This week I had the opportunity to
explore code of ethics statements which offered insight as to goals I should strive
for as a professional within the early childhood field. It was difficult at
first to narrow my selections down to the three which are the most meaningful,
but after much reflection I was able to narrow them down.
The first insight I found meaningful
focused on the importance of play during early childhood. It stated, “To
support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that
meets the needs of children with and without disabilities” (NAEYC, 2005, p.2). We
have learned throughout this course the importance play can have on the emotional,
social and cognitive domains for children. Play is truly a child’s work and we
must learn to become inclusive of play within our classrooms, which is why I chose
this insight.
The second ideal I have chosen stated, “We
shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the
unique value and human potential of each child” (The Division of Early
Childhood, 2000). I believe in order to gain a child and their family’s trust,
we must first display genuine levels of respect and appreciation for each individual
child. By fostering a respectful relationship, children learn to trust their educator,
allowing for them to open their hearts to learning. Parents will also feel more
welcomed to participate in their child’s academic career and open up to letting
us in on the lives of their child so we can best meet the needs of our young
students.
The final ideal I have chosen states, we
shall “work through education, research, and advocacy toward a society in which
all young children have access to high quality early care and education programs”
(NAEYC, 2005, p.7). This ideal incorporates my professional goals for becoming
a stronger advocate for young children, learning more strategies to help children
as I continue on with my education, and to learn more about diversity in order
to help all children within our society have access to quality early learning
programming. I feel it is important as an educator to stay current on research
affecting our profession, as well as using that research to apply to our own
teaching and education of not only students, but also our society in helping children
reach their full developmental potentials.
While it was difficult to finally narrow
my selection down to just three, reflecting upon the importance of play,
respect, education, advocacy and quality programming seemed to fit best into my
goals I have for the early childhood field. I look forward to continuing my research
into each code of ethics in order to help make a difference in the lives of
young children.
Reference
NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of
ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved
October 14, 2013, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf.
The Division for Early Childhood.
(2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved October
13, 2013,
from
http://www.dec-sped.org/.
