Copyright © 2019 EarlyChildhoodEducation - All Rights Reserved.docx

Copyright © 2019 EarlyChildhoodEducation - All Rights
Reserved
I'm a Teacher, not a Babysitter!: Professionalism in Early
Childhood
Natasha Crosby Kile, MS
April 17, 2018
Editor’s note: This text is an edited transcript of the
webinar, I'm a Teacher, not a Babysitter!: Professionalism in
Early Childhood, presented by
Natasha Crosby Kile, MS.
Learning Outcomes
After this course, participants will be able to:
List the four dimensions of professionalism in early childhood.
Explain who the early childhood professional is.
List characteristics of early childhood professionals.
Introduction and Overview
In the field of early childhood education, the topic of
professionalism is of great importance. As ECE professionals,
we need to make sure that
we're recognized for the valuable work that we do. Working
with young children and their families is one of the hardest jobs
that there is. It's
emotionally exhausting, and more often than not, challenging. It
is extremely difficult to convey this importance to anyone who
does not do
what we do for a living. As early childhood professionals, we

must hold ourselves to a high standard if we want to change the
way that we are
seen by society. Today, we are going to discuss the four
dimensions of professionalism in early childhood education.
Throughout our
discussion, we will also examine how to achieve these
dimensions in order to reach a high standard of professional
consideration.
Who is An Early Childhood Professional?
First of all, an early childhood professional is someone who has
the personal characteristics, knowledge and skills necessary to
provide
programs that facilitate children's learning. This seems like a
simplistic definition. However, what we do, while it is difficult,
it is also quite
simple. We are facilitators of an environment that allows
children to learn and grow, to be safe, and to gather the skills
and acquire the abilities
that they're going to need for later success.
Next, an early childhood professional is someone who has the
ability to inform the public about child and family issues. We
need to be able to
get out there and let people know why early childhood matters,
so they are aware of what is so critical about those first five
years. What we do
is important, and we need to be recognized for the important
work that we do. It is vital that we are seen as professionals in
our field.
An early childhood professional is someone who promotes high
standards for themselves. We make sure that we're doing
absolutely the best
that we can for young children. We following the NAEYC Code
of Ethical Conduct, which we'll talk a little bit about later. We

also hold our
colleagues to high standards, as well as our students. It's
important that we hold ourselves and our colleagues to high
standards, because
that's what our children deserve.
An early childhood professional is also someone who is
continuously improving. We're always trying to expand our
knowledge base, and
to hone our skills and our abilities. An early childhood
professional is someone who finds answers when they are
unsure about something. We
call upon our resources to figure out the answers so that we can
make sure that we're doing our absolute best for our children.
How early childhood professionals are viewed by society relates
to many factors, one of which is how we present ourselves. In
order to be
viewed as a professional, we must act as professionals. When a
parent picks up their child, as an early childhood professional,
it is important
that we share with them positive aspects about their child.
Inform them what their child learned today, or the skills that we
focused on. Those
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
https://www.continued.com/early-childhood-education
https://www.continued.com/
are the types of things that start to change how parents see us.
Another component that allows the ECE professional to be
viewed in a
positive light is if we have a good understanding of and
background knowledge of the field of early childhood

development. That way, when
parents have questions, they feel like they can come to us with
those questions, and that we would be able to deliver competent
answers.
Dimensions of Professionalism
There are four main dimensions, or standards, of
professionalism in the field of early childhood:
1. Professional Knowledge
2. Competence
3. Commitment to the Ethical Standard
4. Personal Characteristics
Professional Knowledge
Professional knowledge is essential knowledge of best practices
within the field. For example, knowing that three-year-old
children learn best
through manipulation of materials. A three-year-old will learn
to count a lot better with counting bears or sorting mats, than
looking at a
worksheet about how to count. We need to be able to honestly
share that knowledge, sometimes with our colleagues, and very
often with
parents.
Another aspect of professional knowledge is understanding the
way children learn and grow, and applying that knowledge.
That's part of what
separates us from the rest of the education field. Early
childhood professionals focus on teaching the way that children
learn, and the way that
the brain acquires skills and information, versus trying to teach
to the actual skill. As teachers, as facilitators of the
environment, we can apply
this knowledge to engage children in a way that will maximize

