Time Well Spent

             I am super excited! Why? Because, I am four days away from completing my master’s program with Walden University!!! I started this journey in 2010 with a focus on elementary mathematics. However, my passion led me towards early childhood studies and I am glad that I listened! Through the many leaves of absence I had to take for health reasons, I am so thankful that I have made it! This has truly been a rewarding experience!

            Throughout this program I have learned so many things. I have learned more about child development, the issues and trends within the early childhood education field, the happenings around the world in the field, and how to properly conduct research. Three things stand out to me about all that was covered during this program:

 

1. Play is a vital part of a child’s development. Through play, children are able to grow academically, socially, and physically.
2. Being active in the field is more than just teaching and attending a few workshops. Part of our calling is creating positive social change. We should strive not only to help children, but also their families and their communities.
3. On a personal note, I have learned a lot about myself. I need to have more confidence in my ability to do good work. I spent hours agonizing over assignments because I did not think they were good enough. Only to end up with an outstanding score! Having more confidence will also help me be a great leader. I also need to work on my time management. I spent many long nights completing assignments because I waited until the last minute. Procrastination can no longer be my friend!

            One long term goal I have is to open and operate my own child care facility with a balanced curriculum, focused on play and academics. I would like to continue my studies and obtain my doctorate in early childhood education, but I am going to take some time off to focus on work and my son. This is a picture of Nicholas and me during our vacation in the Bahamas this summer. 

            To all of my wonderful colleagues, it has been a great pleasure learning with you and from you during our time here at Walden. I have been learning with some of you for a while now and I want to say thank you. Thank you for pushing me to greater levels and taking me out of my comfort zone. I wish you all much success in the future. Many blessings to you all. I plan on keeping my blog open. So you can keep in touch with me here on by email ryans1224@gmail.com.

 

            The following is my Wordle I created to express my experience here at Walden:

Time Well Spent Wordle

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

This assignment has been very interesting. I have never looked at international early childhood organizations before and it is amazing the things they are doing across the world. The three organizations that I found of interest were:

1. Association for Childhood Education (www.acei.org)

The members in this organization act as social change agents. They involve themselves in various critical societal issues in their efforts to ensure that children around the world are protected, supported, and educated in ways that allow them to reach their full potential. Their motto is “bright futures for every child, every nation.” They are committed to support and advocate for access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child’s right to education.

They accept applications to be a part of their board of directors. However, I am not qualified to fill this position, it still sounds like a great opportunity. The qualifications for candidates can be found here http://www.acei.org/qualifications-for-candidates-for-the-acei-board-of-directors  

2. International Step by Step Association (www.issa.nl)

This organization connects professionals and organizations working in the field of early childhood development and education. It promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives. ISSA advocates policies that ensure that every child regardless of gender, race, religion, nationality or ability has the opportunity to develop to his or her full potential. 

3. International Child Resource Institute (www.icrichild.org)

This organization envisions a world in which all children and families are able to fulfill their greatest potential. They work towards this goal by focusing on: early childhood care and education, children’s rights, empowerment of women’s and girls, maternal and child health, and grassroots community development.

The only employment opportunity they have available is a marketing internship. I am not interested in marketing, but if anyone else is, you can find the details here http://www.icrichild.org/employment/. ICRI also offers volunteer opportunities in the US and abroad. The international opportunities allow you to work hands on with different cultures. That opportunity sounds amazing! For more information check out http://www.icrichild.org/volunteer-opportunities/.

 

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

I never really considered working for a national or federal organization. I enjoy working face-to-face with children and their families too much. There is no greater feeling than watching a child grow throughout the year and to have an impact on that growth. However, this assignment was very informative. I never realized how many national education associations there were. A lot of them want you to become a member, but few offer actual job opportunities. I was able to find three that stood out to me:

 Playworks (www.playworks.org)

Playworks is a national nonprofit organization that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at recess and throughout the school day. This organization actually has job opportunities where you can work directly with children, their families, and the school. Plus, it involves incorporating play into the daily curriculum! They offer jobs during the school year. The position that I am interested in is the AmeriCorps member position or "Coach." This is a full-time position bringing healthy play and physical activity to low-income schools to create a positive environment for learning and teaching. The duties and qualifications are rather lengthy. You can check them out here http://www.playworks.org/careers/school-openings/americorps-program-coordinator.

Jumpstart (www.jstart.org)

 Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community Corps members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. Their proven curriculum helps children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late. Within this organization, I am interested in the Site Manager position. The primary responsibility of the Jumpstart Site Manager is to manage the day-to-day operations of the campus Jumpstart program in order to ensure that Jumpstart Quality Standards, guidelines provided by Jumpstart, are met and that the program is meeting grant requirements. The rest of the job specifics and qualifications can be found at https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=7076282&t=1.

