Jobs/ Roles in the ECE Community: National/ Federal Level

This week’s assignment was to explore national and federal early childhood organizations, agencies, and communities of practice then share three that appealed to me and explain why, any job opportunities that interest me, and skills and/or experience needed to fulfill each of these roles.

1.       Association for Early Learning Leaders (www.earlylearningleaders.org)

The Association for Early Learning Leaders was previously known as the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP).  “The organization's goal is to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of the people who lead the child care industry by providing membership services and benefits” (Association for Early Learning Leaders, n.d., para. 1).  They work toward obtaining their goal through their National Conference, membership, accreditation, and training.  As a member, there are many opportunities for professional growth, including online training, seminars, and networking with other professionals.

Members are able to post job openings on the site.  One job that I found really stuck out to me, although I would have to relocate.  The position I would love to have is the Director of the Montessori Child Care Center at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.  Requirements for this position include:

·         Bachelor’s degree in Education (although a Master’s degree is preferred)

·         certification in Montessori education

·         first aid and  CPR trainings

·         Chicago Department of Health Food Service certificate

I currently work for an early childhood center at a hospital in North Carolina so I would be interested in seeing the difference in the traditional early childhood setting and that of the Montessori foundation.

2.           McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership (http://cecl.nl.edu)

The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University “is a nationally recognized resource for building the leadership capacity of the early childhood workforce” (McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, n.d., para. 1).  I chose this organization because it offers professional development, program evaluation, research and resource library, and other leadership matters.

Right now there is an opening for a Quality Specialist Coordinator.  Qualifications include:

·         a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or related field, with a Master’s degree preferred

·         at least 3 years experience in providing technical assistance and developing training curriculum

·         must be detail oriented

·         high level of reliability with assessment tools

·         proficiency in certain computer programs

·         strong written and oral communication skills

·         excellent interpersonal skills

·         an ability to relate to people from culturally diverse backgrounds

Although this particular position is available in Illinois, I would love to find a position like this in my area.

3.            Parents as Teachers (www.parentsasteachers.org)

Parents as Teachers was conceptualized by educators in Missouri in the 1970’s.  “Early childhood professionals suggested that a program to provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, and parent education to help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development from the beginning could help improve school readiness and parent involvement” (Parents as Teachers, n.d., para. 11).

               

After researching this organization, I would like to be one of the people who go out to the homes and work with parents to improve their parenting skills and give them the resources they need to be the best parent they can be to their child.  Although there is not a current opening for this position in my local branch or through the federal organization, I did find another job that interests me.  They are hiring a Quality Specialist which has the following pre-requisites:

·         Master’s degree or equivalent in social work, health, psychology, or education

·         3-5 years’ experience in early childhood education, social work, home visiting, education, or working with at-risk children and families

·         Experience in managing and/or implementing accreditation, continuous quality improvement or similar systems

·         Ability to analyze, synthesize, and summarize information accurately and clearly

·         Strong written communication skills

·         Computer skills

References

Association for Early Learning Leaders.  (n.d).  Welcome early learning leaders.  Retrieved from               http://www.earlylearningleaders.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=10.

McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.  (n.d.).  About us.  Retrieved from         http://cecl.nl.edu/.

Parents as Teachers.  (n.d.).  Vision- mission history.  Retrieved from                 http://www.parentsasteachers.org/about/what-we-do/visionmission-history.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

1.  North Carolina Early Childhood Association (www.ncearlychildhoodassoc.com)

The reason I chose this organization is because they have a good reputation for working toward improving the quality of care in NC.  In addition to working on behalf of the children in NC, the NCECA also advocates to enhance the early childhood field for educators.  Benefits of being a member include:

• “updates through Facebook and the website about information relevant to all areas of early childhood
• Advance notice of training opportunities offered by NCECA
• Reduced rates at NCECA training opportunities
• Official membership card
• Email alerts about early childhood issues
• Annual membership in a professional association
• Ability to support and collaborate with other early childhood professionals” (http://www.ncearlychildhoodassoc.com/_files/NCECA_recruit_2012full.pdf)

There are currently no job opportunities available with this association as this group is made up of members, including parents, educators, directors, and other early childhood advocates.  There are advocacy opportunities available for members, which get e-mailed to them.  While there are no set skills or experience required, I think it would be important to be a part of the early childhood field on some level, whether it is as a parent, educator, or other support for the early childhood community.  Basic education and additional education related to early childhood issues and trends would be beneficial for any advocacy opportunities.

2.       Rowan Smart Start (www.rowan-smartstart.org)

While researching the NCECA, I found that they support our local Smart Start agency.  This agency connects families to high quality care in my county.  This agency has been a wonderful asset throughout my years in the early childhood field.  They provide trainings and workshops for early childhood educators including SIDS training, CPR and First Aid, Playground Safety, NC Pre-K training and support, just to name a few. They also provide support to parents by providing referrals to for local agencies and early childhood programs, providing an in house early resource center which has materials available for parents to use with their children, assistance in being better parents, and providing a healthy start for their children.   