learning.
Professional knowledge also includes staying in the know about
issues that affect young children and their families. This might
include learning more about legislation that relates to early
childhood or young children. It might mean staying up-to-date
with school zonings,
or changes in curriculum in the public school realms. We have a
responsibility to stay current on issues that pertain to our
children and
families. Additionally, it is beneficial for us to stay up-to-date
on issues that affect early childhood professionals and our work
with young
children and families. Are there issues that involve how we can
do our job better, or how we can be more successful? Perhaps
new research
has emerged suggesting new techniques that would benefit how
we teach the children in our classroom.
On-the-job training and experience are valuable sources of
education that contribute to our professional knowledge. In my
experience, after I
obtained my degree and entered the workplace, there were many
times where the knowledge that I was gaining on the job was so
different
than what I learned in the classroom. Those on-the-job
applications helped me a great deal when I went back to school,
because I had that
background knowledge of being in the field.
While field experience and learning on the job is an essential
source of professional knowledge, having a formal education is
one of the
greatest ways to break down barriers with society viewing the
early childhood field as a valid profession. When a teacher has
formal

education, with letters after her name, sometimes parents will
take that teacher a little bit more seriously. That formal
education
might prevent parents from perceiving the early childhood
teacher as "just a babysitter." I have actually had parents make
similar comments to
me. If you hear those types of remarks, you might respond by
saying, "Let me tell you about the importance of what I do. I'm
here every single
day for your child. Did you know that these early years of your
child's life are the most important, and that they are learning
more now and
have more brain connection now than they will have for the rest
of their life? I'm playing a key role in your child's
development." Sometimes,
knowing that you're educated and you've gone that extra mile
makes parents view you a little bit differently.
Once a professional acquires their formal education, it's
important that we maintain our knowledge by seeking out
additional information. For
example, we can attend trainings like this webinar. We go above
and beyond what is expected and required of us to learn new
techniques and
developments within the field. We can take classes on the topics
of behavior guidance, positive guidance, or conscious
discipline. We could
implement new ideas in the classroom, such as materials and
information about the brain and brain development at different
stages, to put
into each learning center. It is important for all of us to hone
our skills, so we can add tools to our tool belt. Because you can
never have too
many tools. If all you have is a hammer, then every problem
looks like a nail.

Depending on your career goals, your professional development
plan should include a variety of topics that can assist you in
achieving
those goals. Know what's offered in your state. Are there extra
certificates or credentials that you can obtain? Are there sets of
classes that
comprise a larger certificate of knowledge? Once you decide on
your goals, write them down. A dream is in the mind, but a
dream written
down is a goal. Understand that part of those goals should be
professional development. Look at a variety of topics that can
assist you. If
you're interested in one day becoming a supervisor, look into
supervisory-related trainings. Supervising adults is challenging,
and can be even
more difficult than supervising children. Make sure that you are
well-versed about all the aspects of supervision so you can
make an informed
decision before you go down that path.
Seek out training and professional development that will stretch
you as a practitioner, and strengthen your current skills
while developing areas
of new knowledge. You could compare gaining professional
knowledge to how we teach in the classroom: We tie new
learning to what the
children have already acquired, so it becomes long-term
learning instead of simply memorization. Taking classes
can spark new ideas that re-
energize you and renew your enthusiasm for the classroom. In

my experience, I've always valued training for its ability to
motivate and
inspire me.
Competence
The next dimension of professionalism is competence.
Competence has many facets. First, when we portray ourselves
as competent in our
skills and our professional abilities, we exhibit a professional
image. Parents want to know that we are capable and competent
in our position.
When a parent picks up their child, if something happened to
the child during the day (e.g., they hit their head), it is
frustrating when they are
told "I don't know what happened to your child. I wasn't in the
room because I was on break." Those kinds of phrases make
us seem less
competent in our work. A better answer would be to tell them,
"I'm not sure, but let me find out for you." That presents a more
professional
image to your parents.
There are a wide variety of things we can do to portray
competence. One of the things we can do is to get to know the
children in our
classroom. Remember their names, get to know their
personalities, find out their preferences. Parents are impressed
when you know what
their child likes and doesn't like, as well as when you know a
little bit about their temperament and personality.
Portraying competence also can include developing a
philosophy of education. It includes assessing the growth and
development of children,
as well as your own growth and development as a professional.
If you want to put forth the competent image that you are well-

