Ethical Ideals

The following ideals are important to me in my professional life.

From The Code of Ethics of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children: 

Regarding PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Ideal: 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.

Importance: In understanding that research is constantly being done and new findings are being discovered, early childhood professionals must be knowledgeable about current information impacting our field to maximize their effectiveness.  

Regarding PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARATION

Ideal: We shall engage in ongoing and systematic reflective inquiry and self-assessment for the purpose of continuous improvement of professional performance and services to young children with disabilities and their families.

Importance: As educators, we learn from experiences that occur in our classrooms. We must also take advantage of professional development opportunities as they give us new insights and opportunities to improve our craft, something we should always be looking to do.

From NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment

Regarding ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY 

Ideal: To provide the community with high-quality early childhood care and education programs and services.

Importance: In seeking equity in education, I believe all communities deserve high-quality education programs.  Who is going to provide that in underserved areas if we don’t?

Resources to Consider When Working with Young Children

Important article about Early Learning Standards

• Bodrova, E., Leong, D., Shore, R. (2004). Child outcome standards in Pre-K programs: What are standards; what is needed to make them work? Retrieved from http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/5.pdf

"Suddenly everybody is talking about universal prekindergarten." - Samuel J. Meisels (President of the Erikson Institue)
An article about the push towards Universal Preschool

• Kirp, D.L. (2005, July 31). All my children. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/education/edlife/kirp31.html?pagewanted=1&ref=educationpreschool

An article on the importance of Mathematics instruction in Preschool

• Clements, D. (2001). Mathematics in the Preschool. Teaching Children Mathematics. Retrieved from http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/buildingblocks/writings/Preschool%20Math%20in%20TCM.pdf 

Course Resources (Foundations: Early Childhood)

Position Statements and Influential Practices Within the Early Childhood Field

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8.
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention.
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. 
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity.
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8.
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary.
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. 
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families.(FPG Snapshot, No. 33).

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
• Websites:
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/

Links to Early Childhood Organizations

• 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/
• 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/
• 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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Important Quotes From Educational Leaders

“To feel oneself loved and understood through all the waywardness of childhood is an inalienable right of every child.”

-Patty Smith Hill

“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely.  The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

-Lyndon B. Johnson

A Quote on the Passion for Early Childhood

In regard to what drives her passion,
“The preschool years are critical. They are the first, most fundamental period when children are in fact noticing who they are.”
-Louise Derman-Sparks

Personal Childhood Web

Grandpa

As a child, my grandparents babysat me everyday after school.  My grandfather would read to me, or we would watch sports together.  He worked as a pastor and seemed to know everybody!  When we went out in public, people would often tell me about how my grandpa helped change their lives.  People loved him, and he loved everybody.  With a warmth and intelligence that drew others to him, I always felt like I had his attention and support.  He showed me what caring for a family looks like, keeping close relationships with my mother and aunts, and he and my grandmother were married for 65 years!

Grandma

When I think about my grandmother, I think about safety, warmth, love, support . . . The list goes on and on.  My grandmother was a the rock that held our family together.  My sister and I went to her house almost daily as children, and we spent that time working on homework, reading, watching movies, talking about friendships and family.  She attended school functions and sporting events with me, always stressing the importance of considering the feelings of others and remembering the impact that my actions can have on others.  To this day, when it comes time to make an important decision, I consider what my grandmother would have to say about it.

Sister

We played, we laughed, we fought, we were best friends, I guess we were like a lot of siblings growing up.  She's a couple years older than I am, and I could always go to her when stressed or scared.  When I was little, if I had a nightmare she would let me spend the night in her room, she made me feel safe.  To this day I continue to talk with her about important life decisions and value her advice.  She has her own family now and I am thrilled to be a first-time uncle! I hope to offer my nephew the support that my family members gave me growing up.

Mom & Dad

My parents are my heroes.  Growing up, my parents created a household climate that was supportive, warm, and loving.  They always encouraged me and helped me when I needed it.  They continue to be my confidants.  Both are educators, and I feel my passion for working with children and families comes from them.  

Photo of Me at 3

As youngsters: My sister, a couple family friends, and me. I'm the one with the 

chubby face and the awesome outfit on the far left.

No, David!

No, David! by David Shannon is one of my all-time favorite children's books. To go along with wonderfully engaging illustrations, the book's text helps Early Childhood teachers facilitate classroom discussion around certain expectations regarding student behavior. 

The book's illustrations include David drawing on the wall with markers, playing baseball in the living room, jumping on the bed while wearing cowboy boots, picking his nose, and running down the street in the nude (get ready for your kids to lose their minds over this one). "No, David!" and "No, No, No!" are examples of the text as David's mother responds to his conduct with displeasure. This brevity in  prose allows readers to discuss thoughts about what David is doing without the author spelling out insights for them. Children are empowered to examine how David is handling himself, and what he could be doing differently. As a consequence for his behavior, we see David sent to his room and receive a timeout. Tears are visible on David's face after hearing his mom tell him "No, David!" repeatedly. 

When I first read the story to children, the first thing I usually hear from them is "David's a bad kid."At the end of the book (Spoiler Alert!), David's mom gives him a big hug, and says "Yes David, I love you." Readers are now provided with an opportunity to discuss David not as a bad kid, but rather a kid who at times, displays some unsafe and inappropriate behavior. We talk about alternate choices that David could make considering each act. I remind my students that our rules are in place to keep them safe, and consequences give an a chance to discuss the reasons for rules. I tell my kids that even if they receive a consequence, they are still loved. In an area heavily affected by poverty, it's important to me that my kids hear that, and that they start to believe it.

 

Greetings

"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression."
-Dr. Haim Ginott


Welcome!  I look forward to networking with others involved in the field of Early Childhood Studies as we build a professional online learning community.  I'm excited to share share reflections, thoughts, and resources as we seek to lead positive change in a field crucial to humanity: Our children.