BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL

This is only the Begining

Message to my fellow Colleagues and Instructor

      Over the past eight weeks, I have grown to understand what it takes to be an advocate, leader, educator, professional, friend, mentor but most importantly a Teacher to young children and Adults. Through this journey, I have been challenged, inspired, frustrated, uncertain and even at times stressed. I must say that it was the constant positive feedback and exchange of new information that has given me the renewed determination to continue to conquer my dreams. In the next year or two, I want to become the administrator that is helping to build and guide other early childhood educators. I want to be the one that provides them the motivation to continue on this journey of educating young children even when it gets hard.

      My long-term goal is to make an impact at the program I currently work for. The staff and Managment there need to be re-inspired due to the constant changes they have undergone. In the next five years, I want to help lift the spirits in the staff, families, and volunteers of those who engage with the children in our program on a daily basis. I want to provide an environment that is always positive, engaging and updated with the latest research and developments in early childhood education. 

Three things I learned from the program:

           Adults learn at various levels just as children do. As the leader of educators or aspiring educators, one should be equipped with techniques that will assist them in learning the appropriate skills, strategies, and information that will allow them to be high-quality educators.  Secondly, research is always changing in the field of early childhood.One must stay updated with this information in order to provide the children with lessons and activities that will challenge their progress. The third lesson I learned from my time in the program is that great leaders build relationships that will allow them to collaborate effectively and successfully with others. In order to do so, one will have excellent communication skills and the ability to get along with others. With these three learned lessons, I plan to utilize them in developing my techniques as Administration. I believe that these lessons are the foundation that I can build upon and make the impact in others needed to change the lives of young children.

Quote for 2017

One thing for certain, this journey may be over but our collaboration doesn't have to. Please keep in mind that we are each exceptional educators because we depend and assist each other. Please do not hesitate to facebook or email at any time. I hope to continue to exchange thoughts, resources and even laughs with you all. Congratulations WE DID IT!!!

Facebook: Brandi Walker Grant

Email: walkerbrandi303@gmail.com

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Internationally Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community

1. United Nations Children's Fund

UNICEF has been defending the rights of children for 70 years. This has been possible across 190 countries and territories, with programs that involve child protection and inclusion, child survival and education to name a few. UNICEF also operate out of their offices around the world. They have offices in various continents of the world.

One career opportunity that stuck out to me is International Professional (IP). To be a candidate for this position one must have a minimum of Masters Degree from an accredited institution. International Professional staff is recruited internationally and serve in duty stations outside their country of nationality. Its a leadership, managerial and/ or specialist position. IP staff are expected to rotate to new duty stations and must be willing to work in various regions and setting, including emergencies. This position varies in levels, from Entry to Senior.

Entry Level- 1-2 years of professional work
Mid Level- 5-8 years of professional work
Senior Level 10+ years of professional work experience

2. Save The Children

Founded by Eglantyne Jebb, the Save the Children fund began in England in the year 1919. In1930 a group of inspired Americans, established the Save the Children fund in the United States. save the Children also provide services for the children from around the world and the UNited States. My main attraction was the work they do for Education. In 2016, Save the Children helped over 13 million children through their education programs, Including more than 58,000 U.S Kids. This was possible through training of the teacher, parents, and caregivers for early learning with their children, to tutoring children for math and reading. The also provided learning experiences through crisis to prevent dropouts or children following behind.

One career opportunity I found interesting was Director position. The Director, Early Childhood and Child Care Recovery Center, was solely responsible for leading child care and school recovery programs for the Hurricane Harvey Response with a particular focus on assessment, recovery and quality improvement. The position will lead the administering of sub-grants and material support to licensed child care and early education providers in TX.  This position will manage proposals, monitoring, and reporting of SC child care and school recovery projects.  The Director will lead assessments, recovery plans, and high-profile collaborations, and will be the media spokesperson for Child Care Recovery related to Hurricane Harvey (www.savethechildren.org).

3. United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

UNESCO creates the opportunity for dialogue among civilizations, cultures, and peoples based upon respect for commonly shared values (www.unesco.org). UNESCO's mission is to build peace, the eradication of poverty, development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information with two main focuses in Africa and Gender Equality. 

I explored the internship programs of UNESCO. I found that anyone from a wide range of disciplines are all able to apply for individual 1- 4 month internship at UNESCO Headquarters and field Office, either in strategic activities or to an administrative or technical function. This provides professional experiences in an international organization related to one's studies.

My main interest in these three organization is the impact they all make in the lives of young children around the world. With Community of Practices such as those mentioned above, gives me the inspiration to want to expand my local impact to a global movement. Knowing that these organizations are available allows one to do so. 

