Examining Codes of Ethics

 Examining Codes of Ethics

Among your required readings this week are two code of ethics statements. I reviewed these documents and I identified four codes that I find to be meaningful to me, and I considered how each has become or will become a part of your professional life.

NAEYC Codes:

P-1.9—When we have reasonable cause to suspect child

abuse or neglect, we shall report it to the appropriate

community agency and follow up to ensure that

appropriate action has been taken. When appropriate,

parents or guardians will be informed that the referral

will be or has been made.

As a teacher, my goal is to make sure my students are learning in a safe environment and once they go home they continue to feel a sense of safety, if not the child will not be able to focus on what I am teaching and will not be receptive to new idea’s because they are consumed with the many issues they must face once they leave school. During my first year of teaching, one of my second grade students began to become very “needy” of me she wasn’t like this with anyone else…that student later said “Ms. Harris, I have to tell you something but my mom and dad said not to tell anyone”. …came out of my students mouth caused me to call my principal immediately and later excuse myself from the classroom (in a non-disturbing manner). My student was being abused and I had to appropriate action to ensure the well being of my student. It was very difficult for me to find out that a child is not being loved and protected the way a child should, so I am in full support of this particular code.

P-1.2—We shall care for and educate children in

positive emotional and social environments that are

cognitively stimulating and that support each child’s

culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure.

Children should be in a learning environment that supports their culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure. As a minority, I would often go into my sons classrooms and I would look for books, posters or anything that reflected who he is and I not only saw any artifacts, but I was even more upset at the fact that between two schools there were no minority teachers. I have learned people identify with things that closely mirror their image and in order to boost a child confidence, we should educated children of their culture as well as other cultures through foods, clothing, music, literature and ect…

I feel as this NAYCE and DEC Codes are parallel:

NAYCE Code:

I-2.4—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.

In order to better serve your community and the families within the schools that I work with, I try to interact with my students families so that I can find out what they like/dislike as a family and what they value so that I can incorporate some of their interest into my lessons when I’m teaching.  

DEC Code:

Enhancement of Children’s and Families’ Quality of Lives

1. We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture.

In order to better serve your community and the families within the schools that I work with, I try to interact with my students families so that I can find out what they like/dislike as a family and what they value so that I can incorporate some of their interest into my lessons when I’m teaching.  

References:

 NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

 The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
http://www.dec-sped.org/

A Note of Thanks and Support

A Note of Thanks and Support
 
During the past weeks my colleagues and I forged a collaborative learning community; we shared information and insights with each other, and supported each other. As I prepare to move on, I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge how my colleagues have supported me, and how I have supported them.
I must admit prior to taking this course, I thought I knew exactly the way the course would play out since I took other courses here at Walden University. However, I was wrong and for the first time, I was proud to be wrong. This course was more interactive than what I had anticipated…I have to say blogging played a huge role in my interacting with my peers.
In addition, I had an opportunity to learn more about my classmates which made it more personal. For example, we learned of each other’s zip codes and we were able to find out some interesting facts about the places we lived. We also shared why we wanted to attend Walden University and how in our own ways are bring new ideas to educating today’s youth and their families. With that said, I felt as if I began to get to know my classmates on an academic and social level as well. As a result of this interaction, I found that several of my classmates would personally e-mail me if they had a question , concern, or simply let me know if I submitted something in the wrong area  so I wouldn’t get points taken off  for an assignment (Thanks Elizabeth J). And I had other classmates whom showed support in other ways. For example, Some would simply say I look forward to your discussion post because they are so insightful, or either someone would give insight on a topic  by making comments that made me think about a subject in a totally different manner. But I always tried to support my classmates by posting comments that were thought provoking, or simply sharing my experiences to motivate someone else to continue furthering their education as a single parent regardless of their age and or circumstance.

I feel as if we all showed support of each other by sharing resources, pictures of our special loved ones, and intimate thoughts about losing loved ones shortly after graduating college, or enjoying silly poses in wedding pictures . I found these ideals and moments to be priceless and I am thankful that my classmates shared these moments with me and I was able to share myself with everyone in the class as well. Everyone has truly motivated to continue to be an advocate for children and I wish everyone success professionally, personally, and academically.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND BEST WISHES TO ALL!!

Growing My Collection of Resources

Growing My Collection of Resources

Course Resources Section
Retrieved July 27, 2011 UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

·  NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

·  NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

·  NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

·  NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

Additional Resources Section

Environment Rating Scales

ers.fpg.unc.edu/

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-ECERS

ERS Data System - Software for the Environment Rating Scales www.ersdata.com

Early Childhood Research and Practice http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n1/index.html

Nicky

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Dr. Lillian Katz Advocate of Public Early Childhood Education

An “absorbent learner” is one who holds a strong understanding of the basic tenets of how people (children) grow, change, and are affected by the interactions of others, understand the world, learn, and so forth. The “absorbent learner” listens, discusses, verifies, explains, and uses multiple strategies and styles to come to know but ultimately self-constructs understanding most effectively with the assistance of a “mentor.” -Dr. Lillian Katz

I like this quote because I have learned that being a good communicator is often times just listening and receiving the message the sender is trying to convey without interruption.

