Transcript Part 1 Learning About Yourself - Goodheart

1
You: Working
with Young
Children
Key Concepts
 Social and economic changes affect the
growth of the child care profession.
 Learning about the responsibilities and
characteristics of child care teachers can
help you decide if a career in this field is
for you.
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Objectives
 Explain how social and economic changes
will increase the need for child care services
and early childhood teachers.
 Describe career opportunities in the early
childhood field.
 Describe the CDA credential.
continued
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Objectives
 List responsibilities of the early childhood
teacher.
 Determine personal characteristics that can
help early childhood teachers care for and
educate young children.
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You: Working with Young
Children
 People considering early childhood careers
often want to know
 if there will be a need for trained personnel
 what the job responsibilities are
 what personal characteristics are needed
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Social and Economic Changes
 Changes in families
 Changes in employers’ attitudes
 Changes in education attitudes
 Educational studies
 Benefits to the economy
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Changes in Families
Almost 75% of
children have parents
working or
attending school
Many working
women are widowed,
divorced, single,
or separated
Women are
increasingly
committed to
careers
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Married couples
are having
fewer children
Changes in
Families
75% of children
participate in a
preschool program
No longer have a
mother as
homemaker and a
father as wage
earner
Many working
women are widowed,
divorced, single,
or separated
Women are
becoming highly
educated
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Discuss
 Why do you think the level of education of
women impacts the need for child care
teachers? List three reasons.
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Changes in Employers’
Attitudes
 Corporate or employer-sponsored child care
is growing
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On-site child care
Referral service
Sick child care
Emergency backup arrangements
Intergenerational care
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Brainstorm
 What are some of the payoffs companies
receive when offering child care benefits to
employees?
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Changes in Education Attitudes
1970s
6% of children
were cared for in
child care
centers
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Today
67% of children
participate in an early
childhood program
95% of the nation’s
five-year-olds attend
kindergarten programs
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Educational Studies
 Studies have confirmed that
 the first five years of life are critical
 the benefits of early education are long-term
 early brain development depends on a
stimulating environment and nurturing
continued
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Educational Studies
 Children who receive early learning
experiences are less likely to
 have behavioral problems
 be referred to special education
 Many states introduced prekindergarten
(PK) programs to support early learning
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Benefits to the Economy
 Early childhood programs influence
tomorrow’s economy
 A sound investment
 Saves taxpayers future costs
 Pays great returns to children
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Career Opportunities in Early
Childhood
 Nannies and au pairs
 Kindergarten teachers
 Early childhood assistant/associate teachers
 Child care teachers and directors
 Family child care home
 Licensing specialists
 Other career opportunities
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Nannies and Au Pairs
 A nanny provides care in a child’s home
 May live with the family
 May receive health insurance, paid holidays,
and room and board in addition to salary
 An au pair is a person from a foreign
country who lives with a family and performs
tasks similar to those of a nanny
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Kindergarten Teachers
 Most states are providing opportunities to
attend kindergarten
 Teachers are needed in
 public schools
 private schools
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Early Childhood Assistant and
Associate Teachers
 Early childhood assistants or associate
teachers are hired to
 achieve the required adult-child ratios
 provide support to lead teachers
 Assistant or associate positions may require
 specialized coursework or training
 CDA credential
 associate degree
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Child Care Teachers and
Directors
 Child care teachers are responsible for
 planning curriculum
 teaching children
 Child care directors are responsible for
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marketing the program
recruiting children
hiring and supervising staff
managing the budget
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Family Child Care Homes
 Family child care homes provide child care
for children ranging in age from 6 weeks to
12 years
 This type of care allows
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child care providers to work from home
child care providers to care for their own children
longer hours of operation
homelike atmosphere
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Licensing Specialists
 Licensing specialists make visits to
centers to observe
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if they follow the state licensing guidelines
adult-child ratio
size of the facility
food service
curriculum provided
building safety and health practices
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Other Career Opportunities
 The field of early childhood offers a variety
of positions
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Parent educator
Community recreation leader
Social workers
Counselors and therapists
Health care providers
continued
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Other Career Opportunities
 The field of early childhood also offers the
ability to run your own business as an
entrepreneur
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Family child care home
Consultants
Store owners
Designers of children’s products
Entertainers
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Discuss
 What would be some of the advantages and
disadvantages of having a family child care
home business?