 National Alliance of Black School Educators (www.nabse.org)

 The National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) is the nation's premiere non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic success for the nation's children - particularly children of African descent. NABSE is dedicated to improving both the educational experiences and accomplishments of African American youth through the development and use of instructional and motivational methods that increase levels of inspiration, attendance and overall achievement. I am not qualified for this position, but it still sounded interesting. The NABSE is looking for an Executive Director who will have overall strategic operational responsibility for NABSE’s staff, expansion, and execution of the mission of NABSE. The job requirements can be found at http://careers.nabse.org/jobs/#/detail/4878171/1,false.

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community

There are many organizations that cater to early childhood education in Maryland. The following are the organizations that caught my attention:

 

• Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children (www.mdaeyc.org)
• This organization is an affiliate with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org). They also have local affiliates that serve the different counties in Maryland. The mission of MDAEYC is to empower those who care for and educate young children. This would be a great community of practice because I would be able to network with other professionals and even experts in the early childhood field. They provide education to help individuals grow in this profession.   
• Maryland Family Network (www.mdchildcare.org)
• This organization works with everybody that is involved in helping young children. They work with parents, child care providers, advocates, employers, and even policymakers. Their goal is to enhance the early childhood education and child care available to Maryland’s children. For parents, they help families find child care providers within the state and for child care providers they offer training and education. This organization is a major resource for anyone working with children.
• Maryland State Child Care Association (www.mscca.org)
• This organization promotes the growth and development of professional licensed child care and learning centers in Maryland. As a member of this organization individuals have the opportunity to network with other professionals in the field on a national, state, and local level. Members also have the opportunity to meet with mentors that help with accreditation, credentialing, and regulatory issues.
• Maryland Head Start Association (www.md-hsa.org)
• Lastly, this organization offers education and training opportunities for Head Start programs. They educate the community at large on the issues of low-income children and families and school readiness.

 

I researched different job opportunities on CareerBuilder.com. I found a few positions that interest me. The first position is with Bright Horizons Family Solutions as an Education Coordinator. As the education coordinator, I would guide staff in the implementation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum, partner with parents, and impact the lives of children every day. Another position I found is a Center Director for La Petite Academy. The only major requirement for this position is a degree in early childhood education. Lastly, I found a position with The Goddard School as the Preschool Education Director. However, I do not qualify for this position because I do not have any management experience in a large, licensed preschool or childcare center.

The Journey Continues!!!

Hey everybody!! I just want to say thank you to all of my colleagues! It has been such a pleasure learning with you and from you. You all have helped me grow in my profession as an educator and I am truly grateful. I will be moving into the Administration, Leadership, and Management specialization. I hope to work with some of you again as we all continue our journey with Walden. This has really been such a rewarding experience and I am looking forward to what the future holds. Many blessings to each of you!

The Adjourning Stage

             This week we learned about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (check out http://www.projectsmart.co/uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html). Each group/team goes through two or more stages when working together towards a goal. Each stage moves the team towards success, but some groups can get stuck in the beginning stages depending on the situation and people involved. For this assignment we were asked to focus on the adjourning stage of team development. In this stage, the project has come to an end and group members go their separate ways.

            Personally, some groups are easier to say good-bye to than others. I think the easy groups to leave are those where there was lots of confusion, lack of communication, unclear goals, etc. These groups are frustrating and draining. There have been some meetings that I just could not wait to leave because the group I joined with was filled with confusion. Some groups also have a lack of focus. The meeting leader would assign a task and three out of 7 people would be focused on the activity. This is very challenging.

            On the other hand, I have been in groups where all members were focused on the task at hand. We would challenge each other in order to complete the task at hand. These groups were exciting and there would be a constant flow of information. Before separating from these group members, everyone would exchange email addresses and other contact info to stay in touch. These group members make great networking buddies.

            I think that is why the adjourning stage is so important. When meeting with people for the first time, it is always a good thing to establish a networking relationship. It is also a good thing to have resources in other areas to use when needed. At the end of this program with Walden, I hope to have gained some new networking buddies in order to share successes and lessons with. You can never have too many resources.

Conflict Strategies

            I am the type of person that avoids conflict and confrontations, even though I know they are inevitable. I think well on my feet and I am conscious of my responses and the other person’s feelings (sometimes a little too empathetic), but I have a slick tongue and can be very sarcastic. My sarcasm is not always appreciated. Lol.

            This past week I participated in a heated discussion with my son’s father. We do not see eye-to-eye on many things. I called him with a suggestion and he quickly jumped on the defensive. I felt attacked so I became very sarcastic. Transparent moment: I do not understand why I (as the mother) have to jump through hoops or bend over backwards for him to see and spend time with his son. This makes no sense to me. The ‘discussion’ ended with me saying “Ok, whatever.” Clearly, nothing was solved and no one’s needs were met.

            This week, I have been learning how it is important to be empathetic and understand the other person and their feelings. So I reflected on our discussion and thought of two things I could do differently next time.

1.      Focus on the matter at hand and not make any personal attacks. Be mindful of my sarcastic thoughts so that they do not become my words.

2.      Really listen to the words of the speaker. Repeat back their words to make sure I have understood them correctly. By doing this I will be able to focus on their needs and how I will be able to meet them.