Three meaningful ideals

To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training. (NAEYC 2005, Code of Ethical Conduct).  I think it is very important to continue to partcipate in any trainings being offered that will expand your knowledge in early childhood.  I believe that as a professional, you need to seek out training opportunities.

To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to the support services needed to be successful. (NAEYC 2005, Code of Ethical Conduct).  I believe that all children deserve to have the opportunity to be successful.  Teachers need to look at each individual child to determine the child's own needs.  So a teacher might need to teach in a few different ways in order for all children to be successful or determine that some children need extra help.

To listen to families, acknowledge and build upon their strengths and competencies, and learn from families as we support them in their task of nurturing children. (NAEYC 2005, Code of Ethical Conduct).  I believe that is important for early childhood professionals to listen to families and help them  work on goals for their child and their family.  It is also important for the family to feel involved with their child's day and to encourage them to come into the classroom.  If they are unable to come to the classroom they can read or do activities at home to help the child succeed.

Reference:  Article: NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment.  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Additional Resources

I just went to a Facilitator's training and this book came highly recommended.  I plan on getting it soon and reading it.  I will post a comment to give my opinion. (http://www.amazon.com/)

This is another book that was mentioned at the training.  It is another one I look forward to reading.  (http://www.amazon.com/)


Another resource that is worth checking out if you haven't yet is
www.ellynsatter.com

She has wonderful ideas on feeding children and the division of responsibility.

I work with child care providers in CACFP (food program).  I had Connie Ever's come out and do a presentation in nutrition for my program.  She has a book out called "How to Teach Nutrition to Kids" by Connie Evers .  She was a great speaker!  It is a good book if you are working with children to teach them about nutrition.

Course resources

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/53029/CRS-CW-4465394/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
  
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~images/pdfs/snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep.org.gu.se/English/about_OMEP/
  Read about OMEP’s mission. 
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements. National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
  
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
  
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
  
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=22807
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

An excerpt from Dr. Ann Turnbull

"But our greatest hope is that its not just the responsibility of parents and inividuals with intellectual disabilities to be advocates and ambassadors but the classmates, the co-workers, the neighbors, the members of religious communities."




Resource:
"Attitudes Toward the Intellectually Disabled." Talk of the Nation, Washington DC, August 11, 2009

A quote from Dr. Alice Honig

"Family is the first school for young children, and parents are powerful models."

Resource:
"Helping Children Become More Caring and Cooperative," NYSAEYC Reporter (Winter 1994)

Personal Childhood Web

My dad:  My dad was and still is an amazing man.  He had to be mom and dad to my brother and I. He made sure he took us to visit my mom when she was in the hospital.  He always made time to play with my brother and I whether it was outside playing in the snow or drawing pictures on cardboard boxes so we could play in them.  He worked a full time job but always made sure we were taken care of when he was gone.  My dad sits very high on a pedestal in my eyes.  There are not a lot of men who would have stuck around with a sick wife and 2 small kids to raise.  He has shown me what commitment is really about and what is truly important in life....family.

My mom:  My mom was a very important person in my life.  She was in and out of the hospital from the time I was about 5 until she went in for the last time when I was 12 years old and never left for the next 15 years.  She always wanted to know what was going on in my life.  She wanted to know how school was and wanted to hear about everything that was going on in my life.  The one thing I remember is that she never complained about her situation.  She taught me to never give up. Also, I am a very responsible person because of her and her not being able to be home.

Dolly:  My cousin Dolly was very  important to me as I was growing up.She was very close to my mom when they were growing up and as they got older.  I remember that my brother and I spent time with her and her husband at their house in New Jersey two different summers.  She was very patient with us and taught us all kinds of things about the ocean.  They took us out clamming in the ocean.  She made me feel special by spending time with me. 

Pat:  She was someone who had worked with my mom and they became friends.  Pat would take me to my orthodontist appointments.  She would include my brother and I on activities with her family.  I know she cared about me because she would take me on my appointments and she took us to do fun things.  She was single with no children and she gave up her time to spend with us.  I believe because of her influence I like to help others whenever needed.

Helen:  Helen was like my second mom.  She was someone who had worked with my dad and became a friend of the family.  Helen used to take me everywhere.  She made me feel special because she always counted me as her daughter.  She included my brother and I in almost all of her family events.  Even her family treated us like family. I always felt very loved and safe when I was with her.  I knew I could tell her anything.

A story that touched my heart

When I worked at the Child Care Center as a Site Supervisor, we would receive calls on a daily basis from parents looking for day care.  The one story I will never forget was one mom calling me who had a 4 year old son.  She was crying because she could not find a place for him because he was Autistic.  I told her we had a spot for him and to come over anytime to check out our center.  She said, "Are you sure?  He is Autistic."  I explained to her that I was sure and that made no difference to me.  She enrolled him right away and was over joyed.  Even though by law, providers and centers could not turn him away some how they did.  I will never understand how and why that happened but in a way I was glad because we got him.  He stayed in our program until he was 13 1/2 years old.  He would come every day before and after school.  He is a child that my staff and I learned a lot from and he is a child I will never forget.  As he got older, his mom would remind me of that day she called me crying looking for day care and how I took him in like he was my own.  She told me that she would never forget me for what I did for her and her family.  I would have had a whole center of special needs children if I could have because they teach us so much.  I had a lot of children through out the 9 years I was there, but this is one of the children I truly will never forget.