Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

 

Growing up I experienced ableism.   My family is from the south and although I was born and raised in Michigan, I have a southern accent.  Many people make comments and tease me about the way I say certain things.  Sometimes this bothers me and other times I just ignore them.  Growing up I had severe speech impediments, classmates would say and make fun of me and say I was dumb because I couldn’t talk properly.  As a result, I now find as a teacher that I am very partial to students who receive speech services.  I can understand their fears and the shame they feel.  When dealing with any type of “ism” you feel isolated.  I remember I would feel angry towards those that would tease and mimic me.  I hated going to school and always had severe stomachaches because of the stress. 

I think that this experience has been beneficial to me though in that I can relate to families with speech impaired children.  I can discuss with them that the support they give the child and the necessary services are all important for helping the child become successful.  I am also finding that I need to be careful with my bias of children who tease other students.  I have found that I am more strict with them and have little tolerance for the behavior.  I think this also leads me to be unfriendly to the parents when discussing the issues. 

Observing Communication

For this blog assignment, I chose to observe our new kindergarten teacher.  She had taken her class to the restrooms for a quick bathroom break. She had some boys that were not following the procedures for the hallway.  I observed her getting down at their level, asking them to tell her what it was they were suppose to be doing, and explaning to them why it is important to follow procedures.  During this time, she maintained a very calm and pleasant voice, she also was very direct with her responses.   I think this helped the children understand why it was important to do the right thing.  Because she was using a calm voice, the boys did not act fearful of her. 
When I use to work in daycare and kindergarten, I would also get at the child's level.  I think it is important to make eye contact with them when you are talking.  Sometimes though, I would get a little louder than I should and I think that this may have scared some kids. When dealing with young children, we need to make sure we explain why we don't want them to do something instead of just telling them not to do it. I liked how she held the kids accountable by asking them what they were suppose to be doing instead of just telling them.
I think for the most part I am a good communicator with young children.  One area I would like to strengthen on is rushing.  Since there is so much that has to be taught in a day's time, I rush kids to tell me things or I may just give quick, short blurts as answeres.  I need to slow sown and really show the kids that I am interested in what they have to say.

My Childcare Center

If I were to open my open family childcare center I would make it very inviting and warm to all families.  In the video, I liked how Adriana had a whiteboard upon entrance that said good morning in English and Spanish.  This sent a message right away that she is aware of the languages her families speak.  I think that this is very important.  Along side of this I would also include a newsletter that was written  in the different languages of my families.  I am fortunate enough to know students in high school and colleagues that are fluent in various languages.  I also would utilize a website that I have heard about that takes English and translates it into other languages.  This would allow all my families to feel connected to the center and to be up to date on current and future happenings.

 

In my center, I would have bright, warm colors that were soothing and inviting.  Everything would be at child's level, just like Adriana had things low for the kids to reach.  The walls would have portraits made by the kids as well as portraits depicting diverse cultures.  I think it would be fun to have a mural somewhere at the center with different cultures and languages.  I am a person that loves music, therefore I would be softly playing various types of music in the background. 

 

Children would have different centers to explore.  In the  dramatic play area, there would be numerous items for dress up clothes, ethnic foods for pretend cooking/eating, babies of various races. 

In the library, I would include books that had main characters of different races and genders.  I was recently thrilled to find a Red Riding Hood book for my class in which the main character was an African American girl.  The kids were very surprised to see it.  I also encountered a Three Little Pigs book that portrays the pigs as 2 boys and 1 girl…can you guess which one built their house of bricks?  I love picture books because young children can read the pictures and make their own stories.  This is a great way to have conversation with them about what they are thinking.

 

To help children feel safe, I would have a room set aside for those not feeling well.  This would allow them to rest comfortably until a parent could come and take them home.  This room would have stuff animals for the child to cuddle with on cots. 