References
 http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco

 http://www.unicef.org/

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

1.Project Director

As Project Director, one is responsible for the leadership and management of the Tribal Home Visting Technical Assistance Center as well as ensuring the effective and timely completion of contract deliverables based on work plans and budgets related to all funding years of the contract. The Director provides for oversight of all staff and consultants engaged in the performance of the work. In addition, this position serves as the primary point of contact with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

 Qualifications for the position are as follows:

Graduate degree in child development, public health, mental health, or a related field.

10 Years or more of Management experience

Resources that advance home visiting programs in the context of tribal sovereignty, diversity, and historical trauma and distrust

Strong management and leadership skills

Strong supervisory skills, including experience providing reflective supervision

 Ability to interpret and analyze data and complex documents

 Experience in overseeing a multimillion-dollar budget

 Excellent conceptual, written and oral skills

Strong interpersonal skills

 Effective time management skills; and

 Ability to travel.

2.FV/Program Specialist

Assist the Manager and Assistant Manager in administering the Child Development Center; directs operation in the absence of the Manager and Assistant Manager; coordinates with the campus and community on early childhood awareness; prepares and maintains reports and health records for college, local, state and federal requirements; oversees health and safety; maintain professional development records for staff. Coordinates with parents and teachers to meet medical/nutrition needs and maintain the proper documentation. Coordinates with campus departments/clubs and the community to spread awareness of the importance of quality early care and education to students and parents of young children who could benefit from the use of the CDLC.

Qualifications for Position is as follows:

Bachelor's degree in Child Development or Early Childhood or child-related area, 

Over five (5) years full-time early childhood classroom experience and relevant supervisory experience. 

First Aid & CPR

Physical Examination

State and Federal  Criminal Examination

3. Assistant Professor: Early Childhood Education

Responsibilities include teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, supervising students in school and community-based field experiences, maintaining active scholarship, supporting partnerships with community organizations and schools, and providing service to the Department and the College of Education.

Qualifications for Position is as follows:

D. or Ed.D. in Child Development, Family Studies, Education, Developmental Psychology, or a closely related field

Expertise in developmentally appropriate practice and ECE pedagogy

Experience working in culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse settings 

An established record of scholarly activity and publication

Preferences

Experience/interest in any of the following areas: preparing teachers for multilingual, multiracial settings, pedagogical content knowledge and teacher education, social justice and equity in ECE

P-3 classroom teaching experience

Familiarity with ECE policies, standards, and workforce development initiatives

University teaching experience in child development or a related area

Experience with diverse populations and/or evidence of cultural competence

The three national organizations that stuck out to me are Zero to Three, Division for Early Childhood and National Child Care Association. Each one of these organizations has a unique mission for their organizations' design but they all share the same goal. That goal is to ensure that the policies and regulations for Early Childhood Education are met and the children and families that they provide services for, are receiving the care and support they need for the child and the family. I was truly drawn to the wide range of availability and or resources that each provides. For example, Zero to Three is stationed in Washington D.C but one is capable of finding countless resources I could use for my work with infants and toddlers.  

References

http://www.dec-sped.org/

http://www.nccanet.org/

https://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Maryland State Child Care Association  (mscca.org)
MSCCA is a professional association heared for licensed child care and early learning centers in the state of Maryland. This is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) trade association of child care centers. MSCCA provide a professional development for it members center as well educational outreach to the general public.
 This association ensures the laws and regulations are consistent with the quality learning for the current and the parents affordability.

Maryland Family Network

Maryland Family Network (MFN) is an advocate for the development of a strong system for quality child care, early education and family support. In 1985 in response to the rising infant mortality and teen pregnancy rates, the first four community based drop in family support centers were designed by a public/private partnership by Maryland State department of human resources,the Morris Goldseker Foundation and the Aaron and Lillie Straus foundation. Today MFN is the foremost provider to the early childhood community and parent child programs for the families with infant and toddler children.

Judy Center
Judith P.Hoyer early childcare and family Education Center offers wife range of services for children birth through kindergarten and their families prepare v them for school readiness. In 2001, 13 Judy Centers were established in surrounding counties in MD. The state funded integrated, full day and full year early childhood education services and education. There are now 51 Just Centers throughout the state of Maryland. Each of these partnerships are connected to the states public school system, early child care centers,  Head Start programs and other outside agencies such as MFN.

