Examining Codes of Ethics

The Code of Ethics for the Division for Early Childhood

Professional Collaboration

2. We shall honor and respect the rights, knowledge, and skills of the multidisciplinary colleagues with whom we work recognizing their unique contributions to children, families and the field of early childhood special education.

Professional Development

4. We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services.

NAEYC

Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment   Revised April 2005

Principles

P-3A.1

We shall recognize the contributions of colleagues to our program and not participate in practices that diminish their reputations or impair their effectiveness in working with children and families.

What do those words mean to me as a new professional? They are the glue that holds my day together and sometimes the reason it falls apart. I am a new Early Childhood Special Education teacher, I work with primarily Birth to 6 years and I travel within 5 districts to see children on my caseload. I do not have my own classroom therefore I am a “guest” in every classroom where I work, every day is a new situation and every home is something new. I rely upon the related service providers I work with in the homes and the other classroom teachers to help me navigate my way through these visits and sessions as I get to know the system, children and families. I also have to remember that as a professional the individuals I work with are people too and they sometimes like to “gossip around the water cooler” at work so I have to remember my code of ethics to keep confidentiality, privacy and family information not related to each case private.  This can prove tricky when others do not feel the “information” is all that private and it makes it tricky to walk that fine line being a new professional. 

Inspirations and Inspiring Quotes

“Kids who are in school just visit life sometimes, and then they have to stop to do homework or go to sleep early or get to school on time. They're constantly reminded they are preparing "for real life," while being isolated from it.”

—Sandra Dodd

  

“Learning first occurs as a part of emotional interactions; it involves the split-second initiatives that children take as they try to engage other people, interact with them, communicate and reason with them.”

---Dr. Stanley Greenspan

“A family's responses to crisis or to a new situation mirror those of a child. That is to say, the way a small child deals with a new challenge (for instance, learning to walk) has certain predictable stages: regression, anxiety, mastery, new energy, growth, and feedback for future achievement. These stages can also be seen in adults coping with new life events, whether positive or negative.”

----T. Beery Brazelton

Personal Childhood Web

This section is dedicated to those who have influenced, nurtured and cared about me in my early years and now. They cared for me when my parent's drove over-the-road semi-truck and continued when they were home too. First up are my grandparents Larry and Vi.

From the moment I was born they were in my life, we stayed with them when my parents went on long work trips, they lived down the block from us so it was a normal part of life to walk back and forth several times a day. During school we walked there for lunch and one of my favorite memories is of Grandpa coming home from work and eating cornflakes and cold hotdogs.  He was never too busy to take a moment to listen to our stories, took us with him on weekends in the tractor and cattle trucks and as I got older he drove school bus and whenever I climbed on he would announce "How's my Tigger-two today?" He was one of the most generous and truly caring individuals ever, even after his death people would stop me on the street or while reminicsing they would comment how much they missed "Grandpa Larry". I think of him everyday and whenever I get into a tense situation I think about what he would do and I do the same. Now my grandma was the rock of the family, she raised 6 kids and so many of the grandkids floated in and out of her house on a daily basis that she joked she raised about a dozen more. My grandma is still around today and she continues to be the rock of the family, the one that ties us all together, offers us love when we feel unloveable, supports us during hard times and always has a fantastic smile. She read to me as a child and still continues to this day with reading to my son. Without them my life would never have been as steady, secure nor as full of love as it is to this day.

What I love and what I believe

I could post a thousand pictures of my child participating in activities, playing, laughing, grumping, etc. but the picture that touched my heart recently was this drawing that he did for me....

 It's my son and I walking together on an adventure. We love to go exploring in our neighborhood, trekking through the woods by the bike paths, picking up stones and sticks for his collection and spending time "fishing".  I have always been the mom that will pick up a worm or a bug even though on the inside I am screaming Yuck!! so for him to give me a picture like this knows that what I am doing is forming wonderful memories. I also love how this picture mirrors the image one of my favorite quotes (posted below):

This is something that I believe completely, children do not need expensive toys or even lots of toys, they would enjoy life just spending time with the people who love them.

And on that note I leave you with this last statement--

Then and Now

I had a simple childhood.....

And I try to live a simple life but with a five-year-old boy it's hard

And here we go...

Not sure I believe this but I have a blog, me, the person who loves to read blogs but has always doubted that anyone would want to hear what I have to say....uncomfortable with this process but I will challenge my limits and my boundaries as I expand my knowledge. Here we go!