Dr. Edward Zigler Advocate of Head Start and former leader of Head Start during President R Nixon’s administration

"Head Start was created with the idea that parents are important and the community in which they exist is important, and they run Head Start” – Dr. Edward Zigler

I like this quote because it left me feeling as if parents and families have more power than they may think when it comes to their childs education, and that they are valued and important stakeholders of the community.

Quotes from Wk 2 Multimedia Presentation

“I just had a built in passion for teaching”- Louis Derman-Sparks

“I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference”- Raymond Hernandez MS Ed

I selected the quotes written above because they both speak of passion and of the desire these two different advocates have for education and for wanting to make a difference not only in the lives of the children but in the lives of their families as well; this is the same desire and passion that I have. I want to be a voice for the “voiceless” and provide families with the support they need to make sure their child(ren) is one step closer towards attaining “The American Dream”.

References:

Retrieved July 22, 2011 http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/katzsym/peterson.html

Retrieved July 22, 2011 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/05/31/head_start/index.html

Video Program: “The Passion for Early Childhood” 

Nicky

Personal Childhood Web

Mother: My mother influenced my life because she was my first teacher. My mother is a verrrrrry independent woman. Although she had 17 other siblings as a child, and later married my father (still married) she always taught me to try things on my own and not to wait for a man nor anyone else in this life to “give” me something, she taught me how to problem solve and to try and figure out how to get myself out of jams. I am happy and blessed to have a strong mother because it is her strength that she instilled in me that has carried me through difficult situations and to develop a thicker skin. As a teenager, I did not walk with my graduating class, but she still gave me a dozen red roses, so I made sure my mother would see me walk as an undergrad graduate which she did and just recently I am happy to say she witnessed me walk as a graduate student. I am happy that my mom allows me to make my own mistakes, and encourages me not to wait for any person to “give me” my hearts desires but instead, I need to make my desires/dreams  a reality for myself.

Father: Well there is sooo much I can say about my dad; he is proud of anything I do and has always supported me and my other siblings and my son in all of our endeavors. At 37, I am proud to say that I am still a daddy’s girl! As a child, my father would always say “Go to school and get yourself a good education”, but I didn’t value that statement until I became an adult. However, growing up as a child, my father was supportive of anything I did whether it was taking piano lessons for two weeks or my saying I wanted to be a chef, he was right there in the kitchen with me telling me to wear my goggles while I cooked so the cooking oil wouldn’t splash into my eyes. One of my fondest memories was being a little girl and driving up to my third floor home in Northern NJ, and as soon as I saw my house I would pretend I was sleeping because I did not want to walk up the stairs; instead of my father waking me up, he would carry me up all of those stairs and as soon I we got to the front door, I would jump out of my dads arms and run and play. I know he knew what I was doing but he never said “wake up”, and my father still in many respects carries me by providing me with continued spiritual, personal, and professional advice.  My father never tells me NO, he has spoiled all of his children and grands and I know that if I were to call and ask my dad for his left arm today, he would give it to me; it is that support that has made me the woman I am today.

Cousin Cedenia- My cousin Cedenia is more like a big sister to me and that is because our mothers (which are sisters) were very close and in turn we were pretty much raised together. My cousin has always been in support of me even when I went against things my family believed in, she was always there to offer me an out.  In addition, I always thought Cedenia was “cool” so I wanted to do everything she did. As an adult, I am proud to say that I continue to mirror her footsteps. For example, Cedenia went to and graduated from undergrad and became a teacher, and I did the same; she even went to graduate school and later became a counselor, so I went to graduate school and finished and I am now working on my second master’s degree. My cousin has always listened to my concerns and never agreed with me because I am her cousin but instead she would tell me when I was wrong and or right about a situation. I remember going to my senior prom and my cousin came to see me off at my “show off” and she just looked at me like a proud sister and she told me she was proud of me and to have fun.  

Great Grandmother Sally- My great grandmother was not your typical great grandmother; she was spunky and didn’t bite her tongue. I remember learning how to use the telephone as a child and one of the first phone numbers I memorized was my grandmothers. I would call her and tell her every little thing that went on in my house. My grandmother was more than a grandmother; she was more of a best friend. My grandmother always told me as long as I make safe and good decisions, I should enjoy life and try new things and if people who portray to be my friend, will always have my best interest at heart and that in life, and relationships that I have with people may change as I change and grow, but she wanted me to always be true to myself and treat others the way I want to be treated. For all of those who are blessed to still have their grandmother, my advice would be to cherish them and sit down and listen to all of their stories, and get all of their recipes because tomorrow isn’t promised.

Mrs. George/1^st Grade Teacher- My 1^st grade teacher Mrs. George impacted my life in a great way. For instance, she always pushed me to do my best and worked towards strengthening various skills and talents I had at an early age. I remember Mrs. George came to my senior prom “show off” and she actually remembered me and I cried, she told a friend that was with her that I was one of her babies and that she was proud to see me at my senior prom. As an adult, Mrs. George was one of five teachers of color that I had in my entire elementary and high school career. As a result, she taught me that woman of color can have jobs other than your stereotypical job and she made me proud to be a child and now woman of color so I can hopefully encourage other little girls of color to pursue their dreams and the sky is the limit as long as you believe in yourself.