prepared, that
requires a lot of planning, reflecting and thinking. Review your
lesson plan, and determine whether or not you are meeting your
learning
goals. Are you challenging the children enough? Are you
challenging them too much? It is also essential that we report
data, either to
parents or to other stakeholders, such as your director. It may be
necessary to submit information to your state legislators, or
other people
who are responsible for funding your program.
Of course, we can exhibit competence by being capable teachers
in the classroom. As teachers, we must engage in ethical
practice, which
means following the Code of Ethical Conduct set forth by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC). We can
collaborate with families, colleagues and community
stakeholders. As an early childhood professional, collaborating
with colleagues is vital to
our success and bolsters our competence. Just as physicians
consult other physicians, we can bounce ideas off each other,
offer opinions,
and share tips and techniques. We can meet in groups to
brainstorm ideas and provide support to one another.
As stated earlier, in order to maintain a competent and
professional image, we need to seek out professional
development opportunities. Early
childhood professionals wear a lot of hats, so to speak. As such,
we should make an effort to go above and beyond what is
required of us, to
ensure that we obtain enough professional development hours to
remain competent and current in all aspects of our field.

Early childhood professionals must have a basic understanding
of the ECE field and make a commitment to professionalism.
We have to
understand what it means to be a professional, and commit to
those standards, even when it's difficult. When children or
parents pose
challenges, when we have a bad day, we might not want to go
back the next day. However, because of our strong commitment,
not only to
the field, but also to the children and families we serve, we
press on and persevere.
It goes without saying that working in the field of early
childhood, we must be able to demonstrate a basic
understanding of child
development, and apply this knowledge in practice. How many
of you have ever worked with someone who truly loved
children, but they
didn't possess that basic child development knowledge? Often,
you'll see them doing activities with the children that are
developmentally
inappropriate, because they don't know any better. As a
professional, possessing a strong understanding of what's
developmentally
appropriate and why will allow us to best serve not only the
children, but also help to educate younger, newer teachers.
Sometimes people will
express their dislike or dread in training new teachers, claiming
that it is exhausting. Our field is known for having a high rate
of turnover.
Sometimes just as soon as we train someone, they leave and we
have to start all over. However, we need to put aside that
frustration and
realize that someone a long time ago took the time to train us.
We must make sure that we're growing and grooming that next
set of

professionals. Part of that process is understanding child
development, and being able to apply it and explain it to others.
We need to be able to observe and assess children's behavior for
use in planning and individualizing curriculum. The ability to
assess
children's behavior is a skill that takes a lot of practice, and
involves using the ABC mentality. In other words, we need to
recognize the
antecedent, the behavior, and the consequence for the behavior.
How is the child benefiting from this action? What kind of
reward or
consequence is coming because of the behavior? How do we
stop that cycle? If we're not good observers, it becomes
very difficult for us to
truly evaluate why children are acting a certain way. If we are
not good at assessment, we will have difficulty ascertaining
how our learning
goals are being met, or if our lesson plans are effective. Are we
challenging children enough, or too much? Are we frustrating
children because
we're expecting them to do things that they are not biologically
ready to do yet? That's all part of observing and assessing, so
that we can
implement an appropriate and individualized curriculum, as well
as a welcoming and safe classroom environment.
Early childhood professionals must be able to establish and
maintain a classroom environment that ensures children's safety
and their healthy

development. This goes above and beyond basic health and
safety from harm. We also need to ensure that the children's
mental, physical
and cognitive needs are being met. We need to be able to plan
and implement developmentally appropriate programming that
advances all
the areas of children's learning. It is important
to understand that high-quality childcare is education. The
children in our care are learning the
ABCs and the 123s. They are learning about boundaries and
discipline, and above all, they are being nurtured and made
to feel welcome.
Early childhood professionals must be able to establish
supportive relationships with children. The younger the child,
the more dependent they
are on those relationships. Additionally, we need to implement
appropriate guidance techniques to teach children socially
acceptable behavior.
As part of this welcoming and nurturing environment, it is also
important that children are provided boundaries. Children (and
all humans, for
that matter) crave boundaries. Often, we might think that we
don't want them, but boundaries are good for us, and we do need
them. As part
of that environment, teachers have to be consistent in
providing those boundaries and appropriate guidance
techniques, so that children know
where they fit in. If we are inconsistent with our discipline, or
if we use inappropriate guidance techniques, that makes
children mistrust us,
because they don't quite know what to expect from us. Children
react better and they develop stronger relationships with people
that are
consistently the same every single day. That's why it is critical
for us to teach those positive guidance techniques, and to

