Time Well Spent

My Deeply-Felt Learnings

1. I know this is going to sound cheesy but through my learning experience I have become a more focused and passionate person about the work that I do.  Not to say that I did not have passion at the start, but I can say that I got caught up in the woes of teaching.  I was more cautious then confident at the start of this program.  I was very introverted as a professional and had a very nearsighted vision of my professional development in the field.  I now have a vision for myself and how it fits in the early childhood education field.    
2. I am now more aware and educated on the topics, issues and trends that impact early childhood.  It may be embarrassing to say again but I had a very local view of the issues that associated with the early childhood field.  I was under the impression that the program I currently work for was a program of higher quality, I understood the fact that early childhood is always underfunded but I now have a source of understanding as to why and I am now the master of my own fate.  I have the ability to seek out my own professional development and research rather than waiting for it from my school or district. 
3.  The last thing I learned about were communities of practice.  They are the best way to build up and help an idea or project progress.  They are built on a common passion and stand upon good communication and collaborative skills.  All which I have gained better experience using through this program.  Thinking of working with a bunch of people on a project, to me, seemed like a bit of a nuisance but after reading the article by Wenger, I realized how to create a group of dynamic professionals to bring perspective, a fresh eye and experience on a topic.

My long term goal is to become a leader in the early childhood field, whether this be a principal or directors of a school.  Now I will begin to participate in the early childhood community as much as possible to nurture my passion, find my place in the field and to connect with other professionals.

A Farewell Message, or Not.
This program has opened my eyes to the early childhood field and also to how much I can do for young children and their families. I want to first thank our professors for creating a comprehensive program that lit the fire under us, while also holding us accountable for our role in the early childhood field.  Here at Walden we created a learning community that nurtured each others learning and I am so appreciative!  I want to especially thank my colleagues in this course because of their insight and the AHA moments you all created for me throughout this class.  The discussion boards were always full of so much new information and perspective.  I am a different kind of professional because of this program.  I have a vision for myself, the ECE field and I now know what I can do to make changes in my program.  You have all made this experience priceless for me. Thank you!


-Alyssa

International Jobs/Roles

Jobs/Roles Internationally

Save the Children is an organization that really connects with who I am as a teacher and as a person.  I feel that their mission and organization has a community that is strong, trustworthy and they are doing the right things to "save the children".  Save the Children not only has ties to the international community but they are advocating for the safety of children right here in the US.  This was pivotal for me because I do not see myself leaving the country to do volunteer or mission work as a teacher, but I am able to support the organization and be aware of their successes.  As an American there are many many children who are suffering domestically and something needs to be done as well.  The focus of this organization is similar to what I would focus on if I were to start my own non-profit school or organization.

UNESCO's mission for gender equality i caught my eye as well.  I would not call myself a feminist, but I am all for women empowerment.  Often the strength of women is underestimated and goes unrecognized due to societal norms.  UNESCO's view that gender equality could be one of the keys to peace is powerful.  As an organization they not only advocate for women's rights but they have programs in place to education women and train them.  In many cultures women are not allowed to go to school.  In America, we know that people can take a lot of things from you but your education is something they cannot take.  The lack of education leads to poverty and discrimination.  Gender-based equality rears its head also with laws against gender.

Be Social Change, is a community of practice that has the goal of developing and supporting entrepreneurs, consultants, speakers and other who want to impact social change.  Though they are not based from any international site, this non-profit aims to change the world.  This organization is a bit different from the others because they get their message out mostly through social media to connect with the younger generation of ideas.  I liked this organization because they focus on helping people to develop their brands and how to affect social change.

