Time Well Spent: The End

The Masters in Early Childhood Program was an exciting educational journey. This was my first time taking classes on-line. Through this experience, I learned more about the importance of convenience. It was convenient to enroll in classes on-line. I was able to report to class at my own time. I was able to reach out to my instructor and peers through email. I was able to work full-time, take care of my children, and maintain full-time classes without being stressed or overwhelmed. This experience was easier than I could ever imagine and I loved this educational journey.

I started this program over a year ago and I have gained some deeply felt learning experiences. I learned more about poverty and its impact on children and families. I gained more knowledge on diversity and the many components it involves. I received a better understanding of effective communication and how important it is in maintaining positive relationships. These are the topics that caught my attention the most. I enjoyed the assignments and blogs which were required during those lessons.

As I move forward in my career, my goal is to continue to work with children whether directly or indirectly. My passion involves children. I aim to educate and nurture them as well as support their families. According to Laureate Education (n.d.), “the preschool years are the most fundamental”. As I continue my career, I know that my profession will remain in the early childhood field. This is the field of various opportunity. The opportunity to work with children. The opportunity to support the families. The opportunity to contribute to the field and make it better.

Two quotes caught my attention during this journey:

1.      “The happiness of any society begins with the well-being of the families that live in it” – Kofi Annan

2.    “The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children” – Deitrich Bonhoeffer

To my colleagues and instructor, I want to wish you continued success. I have enjoyed collaborating with you. I learned from each of you whether it was through a discussion post, a blog post, or an email. If at anytime, you may want to reach me, please do. I can be reached at latonya.ratliff@waldenu.edu

WE DID IT!!!!!! 🙂

                                                                    Reference

Laureate Education. (n.d.). Merging Vision, Passion, and Practice. Retrieved

            from class.waldenu.edu

 

International Opportunities in the ECE Community

There are several international organizations that work for positive social change. Many of those organizations work for children and families. They aim to improve the lifestyles and well-being of children and/or families. I have researched a few organizations and explored the current employment opportunities listed with them. I chose to speak on a few that caught my attention. These organizations are of interest to me because of their strong mission towards improving the lives of individuals.

United Nations Children’s Fund defends the rights of children around the world. According to UNICEF (2011), changes occur in the world but the needs of children do not. This organization promotes the rights and well-being of every child in the world. Several employment opportunities are currently available with this organization. The one that caught my attention was Child Protection Specialist. This person supports the development and preparation of the child protection programs within the country.

Save the Children is an organization that invest in the lives of children. According to Save the Children (2011), this organization supports children every day, in times of current crisis and future. The goal is, if children’s lives are changed now, it will change the course of their future. I reviewed careers with this organization. I read upon the opportunities along with the current staff members with this organization. I found the Field-Base positions to be of interest to me. This interest me because the person works with local and national partners to serve programs in Early Childhood.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development also known as OECD provides a system where governments collaborate to find solutions to common problems. The mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world (OECD, n.d.). This organization offers a stimulating work environment. It offers a place to use and explore your ideas, knowledge, and expertise. It also offers an opportunity to meet new people who believe in economic change. There are several current employment opportunities available with this organization. To further review the listing, please refer to the website.

References

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.). Retrieved November

            28, 2011, from http://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from

            http://www.unicef.org/

Opportunity in the ECE Community: National/ Federal Level

Opportunity in the early childhood field goes beyond local and state level. Professionals in this field can find growing opportunity on the national and federal level as well. The well-being of children and families are supported worldwide. Therefore, opportunities in the early childhood field are needed throughout the city and state. As I searched a listing of national and federal organizations that support the early childhood field, I found several that I would not mind becoming a staff member of.

The first organization that interest me is Children International. This organization is focused on ending child poverty. They have community centers, a caring team, and age appropriate programs for those sponsored children to attend. This organization interest me because they are providing a safety net for children living in poverty. According to Children International (2017), the goal is to help kids living in poverty. The mission is to help break the cycle of poverty. As I looked further into the website, I did not find any current job opportunities but I did find ways to help end the cycle of poverty. There were ways to make a difference such as, becoming a sponsor for a child and building a community center to support the children.

The second organization that caught my interest was the National Child Care Association. This organization interest me because they assist children and families in terms of child care services. According to National Child Care Association (n.d.), parents should have options as to where to send their child for care and educational needs. The NCCA supports policies that benefit children in early care and educational programs. These programs are public and private. The members of this organization include early childhood professionals and advocates. The goal is to ensure that children receive the best care and education possible. As I searched further into the website, I found ways to become a member of this organization. There were no current job opportunities.

The third organization that interested me was the maternal and child health bureau. This organization is also known as MCHB. This organization assist with mothers, children, and families in regards to health. According to Health Resources & Services Administration (2017), the vision of this program is that children and families in America are healthy and strong. The MCHB is committed to improve health care services, building healthy communities, improving health equity, and other health issues in regards to mothers and children. As I further researched this website, I did not find any current employment opportunities but I did find ways to subscribe to emails, along with funding opportunities, and assistance for new applicants. I believe this is a wonderful program because it assists with the overall health of mothers and children.

