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Writing Your Personal Philosophy Statement You will be required to submit a Personal Philosophy Statement in your Professional Portfolio

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Writing Your Personal Philosophy Statement

You will be required to submit a Personal Philosophy Statement in your Professional Portfolio. The Personal Philosophy Statement is a “statement of your strong commitments and convictions about the care and education of young children.” Be sure you have read pages 494 - 500 (9th edition) or pages 537 - 543 (10th edition).

I would like for you to approach this discussion board post by stating your deeply held beliefs of what constitutes quality early childhood education and how you will personally commit to these beliefs. As noted in your text, James Hymes stated, “I am persuaded that good teachers, first of all, must hold strong commitments and convictions from which their practices flow.” (Feeney et al., 2013, p. 494) I want you to use this discussion board to state what your strong commitments and convictions are.

For example, if I were writing my Personal Philosophy, one of my philosophy statements would be as follows:

I believe that young children have a right to a childhood that is filled with opportunities for play, therefore, I commit to being a teacher that provides the space, time, and materials for children to become deeply engaged in play in my classroom. Furthermore, I am committed to providing rich play experiences in the outdoor environment as well as indoors. I will continue to learn how best to support children’s play so that I can provide the optimum experience for the children that I care for and educate.

POST: For this post, and subsequently for your Personal Philosophy Statement, I want you to write down at least five (5) philosophy statements (the one provided above is 1 Statement...you need 5 of these), similar in structure to the example I provided. In addition to a deeply held belief on the importance of providing for a play based curriculum, you might have deeply held beliefs about the importance of authentic assessment, on ensuring safe and healthy classroom environments, on providing developmentally appropriate curriculum, on guidance, on respectful relationships, on working with families, on professionalism (this is just a list to get you started).

Here is the format:

I believe...,

Therefore, I commit to...

This assignment supports course learning outcome 1 and student learning objective 9.

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Philosophy Paper

Prompt:

Write a one page statement of your philosophy to put in your portfolio. (This week's discussion will be a great help on this too)

This assignment supports course learning outcome 1 and student learning objective 9.

Instructions

Attachments cannot be more than 1 MB and must be in Word, RTF, or PDF format. Please provide thoughtful responses to the journal question. You are expected to produce college-level work. Submit this assignment in an essay type format with an intro/body/conclusion and you will need to provide one citation or reference in the response. A one to two sentence paragraph for an intro/body/conclusion isn’t sufficient.