 

Parent involvement would be encouraged.  I understand that parents are working, but I would try to encourage them to come in for a short time to help in the center.  Even if a parent could only spare 30 minutes, that is enough time to sit and read a book to a group of children.  Parent involvement is crucial to build a positive relationship between daycare and home.

 

Upon check-in, I would have notebooks available.  These would be used by parents to ask questions or make comments.  I know from my previous experience that as a director, you are not always available to talk to parents when they arrive.  This allows them to leave me a brief message so that I can ensure I make time available to meet with them or contact them throughout the day.  Open communication is very important and I find this to be a valuable tool. 

 

Time Well Spent

Three Learning Topics

During this journey at Walden, I have learned many things.  The most beneficial learning that occurred for me is that I now have the confidence to help children and families.  Prior to this program, I had very little knowledge and experience with understanding diversity and differences.  Now that the school year is starting up, I am incorporating things that I have learned in my room setup.

Secondly, I feel more confident in my ability to become an advocate for children.  This program has taught me that there are many ways that I can become involved.  Being on the timid side, I will look for ways that are suitable for me and still be able to make a contribution to help kids and their families.

Lastly, working on the final project has helped me in understanding ways make a stand on challenges that are facing many families.  The research has taught me the importance of team building to incorporate individuals that can help with my cause and make changes to benefit others.

Long Term Goal

My long term goal is to put my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood to use.  I plan on opening my own childcare/preschool program.  It is my intent, to provide quality education to all, and to provide assistance to families that struggle to afford childcare and preschool. 

Final Farewell

I can’t believe that our time together has come to an end.  It has been an honor and privilege to work and learn from each and every one of you.  It has also been a wonderful experience to have great instructors throughout the entire program.  I feel that each of you is part of an extended family because I have gotten to know each of you personally.  I wish all of you the best of luck with your goals and dreams.  I hope that our paths will cross again in another journey.

ECE Community: Internationally

 This week I took a look at three international organizations that help fight world hunger. 

The first organization is UNICEF.    This organization was founded in 1946 by the United Nations.  This organization believes that the early years of a childs life are the most important in building a secure foundation.  UNICEF offers many programs that help children including immunizations, education and child protection.  Their mission statement is "to advocate for the protection of childrens rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand thier opportunities to reach their fullest potential" (UNICEF).  I chose this organization, because they do so much to help children around the world to get what they require for a healthy life.

Jobs:  They currently have many postings available.  The position I was most interested in was Consultancy-Proofreading Immunization Summary.  This person is to proofread and do quality control on the new edition of Immunization Summary which is to be published this year.  This positon is a temporary position. 

Qualifications include proficiency in English, attention to detail, able to analyze materials and information, and be able to work in a multicultural environment.

The next organization I chose was the World Food Programme (WFP).  This organization was established in 1961.   They are the world's largest humanitarian organizatiin fighting hunger.  Thier vision is a "world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life" (WFP).  I chose this group because  they are very devoted to ending world hunger.  I found on their site a link for teachers.  In here I found many lessons I can use in class to help students learn about hunger around the world and how we can help.  These lessons were intended for grades 4 and up but with some modifications I think students in grade 2 could benefit also.

Jobs:  on their website they have various categories to choose from.  These include professionals, short term, locals and internships.  When I clicked on short term there were currently no positions available.  The other links prompted me to complete an online application before viewing any available jobs.

The final organization I chose was the Action Against Hunger/ACF International organization.   This is a global humanitarian organization that is committed to ending world hunger.  They currently operate in 40 countries and benefit the lives of approximately 5 million people annually.  One of the reasons why I chose this group is that not only do they help families with food and water, but they also teach communities solutions to hunger. I think this is important for the people to learn.  Not only does this organization help provide the necessities but they also show people how they can be helping themselves and giving them the skills to provide for their families and community.

Just like WFP, this site has a link for the student center.  Here I found information for teachers to share with students and activities that can be done in the class and the community to bring about hunger awareness.