Center Director 
Program Administration and Coordination:

• develops and monitors center and staff schedules
• responsible for monthly safety checks
• responsible for investigation of any child or staff incidents
• takes lead and works with staff and parents to plan and carry out Family Nights and Parent Committee Meetings

Requirements
•Minimum - Associate's degree or higher in early childhood education, child development or related field
•One year supervisory experience preferred
•Previous Head Start/ Early Head Start experience preferred
•Knowledge of program planning and practices in infant/toddler and preschool center-based programs; thorough knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards and best practices related to early childhood education
•Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, children, parents and outside agencies
•Ability to oversee and operate the day-to-day program in compliance with all local, state and federsl regulations
•Good time management and problem solving skills
•Satisfy background checks, including fingerprinting (if required), TB screening results and initial health exam prior to employment
•Ability to drive with valid Driver's License and good driving record

References

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/

besocialchange.org  

Jobs/Roles in ECE Field: National/Federal Level

Due to the great suggestions of Anne Copp (http://annecopp.blogspot.com/) I have been made aware of the program Three for Me from the website pta.org.  Not only would this program be great for the developmental stages of getting parents involved, but the website also offers a plethora of resources, programs and ideas to engage parents according to a school community's needs.  This is an amazing resource that I cannot believe I did not find!  There are branches of this organization all around the country and their urban family engagement network spans nationally as well.  They also have resources for advocacy for any topic that involves the educational field.

The Department of Human and Health Services is an integral part of state run preschool programs.  There grant opportunities and resources available to programs can allow for great information to be disseminated to parents during PTO/PTA meetings.  A partnership that helps provide services to low income families and help inform parents of readiness goals for their children entering kindergarten.

The US Department of Education has resources on their parent page for parents throughout their child's educational career but specifically for early childhood education.  They offer educational resources for parents to use, encourage parents to provide their children with a healthy start to life and educational facts and activities that parents can use to promote educational success for their children.

Job Opportunity
Director of Family Engagement and Support ***DREAM JOB****
The Director of Family Engagement Quality and Support provides policy level advice and assistance to the Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement related to the design, development and implementation of birth to age eight (8) and family engagement strategies to ensure that Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) services meet the needs of children and families, and that families have the tools needed to be effective partners in their children’s education.  The Director of Family Engagement Quality and Support will be responsible for managing key programs and staff, developing and maintaining a cohesive family engagement and communications strategy for internal and external stakeholders, and identifying partnerships to support and enhance early childhood programming. The Director will work closely with the Executive Director in creating strategic planning and policy decisions that impact DECE efforts citywide. Performs related work.

Qualification Requirements
Minimum:

1. A master’s degree from an accredited college in a field related to the position and three (3) years of full-time progressively responsible professional experience in education administration in one or more education-related areas, at least eighteen (18) months of which must have been in a managerial capacity; or
2. Graduation from an accredited college with a baccalaureate degree and four (4) years of full-time progressively responsible professional experience, as described in “1”; or
3. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” above including teaching experience towards meeting the general experience in “1” above; however, all candidates must have the eighteen (18) months of managerial experience.

Preferred:

• MSW, MEd, MA, MBA or MPA degree.
• Excellent project management capabilities – able to manage multi-faceted projects with complex deliverables.
• Five (5+) years of experience in social work administration.
• Prior knowledge of and experience in education and/or government.
• Experience with strategic planning, project management, and its implementation.
• Experience in carrying out analysis, needs assessment, process mapping, and functional analysis.Self-starter and creative problem solver who focuses on creating solutions.
• Capable and detail-oriented multi-tasker who can prioritize and remain professional in demanding situations.
• Ability to learn quickly and succeed in a rapidly changing environment.
• Strong analytical skills and data presentation skills.
• Ability to work with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to prepare written documents and to make oral presentations clearly and concisely.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues at all levels of the organization.Demonstrated team player capable of resolving organizational roadblocks.
• Ability to communicate and disseminate knowledge to field personnel, school personnel, parents, students, and central office staff, while complying with confidentiality requirements in local, state, and federal policies and statutes.
• Talent for listening, asking effective questions, and synthesizing information.
• Ability to engender trust and maintain confidences.
• Internal candidates preferred.

References
http://www2.ed.gov/parents/landing.jhtml
ptatoday.org
www.hhs.org
https://nycdoe.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjob&jobid=214846&company_id=15651&version=1&jobBoardId=1112

Exploring Roles in the EC Community: State and Local

 My Role in the Early Childhood Community

The first state agency I found to be appealing is the State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC).  This agency advises and assists the Department of Health (the lead agency) and provides leadership towards achieving the vision and goals of the New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS).  The SICC provides a forum for families, early intervention service providers and the entire early intervention community to meet and share information and ideas for enhancing and improving coordinated services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.  I chose to take an interest in this state agency because it advises the state intervention services while also taking into account the families that it is helping.  Families and others are able to speak up at meetings that are held every other month and it addresses issue with the NJEIS. 

