Professionalism is a reflection of the experience you have gained in the sphere you have chosen. They are maintaining professional means to love the profession and make all efforts for improvement. Teachers and mentors are a vocative profession that involves every day studying and understanding children’s needs at every stage of their evolution. Many challenges and obstacles are waiting for those who have chosen the early childhood care and education profession, but knowing that there is a strong underpin of practice.
How to understand ECP?
This is someone who:
- Possess the right set of skills and data that are required to use the programs that allow children to cooperate with the surroundings, gain the knowledge to be safe and to achieve success in the future;
- An informs the community about the issues that can happen with child and families, assure that the first five years is critical for early childhood matters
- Improves and upgrades skills in order to expand the data. The main goal is to find the answers and understand what should be done absolute best for the child in any particular situation.
The attitude to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) in modern society depends on many aspects. Firstly, the way ECE presents themselves. To be accepted as a professional, it is required to act as professionals. This is the main idea to develop your career. Secondly, it is main responsibility to inform the parents about the child’s achievements, what new skill focuses on today, positive aspect. Moreover, parents pay attention to the background ECE has and feel confident when getting answers to any questions appears in their minds related to the upbringing and discussing situations happened at home. Being prepared for such moments and having a unique education program shows the level of your professionalism.
Ranges of Professionalism
Nowadays, we can separate four main ranges of professionalism in the field of early childhood:
Professional Data
Best practices within the field. For example, a preschool teacher should have a prek program that can be used for children aged from 2 to 4. The educational program should include activities that are focused on developing oral, mental and other skills in preschools. Another aspect is understanding how children learn and grow adapting in this world. The good thing about is seeking out and filling the knowledge every day. It would be a good idea, if you chose the ECE profession, to be a volunteer in preschool when the prek program is presenting. This will help you understand whether you chose the right course for you and got some experience to advance further. Often parents take children to preschool because they do not have enough patience to teach their child to read, count and write. Well- organized prek program eases teachers this step. A child teaches new activities in a classroom within the game. Try to gather your own set of games and other tricks basing on the experience and knowledge.
Сompetence
This dimension demonstrates a professional view. Parents are secure to know that they can trust their child. There are a lot of items we can do to identify the competence. Remember the child’s names, personalities, and temperaments. Share this knowledge with the parents. Parents delight and notice the fact that you are observant. Advancing an education philosophy shows competence as well. Review the program and analyze whether goals are achieved. In the classroom you are a teacher and a tutor, children listen to you. You need to interest the children; then you can manipulate the situation in the classroom. Basic understanding of child development demonstration and applying this awareness maintain professionalism.
Commitment to the Ethical Standard
ECE should have an instruction on how to cooperate with children and their families, some basic rules what is allowed and what is forbidden. Maintaining professionalism seems to stick to the rules and work due to the standards which are mentioned in the Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment.
Personal Characteristics
Truly speaking, frank love and true respect are the features that people are born with and are important for persons who will be an ECE. Showing your real attitude and love for families is a challenge and helps to build a base for further cooperation. Emotional qualities are also valuable for the career. You can attend lots of lectures, training but some features cannot be studied only developed more. Mental and physical health is crucial too. You should be able to play games with little children and by the way they are always full of energy all day long. Attending a gym is a good idea to be in a good physical and mental mood. A neat appearance is like a business card.
Maintaining professionalism is hard work that demands not only physical and mental source from your side but the realization that you lay the foundation to the new generation. Remind this and make your educational program full of activities that help children to develop their talents, skills and be able to build our future.
