Off We Go!

I cannot believe we have finally reached the end of our journey.  I began my master’s journey over 2 ½ years ago and took lots of breaks due to family illnesses, etc.  I am excited and very ready to graduate.  Despite my excitement, it is bitter-sweet.  I have grown so much as both a person and an educator over the last few years. 

One thing I feel that I have learned through this program is how deeply my relationships with the people around me affect my work.  Not only my relationships with co-workers, but with families and children as well.  Everything I do is based on a relationship, which is built on trust and knowledge.  Establishing trust is the first step, then backing it up with deep, broad knowledge of my field is what really brings it all together.

Aside from all the facts and knowledge I gained, I also value (very highly) the research skills I learned while in this program.  Learning how to find information and decipher it validity is priceless.  While it is impossible to know everything, it is possible to FIND the answers to anything. 

Most of all I have learned about myself.  I have discovered my deep-seeded passions for education as a whole, as well as the families in my care.  I have learned about my own biases and how my brain reacts to people that are different than myself.  Bottom line about myself, I have learned that I am truly capable of anything. 

The completion of my Master’s Degree has been a “long-term” goal of mine.  I put it in quotes because I am still young, so long-term has been short compared to some of my colleagues.  I feel that I am generally happy in the classroom setting for the time being.  That being said, I know that I will not want to be in such a physically demanding job forever, thus I have developed a long-term  goal of working for a larger organization, like Zero-to-Three, in some kind of family education branch of ECE. 

It is not without my classmates that I could have completed my courses, and for that, I would like to say thank you.  Our course readings, videos, and lectures were all highly valuable, but it was my colleagues that brought our course work to life and made it interesting and treasured.  Sometimes I get lost in the smallness of my own center, and forget that there are professionals like myself out there that view ECE the same way I do.  I and thankful for each of you. 

I would like to leave you with words from Dr. Suess:

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

Best of luck to each of you!

Jobs/Roles in the International ECE Community

This week we are exploring the options for jobs and/or roles in the INTERNATIONAL early childhood community.

I first chose to investigate the UNICEF website at http://www.unicef.org. Why? Unicef is an organization which was familiar to me. It is an organization that is well established and reputable.  Unicef has deep roots and a global impact on the health and well being of children around the world. They support the health and nutrition of children in developing countries through the provision of vaccinations, good water, sanitation, and quality education for all boys and girls.

There were no available jobs in the Early Childhood Development department, so I looked into their internship program. 

UNICEF Internship Programme

Purpose of the Position: offers eligible/qualified students at both Headquarters and country offices the opportunity to acquire direct practical experience in UNICEF's work under the direct supervision of experienced UNICEF staff.

Qualifications: You need to be a currently-enrolled graduate or post-graduate student in a field related to UNICEF’s interests. You must be enrolled during the full duration of the proposed internship period.  At this time we do not accept undergraduates.  You should be fluent in English and one other UNICEF working language i.e. French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese.  Your academic performance should be excellent, as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.  Your application for an internship should be supported by your university or related institution. A minimum requirement is a letter from one of your professors supporting your application. This is only needed when an internship assignment has been offered to you.  Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in the field of international development, particularly in areas of UNICEF priorities.  Ability to adapt and work in a multi-cultural setting.   Has strong commitment to the values and principles of the United Nations and UNICEF's mission, guiding principles and Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Additional consideration will be given for any past work experiences.

I am not sure that an internship appeals to me, however, working for the UNICEF organization is prestigious and I would be lucky to be with such an association

SAVE THE CHILDREN:

a leading international, independent organization that seeks to create lasting change in the lives of children in need across the world. They link early childhood professionals, organizations, and governments together in order to help children and families to help themselves. They are especially instrumental when disasters strike around the world and come to the aid of families by providing food, medical care, and education, as well as long-term recovery programs.

There were several types of positions available: 

1. U.S. Headquarters Positions

Headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut with a major office in Washington D.C., our staff is a diverse group of people working in a variety of specialties including:

·         Program and policy work in the areas of U.S. programs, Child Protection and HIV/AIDs, Education and Child Development, Health and Nutrition, Hunger and Livelihoods and Humanitarian Response.

·         Marketing & Communications

·         Resource Development

·         Finance

·         Human Resources

·         Information Services

2. U.S. Field-Based Positions

Save the Children runs and coordinates programs for children and families in 29 states across the country. Our field-based positions work with local and national partners to implement programs in Early Childhood and Education, Literacy, Nutrition and Exercise.

3. International Field-Based Positions
Our U.S. headquarters also recruits a limited number of qualified individuals to support field-based programs in a variety of International locations. In addition Save the Children International and 30 national Save the Children organizations around the world also recruit for positions overseas.

All of these positions appealed to me somewhat, but I feel that having an international field-based position would be the most interesting, and the most different from my current position.

Early Childhood Exchange:

 According to their website, “Exchange is committed to supporting early childhood professionals worldwide in their efforts to craft early childhood environments where adults and children thrive – environments that foster friendship, curiosity, self-esteem, joy, and respect; where the talents of all are fully challenged and justly rewarded” (information retrieved from http://www.childcareexchange.com/about-us/mission/).

They have several job postings for teachers and directors, but I found it interesting that they were also looking for writers in the ECE field. Early Childhood Exchange sends out a daily email to professionals that I have been receiving for several years.

Write for Exchange

Exchange is committed to supporting early childhood professionals worldwide in their efforts to craft early childhood environments where adults and children live – environments that foster friendship, curiosity, self-esteem, joy, and respect; where the talents of all are fully challenged and justly rewarded.

This intrigued me because it would be supplemental work. I can easily do something like this alongside the work that I am already doing with infants. It can be a great vehicle for my writing and for communicating my passion with movement and exploration based on the needs and interests of the individual child.