As an educator and a
future director, I have learned to seek help from others in the field of early
childhood. Support systems are needed, because it gives the educators someone
to lean on that is familiar with the joys and challenges of the early childhood
field (EC or ECF). In most cities and states, there are organizations or
communities of practices (COP) that are available for individuals in all
professions. As I researched my local and state areas, I found three
organizations or COP’s that appealed to me.
The Southern Early
Childhood Association (SECA) is one of the organizations that appeals to me.
SECA was established in 1948, it rally’s all early childhood educators,
administrators, and anyone who works with children and families to improve
education and care for children in the southern region (SECA, 2015). It appeals
to me, because they have conferences, at different locations annually to
promote new ideas, tools, and techniques to assist educators and administrators
in improving the overall quality of life for children and families.
The Mississippi Early
Childhood Association (MsECA) is an organization that operates in the state of
MS. It is a “non-profit, educational organization…concerned about the care and
education of young children; it provides a means for persons interested in
young children, increases knowledge, brings relevant issues to the attention of
the public, and improves health and educational standards for children” (MsECA,
n. d., para. 1). This organization appeals to me, because it is a local
organization that supports the efforts of the educators and administrators in
Mississippi. Often, MS does not have any positive affiliations related to
children and families, with this organization within arm’s reach, I am able to
provide others and myself with knowledge to help improve how we educate and
care for the children in MS.
The Mississippi
Association of Educators (MAE) is a local organization that “Advocates great public schools for every child by
empowering members, providing services and promoting parental/community
involvement” (MAE, 2015, para. 2). This organization appeals to me, because it
has workshops to provide educators with knowledge on common core standards for
children, and it has other developmental workshops to increase the knowledge of
educators and afford them with more opportunities to advance in the ECF.
These organizations
provide me with a COP to support my efforts with any job in the field of EC. While
researching, I found two jobs that interest me including being a Director of
Educational Programs (Private School with Preschool Division) and Early Childhood Educator for Public Charter
Schools. Both jobs require the applicant to have a Master’s degree in early childhood
or a related area; the job for Director of Educational Programs,
(Private School with Preschool Division),
requires the applicant to have teaching or supervisory experience.
Overall,
my education and experience in the field of EC affords me many opportunities;
with a Master’s degree, there are many jobs that I could pursue in the ECF. Having
knowledge and support through COP’s help me to foster new skills, education,
and knowledge related to children and families; with this in mind, I will continue
to gain knowledge to help improve the quality of life for the children and
families I serve.
References
Mississippi Association of Educators. (2015). Great
public schools for every student. Retrieved from https://www.maetoday.org/index.php/Professional-Development/professional-development-workshops.html
Ms Early
Childhood Association. (n.d.). About MsECA Retrieved from http://www.msearlychildhood.org/welcome
