Time Well Spent

3 Heartfelt Learnings:

While in this program I learned a great deal about the field of early childhood and myself. I started this journey when my children were 1 and 3 (now almost 4 and 5) and have learned so much that has helped me as a parent to better understand my children, their teachers, and their early childhood programs. Probably my biggest takeaway is that one person/one voice CAN make a difference. Before starting this course, I did not see how realistic it is to address a challenge in early childhood, but I feel much more capable now. I have an understanding of the process of evaluating the history, current context, consequences – intended and unintended, involving others, and setting objectives, and then putting the plan into action. No matter how small your role in early childhood, you can make a difference – whether by supporting/encouraging a parent or family, loving a child and creating a strong relationship, preparing them for school, appreciating each child for who they are. Every day we have the ability to be a positive influence on the life of a child and it is up to us to make the most of every opportunity we are given.

Another learning is the value of a Community of Practice (COP). I had never heard of them before specific to early childhood and now realize how beneficial they are to early childhood professionals. In the same context, the importance of having experts and novices come together to learn and grow, to problem-solve and challenge one another – I believe this is invaluable. There is power in numbers and this is a way to create awareness and disseminate knowledge among the field and its professionals.

Microagressions are another topic that really resonated with me in this program. We are all likely guilty of them in some fashion, but it was eye opening to realize how frequently they occur. Despite most people’s intentions being harmless, microaggressions still have the potential to inflict a lot of damage. Learning about them has made me more aware of my thoughts and words and how they impact others, and also in observing those around me. Especially in ensuring that I am not speaking any microaggressions to or in front of children, as that may negatively affect their view of themselves or others.

Long-term goals:

My biggest long term goal from the program is to never stop learning and to advocate for children and their families in every role that I am in, whether in the field or not. I want to become involved in professional organizations such as NAEYC, attend conferences, find a Community of Practice in my area, and continue to grow and develop myself as a professional. I want to learn more about grant writing and become more proficient, as I believe funding is a critical challenge to early childhood. There are many opportunities for grants out there, and I want to learn how to position my organization to be eligible for them.

To my colleagues:

We have made it to the finish line! It has been a wonderful adventure together and I am thankful for each one of you. You inspire me with all you do and your commitment to loving, protecting, educating, serving, and giving to children and their families. I appreciate your feedback, encouragement, and comments and will miss our discussions and hearing about your passions and how you are fighting to make a difference in early childhood.  We have grown together and individually and now it is time to take action as influencers and change makers in our communities. Thank you for challenging me to better myself and expand my thinking and for all the lessons I have learned over the past 2 years.

I cannot believe that the end is finally here…I have been waiting for what seems like so long, but now that we are wrapping up, it is hard to believe that we are done. We have all reached the end with different paths – facing different challenges and overcoming personal and professional obstacles, but we did not give up and made it together. I will be at the commencement in Tampa, FL next January and would love to see any of you there.I wish you all the best and look forward to reading about you in Walden’s Alumni magazine in the future about how you are making a difference!

To my instructor, Dr. Ernst:

Thank you for your wisdom in the courses I have had with you throughout this program. I enjoyed watching the videos you created to give us an inside look at families in the early childhood and the importance of establishing relationships with them. You give helpful feedback and I appreciate your heart for teaching others and sharing your passion for early childhood. You inspire me to keep moving forward and to stretch myself and my thinking, and I thank you for that.

I can be reached at beautifuldisaster623@gmail.com in the future or on Facebook.

Best Wishes,

Amanda Linser, M.S.

 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

This week we were asked to look at three international early childhood organizations that are of interest to us. Below are the ones that I found most interesting, the  job opportunities that appeal to me, and the qualifications necessary for those jobs.

