Time Well Spent

I loved my coursework throughout my graduate program in Early Childhood Studies.  It really pushed my thinking, helped me to be more reflective in my work, and inspired me to research the things that were important to me.  I also became very acquainted with different job opportunities in my field, organizations that I can be part of, and how I can make a difference in the early childhood field in general.  I have become accustomed to being a researcher and a writer and hope to continue to pursue this discovered passion.

Throughout the program, I continued working at the same organization as the children's program director.  My practices have changed and I have become better as I have gone through this course and learned skills to better manage teams, communicate, be accepting of differences, rely on the strength I find in others, and dream.  I have gained insight into the cultures and customs of the families I serve, have learned strategies to keep families involved, and gained perspectives on the value of building positive relationships.

The greatest passion that has come from this course is my role and responsibility to educators in the field of early childhood.  They work hard, relentless hours, and put their heart and souls into their work.  They do this for little monetary compensation and yet they carry on.  One teacher who consistently works with children with challenging behaviors reported to me, "I get hit, kicked, or bit daily. I love my kids, but it is so hard to take this every day. I am leaving on vacation for a week and I'm so sad to leave them and I'm so worried about my kids and what they will do without me."  The internal stress and conflict we go through on our own just to turn around and give more love and more guidance to help children is amazing.  This is what drives me to develop a system that will better support teachers in their struggle to love and guide while carrying the weight and stress that comes with caring for children.  My capstone project and the learning throughout my master's degree was not just doing the assignments, it was learning what I can do to better support the educators in my field in the areas that they need it the most.

I appreciate all those who have shared their voice, their opinions, their experiences, their methods, and their lives with me these past two years.  I have learned so much from my colleagues and my professors.  I have loved to try new things and get new ideas and gain understanding of how others are on the same path.  Mostly, I loved to see so many who had the passion I do to work in the early childhood field.  For some reason I believed I was going to be in very small classes with only a few others in the field and I was delighted to see how many people are dedicated to changing lives in early childhood. 

Thank you to all who have supported me and shared with me. I bid you farewell and good luck in your future endeavors.
Kelly

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

I am interested in an international organization called Free The Children because of their ability and passion to help children achieve their fullest potential.  They "work internationally to free children from poverty and exploitation through a holistic and sustainable development model called Adopt a Village. Domestically, we offer innovative programs that educate, engage and empower youth to become agents of change" (Free the Children, 2015, para 1).

Free the Children has many career opportunities.  One I would be interested in for the future is an  Educational Programming Coordinator.  In this works with the "Youth Programming Department which develops and implements unique programming to engage youth in learning about social issues and taking action to support Free The Children’s sustainable community development work overseas as well as its local programming" (Free the Children, 2015, para 2).  This position requires a minimum of a BA degree.  Other requirements for this position include leadership skills, a passion and commitment for volunteerism,  exceptional oral and written communication skills, the ability to lead and motivate others, a self-starter able to work with minimal supervision, and a positive and professional attitude.

Another international organization that interests me is the World Forum Foundation.  "The mission of the World Forum Foundation is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings. This mission is accomplished through convening gatherings of early childhood professionals around the world and by promoting the continuing exchange of ideas among participants."  I love the collaboration they make with early childhood professionals from all over the world, both past and present, to determine best practice and needs of for children.

I would love to get involved in this organization on a volunteer/advocacy way.  The World Forum Foundation has Working Forums that I can be part of and participate in meetings with other early childhood professionals focusing on specific issues designed to promote the well-being of young children and families.  I would like to be part of the Curriculum Initiative and work with professionals Larry Schweinhart and Diane Trister Dodge, where I can share ideas, strategies, and perspectives on principles of early childhood curriculum (World Forum Foundation, 2015). They have been working on designing universal early childhood principles and designing inspiring and effective spaces.  I believe I have much insight and information that I can share with this group. There are many other interest forums, but this is the one that is most appealing and of interest to me.  Being part of this group would allow me to share my passion for education and curriculum.

A third international organization I would like to be part of is  the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  "UNESCO leads the international policy drive for an integrated early childhood care and education system that encompasses both the well-being and holistic development of the child. Our mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child’s lifelong learning" (UNESCO, 2015, para 3). They sponsored a world conference in early childhood care and education where discussions of challenges in the field of early childhood and possible ways to approach these problems were discussed.  From there, they designed a framework for early childhood care that can be followed so all children around the world have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. 

