Reflection

When I first started to think about starting my Masters degree feelings of being overwhelmed flooded my mind. I was unsure as to how I was going to be able to get everything crammed into one day. As the days went by they slowly  turned into a week, and before I knew it my last week of my first course was upon me. I know that I am just beginning to start my journey, but it is good to know that I have conquered one of my courses.

It has been through this course that I have been able to grow as a professional in the Early Childhood field. I have been able to take the information and apply it to my classroom. It has been a blessing to see how my hard work is paying off. Not only am I starting to see the benefits in my classroom, but I also feel that I have created bonds with other professionals in the Early Childhood field.

Through these last 8 weeks I have been able to get to know my colleagues. It has been a great encouragement to see the dreams that they have set for themselves. I personally look forward to supporting  them as they fulfill their dreams. I am thankful that I have been able to support them and be a part of their journey, as well as they have been a part of mine. 

There are times that the days seem long and the hours just do not seem to be there, but knowing that there are others working helped me to stick through it. I loved being able to learn from my colleagues and being able to see what they might of learned from the resources that we had read. There are many times that I would take their input and apply it to what I was learning. I found that they would see things in a complete different perspective then mine and it was refreshing to see someone else point of view. 

It has been through the resources and my colleagues that my knowledge has expanded since the beginning of the course 8 weeks ago. I have been able to learn a lot of knew things and I am looking forward to being able to apply all of the new things that I have learned. I am also looking forward to continuing this process. The journey is going to be long, but the benefits will be countless.

Code of Ethics

NAEYC (2005) and DEC (2000) both have a code of ethics that should be followed by those who are working in Early Childhood programs. Here are the few that I found would be helpful if I would apply to my classroom.

The Code of Ethics Ideals from NAEYC (2005)

 

"I-1.3—To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child."

As an Early Childhood professional it is curial that I remember to treat each one of my students with respect. One way that I apply this idea of ethics to my classroom is by remembering the potential of each one of my students. When receiving my Bachelors degree I remember hearing a story about a teacher. Every morning the teacher would go into the classroom and treat their students as if they were the next President or big scientist. This story left a lasting impact on me. As a Early Childhood teacher I never know who is in my classroom. I could be teaching the next President, scientist, lawyer, doctor, ect. It is my job to teach them to their full potential and to inspire them to be able to be anything that they want to be.

"I-1.4—To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults."

Working with children is a very important job and is one that should not be taken lightly. When reading this statement it helped me to remember the vulnerability of my students. When teaching my students it is important that I am providing an environment that supports my students and helps them to develop the skills they need to become independent.

"I-3A.2—To share resources with co-workers, collaborating to ensure that the best possible early childhood care and education program is provided."

As I continue in the process of receiving my Graduate degree, it is important that I share the information that I am learning. I tend to be someone who is quiet and does not share a lot of information with those that I work with. When reading this statement I realized that is is my professional duty to share my new findings with my co-workers. We can learn from one another and it is through this learning process that each one of us can create an atmosphere that benefits the students. 

The Code of Ethics from DEC (2000)

"We shall strive for the highest level of personal and professional competence by seeking and using new evidence based information to improve our practices while also responding openly to the suggestions of others."

 It is important that I stay up-to-date with current topics and research and to be accepting of correction. By learning from research and correction I will be able to become a better teacher. My goal is to one day become a Master teacher and it that will be impossible if I do not continue my education and learn from my mistakes.

"We shall empower families with information and resources so that they are informed consumers of services for their children."

If I am doing my job as a professional with staying up-to-date and continuing to improve myself as a teacher, then I will be able to relay this information to my parents. When a parent puts their child into my classroom they are trusting me with the most valuable gift that they have. It is my job to make sure that I am providing them with the proper information and resources that they need to stay informed about the current research and issues. 

"We shall demonstrate our respect and appreciation for all families’ beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture relative to their nurturance and support of their children toward achieving meaningful and relevant priorities and outcomes families’ desire for themselves and their children."

As I work with the children it is important that I keep in mind the different types of backgrounds that each one of my students come from. In order for me to know about the different backgrounds of my students, I need to take the time to get to know each one of my student's families. Finding out as much information about my families helps me to provide support.