Saturday, April 20, 2013

Ethical Ideals from NAEYC and DEC



Ideals from the NAEYC and DEC codes of Ethics that is meaningful to me…

It was very hard to commit to just 3 ehtical ideals! All are important and relevant... so here goes! 

NAEYC:
I-1.5
—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

This ideal is meaningful to me because I believe all children need a safe and stable environment when outside of the home.  Providing a child with safety and love while balancing their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs is essential.  A child learns the most when they thrive in an environment where they feel safe, secure, and accepted.  Each child should always feel valued!  Professionally I strive to provide this for each and every student I have taught over the last 6 years and will continue to do for the rest of my career. 

I-1.8
—To support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with and without disabilities.

 Having taught both general education preschool and a blended special/general preschool class, inclusion is so important!  I have found that it is great for ALL students in the class as they learn different things from each other.  Students learn tolerance, differences, similarities, how to be a leader, some learn what is acceptable behavior, how to play, move, and communicate… and so much more!  Professionally, growth is important to me as a teacher.  I grew more in one year of teaching the special/general preschool blend than I did in 4 years of teaching a regular preschool class.  I feel the reason I grew so much that year was because of the differences in my students and all that they taught me – I strive to continue this growth throughout my career. 

DEC
Responsive Family Centered Practices
5. We shall collaborate with families and colleague s in setting meaningful and relevant goals and priorities throughout the intervention process including the full disclosure of the nature, risk, and potential outcomes of any interventions.

Having been a part of hundreds of ARC meetings over the years, so many parents are unsure of their rights and the process of referral thru special education.  Most are afraid of the label and don’t understand that their child can eventually be dismissed from a program when assessed and reaching grade level.  After the referral process and an IEP is drafted, input from the parent is crucial.  Teachers and support staff are not the only people that can work on IEP goals – parents and family members can too!! By involving them in the process and supporting their child’s learning goals, they can make a huge impact on education for their child.  Having open communication between families, staff, and involved colleagues is the first step to this process and is a professional goal for myself over the years. 

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for addressing how that the parent's feel in the ARC meeting. I was one of those parents myself. I steps into that first ARC meeting unsure but I didn't want my child's teacher to think that we were not looking out for his best interest so we just agreed to everything they said. It took several years but my husband and I finally feel comfortable in the meeting and are willing to step up and ensure we get the services and support that my son needs to be successful.

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  2. I admire your commitment to ARC meetings. I know at the end of a long day it can be difficult to summon the energy to go to a meeting. So many families struggle with the public school systems in getting what their children need. Given limited resources schools do not usually volunteer information to families on what is available for their child.

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