1. You and Early Childhood Education
I Like Milk
Chapter 1 – Mrs. Wagner

2. Focus Questions Who is an early childhood professional?
What can you do to embody the personal, educational, professional practice, and public dimensions of professionalism?
What is the terminology of early childhood education?
How can you prepare for a career in early childhood education?
What does the future hold for the early childhood professional?

3. Who is an Early Childhood Professional?
A person that has the personal characteristics, knowledge, and skills necessary to teach and conduct programs so that all children learn.
The ability to inform the public about children’s and family issues.
A professional is a person who promotes high standards for themselves, their colleagues, and their students.
Continually improving and expanding their skills and knowledge.

4. Figure 1.1 – Text Page 5
Definitions of Categories of Early Childhood Professionals
NAEYC – National Association for the Education of Young Children
Magazines

5. The Four Dimensions of Professionalism
Personal Characteristics
Educational Attainment
Professional Practice
Public Presentation

6. Personal Characteristics
Four areas
Personal Character
Emotional Qualities
Physical Health
Mental Health

7. Personal Character Ethical Behavior Having high morals and values
Legally and ethically proper
NAEYC developed codes of ethics that help inform and guide professional practice.
PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators
Appendix A – Activity

8. Personal Character (cont.)
Civility
Compassion, Patience, Acts of Kindness and Helpfulness
Ex. Courteous with children, parents, and colleagues
Additional Traits
Courtesy, Dedication, Respect, Enthusiasm, Honesty, Intelligence and Motivation

9. Emotional Qualities What is the most important quality?
Love and respect for children
Understanding of children and their families
Compassion
Empathy
Friendliness
Kindness
Sensitivity
Trust
Tolerance
Warmth
Caring

10. Emotional Qualities (cont.)
Why Caring?
Love and respect for children
Understanding of children and their families
Compassion
Empathy
Friendliness
Kindness
Sensitivity
Trust
Tolerance
Warmth

11. Care about all children!
Good Professionals….
Care about all children!

12. Physical Health
Why do you feel it is important to be healthy and fit as an early childhood professional?
When you are healthy, you can do your best and be your best!
Wellness and healthy living are vital for the energy, enthusiasm, and stamina that teaching requires and demands!

13. Mental Health
Having good mental health enables professionals to instill in children good mental health habits.
Optimism
Attentiveness
Self-confidence
Self-respect
Maintaining a positive outlook on…
Life
The profession
The future

14. Educational Dimension
Essential knowledge of the profession and professional practice
Understand the ways children develop and learn
Keeping up-to-date on public issues

15. Educational Dimension
Vary from state to state
Teaching in PA: Nursery/Kindergarten Teacher and Nursery/Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

16. Educational Dimension
Associate Degree Program
Baccalaureate Programs
Master’s Degree Programs
Doctorate in Early Childhood Education or Child Development
Two years
Four Years
Four Years +
Four Years ++

17. The Professional Practice Dimension
This dimension includes:
Knowing children
Developing a philosophy of education
Planning
Assessing
Reporting
Reflecting and thinking
Teaching
Collaborating with parents, families, and community partners
Engaging in ethical practice
Seeking continued professional development opportunities

18. Child Development is the what of early childhood
Child Development is the what of early childhood. Early Childhood education is the how of the profession.

19. Early childhood professionals must be able to do the following…
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the early childhood profession and make a commitment to professionalism.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of child development and apply this knowledge in practice
Observe and assess children’s behavior for use in planning and individualizing curriculum.
Establish and maintain an environment that ensures children’s safety and their healthy development.

20. Early childhood professionals must be able to do the following…
Plan and implement a developmentally appropriate program that advances all areas of children’s learning and development, including intellectual, social, emotional, and physical competence.
Establish supportive relationships with children and implement developmentally appropriate techniques of guidance and group management.
Establish positive and productive relationships with families.
Support the uniqueness of each child, recognizing that children are best understood in the context of family, culture, and society.

21. Philosophy of Education…
A set of beliefs about how children develop and learn and what and how they should be taught.

22. Text Pages 13 & 14

23. Planning
Stating what children will learn and what children are able to do.
State Board of Education: Academic Standards
Selecting developmentally appropriate activities and materials and ones that are based on children’s interests.
Deciding how much time to allocate to an activity.
Deciding how to assess activities and the things that children have learned.

24. Assessing
Assessment is the process of gathering information about children’s behavior and achievement and, on the basis of this data, making decisions about how to meet children’s needs.

25. Reporting “How is my child doing?”
Helps you, as a professional, be accountable to the public in fulfilling your role of helping children learn and be successful.

26. Reflecting and Thinking
Think before you teach, think while you teach, and think after you teach.

27. Teaching
Teaching involves making decisions about what to teach, planning for teaching, engaging students in learning activities, managing learning environments, assessing student behavior and achievement, reporting to parents and others, collaborating with colleagues and community partners, and engaging in ongoing professional development.

28. Collaborating with… Parents Families Community Partners
Children’s learning begins and continues within the context of the family unit, whatever that family unit may be. Learning how to comfortably and confidently work with parents is as essential as teaching children
Community Partners

29. Engaging in Ethical Practice
Ethical Conduct – the exercise of responsible behavior with children, families, colleagues, and community members.

30. Seeking Ongoing Professional Development Opportunities

31. The Public Dimension
Advocacy
Articulation
Representation

32. Advocacy
The act of pleading the causes of children and families to the profession and the public.
Examples - abuse and neglect prevention, health, children living in poverty

33. Articulation
Early childhood professionals must be knowledgeable and informed about the profession and the issues it faces.
They have to be able to discuss these issues with the public, the media, families, and others in the community.

34. Representation
The process of acting in the best possible ways on behalf of children and families.
Being a role model.

35. Four Dimensions of Professionalism
Personal
Educational
Professional
Public

36. Early Childhood Terminology Turn to your text page 24.