Final Thoughts and Thanks!

 Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."~ Melody Beattie

 The above quote said all I needed it too. Fellow colleagues, thank you for allowing me a glimpse into your professional lives. I've enjoyed our discussions and various opinions on topics relating to children. Our time in class has proved to be an eye opener; exposing me to resources and ideas I'd never considered before. As we progress through our journeys here at Walden I would just like to wish you all much success! 

Examining Codes of Ethics

I-1.10—To ensure that each child’s culture, language,

ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and

valued in the program. 

It is important that we as educators recognize this ideal because each child that enters into our classrooms are unique. There families are sending them off blindly not knowing the end result, simply hoping and believing they’ll come back having learned something new, a skill, or task that wasn’t embedded before they left that morning. Incorporating a child’s family life or situation can potentially ensure that child’s success. Parent’s are able to bring history into the classroom through giving first hand attempts at having the children’s parents show pictures or read story on the particular topic. In classrooms that have a variety of items in it help the development of a child. Ways in which diversity can be implanted are through having the children’s pictures visible throughout the room, providing a variety of books on topics that are geared toward color, culture and race. 

I-2.1—To be familiar with the knowledge base related to

working effectively with families and to stay informed

through continuing education and training.

In many situations in dealing with children I’ve had to rely on my expertise of knowledge because I do not have children at this time. I’ve decided to continue on striving towards the mark by obtaining my Master’s Degree. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. who said The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

I-3A.1—To establish and maintain relationships of

respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and cooperation with co-workers.

Lastly,

Parents will be much more supportive of you and helpful disciplining their children if you contact them as soon as a problem starts. Keep them updated on their child's progress. Most kids just need to know what their boundaries are!

Keep parents informed regularly of what you are doing in class. They really do appreciate this and it helps with parent-teacher communication

Get to know parents and students ahead of time. Teachers should get a list of the parent’s names about two weeks before school starts; and sending the students and parents a "Welcome to my class. I can't wait to meet you postcard." It does wonders for opening communication lines!

Additional Resources

1. Creating Teaching Tools for Young Children with Challenging Behavior

http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/teaching_tools/ttyc.htm

2. Principles of Parenting:
Am I Spoiling My Child?

EX-0718 Reprinted July 2006. Ellen Abell, Extension Specialist, Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University.  

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/H/HE-0718/

3.Learning disabilities and ethnicity: achieving cultural competence by Jean O’Hara http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/9/3/166.short

 

Resource Section

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, 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 May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
  
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
• Article: 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
   
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission. 
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements. 
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
  
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
  
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
  
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/