Final Post

 

It’s hard to believe this is my final blog post for my Master’s Program at Walden University! I was hesitant at first to go back to school and earn my Master’s Degree. I was wondering how I would handle my job and my family, but I managed and now I am getting ready to complete my dream of earning a Master’s! I have learned a lot through this program, but if I had to share the things that stuck with me the most I would saying:

·         Learning how to effectively implement a culturally diverse program

·         Learning better ways to communicate and work as a team

·         That learning never really stops. Even after the completion of this program, I feel that there is more I need to know in order to be the best teacher I can be.

 

My next goal is to become a Board Certified Teacher. I have accomplished all of my goals this far, I might as well try to accomplish them all!

 

I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of my instructors and class mates. I have learned so much from all of you! Good luck in all of your future endeavors!

Job/Rules in the ECE Community: Iternationally

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The three organizations I was most interested in were: United Nations Children's Fund, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Save the Children. Each one of these organizations was established to provide aide for children in economic distress.

The one I would be most interested in working for is United Nations Children’s Fund. They have several different job opportunities both locally and internationally.

·         General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited and provide administrative and support services across all areas of the organization and in all locations.

·         National Officer (NO) staff are nationals of the country in which they perform functions of a technical and professional nature. National Officers are recruited locally.

 

Education
International professionals are normally required to have an advanced university degree in a field relevant to the work of UNICEF. In some cases, extensive qualifying work experience may be considered instead. Please be sure to check the academic requirements of the vacancy announcement you are interested in.

 

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

Three Federal Organizations that Appeal to Me:

The National Association for the Education of Young Children www.naeyc.org

National Child Care Organization www.nccanet.org

National Association of Early Childhood Teachers/Educators www.nacete.org

Three Jobs I would be Interested in:

·         Project Manager, Early Childhood Equity

The Project Manager, Early Childhood Equity will lead and advance the youth and family projects designed to promote youth development.

Job Description

The Project Manager, Early Childhood Equity will lead and advance the youth and family project(s) designed to promote youth development and/or family enrichment. This position will have direct oversight of assigned activities related to these efforts and will interact regularly with other department members to continuously develop structure, fund, implement, evaluate, innovate, sustain, and spread equity strategies and data throughout the Y movement.  Specifically, this position will organize and lead aspects of these efforts that engage local YMCA staff and leadership in activities to ensure that YMCA Associations will adhere to standards and performance requirements.

·         Developmental Specialist for Early Intervention program

 

Non-profit organization in Las Vegas, NV is looking for Developmental Specialists for our Early Intervention Program, working with children from birth to age 3 who have special needs. Bachelor's Degree in this field is a MUST, preferably in Early Childhood and/or Special Education; however, psychology or similar field may be considered. A minimum of one year experience working with children from birth to age three is required.

·         Assessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability SpecialistAssessment Reliability Specialist

Position Description
NAEYC seeks an experienced, goal-oriented candidate to serve as the Assessment Reliability Specialist, reporting to the Reliability Manager. The Assessment Reliability Specialist will support the work of our Accreditation System which administers a national, voluntary, professionally sponsored system to help improve the quality of care and education provided for young children in group programs throughout the US. This position works as a member of the national team overseeing the process of accreditation for early childhood programs.

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

After doing research for this blog post, I found three organizations that would appeal to me. Each of these organizations supports children and their families by offering parent support and education and programs to help young children grow and develop.

·         The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia (CACVA) [http://virginia.nationalchildrensalliance.org/index.php?s=3319] provide training, support, technical assistance and leadership on a statewide level to local children’s and child advocacy centers and communities throughout Virginia responding to reports of child abuse and neglect.

The Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) 
www.vahealth.org/childadolescenthealth/EarlyChildhoodHealth/VSPEC/

• www.vahealth.org/childadolescenthealth/EarlyChildhoodHealth/VSPEC/ is a public/private coalition of professionals and parents working to advocate for and ensure that all caregivers have access to quality parent education, information services and support necessary to raising happy healthy families.

Wingspan www.wingspanworks.com
 is dedicated to developing young children’s social-emotional skills,

• problem-solving abilities, and healthy decision-making. Their evidence-based programs and training prepare educators, parents, and other caregivers to build children’s abilities to succeed in school and life.

I am currently teaching First Grade, but a few job opportunities that I would be interested are listed below:

Licensed Clinical Social Worker/ Therapist
Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness - Charlottesville, VA
$100 an hour

Required experience:   Psychotherapy: 3 years Required license or certification: Licensed in Virginia Required education: Master's Job Title: Child Care Licensing Specialist   Salary: $47,881.60-$77,792.00   Job Type:   MINIMUM: Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Child Psychology, or a closely related field PLUS two years of experience in childcare administration involving one or more of the following areas: administering or enforcing child care regulations; managing a child care facility or school; managing a licensed private child care business; implementing government-sponsored early childhood education programs; and/or providing guidance and counseling on child care issues to the general public and/or to social services clients. Licensed or Licensed Eligible Therapist Crossroads Community Services Board - Lunenburg, VA Required experience: Providing therapy services: 1 year Required license or certification: LCSW, LPC, Clinical Psychologist Required education: Master's

Final Blog for Communication

Interacting with class mates online is a different experience then interacting face to face, but none the less I have enjoyed sharing information with my classmates and have gained much information from them. I appreciate the feedback to discussion responses and the blog comments.

I believe most of us are leaving this course and venturing into our final course in the effort to complete our Master’s Programs. Personally, the journey from no college degree to Master’s degree, all while raising a young child has been difficult, but extremely rewarding.

I wish you all the best of luck! Though we don’t always get the respect we deserve, we are shaping young minds and no one has a more important job then we do!

Contact info: april.brooks3@waldenu.edu

I am also on LinkedIN if anyone else is and would like to connect.

Adjourning Stage

I have recently entered the “adjourning stage” when I left the pre-school I had been working at for the last 12 years, to teach first grade in the public school system. I held many positions at the center from Assistant Director to Kindergarten teacher. I had been working with the administration team and other teachers for a long time. Leaving that collaborative community has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I left a situation in which I knew everyone and how to do everything to asking someone how to use the copy machine.

I think leaving a long standing team is difficult for many reasons. Some of those reasons include, comfort level. I grew to know how and what my co-workers did well and where they needed support. Having to learn all of this information again can be intimidating to many people.

I am hoping that my adjourning stage with my colleagues in the master’s program will be similar to what I have experienced leaving my old preschool. I hope to stay in contact with and continue to network with these people. I also wish them the best in their continued journey as teachers.

 

Conflict Resolution

I generally try to avoid conflict. I am not a person who is constantly playing devil’s advocate or trying to stir up trouble in a situation. I am quick to look for compromise in a situation. The only time I refuse to compromise is if it is involving something that I feel ethically tied to.

The two strategies I look to the most are compromise and promoting a supportive climate for communication. I feel that the best thing to respect the views and perspective of the other party involved, just as you would want them to have for you.

I am practicing my communication goals and am trying to strengthen the areas in which I showed to be weak. One of those areas was group communication. I am entering group communication situations now feeling more prepared to be involved the discussion instead of hoping to blend into the background.

I am excited to keep working on my goals!