Not goodbye but see you later

In the past two years I have started a new career, had a baby and finished my Masters’ degree. My life has changed significantly but I am thankful for the colleagues, peers and professors I gave grown to know and learn from.

One lesson I have learned is to appreciate the families I work with and to meet them where they are.  The expectations and goals I have for a family might not be same. I need to be sensitive to the needs and goals of the families I work with.

Secondly, I have learned to trust my instinct and grow and learn from my colleagues.  I have a lot of education and experience, however, learning and growing from those around me is an experience I need to be thankful for.

Finally, I have learned to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. Working with challenging families and peers can be opportunity for growth. It is important to put myself in situations I may not be comfortable with in an effort to grow myself as a professional.

To my colleagues, I wish you luck on the next chapter of your career. Thank you for challenging me and encouraging me through this process. To Dr. Teri, thank you for challenging me as a professional and supporting me through the process. I appreciate your feedback and encouragement.

International organizations

Over the course of this class I have researched early childhood organizations working at a local and national level to promote social change. This week I focused on international organizations.

This first organization I researched was the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  This organization was born out of the desire to work with others to tackle challenges including poverty, violence, disease and discrimination that may impact a child’s education.  Focus areas for UNICEF include survival and development, basic education and gender equality, HIV/AIDS, Child projection and policy advocacy and partnership (UNICEF, n.d.).

The second organization I researched is Save the Children.  Save the Children is dedicated to providing relief to countries that have been hit with disasters.  In the area of education their focus is to train teachers in effective teaching practices, coach parents and caregivers on strategies to help their child begin learning at an early age. In addition, they offer reading and math programs outside of school hours and introduce children to the arts including painting, math and drama. The overall goal is to provide resources to help children continue learning during a crisis (Save the Children, 2013).

Finally, I researched the Academy for Educational Development. This organization takes a 360-degree perspective. They believe everything in linked. Their goal is to build the skills of individuals, communities and countries to address their needs in order to attain sustainability.  They want to generate, share and apply knowledge to improve lives. In addition, they partner with various organizations to achieve success (Academy for Educational Development, 2011).

These organizations are working to promote social change in a variety of ways. Their work has a significant impact on the early childhood field on an international level.

References:

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org

Save the Children (2013). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org

Academy for Educational Development. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aed.org