After reviewing these organizations I was made more aware of the potential of growth in the state of Maryland.  That I located the following job oppurrunites. The first one is A Special needs program coordinator. In this position it will be my duty to guide family support for their child with learning delays. One will only need a Bachelors degree in ECE or related field in order to qualify and excellent oral and written skills. This positi o n is also available through Maryland Family Network and for all programs throughout the state.

 The other position that interest me was that through the state level. As Staff Speacialist II, I would be responsible for providing technical assistance, support and coordination of services to early care and education programs. In this position one will conduct onsite consultarion visits and provide information for the states newly appointed quality rating system. To qualify for this position one would need a Bachelors degree in Education or Education Administration or related field. Candidates would also need too have experience with the licensing procedure as well.

I choose to review the above information due to the related factors to administration position. In these organizations and positions I will still have opportunities to make a huge impact of the lives of the the children and families throughout the state.

Reference
mscca.org
www.marylandfamilynetwork.org

Best Wishes to you All


Over the past eight weeks, I have gained so much new information that will improve the way I communicate with others. I want to especially thank my colleagues for always giving me encouraging words and suggestions that will assist in this matter. When I was struggling with ways to improve the communication between myself and my co- teacher. I am glad to announce that since I sat down to talk things over with her the flow of the classroom has become more manageable.   

I hope that in our weekly collaborations that I have supported any if not all the best of my ability.I love how collaborative the Early childhood field is and the support we get and give to one another. One wish i have for my fellow colleagues is that all that you learn through your master's journey is beneficial to the support that you will give to new up and coming child care professionals

Adjourning Phase of Teamwork

When I think of the adjourning phases of the groups I have been involved,  think back to my team I worked with at the Early Head Start program I use to work at. My first years there were really tough. I worked with the group everyone even the supervisor called the trouble makers. It was really hard trying to build a team when these individuals were used to doing what they wanted to do, especially when management was out. It wasn't until we made some program-wide changes and I was paired up with co- workers who I have never worked with closely.

I was nervous at first because it is never easy building relationships with others especially if they were used to doing things a certain way. Unfortunately, I did not have this problem with these individuals. We worked together as a unit it was seen by others. In fact, this was one of the hardest groups to leave. Although my co- workers were pushing me to accept another position because they believed in me, it was still very hard to leave them.

It was hard to leave them because the women were very inspiring to each other, supportive and creative. They were never a moment that I didn't want to be at work because daily I was reminded of what I was capable of achieving in my career as well my life.

The only thing I wish was done prior to my leaving, is an exit interview. Here i would have been able to share with administration the things that work best with the team and the things that could use improvement. I think sharing this information is the best way to improve the adjourning phase of teamwork throughout the program. 

Real Life Situations

I am currently in a situation with my co- teacher and her ability to support and fulfill the duties of the assistant. Although she is not a full-time employee of the company, she is looked upon as being one. It bothers me that she doesn't share the same passion that I have for implementing a smooth running classroom. At times I feel as I'm working alone. So to my surprise to have read this week's resources, I have found some strategies that will allow me to address the issue at hand.

The first strategy I will implement is the nonviolent approach.This approach to communication emphasizes compassion as the motivation for action rather than fear, guilt, shame, blame, coercion,threat or justification for punishment (The Center for Nonviolence, n.d). I believe this will allow me to communicate constructive criticism without feeling as if I out to take her job from her. 

The second strategy I would implement would be to allow opportunities for her to lead the classroom. In doing so It will give her more insight on what Lead Teachers role consist of and how important the role of Co- Teacher is to the lead role. For this strategy, the Three R's will be the best fit to resolve the issue. As I Respect her approach to teaching, I will be able to respond to the needs of her as well the children. In the end, the result will be a well-oiled teaching team.

Again, I am grateful for this week's resources for the insight on how to address the issue. I know feel more confident in addressing the issue and a professional manner. Unfortunately, I was not able to gain advice from other teacher teams because they all were trying to get rid of the teacher. I did not want to do that but make her more aware of the support needed in the class environment.

References

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

Evaluation as a Communicator

For this week's blog assignment, I had my daughter and co-worker complete the three assessments on my communication skills. It was funny to find the similarities that we shared as I reviewed the results with the both of them. The test was conducted individually but the results were similar to each other. As I conducted my own evaluation, I tried to recall any opportunities where I portrayed the actions of the question. Then if I had not I would choose an option that was closely related to what I would do. When I asked my daughter how she conducted the evaluation, she expressed to me that she too tried to recall situations that she may have seen me to any of the actions the questions may have asked.  I then asked my co-worker for the reason she responded to the question and she bluntly replied: "I just answered the questions to the best of my ability". Afterward, we laugh so hard because she is not a detailed person, yet be able to explain her reasoning to well.

