Examining Codes of Ethics

I.1.1- To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and traning.
I think this is a very important skill to have, regardless what field of study one may work in. Every year, my job requires that each employee to obtain a minimum of 24 hours of training and workshop hours in our content area. During my quarterly evaluation, I always manage to score high in that particular area, because I try to attend all trainings and workshops that sound interesting. I love learning and also like to stay up to date with current policies, laws, rules, and practices. Once I attend those trainings, I then take bits and pieces from each presenter and incorporate it into my curriculum, lesson plans, and classroom.

I.1.0- To ensure that each child's culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.
This idea is also another very important skill to incorporate; not only within your classroom, but also in the entire program. Recently, the influx of international children have increased almost double than years previously, and it is important to instill into the children the meaning of diversity and why we recognize it. There are so many different ways in how you can incorporate diversity and different cultures into the classroom; such as, having family members come in and read a story or share something from their culture with the class, posters and pictures of children from different countries, or you can take a virtual field trip to the different countries that are represented within your class on a computer or white board. All of this can be done, to teach young children that there are different cultures that make up the world, and how to accept and appreciate difference.

I.1.2- To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next.
In my HeadStart program, it is our responsibility to ensure that all children entering the program is able to make a smooth transition into the program, not only for them but also for their families. Our policy states that two weeks prior to the school year beginning, the teachers are to go into the community and conduct an home visit to each of the children's homes that are pre-registered in each class. By doing so, the children are able to meet their new teachers, the teacher is able to see how the home life is setup and flow of how the parent and child interact, and lastly the teacher gets to sit down with the parent to learn some information and facts about the child that can be useful upon the child entering into the program; ie: if this will be the child's first time away from mommy and daddy, and to expect some crying for the first few weeks, the child's been having potty training accidents lately, or if the child only speaks their "native" language. Then the child's actual first day of school, all parents are required to attend with their child that will encourage a smooth transition for both parents and child.




Resource
NAEYC (2005 April) Code of Ethical and Statement of Commitment http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
 

Growing Your Collection of Resources

Helpful Resources:

1) National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
www.naeyc.com
- Founded in 1926 by Patty Smith Hill
- Located in Washington, DC
- NAEYC's Mission Statement is based on three main goals:
 * Bettering well-qualified practitioners and improving their working conditions.
 * Improving Early Childhood Education by working to deliver a high- quality system of  supporting  the programs.
 * Encouraging the excellence in Early Childhood for all children.

2) Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
www.zerotothree.org
Zero to Three is a non-proffit organization; that informs, trains, and supports proffessionals, policymakers, and parents, in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.
- Zero to Three's Mission Statement:
 *Is to promote the health and development in infants an toddlers.

3) Highscope
www.highscope.org
Highscope assists teachers and caregivers promote and provide young children learning experiences that will encourage their development.
-Highscope's vision is to create an evironment which all educational settings use active participatory learning so everyone has a chance to succeed in life.

4) Pre[K]Now
www.preknow.org
PreKNow which is also known as "The Pew Center", helps each state deliver better results and achieve long-term fiscal health by investigating in programs that provide the strongest returns.

Three additional resources:

1) Janet Gonzalez-Mena
2) Mari Montessori
3) Howard Gardner

Three educational quotes:

1) An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life. - Author Unknown (Retrieved from www.quotegarden.com, 2010)

2) Aim for success, not for perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will loose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks beind perfectionism. - Dr. David M. Burns (Retrieved from 75 Inspirational, Educational Quotes for the Classroom, 2010) (www.accreditatedonlinecolleges.com)

3) We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but an habit. -Aristotle (Retrieved from www.theteacherspot.com, 2009)


Resources

www.naeyc.com
www.zertotothree.org
www.highscope.org
www.preknow.org
www.quotegarden.com (2010)
www.accreditatedonlinecolleges.com (2010)
www.theteacherspot.com (2009)