The next organization that I found is Community Coordinated Child Care (CCCC).  It is a non-profit based in Union County, New Jersey.  The organization is a a resource and referral agency that provides referrals for wrap-around services, CCCC works with parents, community, business, and government. CCCC helps parents find services to help them. The agency helps the early childhood centers and family child care providers by giving training and other help to improve their programs.  I chose this center because it not only is a resource to families but to the providers that they recommend to families.  They also offer teacher training and workshops for centers.

Advocates for the Children of New Jersey is a non-partisan advocate for children.  They work with state and local officials to promote the well-being of all children.  The goal is to influence public policy and implement changes that will benefit New Jersey's youth.  A main advocacy for early learning is that early childhood education is aligned from Pre-k through 3rd grade.  I chose to speak about this organization because it is a community that is not just looking to affect early childhood education on one issue there are other issues of children's health, high-quality care and access to care that high on their priority list.  

Bright Horizons: Associate Director 
This a job opportunity that would help me gain experience as on a leadership team, while also inspiring and helping to train teachers.  

The Associate Director position will provide several months of training throughout the New York City region, shadowing another Director while floating and visiting centers in the area. The position will then settle into one of our current or upcoming new centers as a center Director.  While I know that I have to gain more experience as an educator to become an associate director, I find this listing as motivation!

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education required, Masters preferred. Certification in N-6, B-2, 1-6 or Special Education is required, study plan eligible is considered
• 3-5 years of management/leadership experience
• A combination of infant, toddler or preschool teaching experience
• Well versed in NAEYC accreditation and licensing standards
• Strong leadership, supervisory and customer service skills and ability to create/maintain partnerships with families and staff
• Ability to lead staff in implementing a developmentally appropriate curriculum
• Strong organizational and communication skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks or crisis situations effectively
• Capacity to understand and manage center financial duties
• Computer literacy
• Experience working in an inclusive work environment and managing across differences
• Must meet state educational and licensing requirements for director; additional center/school requirements may apply

 
 
 
  

References

http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/sicc.shtml

http://www.ccccunion.org/page_1_aboutus.html

http://acnj.org/issues/child-health/

https://sjobs.brassring.com/tgwebhost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=25595&siteid=5216&jobid=368854

What's the Word-le?

My Wordle =-)

Thank you All...It's been real =-)

Over the past eight weeks we have all had some "AHA" moments about how we personally communicate and what measures we can take to become better listeners.  I have enjoyed, as always, reading all of your discussion and blogs pertaining to communication and collaboration. 

I am early in my career and the veterans I have met on this journey have really given me insight and motivation to keep pressing forward.  Everyone's blogs have really made a difference in my educational experience and has made me a better teacher, advocate and student. 

I want to thank you all for being a part of my journey and I look forward to learning with some of you in a couple of weeks!!! I hope everyone enjoys their week off!

Alyssa
email: glenn06@gmail.com
or
find me on Goggle+

Adjourning from TeamWork

Adjourning from TeamWork

Adjourning has never been too difficult for me.  I would say the only time saying goodbye was difficult was when I worked at a camp for the first year.  The comrade between the group developed at the trainings prior to the start of the program.  Our solution to dealing with this part of the group development process is to keep in contact through social media.  Each year there are counselors that come back, but there are also new ones that come and become a part of the team.  The return counselors are paired with new comers and expected to "show them the ropes".  This particular group has definite established rules because we are working with children.  Those who do not follow the protocols usually get reported because it is important to keep the students safe on a college campus. 

I have definitely have a sensitive spot to those I have started this program with or have been in several classes with.  The Blog Assignment and Discussion parts of this program have really been an asset to understanding and learning more about other students. 

Adjourning is an essential phase of teamwork because it allows us to reflect back on what mistakes were made, how the project could have gone smoother and also establish friendships/relationships for future team situations. 

"All good things must come to an end."