Reflection

Reflecting upon my experience in this program has allowed me to believe in myself more and to begin working towards my next set of goals. When I think of the things that I have learned from this program, I recall learning about ways that I can better work with diverse families while utilizing effective communication and by building positive relationships, I learned research skills that I did not possess prior to this program and I also learned how to effectively write using APA Format. Each of the things that I have learned will assist me with working with families and reaching the goals that I have in the future. I will be able to apply the strategies and research skills to my daily interactions with families. As an early childhood professional I can honestly say that I have grown so much because of my enrollment in this program. I feel more confident than ever because of all that I have learned in this program. I know that my biggest rewards are on the way and I will continue to be dedicated to serving families.

One long-term goal that I have is to become the owner of a childcare center. I am not sure of where to start, but I am hoping to gain more information regarding credentials that I need and ways to become the owner of a child care facility. I also plan on obtaining my doctorate degree as well in the near future.

I can not believe that we have made it this far. We will be obtaining our degree that we have worked so hard for. One thing that I would like to say to my colleagues is that we all have worked so hard sharing ideas, insights and information. I am blessed to have had this experience and can not believe that it is coming to an end. I am hoping that everyone reach all of their goals and continue to be advocates in the field of early childhood. Many of our children need advocates in their life that will help change many of the issues that they are facing. Good luck to everyone with all of your future endeavors.

Dr. Teri, I would like to thank you for such a wonderful experience. I was very intimidated at the beginning of this class, but I can honestly say that you provided me with excellent resources to assist me with the challenge that I had been facing. This has been a very rewarding experience and I am hoping that I can keep your contact information as a reference. I would definitely like to get my paper published. Once again thanks for providing quick responses and having the patience that you do as an instructor for such an intense course.
http://www.verybestquotes.com/in-early-childhood-you-may-lay-the-foundation-quote-for-parents/

 

International Organizations

The international organization that appealed to me is UNICEF, Zero to Three, and Children’s Hope International Literacy and Development. Each of these organizations are committed to enhancing the lives of children and families. UNICEF is an organization that focuses on health by educating, treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, areas of child development such as survival, basic education and gender equality, child protection and advocacy. This organization capture might attention because it displays a level of commitment not only to the children but also to the entire community. The job opening that interested me the most is titled Communication Specialist. This position calls for the ability to advocate, lead and to develop communication strategies that will assure accurate communication to partners. Public advocacy seems to be a key component when applying for this position. I believe that possessing excellent communication skills, the ability to be an effective leader by establishing strategies and a commitment to families are the skills that a person would have to possess. http://www.unicef.org/index.php

Zero to Three is also another organization that I have used as a reference when completing assignments and when staying abreast of current information. Zero to Three is an organization that advocates for children by educating, informing policy makers about issues and ensuring that parents have the skills to improve their child’s life. This organization provides information regarding current policies and budget proposals. I believe that this organization will provide a person with the leverage needed to advocate for families. The job opening that I saw available is the Technical Assistant Specialist. This position calls for an individual that must be aware of grants/grant writing, have great communication skills, a willingness to travel to many different regions, be computer literate while having some knowledge of child development. I do not think this position is a great fit for me, but I believe that this will be suitable for someone that is interested in the technology side of the field. http://www.zerotothree.org/

Children’s Hope International Literacy and Development is an organization that is committed to being a voice for children who are suffering from poverty, hunger, poor education, sickness and neglect. This organization has many events for families such as Galas, graduations and assistance for medical as well as self-sufficiency programs. I did not find any open positions on this site, but I am assuming that a person who is interested in working for this organization would have to be knowledgeable in the field of early childhood as well as have the ability to organize events. http://www.child-international.org/

Organizations In The Field of Early Childhood

The National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS-SDE) is a national organization for state education staff agency that has major responsibility in the field of early childhood.  This association promotes high-quality services to children and families by improving instruction, curriculum, and the administration of programs. Members of this organization have the opportunity to share ideas, and work together toward a solution to a problem. http://www.naecs-sde.org/policy

The Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, facilitates, partners and collaborates at the federal state and community levels to improve the health and development outcomes for at-risk children through home visiting programs that are evidence based. This program focuses on improving maternal and newborn health, preventing childhood injuries, child abuse, neglect, improving school readiness, and improving the coordination of referrals to other community resources and supports. I did not see any open positions on this site that I qualify for. If a position was open, I believe that I would have to have great knowledge of the early childhood field. I would also have to know state and federal regulations pertaining to health, nutrition and child abuse. This site interested me a lot because it seems that many services are provided to children including a home visiting curriculum which has been very beneficial to families. http://mchb.hrsa.gov/training/tr_job.asp

