Three deeply felt learnings from this program

We are the gatekeepers to early childhood education.

Our mark left on this field will be determined by the work we put into it. Will our passion reflect in our work?

It takes a team to affect change.

One long-term goal: Never stop learning; rather, it is staff development, enrolling in school, reading articles or books about early childhood education; I will keep educating myself.

To Dr. Parrish, you are a great understanding professor that I have learned a lot from in the courses I have had with you. Thank you for everything!

To my colleagues, I have learned a lot from you all. You all have made me think about things and reevaluate others. Good luck with the next chapter of your lives.

I can be reached at latoya.williams11@waldenu.edu.

Organization: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Job Opportunity: SENIOR PROJECT OFFICER, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE)

Job Requirements: Advanced University Degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, in one of the following domains: Comparative Education, Curriculum or Learning or Pedagogy or ECE.  Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible relevant experience in education development, of which preferably 3 years acquired at international level. Experience in conducting research and impacting practice on ECE from an international comparative perspective. Experience in supporting countries in implementing curriculum renewal, design, and development processes with a focus on ECE.

Organization: Childhood Education International (CE International)

Job Opportunity: Consultant

Job Requirements: Graduate level educational background in education, international development, health, or a related field.  Five or more years of professional experience in their area of expertise. A commitment to children’s rights to education and learning, child safety and protection, and innovative practices.

Organization: ChildFund International

Job Opportunity: Program Specialist

Job Requirements: Bachelor’s or higher-level degree in early childhood development, social work, or other relevant fields. Equivalent relevant experience maybe acceptable in lieu of degree. At least 5+ years’ experience in area of early childhood development, preferably with an international development organization.

Company: Child Care Associates

They work constantly to create the finest possible early learning system for families and children in need. As one of the largest child development programs in North Texas, Child Care Associates is recognized as a leader in early education, both regionally and nationally.

Job Opportunity: Quality Mentor

Job Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with at least 18 credit hours in early childhood education, child development, special education, child psychology, educational psychology, elementary education, or family science.

A minimum of 1 year experience in an early childhood setting

Previous experience and proven ability in preparing and conducting training and development workshops for adults with effective results.

Be conversant in best practices and research.

This job is interesting to me because it helps centers become high-quality centers by helping them become Texas Rising Star, assist with purchasing equipment and supplies, and will provide staff development.

Company: Campfire First Texas

It is one of the largest Camp Fire councils in the country. Programs are for boys, girls and their families and include camping, after school programs, teen services, environmental

education, and school readiness, in addition to professional development for early childhood educators.

Job Opportunity: Mentor/Instructor, Early Education Workforce Development

Job Requirements: Demonstrated ability to focus on results, effectively communicate goals and impact, and collaboratively problem-solve

Bachelor’s Degree in child development/Early Childhood or related field with experience as a

classroom teacher and center director

Early childhood teaching or administrative experience

This job interested me because it assists centers in becoming a Texas School Ready program. It also creates training to provide staff development.

Company: Texas Health and Human Service

They are responsible for protecting the unprotected — children, elderly, and people with disabilities — from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Job Opportunity:  Child Care Licensing Investigator

Job Requirements:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.

This job investigates complaints made against childcare facilities. It also allows the opportunity to give technical assistance.

The following three organizations or communities of practice appealed to me

Office of the Administration for Children and Families (Office of Child Care)

They support low-income working families by providing access to affordable, high-quality early care and afterschool programs. I chose this organization because I feel all children should be able to attend a high-quality early childhood education program where they can thrive in. Parents should feel confident in the care they choose for their child.

Job: Child Care Program Specialist

Basic Qualification Requirements:

Must have at least a bachelor’s degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

Must have a combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Must have at least four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Additional Qualification Requirements: In addition to meeting the Basic Qualification Requirements candidates must also:

Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service that includes researching policies and/or relevant data on program matters related to child care, early development/education services for children birth through eight, or family social support services issues in order to support grantees with understanding and meeting compliance; analyzing data related to childcare, early development/education services for children birth through eight, or family social support services in order to evaluate services to improve effectiveness of programs or to address items of concern; and developing or providing input into written guidance on program matters related to issues in child care, early development/education services for children birth through eight, or family social support services

NAEYC

A professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. I chose this organization because they provide numerous resources for early childhood programs and one day, I hope to become a ECE trainer and this is a good place for resources.

Job: Assistant Director, Federal Relations

Qualifications

Baccalaureate degree required, preferred concentration or advanced

degree in public policy, public administration, early childhood education, or a related field

Minimum of five years of experience working in at least one of the following contexts: Capitol Hill; federal agency; state legislature; and/or with a policy / advocacy organization specifically working on early childhood education, higher education, and/or workforce development policy

Excellent written and oral communication skills, particularly related to communication of complex policy to lay audiences, including writing for multiple platforms and audiences, and with very strong presentation skills and competencies

I would love to be able the work with people in Congress and federal Administration officials to influence early childhood federal policy and advocacy. I think standards should be the same nationwide, as well as education requirements, etc

CDA Council

It promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old.

