Time Well Spent

Getting this Masters degree has been one of the most life changing experiences I have ever had. I really enjoy all that I have learned. I was able to look at my profession from a whole new perspective. I loved being in the company of such driven educators wanting to improve the education system. With each class I fell more and more in love with my career path and know that I am in the right place. I honestly can’t believe that this journey is over. I plan to continue my education beyond this degree so that I can grow as a professional. 

From this program one of my deeply felt learnings was in an area that I love learning about. Culture is such an important factor in early childhood education. I grew up in New York and was always fascinated by the great deal of diversity that I faced daily. Moving to Georgia, I learned that there are still several racial barriers and cultural competencies that have not been accomplished. I am so excited that culture is being pushed in child care centers. The center I worked in would have mostly Caucasian pictures and dolls, but the schools enrollment was very diverse. Today there are pictures around of different races, religions, abilities, and family styles. This program encouraged me to change the face of my school and create a more welcoming environment for everyone. 

I loved learning about inclusion during this program. Inclusion is important for more than just the student who may have a challenge. Inclusion is a lesson for everyone. The entire class can learn to live in a world where people with slight or major differences will be around them. It opens up for a more diverse environment. All of the students will get a more realistic view of life from a young age.

As a fairly new child care director I appreciated learning about budgeting. The class was right on time, because I was working on a budget for the first time. The budget class allowed me to realize how much really goes into a child care program. I learned a great deal about allocating money and emergency funds. I also learned how other child care centers get funding and how to apply for grants. 

My long term goal is to become a professional development specialist. I want to help teachers grow and learn more. I would be interested in teaching in a classroom setting, and possible online as well. I can talk about early childhood education all day. The opportunity to teach others about it and help them find direction and where they fit in is exactly what I want to do. 

This last class has been a challenge. I got some of the lowest grades I have received this entire program. I am now a better writer because of this class. Dr. Teri was blunt and honest about my horrible writing skills. I was near tears thinking I was not going to pass my final class in my masters degree program. Now I am more than grateful for her continuous pushing and support. I thank each and every one of you for your advice, and helpful words. We have grown together and I am grateful for this experience. I wish you all success and prosperity as you continue to work in the education field. 

If you would like to stay in contact place email me at: moniquevw13@gmail.com

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is a great international organization. This organization fights poverty. IThis organization is important to my community of practice because it focuses on economic growth and financial stability. with my challenge focusing on getting higher wages for early childhood educators, having an organization like this in my community of practice can be very helpful. They have a direct relationship with the economic status of other countries. 

The Director, Directorate for Education and Skills is an important role at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This person helps others attain more education, skills, and jobs. This person has to be a great leader as they will be working with senior management and others to help the organization progress. They will need an advanced degree in a social science or related field, several years of senior level experience, negotiating skills, and great communication skills 

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2013, from http://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

The International Step by Step Association is an organization designed to provide quality care for all early childhood students. This organization would be great for my community of practice because it is filled with early childhood educators. In preparing to get higher wages for our teacher, it is ideal to have a large network of educators. Working with an international origination makes it easier to connect with a wide range of educators. 

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2013, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

FHI 360 is an organization that really got my attention. This organization sets out to help people in many different ways. They carefully research each challenge they set out to perfect. For over 40 years they have fought to help individuals, communities, and countries succeed. This organization advocates for several different groups but they have a heart for the education system. Tackling topics like peer education, art knowledge, education management, and literacy, just to name a few. I believe that this organization would be a major player in my community of practice. While I did not see any information on their website on better compensation for early childhood educators, I feel that if they are given the information and hear about the Worthy Wages Campaign they would want to take this on as well. 

FHI360 is currently hiring for a Director of Education Research and Evaluations. This person will lead business development opportunities for funding and conducting education research, manage quality improvement, and report research findings. This person will need 10 - 15 years post doctoral education in research and evaluation, experience in developing research, experience in international and U.S. education, and a collegial spirit and sense of humor.

