Three national/federal organizations or communities of
practice that appeal to me include:
NAEYC
The first one I chose that appealed to me is a very popular
organization within the early childhood community, NAEYC. I chose this
organization because of the fact that it is a well respected organization and
provides valuable resources for anyone interested in the early childhood field,
especially those who work with children. Their goals include:
1.
Improving professional practice and
working conditions in early childhood education.
2.
Supporting early childhood programs by
working to achieve a high-quality system of early childhood education.
3.
Building a high-performing, inclusive
organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting
excellence in early childhood education for all young children. (NAEYC, 2014).
NAECTE
The second organization I chose is the National Association
of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE). While researching this site,
what appealed to me the most was their purpose statements that include
important issues to help support those in the early childhood field. Some of
those include:
- To advocate for
improvements in early childhood teacher education
- Provide a forum for
consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early
childhood teacher educators
- Provide a communication
network for early childhood teacher educators
- Facilitate the
interchange of information and ideas about research and practice
- Use, as vehicles, the
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, conferences, resolutions,
position papers, and other publications
- Cooperate with other
national and international organizations concerned with the study and
education of young children (NAECTE, 2013).
NEA
The third organization that I chose is the National
Education Association (NEA). The reason this site appealed to me was the
statements made regarding the importance of children receiving quality
education during their early years. This is my life; this is what I believe in
and what I strive to do every day. “Research shows that providing a high quality education for children before
they turn five yields significant long-term benefits” (NEA, 2014). They further
state that children who have had quality education during early years may be
less likely to repeat grades, get in trouble with law, or need special
education (NEA, 2014).
Job Opportunities:
Head Start on a national level, such as National Head Start
Association or Head Start Bureau. These agencies are all related; however, are
in different areas of the US. I have also found that if I worked for the US
Department of Health and Human Services, I could apply to work for the
Administration of Children and their Families. There headquarters are
positioned in Washington, DC.
As I was researching positions for Head Start on higher
levels, the majority stated that a Master’s in Early Childhood is a must along
with excellent written and verbal skills, able to encourage and practice
critical thinking, self-reflective and empathic, respectful and accepting
approach to others, works collaboratively and creatively with others at all
levels and areas.
National Association for the Education of Young Children.
NAEYC. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. NAECTE. (October, 2013). Retrieved from
National Education Association. NEA. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/18163.htm
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteNAEYC is such an important resource, I use it daily if not in my own work, I am referring to them as a resource for parents. I have gone through the accreditation process with NAEYC and found it to be smooth, there were resources and assistance whenever needed, and they were committed to ensuring we were successful through it all. I often use their publications to guide parent/staff workshops. I too have looked at jobs in "higher positions" in Head Start, I have worked for Head Start for many years locally and believe in their their approach with families. I am actually a Head Start child and feel my success in life actually drives many of my aspirations including advocacy and outreach. It brings me great joy to see other families realizing their dreams through family engagement, through empowering themselves through their own strengths. Organizations like NAEYC and Head Start support families in making their dreams a reality. Thanks for sharing. Jeannie
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteYou've included very valuable and reliable resources! I chose NAEYC and NAECTE as well and found both to be very useful when seeking career opportunities. My early learning center is NAEYC accredited, which has greatly supported our center's success! I have always been interested in getting involved with Head Start, too, however unfortunately, the pay is just not what it needs to be. I've researched and talked to other Early Head Start educators and it is very difficult to make a living off of the compensation. I love the idea of educating the youngest generation of at-risk youth. Thanks for sharing!
Shawna
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteThe three organizations that you chose are staples in the Early Childhood Field and wonderful resources for early childhood professionals. NAEYC accreditation conveys a great deal of respect in our field. Head Start offers many job prospects and employs a large workforce across our country. Head Start has good benefits but as Shawna stated the pay is not great but it does afford the opportunity to work with our most vulnerable children and exerts a powerful influence on the early childhood arena.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and also having the opportunity to read about some very informative resources as it relates to the field of Early Childhood Education. NAEYC is a very know source for this field. I also chose NAECTE as one of my national levels. I agree with Shawna the pay isn't what it needs to be when working with kids at that age.
I agree the three programs that you have chosen are extremely important to the early childhood field. All three organization provide the foundation for early childhood education as well as the base for progression in the field. You seem to have an innate passion for this field and your interests seemed to all be geared towards this field. From your pasts it sounds as if head start programs would be an excellent match for you.
ReplyDelete