References

Children International. (2017). Children Need Help Now. Retrieved from

           www.children.org

National Child Care Association (n.d.). Retrieved from www.nccanet.org

Health Resources & Services Administration. (2017). Maternal & Child Health.

          Retrieved from  https://mchb.hrsa.gov

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

To have a passion for early childhood, it starts with a will to work with young children. There are several opportunities related to the early childhood field. It’s not just becoming a teacher, but also an advocate, an interventionist, a family service specialist, an education specialist, a trainer, a child care director, and more. The job market is tremendous in this field. Although several opportunities arise, the main goal is well-being of young children.

I have researched several early childhood organizations and agencies in my city. Each of them have similar mission statements with one primary goal. I chose three which I have great interest in. They are as follows: Porter-Leath, Urban Childhood Institute, and Shelby County Schools Pre-K. I chose these three because they focus directly on children and their families. Their goals involve education, health, and safety of young children.

Porter-Leath is a non-profit organization that focuses on Memphis’ at-risk children and families. The goal is to empower children and families to achieve a more independent lifestyle (Porter-Leath, n.d.). There are several programs involved with this organization. Therefore, many job opportunities are available. The position that interest me most is program coordinator. To satisfy this role, the applicant must maintain a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood as well as have previous lead and/or supervisory experience.

According to The Urban Child Institute (2017), “The Urban Child Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the health of the Mid-South population, particularly children”. They achieve their goal through focusing on prevention and wellness. Many training opportunities are achieved through this organization. As an early childhood teacher, I have attended this organization for training sessions that involved the health and well-being of children. This organization include researchers, strategists, practitioners, parents, and community members who are dedicated to turning knowledge and research into change (The Urban Child Institute, 2017). I can see myself working for this organization because I like to provide support for children and families. However, currently there are no job opportunities available.

Shelby County Schools Pre-K is the early childhood program that ensure students are kindergarten ready. According to Shelby County Schools (n.d.), “This program serves nearly 5,000 students each year at select elementary schools across Memphis and Shelby County, as well as several community partner locations”. There is a vast amount t of pre-K sites in the city of Memphis. Therefore, several instructional opportunities are available through the pre-K program. Currently, there are assistant teacher positions available. For anyone who may be interested.

I have compiled below my reference list. This list will also take you to the organization’s career page. Please go to the home page and click on “careers”. There you will find job opportunities that may interest you. Posting are listed as positions become available. So please continue to check if you are job seeking.

References

Porter-Leath (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from porterleath.org/about-us

Shelby County Schools (n.d.). Pre-L/Head Start. Retrieved from http://www.scsk12.org/prek

The Urban Child Institute (2017). About us. Retrieved from urbanchildinstitute.org/about-us

Welcome to the End

Hello my fellow colleagues. We have reached the final course of this educational journey. I am proud of myself and proud of you for hanging in there 🙂

I look forward to reading your future blog post and comments as we share experiences and insights. Wishing you all the best. Let’s do this. Its almost over!!!!!

Moving Forward

Over the past 8 weeks, my colleagues and I have formed a collaborative learning experience. We shared information and insights with each other and supported each other with encouraging words or advice. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them. Each of my colleagues have made contact with me in some way. Whether through discussion post, blog post, or email, they reached out to me. As well, I have reached out to them. As we move forward, I want to wish each of my colleagues continued success. I want to encourage each one to keep a level head and continue to aim high. As we continue on our professional path, remember to always do the best now in order to have a better future. Love to all 🙂

The Adjourning Stage

According to Abudi (2010), in the “adjourning” stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions. This is usually the good-bye stage. During this stage, emotions may flare as team members think back on the past and celebrate what they have accomplished or would like to have done better. As I recall groups which I was involved in, I can think of one which was a hard adjournment for me. Years ago, I left one agency and moved on to another. Leaving the agency was difficult because I had built a close relationship with the staff. The staff surprised me with a going away party and some members even shared some emotional words to me. High performing groups are hard to leave. The staff at this agency had worked together and helped to create an agency of professionalism, friendly environment, and hard-working educators. As I left this agency, I wished I had got a chance to learn the new staff members. Before I left, there were 2 new staff members hired and I did not get a chance to interact with them. I had got to know everyone at the agency except two members. I would like to have got the chance to interact with all.

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because members get to reflect on the accomplishment or simply reflect on the time spent together. I imagine that I will adjourn from the group of colleagues formed in this master’s degree program with excitement. Excited that we made it. Excited that we accomplished our goal. Excited that we hung in there and worked together to support one another. Best wishes to you all as we continue and complete this online educational journey 🙂

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Conflict Resolution

When I think about conflict, I think of disagreement or argument. I can recall a recent situation that resulted in conflict which could have been avoided if effective listening had taken place. My friend and I got into an argument simply because he was talking to me and it appeared that I was not listening. At the time, I was occupied. I was on the phone with him, watching my son play a game, and cooking. I was wearing my Bluetooth at the time so I was able to multi task. The phone conversation went well until my bluetooth’s battery went down. My friend was still talking, not knowing that my battery went out. So when I switched the phone over to speaker, I asked him to repeat himself. He said, “I’m just talking and you are not even listening”. So instead of me letting him know what happened I replied, “I hear you but I’m trying to do other things as well”. So then he caught an attitude and stated that I make him feel like I don’t want to talk with him. One statement led to another so we started to argue.