provide replacement
behaviors when a child is acting in a way that's not socially
acceptable.
Another branch on the competence tree is establishing positive
and productive relationships with families. Admittedly,
sometimes dealing with
parents can be the most difficult part of our job. However, we
need to take a step back and realize that these parents are
entrusting us with
their most-prized possession: their child. They are trusting us to
keep their child safe and return them to us in better shape than
when they
arrived. What a responsibility that is! Because the
parent trusts us enough to care for their child, we have to return
that trust with
professionalism. We can do this by exhibiting consistency,
dependability, relatability and sincerity. Those are all important
parts of making sure
that our relationships with parents are productive and positive.
Often, parents don't have a positive view of their relationship
with the school. If
day after day, a parent picks up their child, and they are given a
rundown of everything negative the child did and said that day,
that has an
impact on how the parents perceive the childcare center
environment, which may translate to negative feelings about
entering a school
system. It's not that the parents don't care about their child's
actions; it's that they are trusting us to care for their child
throughout the day.
Complaining and providing lists of negative behaviors makes us
look unprofessional. We can work to change the mindset of
parents, and lay
the foundation for how families and children will feel once they
enter the school system.

It's important that we support the uniqueness of each child. We
need to recognize that children grow up in the context of their
environment,
and that families are a key part of who this child is. The child
can't exist without the family. A child does not develop in a
vacuum. As early
childhood professionals, we have to realize that while we may
not be able to control the home environment, we are in control
of the
childcare/classroom environment. We can control the teacher-
to-child relationships. We can control the teacher-to-teacher
relationships. We
can control the teacher-to-supervisor relationships. Working in
a ECE environment is a continual juggling act that
involves giving 110% of your
energy, and providing an emotional investment into those
children. It is vital that in the midst of all this juggling, we
appreciate and support
each child's uniqueness.
While still on the topic of competence, in this next section we
will focus on some key areas where we can exhibit competence:
Philosophy of Education
Planning
Assessment
Reporting
Thinking and Reflecting
Teaching
Collaborating
Developing a philosophy of education. A philosophy of
education is a set of beliefs about how children develop and
learn, and what
and how they should be taught. Developing your own

personal philosophy of education can be a little bit
overwhelming, because you need to
evaluate the reasons why you believe what you believe. There is
no right or wrong answer, because it is your opinions and
beliefs.
If you have not written your philosophy, some of these headings
may help you get started:
I believe the purposes of early childhood education are... For
example, you may believe that the purpose is to provide
children social-
emotional development and opportunities for growth. Your
answer may be to provide a foundation for academic knowledge
so that
children can succeed when they go to kindergarten. You may
feel that ECE provides a safe, nurturing place for children
during the time
that they are away from their families.
I believe that children learn best when they are taught under
certain conditions and in certain ways. Some of these are... You
may think
that children learn best when they are surrounded by natural
materials. Or, it may be when children are surrounded by other
children of
various ages and developmental levels, so they can benefit from
peer-challenging and peer mentorship. You may believe that
children
learn best through hands-on exploration of the environment.
Finally, your response might be that children learn best through
STEM
opportunities (science, technology, engineering and math).

The curriculum of any classroom should include certain "basics"
that contribute to children's social, emotional, intellectual and
physical
development. These "basics" are... Do you feel that a basic
component of the curriculum would include opportunities for
children to
resolve conflict on their own? Maybe you think the basics
includes hands-on exploration of things in different learning
centers in
different areas. Maybe you feel that circle time is important.
Children learn best in an environment that promotes… Perhaps
you are of the opinion that the best environment is one that
promotes
social-emotional development. Maybe you feel like children
learn best in an environment that promotes relationships. You
might believe
that children can't thrive and grow if they don't feel safe and
feel comforted by the people that are taking care of them.
All children have certain needs that must be met if they are to
grow and learn at their best. Some of these basic needs are…
You might
reflect back on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. You may work in a
program that serves high-risk children, and they have different
needs
that must be met before they can reach a point where they can
form strong, nurturing relationships. I personally believe that
children
need to feel safe above all else.
I would meet these needs by… As I just stated, I believe that
children need to be safe. What would I do to meet those needs?
I would
make sure that my preschool children knew what the safety
rules were and why. I would use language like, "Let's be safe