I am interested in being part of this organization because of they believe in the educational rights of all children and look towards finding possible solutions to problems.  Like our challenges that we are addressing for our capstone project, they also approach challenges and look for solutions.  They have an open position as a Programme Specialist (Education).  It requires the minimum of a Master's degree or higher with 7 years of experiences at the national and international level in the field of education.  While I do not yet meet this qualifications, it is a future possibility.  Skills required include:

• Results – based oriented with ability to persuade and influence.
• Ability to work in multitasking manner and well under pressure.
• Familiarity with the work and general functioning of international organizations and/or the United Nations System.

References

Free the Children (2015). Jobs: Coordinator, Educational and Youth Programming. Retrieved from http://www.freethechildren.com/about-us/careers-job-postings/?cc=show&id=5235379

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2015.  UNESCO Careers. Retrieved from https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/1/jobdetail.ftl

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2015. Mission. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/mission/

World Forum Foundation (2015).  Curriculum Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/working-groups/curriculum/

National Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2015) is a national organization that is important to me because it is working on the initiative to implement social emotional learning in schools from preschool through high school.  I believe this is an extremely important initiative and I would love to be a part of it.  They have extensive research and information available about the importance of social emotional learning and emotional intelligence and what difference it can mean for our children.  Unfortunately, there are currently no job opportunities for this organization, but I would love to be involved in any way possible. I have begun following their publications and work so I can find ways to be involved in the future.

A national organization that I have been following for a couple years now is the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).  I have really enjoyed following this group because they conduct research studies in the field of early childhood and publish their work and findings to support high-quality, effective early childhood education that supports physical, cognitive and social development (NIEER, 2015).  There are publications and articles on their website I have used in grant writing as well as to advocate for best practices in the field in my area and center.  I have sent information from this site to my board of directors so they can better understand policies and practices I wish to incorporate in our program.

They currently have two job openings, one as an Assistant Research Professor and another as a Data Collector.  The Assistant Research Professor requires a doctorate degree and ability to work in teams and conduct research through data collections and analysis.  I became slightly interested in this when I took my research class, but this is not an area I am prepared for as of now, but there are possibilities in the future. The Data Collector is something I would really be interested in doing now.  It is only part time, 2-3 days per week, and you collect data on one of their ongoing projects.  This is something I could do while I keep my current position as a program director and is something I have applied for in the past, but they were not conducting any research in my area.  I do hope that research in my area becomes open in the future where I can contribute in the field in this manner.

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is a national nonprofit advocacy organization that fights for the rights of equal and quality education for all children, especially those in poverty, of color, and with varying levels of ability (2015).  Their headquarters in in Washington D.C. but they have several offices spread throughout the states, allowing them the capacity to impact the state and federal levels.  Since I work in a population with families in extreme poverty and ESL children, I understand the need for accessible, quality care for all.  I would love to have an impact in helping to bring about funding for families who cannot afford quality care, as this is something I deal with every day.  I also am interested in this advocacy side and pressing for best practices for all.

One of their current openings is a National Director of Education Initiatives.  What excites me about this position is the ability to impact the early education through training and professional development, proposing stipulations on the use of grant funding including helping to determine the impact of curriculum, instruction, assessment, school discipline, and school related practices.  This is an area that I have thought a lot about and through tours of early education classrooms in my local area, I have not felt that they are following best practices and age appropriate expectations.  This could provide me with opportunities to impact these initiatives more positively and speak out for developmentally appropriate practices.  The position prefers a master’s degree and must have experience implementing grants, collaborating with others, strategically thinking, managing projects, and excellent communication skills.

Reference

Children’s Defense Fund (CDF, 2015). Careers. Retrieved from http://www.childrensdefense.org/about/careers/

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2015). About. Jobs.  Retrieved from http://www.casel.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER, 2015). Job Opportunities. Retrieved from http://nieer.org/about/jobs

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

There are a few career paths that I hope to be able to fulfill in the field of early childhood.  The first is that I want to be an instructor.  I have had the opportunity to teach at several early childhood conferences and I really enjoy it.  I have taught both teachers and administrators and find that I have much knowledge and experience that I can offer.  I can relate to their experiences and I understand what they are going through.  I have developed a skill for presenting in front of large and small groups over the past several years and find pleasure in this accomplishment and the feedback I receive after each presentation.