1. Save the Children (Deputy Chief of Party, Education Program, Somalia) – I selected this organization for several reasons. First, they are dedicated to ensuring that every child in the world is healthy, has access to education, and is free from violence (Save the Children, 2018b). It is important to me that whatever career I hold, that I will be making a difference. I believe that this organization will allow me to continue to do that. Save the Children (2018b) impacted the lives of 157 million children in 2016; they have a large reach and almost 90% of giving goes towards program services. There are many organizations who spend a good amount on overhead or non-program services, so it is important to me to work for an organization who is truly committed to their mission and that is where nearly all the funding goes.
   • The Deputy Chief of Party position is based in Somalia and is a 5-year commitment (Save the Children, 2018a). This role is responsible for directing and supervising the growth, training, and implementation of a high-quality, effective, pioneering, and economical education program causing change in the lives of children and their families (Save the Children, 2018a).
   • This position requires a Master’s degree in Education or related field; 7+ years of experience implementing education programs; at least 5 years experience managing and supervising a team; ability to collaborate with local governments, for-profit entities, donors, and stakeholders; and familiarity with Somalia’s education system (Save the Children, 2018a).
2.  UNICEF (International Consultant: Holistic Integrated Early Childhood Development (HI-ECD), Indonesia) – I selected UNICEF once again for their commitment to children, defending their rights, and mission to help each child reach their full potential (UN Jobs, n.d.).
   • This individual is responsible for providing insight and advice to support the HI-ECD team in Indonesia, developing parenting programs with the HI-ECD team, and offer recommendations on implementing and examining HI-ECD action plan (UN Jobs, n.d.).
   • Candidates must hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Development, Education, or related field; 10 years or more in field of early childhood; strong background in policy, planning, management, and assessing early childhood development; experience working with parenting programs; strong research skills; and strong analytical and writing skills in English (UN Jobs, n.d.).
3. Childfund International (Regional Advocacy and Communication Specialist) – This organization is a global workforce that emphasizes community development and supporting families and communities to directly impact the lives of children (Childfund International, 2018). They started out working with orphans in the 1980s, but now their organization has spread and they work towards children receiving sponsorships from donors to help them receive better lives.
   • The Regional Advocacy and Communication specialist position is based in Panama and responsible for the vision and implementation of the regional advocacy strategy, build relationships with donors and regional leaders/influencers, and coordinates advocacy specialists (Childfund International, 2018).
   • The requirements for this position are: minimum of Bachelor’s degree, but graduate degree or higher preferred; 5+ years experience advocating for child development; strong policy analysis; experience leading advocacy efforts and developing strategies; excellent networking abilities; and proficient in English and Spanish (Childfund International, 2018).

 

References:

Childfund International. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.childfund.org/

Save the Children. (2018a). About us: Careers – Job search. Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/careers/job-search

Save the Children. (2018b). Why Save the Children? Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/why-save-the-children

UN Jobs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1523275843342

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

This week we were asked to explore organizations at the Federal/National level that we are most interested in working for. Below are the three jobs/organizations I discovered to be of greatest interest.

1. NAEYC – Director, Quality Improvement and Program Support
   • I selected NAEYC because they are the most respected and well-known early childhood organization in early childhood. NAEYC is committed to quality care and education for all children, which is something that I am passionate about (NAEYC, n.d.). This role is responsible for leading the accreditation team, which oversees training and provides support for  technical, motivational, and processes for early childhood programs that are currently in the accreditation process (NAEYC, 2018).
   • This job requires at minimum a Bachelor’s degree, but a Master’s is a plus; candidates must have 3+ years work experience leading/managing an early childhood staff, knowledgeable in child development and learning content, current on issues facing the field, and aware of professional development needs and concerns (NAEYC, 2018). Candidates need to be able to support and motivate others, recruit, and evaluate programs (NAEYC, 2018).
2.  National Head Start Association (NHSA) – Community Partnership Coordinator
   • I chose the NHSA because they are focused on serving the underserved; our nation’s children living in poverty who would otherwise not have access to preschool care (National Head Start, 2018). This organization interests me because they are equally focused on helping families and parents as they are the children in ensuring they have access to education, health care and nutrition, social services, and that parents can be involved in their child’s education and care (NHSA, 2018).
   • This job requires at least a Bachelor’s degree and training in Head Start (either through working or volunteering) or other early childhood program, and the ability to work with at-risk populations (NHSA, 2018b). This job also calls for strong communication skills, self-motivated personality, knowledge of community resources, and ability to maintain confidential information (NHSA, 2018b).
3. Teach for America – Director, Teacher Leadership
   • I selected this organization because they have an Early Childhood Initiative that reaches over 6,000 pre-K students nationwide since 2006 (Teach for America, 2018). They aim to serve low-income students, who do not have the same access and opportunities; to ensure that they receive the same quality support for school readiness. This organization recruits young graduates from college or those looking for a career change who are committed to making a difference in the lives of children through education and are willing to go to the places that others avoid (Teach for America, 2018). I would love to work with teachers who are passionate about what they do and eager to make a difference in the lives of young children.
   • This position requires prior experience as an Instructional Coach and at least 5 years of leadership experience in education (Teach for America, 2018). An instructional coach position in K-12 often requires a Master’s degree, so that is likely also required. The job also calls for experience in advocacy and community engagement (Teach for America, 2018).