when we're
doing that," or, "Oh, that's not safe, let's get down. I would
focus on safety as a key milestone in the classroom.
A teacher should have certain qualities and behave in certain
ways. Qualities I think that are important for teaching
are… You might feel
that an important quality in a teacher is that they should be
approachable. If families aren't comfortable approaching you to
talk to you
about situations, then it's very difficult to create a relationship
with them. You might believe that it's important for teachers to
dress
professionally. You might feel strongly that ECE teachers
should have that higher education. Not only does that education
provide the
teacher with an understanding of child development, it also can
help to counteract the "you're just a babysitter" mentality.
Planning. Also within the realm of competence is the ability to
plan. Planning involves several key actions, including:
Stating what children will learn and what children are able to
do. When you're working on your lesson plan or planning
activities,
make sure that you have some sort of learning goal tied to that
activity. Sometimes in early childhood, we do engage in
activities simply
because they are cute and are enjoyed by the children, but they
don't necessarily have a learning goal. However, if we want to
do an
activity for a certain purpose, if we want it to be meaningful to
the children long-term, it needs to be tied to a certain learning
goal
or expectation.
Selecting developmentally appropriate activities and materials,
and ones that are based on children’s interests. It is important to

follow
the children's interests as far as the curriculum goes. We want
to make sure that we are letting them be the leaders of the
curriculum,
because the curriculum and the classroom are for them. It's the
children's place, it's the children's room, it's the children's
lesson plan.
If they're not interested in what's in that environment or what's
on that plan, then it's just a waste of time.
Deciding how much time to allocate to an activity. As ECE
professionals, we do need to stick to a classroom schedule. That
being
said, if the children are highly engaged in an activity, maybe we
can allow it to continue for five or ten more minutes. My
personal
philosophy is if a four-year-old wants to sit down and focus on
something for 30 minutes, I'm going to allow it because I think
that's
wonderful.
Deciding how to assess activities and the things that children
have learned. How do we measure what children have learned
from a
specific lesson plan? How do we measure the learning goals that
have occurred through these activities?
As professionals, we sometimes have to explain to families, as
well as colleagues and supervisors, why certain topics of study,
certain
activities, and certain materials might be less developmentally
appropriate. While we want to focus on what is of interest to
children, it's also
important that we focus on things that are relevant to young
children's lives. For my staff, I use a good rule of thumb: If
children (especially
infants and toddlers) can't see it, lick it, touch it, smell it, and
hear it, it's probably not a good topic of study.

My staff and I use a chart to help with planning our curriculum
when working with different age groups (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Curriculum planning for infants, toddlers and school-
age children.
Infants: Me and Mine. With infants, the focus on curriculum and
lesson planning should be me and mine. In the infant stage, it's
all
about themselves: myself, my body, my family, things like that.
Toddlers: My Community. When they get to be toddlers, it's
still all about me and mine, but you can add my community for
the toddlers.
Toddlers need to learn about me: my body, my family, my
home. They also need to learn and are interested in learning
about community
helpers. They're interested in their extended family. They're
interested in other topics that have to do with the community
around them.
Things that they can see, things that are relevant to them.
School-Age: The World. When they reach school-age
(kindergarten and above), the focus can still include me and
mine. Keep in mind
that kindergartners still want to know about themselves. There's
no one more important to a child than himself. They want to
learn
about their community as well, but they also want to and need
to learn about the world around them.
Assessment. Competence also includes assessment, which is the
process of gathering information about children's behavior
and achievement. Then, on the basis of this data, we make
decisions about how to meet children's needs. First, we observe.
We observe

children in the centers, we observe children in learning
experiences. Then we take the data that we've gathered in these
observations and we
use that to plan. If you're assessing children for a learning goal,
if you're assessing children for a certain skill, then that might
tell you that you
need to incorporate more of that skill into the environment. For
example, let's say that you're in a preschool classroom, and you
notice that
several of your children can't count to 10, which is a learning
goal of importance. What you might do is create activities or
learning
experiences that focus on counting to 10. We could incorporate
one-to-one correspondence, or use materials and
manipulatives to try to
enhance or strengthen their ability to count to 10.
Assessment should adhere to the following guidelines:
Assessment should be strengths-based. We want to focus on
what the child can do, and what they are good at.
Assessment should be systematic. There should be some sort of
system in place to make sure that we are assessing. Assessment
should occur over time and be conducted on a regular basis. In
my programs, we conduct formal assessments a minimum of
twice a
year. However, as teachers, as early childhood professionals,
we're constantly assessing children's development and learning.
Assessment should be conducted in the child's natural

