Traits
• Courtesy, Dedication, Respect, Enthusiasm,
  Honesty, Intelligence and Motivation

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Emotional Qualities

• What is the most important quality?
• Love and respect for children
• Understanding of children and their families
• Compassion
• Empathy
• Friendliness
• Kindness
• Sensitivity
• Trust
• Tolerance
• Warmth
• Caring

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Emotional Qualities (cont.)

• Why Caring?
• Love and respect for children
• Understanding of children and their families
• Compassion
• Empathy
• Friendliness
• Kindness
• Sensitivity
• Trust
• Tolerance
• Warmth

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Good Professionals.

• Care about all children!

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Physical Health

• Why do you feel it is important to be healthy and
  fit as an early childhood professional?
• When you are healthy, you can do your best and be
  your best!
• Wellness and healthy living are vital for the
  energy, enthusiasm, and stamina that teaching
  requires and demands!

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Mental Health

• Having good mental health enables professionals
  to instill in children good mental health habits.
• Optimism
• Attentiveness
• Self-confidence
• Self-respect
• Maintaining a positive outlook on
• Life
• The profession
• The future

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Educational Dimension

• Essential knowledge of the profession and
  professional practice
• Understand the ways children develop and learn
• Keeping up-to-date on public issues

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Educational Dimension

• Vary from state to state
• http//www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/lib/teach
  ing/EarlyChildhoodEducation.pdf
• Teaching in PA Nursery/Kindergarten Teacher and
  Nursery/Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

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Educational Dimension

• Associate Degree Program
• Baccalaureate Programs
• Masters Degree Programs
• Doctorate in Early Childhood Education or Child
  Development

• Two years
• Four Years
• Four Years
• Four Years

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The Professional Practice Dimension

• This dimension includes
• Knowing children
• Developing a philosophy of education
• Planning
• Assessing
• Reporting
• Reflecting and thinking
• Teaching
• Collaborating with parents, families, and
  community partners
• Engaging in ethical practice
• Seeking continued professional development
  opportunities

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Child Development is the what of early
childhood.Early Childhood education is the how
of the profession.
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Early childhood professionals must be able to do
the following

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the early
  childhood profession and make a commitment to
  professionalism.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of child
  development and apply this knowledge in practice
• Observe and assess childrens behavior for use in
  planning and individualizing curriculum.
• Establish and maintain an environment that
  ensures childrens safety and their healthy
  development.

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Early childhood professionals must be able to do
the following

• Plan and implement a developmentally appropriate
  program that advances all areas of childrens
  learning and development, including intellectual,
  social, emotional, and physical competence.
• Establish supportive relationships with children
  and implement developmentally appropriate
  techniques of guidance and group management.
• Establish positive and productive relationships
  with families.
• Support the uniqueness of each child, recognizing
  that children are best understood in the context
  of family, culture, and society.

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Philosophy of Education

• A set of beliefs about how children develop and
  learn and what and how they should be taught.

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Text Pages 13 14
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Planning

• Stating what children will learn and what
  children are able to do.
• State Board of Education Academic Standards
• Selecting developmentally appropriate activities
  and materials and ones that are based on
  childrens interests.
• Deciding how much time to allocate to an
  activity.
• Deciding how to assess activities and the things
  that children have learned.

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Assessing

• Assessment is the process of gathering
  information about childrens behavior and
  achievement and, on the basis of this data,
  making decisions about how to meet childrens
  needs.

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Reporting

• How is my child doing?
• Helps you, as a professional, be accountable to
  the public in fulfilling your role of helping
  children learn and be successful.

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Reflecting and Thinking

• Think before you teach, think while you teach,
  and think after you teach.

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Teaching

• Teaching involves making decisions about what to
  teach, planning for teaching, engaging students
  in learning activities, managing learning
  environments, assessing student behavior and
  achievement, reporting to parents and others,
  collaborating with colleagues and community
  partners, and engaging in ongoing professional
  development.

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Collaborating with

• Parents
• Families
• Childrens learning begins and continues within
  the context of the family unit, whatever that
  family unit may be. Learning how to comfortably
  and confidently work with parents is as essential
  as teaching children
• Community Partners

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Engaging in Ethical Practice

• Ethical Conduct the exercise of responsible
  behavior with children, families, colleagues, and
  community members.

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Seeking Ongoing Professional Development
Opportunities
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The Public Dimension

• Advocacy
• Articulation
• Representation

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Advocacy

• The act of pleading the causes of children and
  families to the profession and the public.
• Examples - abuse and neglect prevention, health,
  children living in poverty

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Articulation

• Early childhood professionals must be
  knowledgeable and informed about the profession
  and the issues it faces.
• They have to be able to discuss these issues with
  the public, the media, families, and others in
  the community.

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Representation

• The process of acting in the best possible ways
  on behalf of children and families.
• Being a role model.

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Four Dimensions of Professionalism

• Personal
• Educational
• Professional
• Public

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Early Childhood TerminologyTurn to your text
page 24.