What surprised me the most is that I am perceived by my family and co-workers in a way that I also see myself. This was not the outcome that I was expecting to have. It feels good to know that people close to me know the type of communicator that I am and that it shows through my interaction with them. One new insight that I gained this week, Is how easy people are perceived by others without actually knowing them. Just as the professor shared her story on how the doctor was looked upon before she shared who he was,  let me know that our society is really bias and ignorant to things that are not of their normal life. In the near future, I would like to expand my knowledge on the variety of things, lifestyles, cultures, and events that occur in the world I live in today.

Applying Communication 

As I reflect on the changes of my communication skills, I would have to say that I have not changed the way I communicate as much as I would like. Thus far in the course, I have gained a deeper understanding of why it's important to communicate effectively in the ECE field. I am able to differentiate the way I communicate with, colleagues, families and in my personal life.  

To expand on my communication between colleagues, there are a few co- workers that I consider family. So with that being said, we have our own language that we speak amongst each other. my supervisor has encouraged us that although we have a bond that is strong amongst us, we have to remain in our role at all times.When I communicate with my families I make sure that I present a professional attitude but it can be hard to do at times. 

Three strategies that I will implement when communicating with my colleagues and families are professionalism at all times, maintain eye contact and apply the platinum rule. In doing so my biggest hope is improve my communication skills with my families especially to ensure that I am helping to fulfill the goals that set forth for their child. Prior to this week's resources, I would have never thought to consider the way others would do in the situation when communicating with them. Implementing these strategies will also allow me to communicate better with my assistant as well.

Communication and Relationships

I don't watch a lot of T.V shows, so this assignment, I viewed a movie I never seen. So I watched half of "Central Intelligence" starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson without any sound. From watching the first half in silence, I think their relationship was based on memories. As the character Bob reaches out to Calvin you can tell that he was excited to meet up with him. They shared hugs and smiles during their first interaction. As the movie progress on the relationship seems to take a turn for the worst. They went from overly excited to seeing each other to not knowing who to trust anymore. 

Once I turned the sound back on my assumptions were true. I started the movie over from the beginning to gain a full understanding of the plot. Bob and Calvin went to school together during their high school days. Calvin had befriended Bob at a time that was the most embarrassing. It turns out Bob was CIA agent and needed Calvin's help to stop the sale of codes to a black market dealer.

I think viewers of familiar shows or movies are always on point with what to expect from the production. If I had watched this movie prior to this assignment, I believe it would have been easier to pinpoint the relationship between the two main characters. 

Effective Communicator

When I think of someone who I feel have effective communication skills, I would like to say my Education Coordinator. I choose her because she is very effective at ensuring that her staff is informed on all the important task of the program. We are constantly in staff meetings and training to improve our productivity in our class environments. She also relates to the role of the educator so she always finds creative ways to communicate with her staff and parents. She is a true example of what an effective communicator posses.

Hopes and Goals for ECE

In my continuous work with children and families, I hope to grow as an individual. One thing I enjoy about the early childhood field is the flexibility for those who work with children. Working with families from diverse backgrounds will allow me the opportunity to maintain a neutral understanding for the families I work with.  One goal for the early childhood field would be to educate those unfamiliar with diversity. Informing others about the importance of advocacy for young children and families will help the local and national organization understand the work early childhood educators do to implement an environment that is culturally responsive to all diverse backgrounds. I believe this to be the foundation that will expand on social justice throughout the world.

I want to thank all of my colleagues for sharing this journey with me. It was my pleasure to learn intimate details about you all past or present. During the past eight weeks, I have learned more about myself and what I need to do when working with the children and families that I provide a service for. I wish you all the best.

 Welcoming Families From Around the World

 

In preparation for the arrival of a family that has emigrated from China, I must first gather information on their country. As a Teacher at a Head Start Program, this will be a totally new experience to me. I am fortunate to be enrolled in a diversity course, that will expand my knowledge on how to prepare a culturally responsive class environment.

 The first method I would implement to help transfer the environment would be to research the origin of the families hometown. In doing so will allow me to gain historic information of the countries culture, language, and education. The second method I would implement is to have all the forms translated into the families language to assist in conducting the required home visits and parent-teacher conferences. If this is not available then the program will provide a translator during these conferences.The third method would be to provide materials that are related to the families culture. These materials would be pictures and or artifacts, clothing, toys and label everything in the classroom in their native language. The fourth method would be to research the preschools in heir country to learn more about the teaching strategies that they implement. The fifth method would be to allow all the families to make a poster board with family photos and information related to their culture to allow everyone to learn about one another. 

