Thank You

Throughout the duration of my early childhood studies course I have had the pleasure of being able to engage with many different people who are apart of the early childhood field, and discover what their professional goals and aspirations are for this field. Two colleagues that I would like to give a special thanks to would be Sarah Kasco and Leslie Warren. 

These two colleagues have truly opened my eyes to what it means to be apart of this profession, how being apart of this profession really affects and helps children, and why the early childhood field is so important. They have also made me realize how much more there is to the early childhood field, that it is not just about teaching children, but that it is caring for them, nurturing their learning experiences, and how important advocating for the children is.

Three important ideals that are contained in the NAEYC codes of ethics that are significant in my professional life. 

1. To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child. 
• All children are different, meaning that they learn in different ways. It is important for early childhood professionals to recognize this in order to meet the needs of the children that they work with. 
2. To Support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with and without disabilities.
• Children need to be able to explore their environment in a safe manner so that they can grow  and learn. The best way for children to be able to accomplish this is by play. Play is the most important part of a child's life, and is something that all early childhood professionals must realize. 
3. To ensure that each child's culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.  
• A child's culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are all things that are very important in a child's life, even though some may be more important than others. It is imperative that early childhood professionals learn what these things mean to each child and their families, and find ways to include these ways in there lessons to make the children feel included. 

Reference:
NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from.http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

 

Course Resources:

A couple of interesting resources that help spread knowledge about the early childhood field. 

• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2018, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf 

• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

• UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

• National Association for the Education of Young Children. http://www.naeyc.org/

• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education. http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/