To fulfill this I can work for our local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency, which is through Care About Childcare and the Office of Child Care.  I can teach classes for those needing yearly training hours, those working on their CDA, or those who just desire to learn more.  I can also work as an adjunct instructor at our local universities, Weber State University, the University of Utah, or Utah State University, all of which are less than one hour from my home.

To teach for CCR&R I just need a degree (Associate, Bachelor, or Master) in Early Childhood with specific coursework and at least two years paid professional experience working directly with children and at least six months direct responsibility for professional development of adults (Weber State University, 2015).  I currently meet these requirements and could start teaching in the evenings in addition to my current employment.  To teach as an adjunct instructor for the university I need to have a minimum of a Master’s degree in Child and Family Studies or related field, but they prefer a Ph.D. It is also preferred that I have teaching experience in higher education (Weber State University, 2015).  I will have my master’s degree in less than two months and then can qualify to teach part time in addition to my current employment.

Another career path that is interesting to me is to be a mentor, coach, or consultant in the field of early childhood.  I see this several different ways.  I really enjoy going into programs and evaluating their program, giving suggestions and recommendations of ways the program can increase in quality, and then following up to see the changes that were made.  I have also done this mentoring in individual’s homes, helping parents work better with their children, set up daily routines and schedules in the home, and work with the specific needs of their children.  This has been internally rewarding to teach what I know and then see the difference it makes when others implement what I teach.  I also enjoy mentoring on an individual basis, helping those in the field reach their own professional development goals.  I have coached several people through getting their CDA’s, going back to school and getting a degree, and even becoming specialist in certain areas in the field.  This has also been rewarding to see the changes they make through my guidance.

As far as career paths in this way of mentoring, coaching, and consulting, I only found a few agencies that offer things like this.  Again, our local CCR&R has program observers who use environmental rating scales to assess early childhood programs.  Those results are then shared with the program, Care About Childcare and the Office of Childcare.  Sometimes those results are used for grant funding, but many times they are administered for programs who wish to raise the quality of care for their center.  This position requires a degree (Associate, Bachelor, or Master) in Early Childhood Education and two years paid professional experience working directly with children and six months direct responsibility over professional development of adults (Weber State University, 2015).  I currently meet these requirements.

I could also work for an organization called The Children’s Center (2015).  They provide mental health care for families with young children including therapeutic preschool programs.  Additionally, which is the part that appeals to me, they provide observation and mentoring to early childhood providers in the area.  They come out to the center, observe a classroom or a specific child with challenging behaviors, and provide feedback of how the program can better meet the needs of the children.  This requires a bachelor or master degree in early childhood and experience working with children and professionals in the field. I currently meet the requirements for this position.

An additional job consulting would be a Child Life Specialist who works with children and their families in overcoming challenging events in life, especially those in a healthcare and hospitalization environment.  The Child Life Specialist acts as a resource to the family by providing education information and support and guidance to family members as well as educating caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress (Child Life Council, 2015).  To qualify for this job, I would need to be a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS).  This requires a bachelor or master degree as well as some additional coursework in understanding how to work with families and children under stress, do some practicum work, and then pass a national examination.

I have also thought about starting my own nonprofit that would allow me to provide consulting work and topic specialist work for centers, home providers, and families on working with children with challenging behaviors.  With my own small nonprofit, I could also continue to do presentations for early childhood conferences or for staff trainings at centers.

References

Child Life Council (2015). The child life profession. Retrieved from http://www.childlife.org/The%20Child%20Life%20Profession/

The Children's Center (2015). Mental health care for families with young children. Retrieved from http://tccslc.org/

Weber State University (2015). Child and family studies job search. Retrieved from https://jobs.weber.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1431696380281 

Employment Resource in the Early Childhood Field

The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® National Center (Center) is pleased to share the Careers in Early Childhood: A National Directory, 4th Edition.     This edition offers a sampling of employment possibilities which are combined with recommended education and typical salary ranges to introduce a variety of careers to the reader. The robust tool provides information to address a wide range of user interests -- whether you are considering a career in early childhood, considering your own career options, seeking data to inform an early childhood professional development system, information to support investments in the early childhood workforce or resources to guide public policy.   We hope you will pass it on, post it and use the Careers in Early Childhood: A National Directory, 4th Edition to both educate yourself and others about the many career opportunities available in this growing field.   To support easy access via your website, please use the link below to the 4th edition of this electronic directory released in late April at the Center's annual national Symposium.   LINK: http://www.childcareservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/CCSA-Careers-in-Early-Childhood-National-Directory-2015.pdf