Thinking about what I have learned in regards to conflict resolution, there are a couple of things we could have done to manage or resolve the conflict more productively.

First, my friend and I could have used a problem-solving approach. If we had listened to each other and took time to discuss the issue, the situation probably would have went differently. I could have told him what happened with the Bluetooth. Also, he could have asked me what caused me not to hear him instead of implying that I was not listening.  According to O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven (2015), conflict styles that aim to benefit the relationship, to serve mutual rather than individual goals, and to produce solutions that benefit both parties are called cooperative strategies.

Second, we could have used some of the principles of nonviolent communication to better help  resolve the conflict. According to The Center for Nonviolent Communication (n.d.), with NVC we learn to hear our own deeper needs and those of others. When my friend made the statement that I make him feel like I don’t want to talk with him, I believe he was actually expressing some emotional thought. But when he said it with an attitude, I caught an attitude. Lashing out at one another led to the argument.

Days have passed and my friend and I simply let it go. We haven’t discussed the issue anymore but I’m sure there were ways to prevent the argument in the beginning. To my colleagues, thinking back on what we have studied this week, what do you think could have been done as related to conflict resolution?

References

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real communication

(3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent

communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

 

Communication Assessment Results

I assessed myself on communication and listening styles. I also used two people who I interact with on a regular basis to assess me on the same styles. I had my friend and my co-worker to assess me based off what they know of me. The assessment was lengthy but it did help me to understand what type of communicator I am.  I compared the results of my assessments to the results of others. It was interesting to learn that the people I interact with think of me basically the same as I think of myself.

Results show that I feel comfortable communicating in most situations. Results also show that I never engage in verbal aggressiveness or personal attacks. Furthermore, results show that I am empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others. I was amazed that people in my surrounding viewed me similar to the way I view myself. The one thing that surprised me most is that the people who assessed me believe I am not nervous while speaking in public. They believe I do well during a group meeting or discussion. I actually feel a bit nervous when I speak before a group. I guess my nervousness does not reveal. So I was pleased to know that although I may feel nervous speaking before a group, the people in my surrounding feel like I am able to handle group discussions well and with ease.

One insight that I gained this week has to do with self-esteem.  I learned that as I interact with people, I find out how they view me as a person. The more I interact with others, the more I learn what they think of me. According to O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven (2015), when you interact with other people, you get impressions from them that reveal what they think about you as a person and as a communicator. The assessments proved this statement because I learned how the people I communicate with actually thinks of me as a person and communicator. This insight may help me professionally because I will begin to become more of a presenter in discussions. My self-esteem reflects my behavior. I actually do not like to speak during staff meetings because I tend to get nervous. Now that I know that people think of me differently in the way that I communicate, I may start carrying discussions more freely.

Another insight that I gained this week has to do with first impressions. I learned that we tend to judge people based off of looks. Instead of judging people, we should communicate with and get to know them. This insight may help me personally because it teaches me to not judge people before getting to know them. I must overlook stereotypes or biases and actually take time to get to know people whom I first encounter. One never knows the effect someone will bring to their life until he or she actually interacts with that person.

Reference

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J.  (2015). Real communication (3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Chapter 2, “Perceiving the Self and Others”

Communication Differences

According to O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven (2015), culture is an incredibly powerful context of communication: it has a profound effect on the way we perceive events, as well as ourselves and others. As I think about cultural diversity at my workplace, I can relate to how I interact differently with people from different cultural groups. I work at a Head Start agency. The majority of enrollment is African American. However, there are some Hispanics as well as Caucasians enrolled. I find myself communicating differently with the Hispanic families because of the language differences. Some of the Hispanics are not fluent in English and I am not fluent in Spanish. So I tend to take more time when I communicate with my Hispanic families. I take time to understand their needs regarding their child and the program. Furthermore, I spend more time with them explaining the daily lesson and homework projects to ensure that they have a good understanding.

According to Gonzalez-Mena (2010), by acknowledging that each person has a different reality, you take the first step toward beginning to understand it. Based on what I have studied about effective communication, I can think of some strategies that could further assist me in communicating more effectively with the Hispanic families.

1. I could look at what they are doing through their eyes instead of my own. In other words, try to understand their methods or way of thinking about an issue or concern.
2. I could withhold judgement based off of first impression and try to understand the family’s culture. In other words, not be bias towards the Hispanic family. Talk with the family and learn more about their culture in order to learn more about the family.
3. I should allow the Hispanic children to do things on their own instead of making them helpless by doing things for them. In other words, instead of doing things for the Hispanic children, I should allow them to interact the best way that they can and learn the American culture with their peers.

References

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. “Understanding and Appreciating Cultural Differences” (p. 36)

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J.  (2015). Real communication (3rd.ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Chapter 2, “Perceiving the Self and Others” (p. 43)