References:

NAEYC. (2018). Jobs. Retrieved from https://naeyc.applicantpro.com/jobs/

NAEYC. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org

National Head Start Association. (2018a). Why Head Start: The Head Start model. Retrieved from https://www.nhsa.org/why-head-start/head-start-model

National Head Start Association. (2018b). Position description. Retrieved from https://www.ecasd.us/ECASD/media/District-Site/PDFs/HR/Family_Community_Partnership_Coordinator.pdf

Teach for America. (2018). About us. Retrieved from https://www.teachforamerica.org/about-us

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Discuss three local or state organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them:

First Things First (state funded program by taxing tobacco products) https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/

I chose this organization because they are committed to ensuring every child experiences healthy development and learning opportunities from birth – 5-years-old (First Things First, 2018). I received bags in the hospital from this organization when I gave birth to both of my children; with books, materials about breastfeeding, contact information for a 24-hour hotline to call with any question, diapers, wipes, formula, and many other resources/supplies.This organization stuck out to me when thinking of local early childhood organizations because I had a personal connection and knew that they value young children and their learning and development.

Early Childhood Development Group – Linking Leaders (Community of Practice )  http://www.getcf.org/communities-of-practice/raising-the-quality-of-early-childhood-environments/

I chose this COP because of the collaboration between owners, directors, and teachers and the emphasis on professional development. This COP emphasizes developmentally appropriate practice for ages birth to 5; and strives to provide those serving vulnerable populations with knowledge of and access to resources to help them be better teachers and administrators (United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona, n.d.). I think that all teachers and administrators can benefit from mentoring/coaching, and this COP focuses on that. I also appreciate that this COP offers college credit opportunities at least once per year, assist in locating/applying for scholarships, and the owner or director has to enroll the entire center (United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona, n.d.). I believe that  school or program-wide participation can have a positive impact on the children being served because all staff are benefiting from the knowledge and on the same page.

AZ Department of Economic Security Early Intervention Program (government funded) https://des.az.gov/services/disabilities/developmental-infant

I chose the Early Intervention Program because throughout this program I have developed a deeper interest in inclusion and special education services. I have a close friend whose son I have known since birth and he has had speech, behavioral, and other developmental delays; so my eyes have been opened a lot the 6 years of his life and the past 2 years in this program. The Early Intervention Program focuses on infants and toddlers; getting them intervention as early as possible to have the greatest impact (Arizona Department of Economic Security [DES], 2018). I am drawn to the program’s focus on providing resources for families, educators, service providers in a vast array of areas such as research and publications, ability to refer a child for services, and learning about team-based intervention approaches (DES, 2018). This is a new area of interest for me and this program would allow me to explore it further.

Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

Program Specialist – Children’s Health https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/about-first-things-first/careers-and-staff 

This position requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Early Childhood, Nursing, Special Education, or Policy. The position requires you to work with grants and manage partnerships, employ research skills, familiarity with preventive children’s health programs related to Oral Health, Mental Healthcare and Consultation, and Care Coordination (First Things First, 2018).

Director – Helping Hands Preschool:

This is my imaginary center that I have created through the program. It is a goal to one day open/run my own center. The qualifications are to hold a Master’s degree in Early Childhood or a related field, have a minimum of 5 years teaching or working in other early childhood role (curriculum director for example). Must be able to oversee others, work well in team settings, be familiar with budgeting, strong written and oral communication, dedicated to serving children and their families, and well-versed in developmentally appropriate curriculum and play-based/child-directed learning.

Early Childhood Instructor or Trainer http://azearlychildhood.org/advance-your-career/careers-in-early-childhood 

This role requires a Graduate degree in Early Childhood. I have a passion for teaching and helping others, and would love to work in a higher education setting to educate and inspire current and future early childhood professionals. Individuals in this role must be knowledgeable of early childhood development, regulatory requirements, developmentally appropriate teaching strategies, curriculum, behavior management, administration, diversity, inclusion, collaborating with families, research, and current issues/trends in the community (Arizona Early Childhood Career and Professional Development Network, 2018).

References:

Arizona Department of Economic Security. (2018). Early intervention program. Retrieved from https://des.az.gov/services/disabilities/developmental-infant

Arizona Early Childhood Career and Professional Development Network. (2018). Careers in early childhood. Retrieved from http://azearlychildhood.org/advance-your-career/careers-in-early-childhood

First Things First. (2018). https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/

United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona. (n.d.). Raising the quality of early childhood environments. Retrieved from http://www.getcf.org/communities-of-practice/raising-the-quality-of-early-childhood-environments/

 

EDUC 6165 Reflection

I have greatly enjoyed collaborating with my colleagues thus far in our Master’s journey. I know from comments and posts that many of us will be continuing on together in the same specialization, and I look forward to growing more with one another. For those who are in a different emphasis, I wish you well and thank you for sharing your stories and experiences; challenging me to be better and to dig deeper. I hope that I have been able to do the same for you!