Advantages
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Disadvantages
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Education and Training Needed
to Work with Young Children
Education and Training
Jobs
High school education
Teacher aid
Playground supervisor
Child Development Associate
(CDA) Credential, plus
postsecondary education
Early childhood teacher
Bachelor’s degree
Director of child care program
Graduate degree
Consultant
Researcher
Early childhood instructor
Professor
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The Teacher’s Responsibilities
 Know how children grow and develop
 Plan a developmentally appropriate
curriculum
 Prepare the environment
 Communicate effectively
 Demonstrate teamwork
continued
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The Teacher’s Responsibilities
 Manage time wisely
 Participate in professional organizations
 Follow ethical standards
 Continue to learn
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To Know How Children Grow
and Develop
 This understanding helps teachers to
 prepare inviting and developmentally appropriate
environments
 design educational experiences to promote
growth
 develop curriculum that is challenging and
interesting without being difficult or discouraging
 work effectively with individuals and groups of
children
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To Plan a Developmentally
Appropriate Curriculum
 Developmentally appropriate practice
(DAP) is a set of guidelines that focus on the
outcomes of learning activities
 Whole child programs focus on
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physical development
social development
cognitive development
emotional development
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To Prepare the Environment
 Teachers prepare inviting and stimulating
learning environments to encourage
children to
 independently experiment, explore, and
manipulate materials
 engage in positive social activities
 develop physically, socially, cognitively, and
emotionally
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To Communicate Effectively
 As a teacher, positive communication skills
help you to
 form and maintain a close relationship with the
children in your care
 exchange information with parents and
guardians
 form meaningful relationships with colleagues
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To Demonstrate Teamwork
 Staff in early childhood programs need to
work as a team, which helps to
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make coworkers feel respected and important
show empathy by recognizing others’ feelings
share ideas and information
encourage meaningful interactions with children
resolve conflicts effectively
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To Manage Time Wisely
 Time management skills help teachers
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work smarter, not harder
organize time
set priorities
distinguish between important and urgent
matters
 make good choices and use time wisely
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To Participate in Professional
Organizations
 Professional organizations help you keep up
with current developments in the field
 National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC)
 Family, Career and Community Leaders of
America (FCCLA)
 National Child Care Association
 National Head Start Association
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Discuss
 How can professional organizations help
you find career opportunities in the field?
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To Follow Ethical Standards
 When working with young children, rely on
your ethics to help make tough decisions
 Maintain the highest standards of professional
conduct
 Follow the code of ethical conduct created by
NAEYC for early childhood professionals
 Choose ethical behavior, which is not always
easy
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To Continue to Learn
 Professional development is ongoing
 Lifelong learners utilize
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conferences
in-service training
course work
journals
study groups
books
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Characteristics of Successful
Teachers
 Fondness for
children
 Patience
 Compassion
 Confidence
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 Sense of humor
 Commitment
 Personal desire
 Physical and
mental health
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Fondness for Children
 The most important trait of an early
childhood teacher is fondness for children
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Establish rapport with children
Make children feel understood and accepted
Show love for each child
Be kind, firm, and understanding
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Patience
 Effective teachers allow children time to
explore, solve problems, and create
continued
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Patience
 Young children need to
 have extra time to complete tasks
 have the opportunity to repeat tasks
 be able to repeat questions
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Compassion
 Compassionate teachers accept others
without prejudice
 Accept any emotion from others
 Are sensitive to both positive and negative
feelings
 Compliment children for their successes
 Avoid actions that make children feel worthless
 Help children understand feelings of others
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Confidence
 Having confidence in your abilities helps you
relax in the classroom
 Have a calming effect on the children
 Make sensible decisions
 Stand by your choices so children accept them
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Sense of Humor
 Children enjoy adults who
have a sense of humor
 Children relax and feel content
 Children tend to be more
positive and cheerful
 Work is more enjoyable
 You see the humor in situations
 You laugh with the children
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Commitment
 Meeting the demands of the field requires
commitment
 Be an expert in child development, guidance,
and curriculum
 Keep up with current developments
 Be fully prepared for all activities
 Balance the pace of the activities
 Provide appropriate curriculum
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Personal Desire
 Knowing you really want to teach young
children is important to your success
 Examine your
 interests
 feelings
 satisfactions
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Physical and Mental Health
 Teaching young children is demanding
physically and mentally
 To be alert and able to multi-task,
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eat nutritious meals
get enough sleep
stay physically active
learn to reduce stress
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Did You Know?
According to the U.S. Department of
Labor, employment of preschool
teachers is projected to grow faster
than average through 2018.
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Reflect
 What are some of the qualities you
possess that would make you a good
early childhood teacher?
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Review
 True or False. Social and economic changes
in society continue to create a need for child
care services.
 Name five career opportunities in the early
childhood field.
 What are four characteristics of successful
early childhood teachers?
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Glossary
 au pair. A person from a foreign country
who lives with a family and provides child
care in exchange for room, board, and
transportation.
 Child Development Associate (CDA)
Credential. A national credential that
requires postsecondary courses in child
care education and a minimum number of
hours of child care experience.
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Glossary
 developmentally appropriate practice
(DAP). A set of guidelines that focus on the
outcomes of learning activities.
 early childhood. The period of life from
birth to nine years of age.
 entrepreneur. A person who creates and
runs his or her own business.
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Glossary
 ethics. A guiding set of moral principles,
either those held personally or those
determined by a professional organization
for its members.
 licensing specialist. A person employed by
a state to ensure that the state’s child care
rules and regulations are followed.
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Glossary
 nanny: A child care worker who usually
provides care in the child’s home and
may receive food and housing in addition
to wages.
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Glossary
 prekindergarten (PK). The full range of
early childhood programs including schoolbased programs for three- and four-yearolds, preschool, child care, Head Start, and
home-based child care. The goal is to
enable every child with skills needed to
succeed in school.
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