Jobs:  This site has many offerings including internships.  The most appealing position to me was for Food Security and Livlihoods Program Manager.  This person basically reports interventions to help end hunger.  They would work closely with the coordinator in developing a team to run the facility.  The manager would be in charge of monitoring, evaluating and reporting monthly on such things as donors, staff and budget summaries. 

In order to be successful with this position, the individaul would need the followung skills:  self sufficient and motivated, able to work with a diverse group of people, good people skills, organized and able to supervise others.  This position would be stressful, so the person should be able to cope with stress appropriately and willing to work long hours.

Resources

Action Against Hunger/ACF International.  Retrieved at :  www.actionagainsthunger.org

UNICEF.  Retrieved at: www.unicef.org

World Food Programme.  Retrieved at:   www.wfp.org

ECE Community: Natinal/Federal Level

This week I had to find 3 national organizations that appealed to me in regards to homelessness.  The following three organizations are ranked in order from my top preference to the least.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.   The mission of this organization is to be the voice for the education of homeless children.  They unite educators, researchers, parents, advocates and service providers.    This uniting helps ensure that homeless children are enrolled and attend school.  It also ensures success of their educational outcome.

I like this organization because it really focuses on what is best for the child, and gives them the voice that is needed.  Children have rights and unfortunately, they are not strong enough to fight for them.  This organization does that for them.

The current position available is for a board member.  The position requires that the candidate be committed to working on behalf of homeless children and youths.  This position requires flexibility and willingness to attend conferences. 

www.naehyc.org

The next organization is National Center on Family Homelessness.   This organization conducts studies and writes reports that provide local and national leaders with valuable information to help them create effective policies on homelessness.    This organization appealed to me because we have a group of individuals who conduct the studies and give legislators accurate, up to date facts that will help our children. 

A current position they have is for an Administrative Assistant for Contracts and Grant Management.   This person needs excellent computer skills, able to meet deadlines, highly organized and self-motivated.   Knowledge of grants would be helpful.

www.familyhomelessness.org

The third organization is the National Coalition for the Homeless.    Their mission is “prevent and end homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights protected.”  

This appealed to me because in order to help children that are homeless, we need to look out for the whole family also.  This organization helps families with making sure they are provided with all services that they are entitled to.  Many people who are homeless, are taken advantage of, and with this group, their rights are protected.

There were no positions listed for this group, but on the website it offers many ways that you can help.  These include job training sessions, working at local shelters and tutoring children.

www.nationalhomeless.org

State and Local Agencies

For this blog I looked up different agencies in the state of Michigan. I found three agencies that were of interest to me.

The first agency is the MiAEYC ( Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children).  This organization is committed to improving the education and welfare of children from birth thriugh age eight. This woild be my second favorite organization to work for.  I think they do a wonderful job with training and implementing professional developoment for staff in the early childhood field.

The job posting that interested me was Early learning communities hub trainer.  This person woild delover training and support services.  The goal is to work witrh United Way in SE in Michigan in implementing early Learning Communities.

The skills for this job would include strong communication to explain services and materials.  Knowledge about early childhood education would be necessary also. 


The second organization I found was Michigan Federation for Children and Families.  Their vision statement is to assure that the most vulnerable children and families have access to quality services supported by private and public funding.

Job that was interesting to me but not qualified for was that of a care manager.  This position needs a bachelors of Human Services.  The job entailed working with a clinician and taking down information to help individuals be part of the community.    This person need to have good written and verbal skills.  Should be peoole oriented and willing to work as part of a team.


The final organization I found was Michigan Headstart.  This organization provides quality instruction and education to prepare children for school.  The program is also appropriate for the developmental , ethnic and cultural heritage of the families.  Of the three I have listd, this is my favorite.  I feel that this organization does a superb job in helping children and families with appropriate services.It would also require that the individual be knowledgeable about the local services that are available to families and the qualifications to meet thoise needs. Collaboration amongst other agencies would be necessary as well as team oriented.  Individual would need to be highly organized.