Ethical Responsibilities to Children
"Childhood is a unique and valuable stage in the human life cycle" (NAEYC, 2005, p. 2).
This statement is meaningful to me because my vision of early childhood education is for all children to receive high quality care regardless of their socioeconomic status, culture, language, gender, or disability. High quality care will support every child's needs in fostering developmentally appropriate curriculum, nutritious meals, social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Being aware of the diversity that each child brings with their culture and language is important to me because I feel that everyone needs to be respected. I strive to support all children in a clean and safe environment. It is imperative for all early childhood professionals to "...support equity through responding to the needs of individual children, their families, and larger society" (Darragh, 2010, p. 16). I also support children's holistic development.
Professional Development and Preparation
"Professional development is viewed and valued as an ongoing process guided by high standards and competencies for professional performance and practice" (The Division for Early Childhood, 2009, p. 2).
I am here to make a difference to children, families, the community, and to the profession of early childhood education. Professional development and preparation is important to me because I am a lifelong learner. I am committed to exploring new trends and be an advocate for children and their families. I will always improve on my professional practice with ongoing child development classes, find time to reflect on my decisions, and support my staff and peers. I use my professional knowledge to mentor others in this field. It is important to me to be aware of exceptional children and I am learning more about inclusion. When exceptional children are put in an inclusion classroom, all the children have a chance to interact with each other creating a sense of belonging to the class. It is important to me that all children feel safe and have a feeling of belonging in my center.
Ethical Responsibilities to Families
"We are committed to enhancing the quality of children's and families' lives by promoting family well-being and participation in typical life activities" (The Division for Early Childhood, 2009, p.2).
It is imperative that I foster a partnership with families in my center so they will develop a mutual trust and understand that they can have a dialog with myself or any teacher in a comfortable setting. I provide as many opportunities as I can for family participation through programs such as "Star of the Week," Open House, Ice Cream Social, the Rodeo, conferences, different field trips, and other activities. Connecting families with resources and providing support is an important part of my job as a director. It is my responsibility to respect and support all families in my center with their child rearing decisions and values.
References
Darragh, J. (2010). Introduction to early childhood education. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Education, Inc.
NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved
from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
The Division for Early Childhood. (2009, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved from
http://www.dec-sped.org