We have learned a lot so far in this program, and there is still more ahead. I thank you for your patience, understanding, and willingness to be open and honest. We are very near to our goal and just need to push through these next 4-5 courses (depending on your specializations). Thank you Dr. Parrish for your encouragement and words of wisdom. I think that we are all more effective communicators after completing this course!

Best Wishes,

Amanda

amanda.linser2@waldenu.edu

Adjourning of Groups

For me, the type of groups that are hardest to leave are those that have developed the strongest relationships. It is not necessarily about being high-performing, but about the people in the group and bonds that have been formed. The hardest groups for me to leave were a summer camp that I worked at in college and when my team at work split in half and was joined by half of another team. At camp, I had been attending since I was 6 years old, and spent time there every summer, until I eventually worked there for 2 summers. These people were my family; we had our ups and downs and lots of disagreements, but we had genuine relationships. Camp was the one place that I felt I could truly be myself and all year long it was the place I longed to be.

My final summer there, I knew it would be my last year working there. It was the hardest thing to say goodbye to the people I had been friends with for years and now co-workers with. We had weekly campfires at the end of each session, where everyone who wanted had the chance to speak their minds. I was able to tell each person how they had impacted my life, helped me grow, and how much they meant to me. That is the best way to adjourn I think, to be able to share how the experience and people have impacted you, and celebrate your accomplishments.

In the other example, when my team shifted at work; I was out on maternity leave when it happened. The few teammates that I was close with did not want to tell me, for fear that it would cause me not to return from maternity leave. I did not get any closure or adjourning with this group; when I came back to work, everything was different. I was unsure of my role on my new team and longed for the good old days with my former team. I have since adapted and love my new team just the same, but do wish that I had been there for the farewell instead of missing it and coming back feeling out of place.

When adjourning with my colleagues in this program, I think that we will all be able to have a sense of pride in our accomplishments. We will have spent almost 2 years working towards the same goal (completing our degrees) and can finally celebrate achieving it! We have shared personal stories of our personal and professional lives, and I think that commencement is the best way to adjourn from this experience. I know that not everyone will attend, and I will probably wait to attend in Florida instead of Baltimore, so that I can go to Disneyworld instead with my kiddos! But even so, I think that commencement ceremonies are the best way to adjourn from a degree completion. My husband thought he was going to skip his Master’s graduation, but thankfully, his school required it in order to receive your diploma. I told him that we did not spend three years of sacrificing so that you could be in school and take on this feat so that we could not celebrate and see you walk across that stage once you were done.

I think that adjourning is important because it allows you to reflect back on your experiences and learn from them (O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2015). What went well and should you continue to use in future projects; what went poorly and how can you learn from those mistakes? I also think it is important because it gives people closure; alerting us that it is now time to take on something new. It helps to wrap up any loose ends, but also to celebrate the successes we have. There will always be problems in the world, so it is good to commemorate the wins and let people know their value.

References:

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D.I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real Communication (3rd ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Managing Conflict Productively

One way that I think nonviolent communication (NVC) can be helpful when working with colleagues is by being able to communicate my feelings without coming across as judgmental or critical (The Center for Nonviolent Communication, n.d.). This can be beneficial because if someone feels that I am judging or evaluating them, or trying to blame them, they are going to react defensively. But if I can express my ideas or thoughts without that implication, they are likely to respond in a more positive manner.

From the 3 R’s, Respect, Response, and Relationship, I think that response can be most helpful for me with conflict at work. Cheshire (2007) indicated that response is about observing others and adjusting your response as needed. I believe that watching for cues about the person you are in conflict with, will help you to know how to approach or interact with them and what they will be most responsive to. It again goes back to the Platinum Rule of treating others how they want to be treated (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011). Everyone wants to be treated differently, so response is our way of adjusting to that desire.

References:

Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J., & Redmond, M.V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6^th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Cheshire, N. (2007). The 3 R’s: Gateway to infant and toddler learning. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 35(3), pp. 36-38.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

Who am I as a communicator?