Job: Credentialing Academy Coordinator

Qualifications

Associates degree in related field(s) required. Bachelor’s degree preferred.

·2 to 4 years of experience / works under supervision.

Plus, other skillsets.

I’m an advocate for education and professional development and this position allows for the recruitment of programs to become CDA Gold Standard programs. It offers to be able to train individuals, as well create training materials. This is a dream job for me.

As we end this class and move on to another one and continue to reach our goals, I wish you all the best. Throughout this class, you all have supported me by sharing your personal experiences and perspectives. It is always good to learn about things, but seeing them being used effectively is assuring. I hope that I have supported you all by providing my insight from my perspective, hopefully making you see things from another’s perspective, and asking you questions that made you think beyond your thoughts. As you continue on your professional paths, I hope you take what you have learning thus far in this program and apply it to your goals—the best of luck in your future endeavors. If you would like to keep in touch, my email address is latoya.williams11@waldenu.edu

I worked on a team with a co-worker; we were both directors. We would always volunteer to work together whenever the district manager gave out team projects because we always work well together. Whatever we set out to do, we always did well because we had already built a relationship, and with every team project we set out to do, we would always start with the goal and assign each other’s duties. Upon adjourning, our district manager would always take the whole district out to celebrate our success. My team would always do something to celebrate reaching our goal and close the project. I used to get sad when we adjourned because I didn’t get to see her as much because our cities were in different cities. This team has lead to a relationship where we call on each other when we need assistance with things ranging from work and personal. In adjourning from this master’s degree program, I imagine that we all have a Zoom conference or a group message to celebrate our success in obtaining our master’s degree. Adjourning is a vital stage in teamwork because it gives everyone a chance to celebrate the team’s success and say their goodbyes to each other.

One day my director came in late due to a dentist appointment. The preschool teacher and I got into an argument about something she assumed a parent did but wasn’t aware of the situation. While exchanging words, I tried to explain what happened, but she didn’t want to hear it. She kept repeating what she thought was going on, and I repeatedly told her I understood what she was come from. At that point, I realized she wanted to argue, so I told her I wasn’t about to argue with her. This was a conflict without a win, win situation. After reading NVC and the 3 R’s, I didn’t see any principles that I could have used to resolve the conflict.

On the other hand, she could have been empathetic and listen to what I was saying. I felt as if she was listening to respond, not to understand. Later that day, I talked to her about the situation and explained what had happened, and she acknowledged that she was wrong. O’Hair (2018) stated, “Forgiving is not condoning, excusing, or forgetting someone’s transgression but reducing the negative reactions to the transgression and engaging in compassion and kindness toward the other person.”

References

O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: An introduction (4th. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

After taking the three assessments and having two other people take them and comparing responses I was surprised at how we all viewed my communication. I thought I communicated the same with everyone but the assessment showed differently. With last weeks assignment I discussed how I communicated differently with my coworkers due to their cultural differences and with this assignment I realized I communicate differently depending on who I am talking to. Overall my listening style, verbal aggressiveness, and communication anxiety was different based on how my communication was view by the others I communicate with. When I communicate with my daughter she saw me as a people oriented listener and my husband saw me as a time oriented listener. As a parent I want to show empathy and as a wife I don’t have the time to listen to the long stories my husband has to discuss. My daughter said I had a good balance between respect and consideration, on the other hand my husband said I might cross the line from argumentativeness.

When communicating with colleagues, there is a difference. When I speak with the younger African American and Mexican ladies at work, we are lax. We use slang sometimes, and the topics of discussion are fashion, movies, and their plans for the weekend. I discuss current events, families, and recipes with the older white women at work. Our conversations are not as lax as those with the younger ladies and they are more formal. Then, there is the Israeli women that don’t fully understand English; we discuss mostly work-related issues and share in small talk. With them, I have to choose words wisely to ensure they understand what I am saying.

Tiffany Williams demonstrates competent communications when she talks about various business topics. She knows her audience so she communicates with them in a way that they will understand. She’s technical when she is going over business terms and explaining them. Afterwards she follows up with the same information simplified for the people who do not have a business background. Her deliverance of the information and various tones of her voice helps you distinguish from the important stuff and extra information. Tiffany is effective with her communication and this can be seen by seeing others thanking her for helping them reach their goals. I would like to model my communication behaviors after Tiffany because of the confidence she shows when she is speaking about things.