environment. You don't pull a child out of their classroom into
an office to
assess them on their learning and development. The child is not
going to perform well in a non-natural environment.
Assessment should guide planning, practice, and reporting that
we provide back to parents and other stakeholders.
Reporting. Another aspect of competence involves reporting,
which should also be systematic. Every time we do a formal
assessment,
we should have some sort of reporting afterwards. This may
be reporting to the parents, reporting to supervisors, or other
stakeholders about
how children are developing and learning. Reporting should
answer the question, "How is this child doing?" Reporting helps
us as
professionals to be held accountable to families. We're also
accountable to the public, because we're responsible for
fulfilling that role of
helping children learn and be successful. Part of how we do that
is through observation, assessment, and also reporting.
Thinking and reflecting. The other part of competence is
thinking and reflecting. Confucius says, "By three methods we
may learn
wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by
imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the
bitterest." I could
not have said it better, because a lot of times, classroom
experience can be quite bitter, especially in the beginning. It's
important that we think
before we teach, think while we teach, and think after we teach.
Thinking after we teach is the reflection piece.
Teaching. Teaching involves making decisions about how to set
up and facilitate an environment where children can acquire

skills and
meet learning goals. Teaching involves engaging children in
learning activities, collaborating with colleagues and
community partners, and
continuously seeking new information and knowledge to better
our skills, and to better ourselves as professionals.
Collaborating. Another component of competence is
collaborating with parents and families. Children's learning
begins and continues
within the context of the family unit, whatever that might look
like. Learning how to comfortably and confidently work with
families is as
essential as teaching children. One of the things that has helped
me in my relationships with parents, is that while I'm an expert
in child
development, I'm not the expert on that child. The parent and
the family are the experts on that particular child. Keeping that
in mind has
helped me in developing strong family relationships.
We also need to collaborate with our community partners. It's
essential to get "buy-in" from our community. If we can get our
community to
understand the importance of what we do as ECE providers,
then parents will follow suit. It is vital that we raise
awareness about the
importance of those early years. For example, if I work for a
corporation, I might wonder why I should care about early
childhood, and ask why
is that relevant to me. It is important, because these children
will comprise your future workforce. We're making sure that
they have the skills
to be competitive later on in life.
Commitment to the Ethical Standard

Commitment to the Ethical Standard is the third dimension of
professionalism. This is responsible behavior with children,
families, colleagues,
and community members. These standards can be traced back to
the NAEYC position statement on the Code of Ethical
Conduct and
Statement of Commitment. This document is the cornerstone for
early childhood professionals, so that we know what's expected.
It includes
seven core values for ethical conduct:
1. Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the
human life cycle. Early childhood does not exist so that we can
hurry
children along and make them kindergartners faster. It is a
valuable and unique stage that needs to be valued and respected,
and taken
for what it is, in all those opportunities for learning.
2. Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and
learn. We need to understand how the brain of a developing
young child
works.
3. Appreciate and support the bond between the child and
family. We don't try to replace that or alter that bond in any
way.
4. Recognize that children are best understood and supported in
the context of family, culture, community, and society.
Remember that
they don't develop in a vacuum.
5. Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each
individual. This includes not only the children we teach, but
also family

members and colleagues. We respect and support each other.
6. Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues.
7. Recognizing that children and adults achieve their full
potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust
and respect.
During this presentation, we've talked a lot about relationships.
It is critical to remember that both adults and children thrive
when they
are in trusting and respectful relationships.
Personal Characteristics
The fourth dimension of professionalism involves some
personal characteristics, which fall into four categories:
1. Personal Character
2. Emotional Qualities
3. Physical Health
4. Mental Health
Personal character. Having a love and true respect for children
is something that cannot be taught. That's something that you're
born
with. Also, as alluded to earlier, having an understanding of
children and their families is important as well, in order to
develop
positive relationships. An ECE professional must exhibit ethical
behavior. This means having high moral and value standards, as
well as being
legally and ethically proper. The ECE professional must

