Ever since I began my educational journey in the early childhood field, I've realized how much I enjoy learning and increasing the knowledge I hold in the field and being a resource for others.
I decided to browse through the California Department of Education Website to figure out what Professional Development opportunities it offers early childhood professionals. I was pleasantly surprised at the various opportunities California offers for continuing education in the early childhood field. What stood out to me the most was the ECE Competencies Self-Assessment (CompSAT). Its a tool that educators can use to reflect on the practices, knowledge, and skills they hold in the field. It helps to build a Individual Development Plan for the professional as well. It's based on the California Department of Education (CDE) ECE Competencies which consist of 12, research bases areas that align with bother the California Preschool Learning Foundation and the California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations. There's also the California Early Childhood Online site which offers modules to help early educators increase their content knowledge and best practices in the field. I can't get much more information on this unless I create an account, which I plan to do, but unfortunately, with the new job and school, adding more to my plate may be a little too much for me. I fully intend to explore both if these PD options in order to help me be more prepared for working in CA but right now, I want to concentrate on my degree and fully comprehending what expected of me in my new position.
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Aside from completing my Masters, my professional goals are not ones that can be measured, or put on a timeline. I found my passion in the field; I enjoy learning as much as I can in order to help the children, families, and colleagues I serve. I want to help the ones I serve by offering an ear, being a resource, being a mentor and being a great teacher.
I strive to form those interpersonal connection because there's no way I can effectively guide and mentor other professionals, or effectively teach the children I serve without that connection. When you can connect with someone, you can more effectively interact, understand, and work with them to achieve great things.
I don't want to lead or manage or tell people what to do, I want us to work together to figure out what it is we need to do to get to where we want to be. It's always a "we" because I am always going to learn something from the people I connect with.
Amy,
ReplyDeleteI love that you spoke about your goals and discussed how many of your goals cannot be measured. Building connections with others fuels my passion and zest for life. I try to take every interaction as a learning opportunity and then make sure I take the time to reflect on my experiences both personally and within my classroom. I also love that you discussed working together and creating that team mentality because "we" is always greater than "I."
Thanks for sharing your goals with us,
-Allison Giles
Hello Amy:
ReplyDeleteThe ECE Competencies Self-Assessment will definitely be a great resource for you as you add additional professional development resources to your resume. On the ECE site I enjoyed the videos, “The Keys to Reflection” which included: Know Yourself, Consider the Child’s Perspective, Exam the Environments, Seek Multiple Perspectives, Pause for Inspiration and Turn Questions into Actions and “Know Your Learning Style” (California Department of Education, 2013).
Also, it is definitely a good decision not to put too much on your plate. I have had to learn that the hard way over the years. I spread myself too thin and it resulted in a hospital stay. Thankfully, you recognize how harmful it could be to overtax yourself. Life is too short and balance is key. Thanks for sharing.
REFERENCE
California Department of Education, (2013). Retrieved from: http://ececompsat.org/index.html
Amy,
ReplyDeleteI think having goals makes a huge difference in someones educational career. Knowing what California is focusing on helps gives insight on what their expectations are when it comes to the classroom. No one wants to me micro managed and I like how you focused on working together but also being leaders in the middle of it. In order to accomplish anything we all must work together.
Thank you for showing examples of good quality educator. :)
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