I found this week’s assignments involving assessments of my communication styles by myself and others very intriguing. The thing that surprised me most, is that the people I had evaluate me think that I have much less anxiety than I actually do in communicating with others. One person rated me almost 20 points lower than I did. I am glad to know that my anxiety does not show as much to others as I experience. My husband ranked it more closely to the score I came up with when I self analyzed, but I think that is also because he hears me talk about my anxiety speaking in front of others than anyone else. He sees the before and after or hears about it if he is not actively there when the situation arises.

I was also surprised to see that my listening skills were considered people focused instead of action focused. I think it depends on the scenario I am in. At work, I am often action focused, and even in my personal life, when a task needs to be done I am very task driven and oriented. But, I do try to create deeper relationships in my personal life as well, so I am glad that came across to the other people I had evaluate me. I think it is hard to do these assessments about yourself, because sometimes you want to choose the answer of what you strive to do. However, that may not be an accurate reflection of what you really do. I rated myself higher on people focused than my other 2 evaluators; but all still came up with me as a people-focused listener.

Differing Communication

I most certainly communicate differently with people from different groups in my life. At home with family and close friends, I am more relaxed and willing to make jokes or poke fun at people. As I often say to others, if I cannot joke about you or with you; it means I either do not like you, or I do not feel comfortable enough in our friendship to do so. We create slang or inside jokes, but this is not the same way that we would necessarily interact with our boss or higher ups in the company. When I interact with someone from a different culture or for the first time, I am more hesitant and observant, until I learn what they consider appropriate. I think that we are all taught to communicate in different ways depending on the scenario you are in. For example, my best friend has a large Italian family, and they often talk over one another and are loud and sometimes rude to one another. However, when they are not together, they are less rowdy and less likely to get into a conflict.

Three strategies that I can employ to be a more effective communicator are:

1. Be Mindful – Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond (2011) stated that this means knowing and embracing that there will be cultural differences among us, and trying to think about another’s perspective when communicating with them.
2. Avoid Negative Judgements – Beebe et al. (2011) discussed that making negative assumptions is a communication barrier and that differences in people and culture should be recognized as challenges to be overcome. Instead of assuming that a person is a certain way, give them the opportunity to demonstrate who they are.
3. Develop Creative Flexibility – The authors noted the importance of being accommodating to those different from ourselves; it is a learned ability that allows you respond in innovative ways based on the varying cultures and individuals you interact with (Beebe et al., 2011). This is a skill that is developed by exposure to varying people and cultures, so the more practice you have interacting with others, be greater your skillset can become.

References:

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

TV Show Communication

This week we were asked to watch a non-familiar tv show with the sound off and then again with the sound on. The show I chose to watch, was an episode of Star Trek Voyager. This was due to my family going camping for the weekend, and it was the only thing we had downloaded from our Netflix account; courtesy of my husband. Needless to say, this would not have been my first choice under any other circumstance.

The episode started with colleagues sitting together sharing a meal. There seemed to be some tension among them, based on facial expressions when interacting with the person who was preparing the meal. The woman sitting at the head of the table appeared to be the leader or boss of the crew. The woman preparing the meal was interacting with everyone at the table, and had a very solemn expression on her face. A crisis occurred while they were eating and the scene quickly changed to the command center of the ship. The Captain began giving commands and the crew was scrambling as items off of their ship kept disappearing (Green & Biller, 2001).

Based on the nonverbal behavior, the crew seemed to be enjoying each other’s company while at the meal. The woman who prepared the meal seemed aloof, still staying away from the others while they were served their food. Upon each crew member being served, they would make a comment with a smile; then the camera would pan back to the chef. She would make a comment with a stern look on her face, and then the other persons expression would turn sour.

When I turned the sound back on, I learned that it was the chef’s first time preparing the meal. It was a fancier meal, and some of the crew were asking for additional seasonings, to which the chef replied that no changes were necessary to her prepared meal. When the crisis struck, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to the Captain for instructions.

Some assumptions that I made were who the leader of the crew was. Even though I do not normally watch Star Trek, I do know the basic premise in that every ship has a Captain. The nonverbal cues of sitting at the head of the table and everyone looking to her gave me the correct guess that she was the Captain. Another assumption that I made is that the chef, known as Seven of Nine, was not the most friendly person based on the reactions the other crew members gave when interacting with her.

I think that my assumptions would have been more correct if watching a show that I know better, because I already know the relationships and dynamics between the characters. I did not really have any ah ha moments while doing this assignment. I do wish that I would have been able to pick a different show that did not have a prescribed pattern for each episode.

References:

Green, R., & Biller, K. (Writer), & Vejar, M. (Director). (2001). The void [Television series episode]. In R. Berman (Producer), Star Trek: Voyager. Los Angeles, CA: Paramount Studios.