be guided by the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct to inform our
practice. We must
possess civility and courteousness toward others. Do people
have trust in us? Do we have trust in others? Are we tolerant,
are we dedicated,
are we motivated to do our absolute best in this field?
Emotional qualities. The ECE professional should
possess compassion, empathy and sensitivity. I know for some
of us in the field,
we're extremely sensitive, and some of us think that's a
downfall. I happen to think that's a positive trait. There's
something to be said for a
sensitive, tender-hearted person. We must exude friendliness,
kindness and warmth, in order to be perceived as approachable.
Are we
patient and helpful? Do we have enthusiasm and excitement for
the job? Do we have excitement for working with children? Are
we excited to
come to work most days? If you wake up every morning and you
dread going to work because of the children or because of the
job itself, then
this might not be the best field for you. Do you have a genuine
passion for seeing young children learn new skills?
Physical health. Why is it important to be healthy and fit as an
early childhood professional? First of all, when you're healthy,
you can
do your best and be your best. Children are naturally
energetic. When we're healthy, we can keep up with them. We
can chase them. We can
get down on the floor and play with them, and participate in all
of those active situations that we might miss if we weren't
physically healthy.
Wellness and healthy living are vital for energy and enthusiasm,
and for that stamina that teaching requires and demands. We've

got to be able
to keep up with the interests, desires, and needs of the
children. In addition, we're role models for young children in
every single way. We have
to demonstrate a concern for our own physical health. We
have to make sure that by our example, we are modeling a
healthy lifestyle. That
doesn't mean that every early childhood professional needs to be
a supermodel or a bodybuilder. It simply means that we need
to be
physically healthy and that we can take care of ourselves, so
that ultimately, we can take care of the children.
Mental health. Just as our physical health is so important, our
mental health is as well. Good mental health is important
because it
enables us as early childhood professionals to instill good
mental health habits in children. If we feel good about
ourselves, about the
profession and the work that we do, then we can make sure that
children feel good about themselves, about their childcare
center, and about
what they're learning. We can make sure that children feel good
about their families and the members who comprise
their family.
A good ECE professional should possess the following key
mental health qualities:
Optimism: Positivity about the future, and about what's to come.
Thinking in terms of "can" and "able", instead of "can't" or
"unable".
Attentiveness: Awareness of what is going on around you
and the ability to stay focused on a task are good mental health
habits.
Focusing on a person when they're communicating with you is

also a good mental health habit.
Self-Confidence: We want to teach children self-confidence at
as young of an age as possible. We want children to have
confidence in
who they are as people. By time a child turns five, if they don't
feel good about who they are, that child will likely struggle
with self-
confidence for the majority of their life. That's why those first
five years are so important, because it lays the foundation for
that child's
future success, or future challenges. This also relates back to
that guidance and discipline portion. If you have children that
struggle
and have challenging behaviors, every day is a negative. If a
child thinks every day, "What kind of trouble am I going get
into day?" or
"How's the teacher going to be upset with me today?" that can
be damaging for that young child's self-esteem and self-
confidence. A
child cannot grow and thrive in that kind of negative
environment. Think about how you would feel if every single
day you went in and
your boss had a list of things that you did wrong, but never
commented on things you did right. We need to constantly keep
that in
mind when we are working with young children.
Self-Respect: Self-respect is treating yourself in a way that
shows that you value yourself. Not to the detriment of others,
but being able
to say, "This is what's right for me, and this is what I'm going to
do, because I respect myself as a person."
Good mental health helps us as early childhood professionals
maintain a positive outlook on life. Don't get me wrong -- there
are going to be
good days and bad days. What I want you to do is, after a bad

day, get up and say, "I am changing things for the better, for the
future. I am
doing good work here. I have a positive outlook on life, and on
the profession. I'm in this for a reason." For most of us, we
were called to do
this work. Good mental health plays a major role in that.
Having reviewed the fourth dimension of professionalism, what
could be considered the most important personal characteristic
of an ECE
professional? For the answer to that question, I like to look to
the following quote:
"Good Early Childhood Professionals care about children. Great
Early Childhood Professionals care about all children and their
families."
Summary and Conclusion
In summary, the four dimensions of professionalism
(professional knowledge, competence, commitment to the
ethical standard and personal
characteristics) work in tandem to make up a qualified,
competent, and ethical workforce of early childhood
professionals. Ultimately, if we
wish to change how society views our work, we can use these
four dimensions as a guide for ensuring that we hold ourselves
to the highest of
standards. Because after all, we are teachers, not babysitters!
To conclude, I'd like to offer some tips and suggestions for

