Early childhood ethics and how they apply to me

I chose three ideals included in the code of ethics for two well known early childhood agencies.  I have listed each ideal as well as a description of how I practice it in my career.

NAEYC – The Code of Ethics of the National Association for the Education of Young Children

CHILDREN

To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.

Each child is a beautiful gift from God and they have a meaningful purpose in this life.  It is our responsibility to help them identify their talents and abilities and give them the confidence to let them shine.  We administer a pre-test and parent interview prior to the school year to have one-on-one time with the families, answer any questions, and show them their child’s abilities are important to us by assessing their skills so we know how to better serve them.

FAMILIES

To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.

As early childhood educators it is our responsibility to prove to the families of these children we do have their best interests at heart.  We must also present ourselves as the partner in their child’s education.  I make it a goal to get to know each family and provide a number of opportunities for the teachers to get to know them as well.

EMPLOYEES

To promote safe and healthy working conditions and policies that foster mutual respect, cooperation, collaboration, competence, well-being, confidentiality, and self-esteem in staff members.

First and foremost, it is my responsibility as a leader to ensure all my employees are respectful and provide love and support to each other.  Each staff member is a gifted and talented individual and they each have something unique to contribute to our team.  It is important I constantly point out their strengths and  provide them with opportunities for professional development.

DEC - The Code of Ethics of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

 We shall use individually appropriate assessment strategies including multiple sources of

information such as observations, interviews with significant caregivers, formal and informal

assessments to determine children’s learning styles, strengths, and challenges.

Each child is unique and it is very important we are able to identify their strengths and areas for improvement and communicate them with the families.  Beyond the early childhood years it is more and more difficult to provide effective intervention, so any assistance we can provide to parents regarding their children’s needs and learning styles is extremely helpful.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARATION

 We shall be responsible for maintaining the appropriate national, state, or other credential or

licensure requirements for the services we provide while maintaining our competence in practice and research by ongoing participation in professional development and education activities.

As the director of a preschool it is my responsibility to make sure we are following all of our accreditation standards, as well as the state standards for health and safety.  I must always stay up to date on new developments and adjust our procedures according to the requirements.

RESPONSIVE FAMILY CENTERED PRACTICES

We shall collaborate with families and colleagues in setting meaningful and relevant goals and

priorities throughout the intervention process including the full disclosure of the nature, risk, and potential outcomes of any interventions.

In my position I have to communicate any observations the teacher sees, as well as my own observations, to the parents before we can suggest any interventions.  It is then my job to give them options of different routes to go to seek assistance.  I must weigh the options for them and provide them with examples of what may or may not occur.