NAEYC Standard 6: Becoming a Professional
6a. Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field
6b. Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines
6c: Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice
6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education
6e: Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession
When becoming a professional in early childhood education, I must identify myself as a professional in the field. I must know, understand and practice the ethical and professional guidelines that have been established. I have to be familiar with NAEYC’s code of Ethical Conduct in order to be guided by its ideals and principles. I must know how to use the Code when facing difficult situations because responsible and ethical behavior toward students and parents is a large part of me being considered a professional in this field. This is so that I can act as a role model of responsibility to children, families, colleagues and the community.
In the class Administration of Child Care Program (CHD 270), I completed many ethical dilemma assignments which allowed me to practice and get familiar with NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct. These assignments gave me practice in handling difficult situations. This artifact falls under this standard because I needed practice in order to know and uphold ethical standards and guidelines. In these assignments I analyzed the ethical ideals and principles in order to try and solve the dilemmas. I used the knowledge from my analysis of the ideals and principles to develop a plan on how to handle the dilemma. The ethical dilemma assignments gave me practice and also helped me to understand the difficulties teachers face when dealing in their day to day work. Each case has to be handled in a professional and fair way that best fits the needs of everyone involved.
From the assignments I completed, I realized that there are going to be difficult situations that are going to happen to me and without this assignment and the exposure to code of ethical conduct I wouldn’t know how to handle some of these sensitive situation. I now know how to use the Code to analyze problems and also how to conduct myself as a professional who engages in ethical practice. You have to put your personal beliefs aside in some situations and do what is ethically right to benefit the children’s development.
My career goal is to work with children and become a professional in this field. I have learned what it takes to become a professional and how to maintain and improve my skills in early childhood education. Being a professional for me means that I understand and engage in ethical practice, continuous lifelong learning and professional development, and collaboration with colleagues, parents, families, and the community. I also need to reflect on what I practice and change accordingly and work on my children’s behalf. I have learned, practiced, and trained to be confident and ready in the workplace. I have learned to put my personal beliefs aside and do what is ethically right to benefit the children’s development. It is all about being able to be trusted, reliable and committed to the field.