I would love to work for this agency.  Currently there are no job opportunities available however there are two positions I would love to be a part of.  The first is the role of the Parent Educator.  A few years ago, I fostered a pregnant teenager who was assigned a Parent Educator after she had the baby.  The Parent Educator came to our home twice a week and worked with my foster teenager on how to be a good mother to her baby from things like breast feeding/ bottle feeding to play time to early assessments.  I admired the Parent Educator for her role in helping my teenager become a better mom.  The other position I would like to have would be the Child Development Consultant.  This individual comes out to centers and works with them on getting ready for assessments, licensing questions, behavior issues, etc.  Both opportunities would allow me to step out of my comfort zone and move away from the classroom aspect to work in different areas in the early childhood field.

No skills or experience were noted for the role as a Parent Educator or Child Development Consultant because neither position are available at this time but I believe it would be safe to say that early childhood education would be necessary as well as some experience in the early childhood field.  Parent Educators would need good people skills and have to be organized as they go from home to home on a regular basis.  The Child Development Consultant would have to be familiar with classroom procedures, classroom management, and licensing laws.

3.       North Carolina Infant Toddler Program (NC ITP) (http://www.beearly.nc.gov/index.php/)

The North Carolina Infant Toddler Program (NC ITP) “provides supports for families and their children, birth to three who have special needs” (http://www.beearly.nc.gov/index.php/).  A variety of services are provided including service coordination, physical, occupational and speech-language therapies, family support, special instruction, assistive technology, and other services.  I have had several of my students receive services from the Infant Toddler Program and I have been pleased with the results.  The therapists have been wonderful to work with and have really made a difference in the lives of the children and families they serve.

 I would love to have the opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives while also supporting the family during these formative years.  There are several different branches throughout the state.  There are no job opportunities in my county or neighboring counties.  With my education and experience, I would like to be a part of service coordination or family support.  I could also see myself as a therapist, although this would require more training.

The beginning of the end...

I can not believe that this is week one of the last 8 weeks of my journey with Walden University.  In 7 weeks and 1 day, I will be finished with my first Master's Degree!!  I am beyond excited but extremely nervous, as this course is going to be a challenge.  I look forward to learning and growing more personally and professionally.

As I am beginning this course, I was asked to think about my professional passion.  Doing so, I created a Wordle that represented my passion.  It can be found at: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl6868593/untitled. 

As a result of this assignment, I have chosen to do my final project on children in foster care.  I have several different avenues in which I could explore.  Hopefully I can narrow my topic down quickly and get to work!  Anyway, here's to a wonderful course.  Good luck to my fellow colleagues :) 

Farewell...

I cannot believe another 8 weeks have come and gone.  As much as I am glad to be finished with this course, I am a little sad to move on to the next course without such a wonderful group of people.  I look forward to working with you all again in the very near future.  Good luck on your future endeavors.

I also want to take a minute to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!  Enjoy the time with your family and friends: hug them a little tighter, laugh a little louder, and cherish each moment together.  God bless you all.

Adjourning...

The adjourning phase of the group process is always the hardest for me because I typically hate ending things and saying goodbye.  The hardest goodbyes come when the group dynamics flow well.  Relationships are formed and bonds are made.  When it is time to say goodbye, it feels like you are not only saying goodbye to the project but also to the people you worked with.  On a side note, I found it interesting to learn that the meaning of adjourning is to suspend until a later time or place.

I went to a private school and graduated with people I had been going to school with for 10 or 12 years.  There were only 7 of us so the relationships that had formed were strong.  We were more like a family than classmates.  When it was time to graduate, we did the normal graduation ceremony and party but what was more meaningful was that we kept in contact after we went our separate ways.  13 years later, we still communicate with one another, share pictures of our families and pray for one another.

I am amazed by relationships I have formed while working on my Master’s degree.  I did not expect to become friends with so many people along the way.  By forming relationships with my colleagues, I have been free to open up about myself, my family, and my career in ways I never imagined.  I would love to stay in contact with people I have met through my journey with Walden University.

Conflict Resolution

This week's assignment was to think about a conflict, whether personal or professional, and apply some of the conflict resolution techniques we have been learning about.

Last night, my dad and I got into a little conflict.  I had arranged for my kids to be with sitters so I could attend a conference.  I was going to do a little Christmas shopping afterwards since I had already arranged for someone to watch my kids.  I don't get out often, maybe once a month, so I wanted to take advantage of the time I had away from my kids.  My dad had two of my kids, and two other sitters had the other two.  I called and checked on the kids after the conference around 5 and everything was ok.  About 30 minutes later, my dad called me and told me to come to his house because his Christmas tree fell over.  I asked if he could wait a little while because I wanted to do a little shopping and wasn't planning on getting the kids until closer to 8.  He got an attitude and yelled at me before he hung up on me.  Needless to say, I stopped what I was doing and went to help him.  In the end, neither of us were happy.

The first thing we could have done to resolve this more peacefully would have been to communicate our needs.  I understood his need to get the tree back up but he did not understand my needs.  If we could have communicated better in the initial conversation, I think the negative feelings we had could have been avoided.  The other thing we could have done was respect the other person.  He could have not hung up the phone on me and I could have been more willing to change my plans in order to help him.