newer teachers on building on the four dimensions of
professionalism. If you are
relatively new in the field, I encourage you to seek out
professional development training so that you can grow your
professional knowledge.
Find a trainer that you like, one that speaks your language and
that you can relate to. I find it helpful to attend classes where
the trainer has
been a classroom teacher. As you're going through the
material and you ask questions, you know that person has been
in those shoes. Then,
take that new information back to the classroom and implement
it. Try it out. Stock your tool belt with a wide variety of tools.
Also, for newer ECE professionals, you can build your
competence level by writing your own philosophy of education.
Figure out what's
important to you. What do you value as a major principle of
early childhood education? Why are these first five years so
vital to children's
education and success? With regard to your commitment to the
Ethical Standard, don't be afraid to be vocal. I don't mean vocal
in the way of
shutting other people down, but vocal in the sense that if you
see something that you think is not appropriate, say something.
You could
approach that person and let them know what you saw, and ask
them to explain it to you. Or tell them how you feel about the
issue. If you
don't feel comfortable going to that person, you could always
speak to a supervisor. Obviously, if anyone is violating any
major licensing rules
in your state, for example, that would be a more
serious situation.
Practice optimism on a daily basis. Some people are naturally

pessimistic. I believe that it takes a lot of practice to build
optimism. If you are
one of those people to whom optimism doesn't come easy, when
you get up in the morning, give yourself some positive
affirmations. Look in
the mirror and say to yourself, "I'm going to do my best for
these children, because they deserve it."
In this profession, peer relationships are very important. Make
it a point to get to know your coworkers. What do they like and
dislike? What
are their struggles? Participate in team building activities that
demonstrate the value of the "many hands make light work"
philosophy. For
example, one time at a staff meeting, we did this activity where
we all were holding up a heavy table. Gradually, people began
to leave the
group until eventually, there were only two or three of us
remaining. That activity was eye opening to the fact that one or
two or three of us
can't do it by ourselves -- we truly need the whole team.
One characteristic that I have noticed in people who
exude professionalism is they speak highly of the field. They
don't complain much. I don't
want to hear ECE teachers groaning about paperwork, or their
difficult supervisor, or how bad their program is. I don't view
those people
as professional. I want to hear someone talk about their
challenges in a positive light, and try to find solutions. A true
professional will solicit
opinions and ask others' advice on how to help a particular
child, or how to change the environment. It doesn't mean that
you never get
frustrated, but it means that your general outlook on the field is
positive.

Thank you so much for joining me for this session on
professionalism in early childhood. Always remember that you
are, in fact, teachers, and
not babysitters! You should feel good about the vital role that
you play in young children's lives from birth to five years!
Thank you.
References
Butcher, K. (2017). Professionalism in Early Childhood
Education. Michigan State University Extension.
Colker, L.J. (2008). Young Children. National Association for
the Education of Young Children. 3(6).
Feeney, S. (2006). Professionalism In Early Childhood
Education: Focus on Ethics. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher
Education. 16(3).
National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC). (2011). Code of ethical conduct and statement of
commitment.
Citation
® audiology speech pathology occupational therapy
physical therapy early childhood education
866-727-1617
Contact Us

https://www.audiologyonline.com/
https://www.speechpathology.com/
https://www.occupationaltherapy.com/
https://www.physicaltherapy.com/
https://www.continued.com/early-childhood-education/contact-
us
https://www.facebook.com/continuedECE/
https://www.twitter.com/continuedECE
https://www.pinterest.com/continuedECE/
Kile, N. (2018, March). I'm a teacher, not a babysitter!:
Professionalism in early childhood. continued.com - Early
Childhood
Education, Article 22776. Retrieved
from www.continued.com/early-childhood-education
physical therapy early childhood education
© 2019 continued® • Terms • Privacy
http://continued.com/
http://www.continued.com/early-childhood-education
https://www.physicaltherapy.com/
https://www.continued.com/terms-and-conditions
https://www.continued.com/privacy-policy

https://www.facebook.com/JoinContinued/
https://twitter.com/joincontinued
https://www.linkedin.com/company/continued

Copyright © 2019 EarlyChildhoodEducation - All Rights Reserved.docx

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Plus de bobbywlane695641

Plus de bobbywlane695641 (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Copyright © 2019 EarlyChildhoodEducation - All Rights Reserved.docx