FHI 360 The Science of Improving Lives. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2013,http://www.fhi360.org/ 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The Council for Professional Recognition is an organization that promotes teachers advancing their education and gaining a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. With my challenge being based around higher pay for early learning teachers, this organization is a great resource for my community of practice. There is no secret that in today’s society promoting education also promotes increased pay. We are taught to further our educations because that’s the only way we get more money. The job opportunity that appeals to me is being  a Professional Development Site Specialist. This person will need a Bachelors Degree in ECE or Child Development and two years experience working with children Birth to Five. This person will have to go through a series of online training and once they qualify they will go through a selection process. Once selected this person will be a mentor/coach for those going through the CDA process. 

The American Federation of Teachers is another great organization to have in my community of practice. This organization is designed to advocate for fair employment for early learning and education teachers. It also advocates for high quality care that is affordable for our children and their families. The position that interests me the most is the Internal Organizer and Community Organizer. This person organizes programs to bring awareness to high-quality child care centers.  This person will need 3 - 5 years in organizing experience, motivational skills, writing skills, and ability to make visits. This seems like such a great career. I would love to be able to visit child care centers and help promote their quality care to enhance their enrollment. It is also great because this is a position in a company that advocates for the better pay of teachers working in high quality centers. 

Zero to Three is another great organization to work with in my community of practice. This organization works towards the advancement of children Infants to three years old. The thing I love about Zero to Three is that they are not just a great site for teachers and early learning educators, but it is also a great resource for the  families. There are several links on the website that bring awareness to better compensation for early learning teachers. The position that I am most interested in at Zero to Three is the Senior Policy Analyst. This person will help write grants, will participate in policy and federal advocacy for our youngest learners, and provide awareness. This person should have a Masters degrees in social work, public policy, or early childhood education. They should have knowledge on policy issues, 5 years experience, interpersonal skills and ability to travel. 

References:

http://www.cdacouncil.org/

http://www.aft.org/yourwork/ece/

http://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

• At least three local or state organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them

Bright from the Start is the licensing agent for all child care centers in the state of Georgia. I chose this community of practice because it communicates to every child care center in the state. 

The other community of practice I chose is Sheltering Arms. This is a chain of child care centers that is government funded. These child care centers offer training and opportunities for other child care centers. They are also very family oriented and have staff that are there strictly to be a resource for the children and their families enrolled in their center. 

The last community practice that I am interested in is Bright Horizons. I this organization because they have child care centers located on some of the major businesses. HomeDepot, Coca Cola, Chick-fil-A, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Georgia Power, and Georgia Pacific are just a few of the business that offer child care at work for their employees. The amount of connections that this company has is amazing. 

• Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

I would like to be a child care consultant for Bright from the Start. This person is assigned a region in Georgia and they visit all the child care centers in this region. This person is often feared by the centers, because they audit the center and make sure that all guidelines are being followed, but this person also offers some great advice, and has a wonderful relationship with the centers administration team. 

At Sheltering Arms I would love to be the Family Support Consultant. This person is there for the families. They offer support and resources for those who need it. If there is a family going through a divorce, this person is responsible for offering counselors, or attorneys that may be needed. This person will help get assistance for children who may need help with behavior issues. They can also be great for those who need help with children with disabilities. 

The Child Care Education Coordinator at Bright Horizons has the great responsibility of making sure the staff is well versed in the appropriate curriculum.   This person will have a classroom, but they will be able to collaborate with the team, the children and the families. 

• Skills and experience that you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles

The Bright from the Start child care consultant will need a bachelors degree, and child care experience. 

The Family Support Coordinator at Sheltering Arms would need a bachelors degree, customer service skills, three to five years child care experience, and training in families and support. 

The Child Care Educator Coordinator would need to have a CDA, Associates degree or higher, two to four years child care experience, and NAEYC accreditation process experience.