In my efforts to make this family feel inclusive into a brand new environment, my hopes are not to make the family feel singled out from everyone else. As we have learned in viewing the video on "Microaggression", we can intend no harm to someone who is of different origin or culture but in one form or another cause harm. Presenting an environment that showcases the appreciation for diversity will allow the family to open up to moving into a strange land. Showing that your program has the materials and equipment to provide a service for the family shows that the program provides a high-quality service and appreciation for all the families in their program.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I have not personally experienced any bias, prejudice or oppression thus far in my life. Although it never convicted me in person, but I have witnessed it through media and movies. As I reflect on this issue, I recall a time when one of my co-workers shared an experience with me.  At the time her oldest son was a pre-teen in middle school. The school he attended was in an area where Caucasians were dominating race. One particular day after school her son was chased home by a gang. She continues to share that this gang was the skinheads. Now I have seen this gang in movies but never in reality.  She was truly upset that that happened to her son and proclaimed to address the issue the next day to the principal. 

To know that a child had to experience this makes my heart heavy. Unfortunately, this is something that happens throughout our society and even worldwide. I became uneasy for her son at the time of the incident because he was a victim of a senseless act. I became very angry the more I thought about it. I even thought how could I help him to get revenge on his attackers.  Although the incident happened around the school, there was not much the principal could do to get justice for him. But I think if the school collaborated with the community and educated those in the community as well the school then incidents such as this one wouldn't happen as much or not at all. Some people are blinded to the inequalities that others have to endure by them because they are exposed to such behavior on a daily basis.  

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

During the readings of this week's resources and viewing the video with Dr. Sue, it has been brought to my attention just how easy it is to experience microaggressions. For example, there is a five-year-old boy in my class and I was made aware that he was on medications. These meds would make him very drowsy at times. This one incident occur in the classroom around transition time. My assistant blurted out to him Did you take your meds today because you are all over the place? To me, this was not the appropriate thing to say to a child nor the time to ask the question. So later in the day, I shared with her that we as child care professionals are not allowed to make fun of children. She reassured me that she wasn't making fun of him but thought it was appropriate to so. 

So in observing this experience made me realize that as the Lead Teacher of a classroom, I not only need to model for those I work with but be able to address any moments that I feel that any individual rather it be a child, assistant, volunteer and even parent are being disrespectful to another in my classroom. The only way to keep my classroom a place that is inclusive of all cultures, beliefs and or religions is to not allow anyone to feel targeted at all. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this week's Blog assignment  I interviewed my oldest daughter (16), my co-worker and a close friend. Each was asked to define diversity and culture. It surprised me to get such rapid responses from them. It was also amazing to see the resemblance on their answers to the resources I had the opportunity to read. Each of interviewees all defined culture as one's belief, practices, food, etc in one group. They defined diversity as one collective group of various ethnicities.  In the text, "Anti- Bias Education", a cultural group is related strongly to his or her ethnicity, which reflects the place of origin and cultural background of the person's ancestors(p.56). 

My daughter's response stuck out the most because she included economics as a part of defining someone's culture. Just as discussed in the video with the panel of early childhood professionals, Julie defined culture as one's race, ethnicity, economic and even language abilities. The one thing omitted from my interviewees' responses were the various levels in culture. You can be a part of a culture but be on a different cultural status amongst your own group. This could be due to language or economic as well. Upon completion of these interviews/ discussions, it allowed me to see how diverse each one's meaning of the two terms can be. That many are only familiar with the surface culture. Prior to this course,  I would have never thought that ethnic groups or culture as a whole can be so diverse.

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

My Family Culture

In the event that I was force to move to another country due to circumstances out of my control, I would take with me, my mom's memorial blanket, my dad's ashes and our family photos. I choose these items because they share the beginning memories of my parents. I look at my parents as the foundation that has started the culture of my family. Without their union there would be no me. They are the reason many traditions are continued throughout my immediate family.

With hopes of taking these items along on my journey to my new destination, I would feel heartbroken if I couldn't bring all of my items with me. Being denied the opportunity to bring all of my items that connect me to my culture, will prolong my ability to adjust to my new environment. One insight that I gained from learning about family cultures, is how important it is not just to me but to all families. We may ignore the settings in which they spend their time away from us, believing they are not very important. In fact the home environment greatly influences what goes on in school( Christian,2006,p.12).  As an early childhood professional I have  made every effort to support the child individually but i have learned that including the family in the process is just as important. 

References

Linda, G. C. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. YC Young Children, 61(1), 12-20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/docview/197591231?accountid=14872