Illinois Association for The Education of Young Children is Illinois largest early childhood professional organization that has over 3200 members. The members have dedicated their time and efforts to improving the education and lives of young children in their community and throughout the state. This organization advocates for children, educates the public about the importance of the early years and provides professional development opportunities for members. There were no recent open positions with this organization. I suspect that with this organization as well as the others that I have discussed that a person must be knowledgeable in the field of early childhood. This will include having sound knowledge of developmental milestones and being committed to serving families while participating in opportunities for professional development opportunities. http://illinoisaeyc.org/?Key=Search&q=open+positions

Exploring Roles in The Field

Three local or state organizations that appeal to me are Illinois Action for Children, Christopher’s House, and the Marillac Social Center. Illinois Action for Children is childcare subsidy program that assists families with paying for childcare and also offers. Professional development opportunities are available as well as assistance for teen parents, professional development opportunities to name a few. This agency also has a healthy foods program, Infant toddler specialist program and assists individuals with obtaining accreditation. The most important thing that this agency does is provide childcare services to children who are in preschool that are being cared for by individuals in the home. This gives children a chance to become familiar with the childcare setting while they receive skills that will enhance their development.

 Christopher House is an agency that supports the family entirely. They offer services to the family in the area of early childhood education, youth development, family support services, prenatal and parent education. There will be an Elementary School that will be opening up in the Fall of 2013 that will service families. Events are held to support families such as read-a-thon, food walk, and their annual Family to Family Event. The Family to Family Event caught my attention because 350 families are sponsored during the Holiday seasons. This event shows compassion and a dedication to serving families. Christopher House is dedicated to serving families from birth to age 18 by providing education that will enhances a person’s life for the long run (christopherhouse.org, 2012).

The Marillac Social Service has provided services to families since 1914 (marillachouse.org, n.d.). Programs are available for the entire family that assists with child development, parent/child relationships and an early childhood center is also available. Services are also available to seniors where they are able to meet monthly and acquire life skills such as money management and nutrition. This agency is dedicated to serving the whole family. Not only are they committed to children, but to have a program that focuses on senior citizens is what caught my attention.

Within each of these agencies mentioned above, there are opportunities to advocate and become part of a community of practice. Each of these agencies collaborates with one another to provide services that are beneficial to families. After searching the different websites I discovered that Illinois Action for Children and the Marillac Social Center is a place that I would like to work for. There are no current positions available at the Marillac Social Center. The job opportunity that interests me is on Illinois action for children website. This position is the family resource supervisor. The skills that I need to possess are being able to able to lead and manage a team that is responsible for working with families. Communication skills seems to be a key component as well as knowing how to collaborate with other agencies to provide resources and referrals. Being part of a community of practice seems to be the key component of this position.

References

Christopher House. (2013). Retrieved May 18, 2013 from http://www.christopherhouse.org/

Illinois Action for Children. (2012). Retrieved May 18, 2013 from http://actforchildren.org

Marillac Social Center. (2013). Providing Social Services to Family Since 1914. Retrieved May

               18, 2013 from http://www.marillachouse.org/home.html

 

A Note of Thanks

I would like to thank each of my colleagues for sharing their experience and supporting me throughout this program. It has been an amazing journey sharing personal and professional challenges that has caused me to grow as a communicator. I look forward to completing this program knowing that I have gained more knowledge related to the field of early childhood. I enjoyed reading your post each week as we discussed our experience with communication and I wish each of you the best of luck as you complete your specialization courses.

Adjourning From A Group

One of the groups that was difficult to adjourn from was the weight loss group that I joined. This group was difficult to leave because I learned much about proper nutrition and ways to better my overall health. I also met many women that struggled to eat healthy and prepare healthy meals. This group was hard to leave because we become a family and the support that was provided allowed us to reach our weight loss goals. The closing rituals that I experienced within this group was that we met with each other one last time, openly discussed our success stories and exchanged contact information. I imagine that the way I will adjourn from the group of colleagues that I have formed while working on my master's degree is by exchanging contacting information and also giving my best wishes to each colleague. I believe that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it allows a person to give and receive closure as well as maintain relationships.

Resolving Conflict

It can be very challenging to resolve conflict when it involves sensitive issues with people who are close to you. The strategies that I have used this week while facing conflict within my personal life are actively listening, and being more empathetic. It was important for me to listen, ask questions and repeat information that was being told to me. I like to always mention that respecting a person's feelings and feedback is always important when resolving conflict. These strategies were effective because it is crucial for me to maintain the relationship that I have with these individuals. This week was very tough, but I was able to compromise and think about ways that I could avoid allowing the conflict to hinder my personal relationships. It was also important for me to affirm each persons feelings by not ignoring their feelings, and allowing silence to occur within the conversation. What are some ways that I can resolve conflict without moving away from my ultimate goal?