Codes of Ethics – Ideals

1) I-1.5 To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions (NAEYC, 2005).

                   – This ideal is the foundation for my professional goals in the early childhood field. It sums up why I do what I do. I want to create a place where children will be able to express themselves freely and be able to develop fully. It is important for this to be in my list of ideals, as it is my goal to provide children with an environment in which to thrive.

 2) I-3A.2 To share resources with co-workers, collaborating to ensure that the best possible early childhood care and education program is provided (NAEYC, 2005).

                     – This is important to my professional goals, because the work of an educator cannot be accomplished without the help of others, especially other professionals in the field of early childhood education. It is necessary that co-workers share their experiences and other knowledge they may have with one another, so that others can learn from these and build a stronger foundation for their work as educators.

3) 1.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 (DEC, 2000).

                        – It is important to show respect for a child’s family when working in the field of early childhood. Collaborating with parents and community can help ensure a child’s full growth. Working to understand where the child is coming from by seeking to understand and appreciat his home culture and his family background will encourage the healthy development of the child, which ultimately is my goal.

• NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved August 10, 2012, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
  
• The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved August 10, 2012, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

Additional Resources

Child and Family WebGuide: http://www.cfw.tufts.edu

A Color of His Own, by Leo Lionni

 

Helping Children Worldwide: http://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org

 

 

Quotes…

Quotes on passion, motivation, and wisdom, taken from the media segment “The Passion for Early Childhood Education”: 

“It was the most joyful experience, where I felt that everything in me was being called on to teach. And also, it was very rewarding. It just made me feel whole, it made me feel creative. And so it became my lifelong work, with early childhood education, and the passion to make sure that all children were taught in environments and in ways that truly nurtured their ability to grow and to develop to their fullest ability. So I started to look at the research about how young children develop identity and attitudes. It was discovered that the preschool years are the critical, they are the first, most fundamental period when children are in fact noticing who they are and are noticing the attitudes and the stereotypes and the discomforts or the positive messages about their skin color, their racial identity, their ethnic identity…they [young children] are still being daily bombarded by both negative and positive messages about who they are…I think they’re damaged when they get positive messages that they’re better than others simply because of their skin color or because of their economic class or because of their gender. And I hate the waste. It doesn’t allow children to grow up to their fullest potential and their fullest ability.”

– Louise Derman-Sparks, Professor Emeritus at Pacific Oak College, CA 

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“It’s in early childhood education that I was able to really see what a unique opportunity we have in working with children. We, as professionals in the early childhood field, have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better, and so that’s what makes me passionate about this field.”

“When I go to these parent meetings and actually see parents learning how to speak to policy-makers, learning how to write letters, learning how to tell their story and share their voice, that’s what keeps me motivated, regardless of all the challenges going on.”

– Sandy Escobido, Deputy Field Director, Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative, California Community Foundation

References:

Walden University.(n.d.). The Passion for Early Childhood. Retrieved July 19, 2012, from mywaldenu.edu: https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1342559_1%26url%3D

Quotes

 

Quotes by Edward Zigler, Ph.D. and T Berry Brazelton, M.D.:

“Reading is just one aspect of cognitive development, and cognitive development is just one aspect of human development. A child’s curiosity and belief that he or she can succeed are just as important to reading as knowing the alphabet. I am urging that we broaden our approach to literacy by focusing on the whole child. We must also broaden our understanding of when and where literacy begins. Literacy begins with the thousands of loving interactions with parents after an infant is born. It begins as a child develops a sense of self-worth by realizing that his or her accomplishments, whether they be learning to roll over or to recite the alphabet, are important to significant others. It begins with sitting in a safe lap, hearing a familiar bedtime story. Eventually a child will want to emulate the parent and read, too. Reading, then, begins with meeting the child’s physical, social, and emotional needs, followed by exposure to more formal literacy skills.”
– Dr Edward Zigler, Ph.D (one of the founders of Head Start) (US Senate testimony, February 12, 2002)

 

“A family’s responses to crisis or to a new situation mirror those of a child. That is to say, the way a small child deals with a new challenge (for instance, learning to walk) has certain predictable stages: regression, anxiety, mastery, new energy, growth, and feedback for future achievement. These stages can also be seen in adults coping with new life events, whether positive or negative.”

– Dr. T Berry Brazelton, M.D. (founder of Child Development Unit, Boston Children’s Hospital and founder of Touchpoints

 

References:

Brazelton, T.B. (1989). Families: Crisis and Caring. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Personal Childhood Web

Some of the most influential people of my early childhood were the people in my immediate family:  

1. Louise Grandouiller –  I am my mother’s third child, one of four children. Ever since I was born, my mother has loved and showed me that she cares by being there for me and being interested in what I do and say. She spent a lot of time with me and my siblings when we were growing up, and played with us, laughed with us, read to us, and told us stories. She taught me many of the values I still have today. My mom was and is always there for me, especially if I’ve had a bad day or am not feeling well. She knows what to say and how to comfort. My mother has and still does always tell me how special I am to her and how much I mean to her. Her encouragement and positive outlook and attitude continue to impact my life. She also gives me advice and helps me work through difficult decisions and choices in my life.  I am very grateful for a mom like mine. 

2. Christian Grandouiller – My father has always been there for me and has loved me since I was born. He encourages me and does things for me that really show me he loves me. He is always interested in me, what I think and what I have to say. He has passed down his values and some of his interests to me, and I have great respect and love for him. My father has spent a lot time with my siblings and me as we have grown up, and we have had many times of laughter, play, joking, and debates together. My dad has been there for me through the good times and bad, and has always put up with me. He has helped me in making the big decisions of my life. I am so blessed to know him and to have him for a father. I love my dad and couldn’t ask for a better one. 

3. Sarah Christensen – My sister Sarah is two years older than me, and we have always been close. We have always understood each other, and in the struggles and the joys, we’ve stuck together. Ever since I was little, I have looked up to my sister and learned from her, whether from her mistakes or her successes. We can finish each other’s sentences, and we often know exactly what the other is thinking without having to say it. We get into giggle fits together, we fight, we laugh, we cry, and we hang out together. I am so glad for a sister who knows me (the good and the bad) and who has always stuck with me and always been there for me. I am also very close to my two brothers, one older and one younger. I have a very close family. 

4. Thomas Grandouiller – My older brother was always someone to whom I looked up. He  was always the one to try everything first and was always the most knowledgeable about life. He taught me a lot and looked out for me and my sister. He would often play games with my sister and me and we did a lot together as siblings. I am so glad to have a brother who cares about my and has always been there for me. 

5. David Grandouiller – My younger brother was born six years after me, so for a long time I was considered the youngest. He was like my own baby (or so I liked to think) when he was little, and we have always been very close. It was teaching him and being one of his “moms” that really made me like teaching children younger then me. I liked helping him with his schoolwork and playing with him. We have always been “buddies” and we remain really close to this day. 

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/autism_story.html#

 

 

Stories

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_projects/child_poverty/child_poverty_case_studies_stories.htm

 

The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It … is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be.

MARIANNE E. NEIFERT, Dr. Mom’s Parenting Guide

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! – by Dr. Seuss

I love this book, because it describes the limitless opportunities we all have. The sky’s the limit! There is so much potential in a child’s life to be whomever they were made to be.

 

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt