Time Well Spent

Upon embarking on my pursuit of Master’s degree in the field of early childhood education, my goal was to improve my performance level as a center director and arm myself with the tools to carry out my daily duties. While that goal has certainly been achieved and today I feel much more empowered by the knowledge I gained, my internal growth was much more rewarding.

“Our passion is our strength”.
Billie Joe Armstrong

Going through my Master’s degree made me reflect on my passion and my motivation. It made me examine what truly gets me going every day and gives me the drive to continue to work in this field. Although I was driven to this field out of love for my own children, I realized that the well-being of every child is what continues to fuel my passion.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”.
Frederick Douglass
Secondly, it was a priceless feeling to learn about the effects we, early childhood educators, have on the future generations. The respect I gained for the field and the pride I have in my work increased with every article I read and every research findings I learned on the importance of the early years.
“Research is creating new knowledge”.
Neil Armstrong
Thirdly, I truly enjoyed learning about how to navigate through research papers and getting to actually draft my own pretend research study in the field. Now I am more aware of what it takes to publish a research paper and the ethical considerations associated with conducting research on young children.
“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment”.
Lao Tzu
Learning about social identities, the many “-isms” around us, privilege and oppression was an amazing experience. My knowledgebase going into the diversity class was far from what I came out with. So much was learned about the various aspects of diversity and social justice, but nothing compares to learning about one’s own social identity and examining my own biases.  
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.
Mahatma Gandhi
Finally, ending the journey with a powerful boast on social change was invaluable. We all might have it in us to make a difference, but only a few will attempt to be the change they want to see in the world. The concluding class on positive social change was a great opportunity to examine my strength to be a leader of social change.
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow”.
Anthony J. D'Angelo

As I move on in my career empowered by the knowledge I gained from this Master’s degree, I have already set my next goal to be earning my doctorate in the field. My quest for knowledge will never dry and as long as there continues to be children in this world, my goal will continue to be ensuring the well-being of these children.

To all my instructors and colleagues who have shared and supported me, thank you. You were instrumental throughout this journey. We opened our hearts and shared our experiences and I hope that I have enriched your journey as you did mine.

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

The American Humane Association

I came across this organization as a result of my research on the historical context of my challenge. The American Humane Association has been the nation’s leading voice for the protection of children and animals for the past 134 years. The organization’s mission is to insure the welfare, wellness and wellbeing of children and animals. The pairing of the two, children and animals, is no coincident rather it is the result of the story of Mary Ellen Wilson, that the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was created in 1873.

The organization offers many programs in support of both children and animals, in addition to training, education, and assistance to child welfare workers so they can provide the best support to children and families. The organization currently has only two job openings, unfortunately, neither of them was to my interest.

http://www.americanhumane.org/children/

Positive Discipline Association:

This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting respectful relationships as a way to discipline. The organization is based on the work of Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist, who was the first to introduce the concept of positive discipline and later the concept was brought into the United States by Rudolph Dreikurs, who strongly advocated for it. the concept is currently adapted by Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott. The organization offers a unique job opportunity for an Executive Director position. The duties are mainly administrative in nature which works out great with my Master’s specialization in management and leadership. However; I would have to increase my years of experience in management as the required minimum is five years.

http://positivediscipline.org/

Zero to Three- National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families

Zero to Three is one of the most reputable nonprofit organizations committed to advancing the importance of the first three years of a child’s life. I am passionate about working with young children, particularly infants. Zero to Three focuses on many areas such as behavior and development, maltreatment, care and education, and public policy. Working for this organization would afford me a great opportunity for growth. The organization employed over 100 staff members, unfortunately the three job opportunities available are geared more towards business management than early childhood education. Nonetheless, I would definitely keep checking their website for future opportunities.

http://www.zerotothree.org/

One of my dream jobs is to work for a toy manufacturing company that specializes in developing educational materials for early childhood education. So I began searching nationally recognized companies for such positions. I was surprised to see this job opening at

Lakeshore

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/

Job opportunity: Early childhood product developer

Job qualifications:

·         Minimum 2 years’ experience teaching in early childhood

·         BA degree in Education, Early Childhood Development

·         Knowledge of educational standards and curriculum

The current position would be a great fit for me and my qualifications.

Eploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local & State Levels

http://www.naeyc.org/

One of the most influential organizations that appeal to me and perhaps to every early childhood educator is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Throughout my professional career, I have always maintained membership with NAECY due to their dedication to improving the quality and accessibility of early childhood education programs and enhancing the development of children and families. Unfortunately, employment opportunities with NAEYC are all available at their headquarters in Washington, DC and would require me to relocate.

One of the job opportunities available and would be of interest to me is a system integrity specialist. This person is responsible for supporting the System Integrity component of the NAEYC Academy by monitoring child care programs' compliance with NAEYC Accreditation Standards and Criteria.

In order to meet the qualifications for this position, I would need to gain more experience in the field preferably in a NAEYC accredited program in order to fully grasp the accreditation process.

http://ccld.ca.gov/PG411.htm

My second choice would be the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). This agency is responsible for the licensing and monitoring of home and center- based child care facilities. When I established the preschool program for our non-profit organization, I was assigned a Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) who was in charge of reviewing my application, approving my license, and conducting follow up inspection visits.

Similar to the previously mentioned position by NAEYC, both a system integrity specialist and a LPA are responsible for quality control. A system integrity specialist’s guidelines are NAEYC’s accreditation process, whereas a LPA’s guidelines are the licensing regulations set by the State of California,

This work appeals to me because I enjoy quality control insuring that all children are being served within safe, quality, and nurturing environments.

There are currently job openings for a LPA position. To qualify for the position, I would need to pass a state civil service examination.

http://www.ecementor.org/index.html

The California Early Childhood Mentor Program is also a program that I would love to belong to. It is a state program funded by the California Department of Education, Child Development Division. Having had a personal experience with the program when I first started my new position as a preschool director, I saw the effectiveness of the program and the impact it had on my work. The program provides opportunities for classroom teachers and program directors to be mentored by qualified teacher and director mentors.

According to the program website, the qualifications for a director mentor position are:

·         At least three years of administrative experience

·         Current or former employment in child development programs

·         Participation in a half-day information session

·         Completion of a full-day Director Mentor Institute

To fulfill this role, I would need at least two more years of experience as a director at my center.

http://www.rcc.edu/riverside/index.cfm

Finally, it has always been a career goal for me to become an early childhood educator at an educational institute; either college or university. The impact my early childhood teachers have had on me has been tremendous and it continues to be as I progress through my Master’s program. I am passionate about educating future teachers and impacting their contributions to the field.

I was able to find one job opening at a nearby community college for an early childhood education instructor. The requirements were a Master’s degree in early childhood education and some teaching experience. At the university level; however, a Doctorate is a must in addition to the years of teaching experience.

As far as education, I am on the right path to achieving this position and as I continue to grow in my current position as a program director, I am sure that I will accumulate the needed experience one day.

My Early Childhood Wordle

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6882982/Early_Childhood_Education_Capstone_Project

Farewell

Dear Walden colleagues,

Although the past eight weeks have been so informative as to how we humans communicate and form meaningful relationships, the whole Walden experience thus far has been just as enlightening. As we each reflected on the resources we learn and shared some of our most personal details with one another, we both grew in knowledge and character. I am thankful for having the privilege to have interacted with each and every one of you and hope that I have equally been as beneficial to your learning experience as you were to mine. As we each move on into our specializations, we take with us valuable lessons that we have learned from one another, perhaps the most important of all is respect. Respect means acknowledging that we are each unique individuals with needs and talents.

Colleagues,

Whether or not our paths cross again, I wish you all the best on your endeavors and hope that you each accomplish your life goals and make a difference in the lives of children you come across.  

Team Building

The fifth and last stage of team development is adjourning. This is the stage in which the team celebrates and reflects on the success of the project as well as gets the opportunity to say good-bye to one another. Throughout the times in which I had a chance to lead a team such as the “goody bags committee” for our mosque’s holiday celebration or the “decorating committee” for the annual fundraising banquet, the stage of adjourning has always been that moment when the event is over and we are all happy and proud of our success. After cleaning up, I would always take a moment to thank my team for all their hard work and support and jokingly say, “Till next year”.

I did, however; watch my husband go through all five stages of team development at his work. Omar, my husband, was an IT consultant and would work on various projects at various times. At one point, he worked on a project in Houston, Texas for three years. The stage of adjourning took many phases. Their final team meeting was at work after the end of the project to reflect and discuss the stages of the project. Later that evening, they celebrated their success with a nice dinner. At the restaurant, as a team leader, Omar addressed the contributions of each team member and handed each one a small gift. Omar and his team remained in touch via e-mails even after our move to California. When the news of his death reached his company in Texas, I received many cards of condolences from his team members. This was one of the most striking moments in my life, as it reflected a side of him that I rarely got to see as his wife, his leadership.

Saying good-bye is indeed the hardest stage in any relationship; a team relationship is no different. I anticipate that adjourning from the journey of my Master’s will be bitter sweet. While it is a celebration of a successful stage in my life, it is saying good-bye to a group that I have grown accustom to and have opened up and shared with many personal details that I’ve never shared before. The feeling is similar to that I felt when I completed my Associate degree. The team of professors I was blessed to work with was like a family to me. My only consolation was that I remained in touch with some of them and they have continued to empower and support me till this day.

Adjourning is, without a doubt, an important stage of any team relationship. It is essential because it brings closure. If the journey was productive, the team will get the appreciation it deserves and might remain in touch even after the thank you and good-byes. If the journey was not so fruitful, it is still needed to bring closure to the journey and a chance to move on with our lives.

Conflict Resolution

Ironically, I am currently going through a major conflict at my workplace while studying about conflict resolution. Reading through this week’s material, I kept thinking of the current conflict and ways I could apply some of the learned strategies to resolve it.

As a faith-based center, our facility is located within our place of worship. The board has been pushing to have me open the preschool rooms for weekend schools to share the space. I am against the idea for many reasons but mainly because there are two schools that operate on the weekend and should anything go missing, between the two schools, there is no one in particular to hold accountable.

The conflict has created much distress and unnecessary tension as it turned into a power struggle. After reflecting on this week’s reading, I realized that we have been missing the opportunity to engage in any active listening. So far, the communication has been limited to e-mails with no face to face communication or a chance for each side to listen to other and perhaps reach a compromise. Billikopf (2009) suggests two very important principles to effectively handling conflict. The first is “to seek first to understand then to be understood” and the second is to focus our attention on our needs rather than our position. When a person seeks to understand the other person’s position, they are displaying respect and openness to the other’s perspective. Furthermore, when the focus is brought back to the needs, the discussion becomes objective and emotions become less involved. Together, these two principals lay the foundation to effective communication and ultimately conflict resolution.

Perhaps through cooperative strategies, a meeting can be called where all the involved parties sit together and discuss the available possibilities in hope of reaching a compromise.   

References:

Billikopf, G. (2009, August). Conflict management skills. Retrieved from

http://cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7labor/13.htm