Figure 14.2 NAEYC Statement of Commitment Advocate At some time in your career, you may want to do more for the welfare of young children than doing what is right in your classroom. As you learn more about the issues in our field and understand more about the policies and laws that affect children, you may decide that you want to publicly support policies that you believe in and actively work to change those you feel are not in the best interest of young children. This is called advocacy. At first the idea of being involved in advocacy may be intimidating. Advocacy is often public and involves speaking out to policymakers, skills that are very different from the ones you use with children. However, there are other types of advocacy that are done in a less public arena and focus on communicating with colleagues, friends, and community members. Although you may not believe it now, you are an influential person. You are influential with your family and friends. They know and trust you, and what you tell them about the needs of young children may be more powerful than what they read online or see on television. You are influential in your community. The people on your street, in your place of worship, in your neighborhood, and in your town know you. You are their expert on early childhood education; they trust you. You are influential in your local government. You know the friends, families, and associates of the members of your local school board, your municipal council, and your state legislature. You represent the opinions and votes of those who elected them. You are as important-or more important-to them as is any expert. Source: Jeff Reese As we grow as a profession, experienced early childhood educators are becoming increasingly committed to advocacy. We are becoming more sophisticated about the political process and are forming alliances with others who have similar concerns in order to heighten community awareness and influence public attitudes and legislation on behalf of young children and their families. You are doing what is right and furthering the goals of your profession when you become informed about the political process; when you stay informed about community, state, and national efforts to improve programs and services for children; and when you express your views and share your knowledge with members of your community, the media, and government leaders. We urge you to stand up for children and make their well-being your primary concern. Speak out for what you know is right; say no when asked to do what is wrong. Choose to be true to high standards of professionalism. Say what you know to be true even when you risk making yourself unpopular and give others the support and courage to do the same. Support those who are champions for children—the ones who stand up for us all. Final Thoughts As you reach the end of your journey through this book, we want to encourage you to make a commitment to early childhood education. Young children, their families, and society need you. Today's children, the adults of tomorrow, will have many problems to solve. They need you to help them become problem solvers—knowledgeable, creative thinkers who can navigate the many challenges they are sure to encounter. They need your guidance so that as tomorrow's adults, they will appreciate and care for the fragile world in which we live. Today's young children need you to help them learn to cooperate so that tomorrow they will be peacemakers at home and in the world. When you make a commitment to early childhood education, you are doing much more than taking the classes you need to get a degree and get a job. You are making a commitment to your profession, you are making a commitment to children, and you are making a commitment to the future. Who will you be in the lives of children? Who will you be as an early childhood educator? Becoming an early childhood professional takes time and experience, caring and dedication, and a willingness to keep on learning. It can be difficult and challenging, but it brings with it the joy and the satisfaction of being with young children and the knowledge that you are helping to shape the future. Finally, we want to let you know that the joys and the burdens you will carry on your journey will be shared by mentors and teachers who are traveling with you. As your colleagues, we welcome you. III Source: Jeff Reese To Learn More Read III • Early Childhood Education for a New Era: Leading for Our Profession, S. Goffin (2013). • Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator: Using the NAEYC Code, 2nd ed., S. Feeney & N. Freeman (2012). • Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Doing Our Best for Young Children, S. Feeney (2012). • Ready or Not: Leadership Choices in Early Care and Education, S. Goffin (2007). • Standing Up for Something Every Day: Ethics and Justice in Early Childhood Education, B. S. Fennimore (2014). Investigate A Journal • Child Care Information Exchange • Childhood Education . Early Childhood Research and Practice • Early Childhood Research Quarterly • Journal of Early Intervention • Scholastic Early Childhood Today Teachina Youna Children • Teaching Young Children • Young Children • Young Exceptional Children Visit a Website Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children The Future of Children Child Care Aware Child Rights Information Network Child Welfare League of America Children Now Children's Defense Fund Defending the Early Years National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) The Children's Foundation Prevent Child Abuse America Save the Children Center for the Child Care Workforce Document Your Skill & Knowledge About Becoming an Early Childhood Professional in Your Professional Portfolio Include some or all of the following: • Explore one of the continuing issues described in the chapter that is important in your community. Read about it to learn more. Interview some people who are involved in it in your community. What did you learn? Are opinions about it divided in your community or does there seem to be some consensus? Write about what you learned and the implications for you as a person entering the field of early childhood education. • Consider your professional goals and create a 5-year plan for your career. Take it to a college counselor and find out what kind of financial resources might be available to help make your plan a reality. Document what you have done. • Go back to the reflections you wrote as you read this book and reflect on what they say about what you believe, who you are, and who you want to be in the lives of children. Write an educational philosophy statement that describes your beliefs, guiding principles, and ideals that inform your professional practice. This can be the first draft of your "working educational philosophy", which can be updated over time to reflect changing ideas. Appendix A NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment Appendix A NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment A Position Statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children Revised April 2005, Reaffirmed and Updated May 2011 Endorsed by the Association for Childhood Education International Adopted by the National Association for Family Child Care III Preamble Preamble NAEYC recognizes that those who work with young children face many daily decisions that have moral and ethical implications. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct offers guidelines for responsible behavior and sets forth a common basis for resolving the principal ethical dilemmas encountered in early childhood care and education. The Statement of Commitment is not part of the Code but is a personal acknowledgement of an individual's willingness to embrace the distinctive values and moral obligations of the field of early childhood care and education. The primary focus of the Code is on daily practice with children and their families in programs for children from birth through 8 years of age, such as infant/toddler programs, preschool and prekindergarten programs, child care centers, hospital and child life settings, family child care homes, kindergartens, and primary classrooms. When the issues involve young children, then these provisions also apply to specialists who do not work directly with children, including program administrators, parent educators, early childhood adult educators, and officials with responsibility for program monitoring and licensing. (Note: See also the "Code of Ethical Conduct: Supplement for Early Childhood Adult Educators,” online at www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pdf/ethics04.pdf and the "Code of Ethical Conduct: Supplement for Early Childhood Program Administrators," online at http://www.naeyc.org/ files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05_supp.pdf.) Core Values Standards of ethical behavior in early childhood care and education are based on commitment to the following core values that are deeply rooted in the history of the field of early childhood care and education. We have made a commitment to: . Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle • Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn • Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family • Recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture,* community, and society * The term culture includes ethnicity, racial identity, economic level, family structure, language, and religious and political beliefs, which profoundly influence each child's development and relationship to the world. Source: From NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment, National Association for the Education Young Children (NAEYC). Copyright © 2011 NAEYC®. Reprinted with permission. • Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member, and colleague) III • Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues • Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect Conceptual Framework The Code sets forth a framework of professional responsibilities in four sections. Each section addresses an area of professional relationships: (1) with children, (2) with families, (3) among colleagues, and (4) with the community and society. Each section includes an introduction to the primary responsibilities of the early childhood practitioner in that context. The introduction is followed by a set of ideals (I) that reflect exemplary professional practice and by a set of principles (P) describing practices that are required, prohibited, or permitted. The ideals reflect the aspirations of practitioners. The principles guide conduct and assist practitioners in resolving ethical dilemmas. Both ideals and principles are intended to direct practitioners to those questions which, when responsibly answered, can provide the basis for conscientious decision making. While the Code provides specific direction for addressing some ethical dilemmas, many others will require the practitioner to combine the guidance of the Code with professional judgment. * There is not necessarily a corresponding principle for each ideal practitioners in resolving ethical dilemmas.* Both ideals and principles are intended to direct practitioners to those questions which, when responsibly answered, can provide the basis for conscientious decision making. While the Code provides specific direction for addressing some ethical dilemmas, many others will require the practitioner to combine the guidance of the Code with professional judgment. * There is not necessarily a corresponding principle for each ideal. The ideals and principles in this Code present a shared framework of professional responsibility that affirms our commitment to the core values of our field. The Code publicly acknowledges the responsibilities that we in the field have assumed, and in so doing supports ethical behavior in our work. Practitioners who face situations with ethical dimensions urged to seek guidance in the applicable parts of this Code and in the spirit that informs the whole. Often "the right answer"—the best ethical course of action to take-is not obvious. There may be no readily apparent, positive way to handle a situation. When one important value contradicts another, we face an ethical dilemma. When we face a dilemma, it is our professional responsibility to consult the Code and all relevant parties to find the most ethical resolution. Section I Ethical Responsibilities to Children Childhood is a unique and valuable stage in the human life cycle. Our paramount responsibility is to provide care and education in settings that are safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive for each child. We are committed to supporting children's development and learning; respecting individual differences; and helping children learn to live, play, and work cooperatively. We are also committed to promoting children's self-awareness, competence, self-worth, resiliency, and physical well-being. Ideals • 1-1.1-To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training. • I-1.2-To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child. • 1-1.3-To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child. • 1-1.4-To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults. • I-1.5-To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions. III • I-1.6-To use assessment instruments and strategies that are appropriate for the children to be assessed, that are used only for the purposes for which they were designed, and that have the potential to benefit children. • I-1.7-To use assessment information to understand and support children's development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services. • 1-1.8-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. • 1-1.9-To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to the support services needed to be successful. • 1-1.10-To ensure that each child's culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program. • 1-1.11-To provide all children with experiences in a language that they know, as well as support children in maintaining the use of their home language and in learning English. • 1-1.12-To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next. Principles • P-1.1-Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices support children in maintaining the use of their home language and in learning English. • 1-1.12-To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next. Principles • P-1.1-Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children. This principle has precedence over all others in this Code. • P-1.2-We shall care for and educate children in positive emotional and social environments that are cognitively stimulating and that support each child's culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure. • P-1.3-We shall not participate in practices that discriminate against children by denying benefits, giving special advantages, or excluding them from programs or activities on the basis of their sex, race, national origin, immigration status, preferred home language, religious beliefs, medical condition, disability, or the marital status/family structure, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs or other affiliations of their families. (Aspects of this principle do not apply in programs that have a lawful mandate to provide services to a particular population of children.) • P-1.4-We shall use two-way communications to involve all those with relevant knowledge (including families and staff) in decisions concerning a child, as appropriate, ensuring confidentiality of sensitive information. (See also P-2.4.) • P-1.5-We shall use appropriate assessment systems, which include multiple sources of information, to provide information on children's learning and development. • P-1.6-We shall strive to ensure that decisions such as those related to enrollment, retention, or assignment to special education services, will be based on multiple sources of information and will never be based on a single assessment, such as a test score or a single observation. • P-1.7-We shall strive to build individual relationships with each child; make individualized adaptations in teaching strategies, learning environments, and curricula; and consult with the family so that each child benefits from the program. If after such efforts have been exhausted, the current placement does not meet a child's needs, or the child is seriously jeopardizing the ability of other children to benefit from the program, we shall collaborate with the child's family and appropriate specialists to determine the additional services needed and/or the placement option(s) most likely to ensure the child's success. (Aspects of this principle may not apply in programs that have a lawful mandate to provide services to a particular population of children.) III • P-1.8-We shall be familiar with the risk factors for and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, including physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse and physical, emotional, educational, and medical neglect. We shall know and follow state laws and community procedures that protect children against abuse and neglect. • P-1.9-When we have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, we shall report it to the appropriate community agency and follow up to ensure that appropriate action has been taken. When appropriate, parents or guardians will be informed that the referral will be or has been made. • P-1.10-When another person tells us of his or her suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, we shall assist that person in taking appropriate action in order to protect the child. • P-1.11-When we become aware of a practice or situation that endangers the health, safety, or well-being of children, we have an ethical responsibility to protect children or inform parents and/or others who can. Section II Ethical Responsibilities to Families Families* are of primary importance in children's development. Because the family and the early childhood practitioner have a common interest in the child's well-being, we acknowledge a primary responsibility to bring about communication, cooperation, and collaboration between the home and early childhood program in ways that enhance the child's development. * The term family may include those adults, besides parents, with the responsibility of being involved in educating, nurturing, and advocating for the child. 1 T-Mobile 11:19 AM C4 Studerpool SON COMAN B) = COLLEC VIP Search for study resources Q 2- Philosophy Paper Prompt: Write a one page statement of your philosophy to put in your portfolio. (This week's discussion will be a great help on this too) This assignment supports course learning outcome 1 and student learning objective 9. Instructions Attachments cannot be more than 1 MB and must be in Word, RTF, or PDF format. Please provide thoughtful respon the journal question. You are expe produce college-level work.