WarChild

Emmanuel Jal’s Story

“Left home at the age of seven/one year later I’m carryin’ an Ak-47.” For hip hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier in Sudan’s brutal civil war, these lyrics are hardly empty posturing. They are the bitter reality of a young man who was “forced to sin” but determined to “never give up and never give in.” Today, wounded but still hopeful, Emmanuel Jal fights a new battle: bringing peace to his beloved Sudan and building schools in Africa. This time, his weapon is a microphone. See why audiences from New York to Berlin to London rave about the award-winning film, War Child, and have embraced the hip-hop artist with a terrifying past and a gentle soul. Interspersing original interviews, live concerts, and rare footage of Emmanuel Jal as a seven year-old boy, War Child will make viewers cry, laugh, dance, and celebrate the power of hope.

http://www.warchildmovie.com/

I chose this video for my final blog because it is an amazing example of resilience in children growing up with the trauma of war.  Many boys in Africa are kidnapped, drugged and forced to fight in wars, to kill and to be killed.  Of those who survive, a few grow up to do amazing, creative things.  Emmanuel Jal is a singer who tells the story of his childhood through his music.  There are very few children who experience atrocities worse than these child soldiers.

Looking To Italy

Currently, in The United States, the educational system is based on the idea that each age group of children should know a specific and limited number of facts, and should be able to pick each these facts out of groups of four options.  Children who can identify these facts are considered successful in school, and children who cannot are considered unsuccessful - no matter what other knowledge or skills they possess.  As a result, the educational system has now limited itself to force feeding these specific correct answers - leaving no room for original ideas, unique thought processes, creativity or individuality, traits that our society claims to value.  However, individuality and innovation do not lead to high scores on standardized tests - and therefore do not lead to school success.  This is a nonsensical paradox, but many people still strongly believe in standardization of education (probably because they were never encouraged to think when they were children).

In spite of a strong push for individualized instruction, the system of standardized testing pressures teachers to create a classroom full of unconscious, fact spewing, scan-tron completing, automatons.  The individual children and teachers disappear in this system.  Respect for learning styles becomes obsolete.  Once the age of a child is determined, they become the list of answers that the Iowa Achievement Test deems appropriate.  We do not, then, consider an individual child's growth, only their ability or lack of ability to memorize correct answers.

I am fortunate that I teach Preschool.  Standardized tests have not yet become the norm for preschool assessment - and hopefully they never will.  Still, individuals hold beliefs about what children should know or how they should act, and these beliefs often get in the way of looking at children as individuals.  Something that happened in my classroom the other day illustrates this reality.  I have a student in my three year old class, C, who is an ESL student.  In September, C had not yet begun acquiring English, and, in fact,  spoke very few words in any language.  His progress, however, has been phenomenal, and he can now express his needs and name many objects in both languages - and has gained confidence in his ability to communicate.  He still, however, groups similar objects under one heading (saying 'animal' for all animals rather than 'lion' and 'pig').  I am thrilled with his progress, and expect he will continue to learn language at an accelerated rate.  

Early this week a staff member from another classroom was spending time in my three year old class.  She heard C call me 'Teacher,' which is his word for all adults working in the school, and she was appalled.  She crouched down, put her face inches in front of his face, and spoke to him in a very stern way, "Her name is not teacher, it is Miss Kristi."  I intervened and explained to her that he is not ready to delineate all of the different staff members by different names, and that, considering he didn't call us by any name at all two months ago, his use of the word 'teacher' was cause for celebration.  Still, she maintained that him not calling me by my name was a sign of disrespect.  In the end, I had to use the old 'this is my classroom and I will run it the way I see fit' card because we were clearly not going to come to an agreement any time soon.

Anyway, I believe that children should be assessed on their individual growth, not on some pre-conceived standard.  Each child comes to the classroom at one stage of development, and leaves at another.  The role of the teacher is to smooth out the rough spots along the road of development - to minimize frustration that sometimes occurs when children are attempting to master a new skill.  It is really not possible to assess individual growth and development on a standardized test.

My classroom environments and assessment systems are based on the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy.  "The cornerstone of Reggio Emilia experiences conceptualizes an image of the child as competent, strong, inventive and full of ideas with rights instead of needs.”  (E.M. Matthews, 2008)

The Reggio Emilia philosophy is based on respecting individual children’s interests, skills, ideas, and developmental stages.  Each child is celebrated for simply being who they are, and they are supported by adults who are learning right along with them.  Assessments consist of a collection of work that is kept in chronological order – and can then be viewed as a sort of ‘time-line’ of individual development.  “Documentation often involves examples of children’s questions, work, and transcriptions that capture not only children’s skills but also their thought processes.”  (Bullock, 2002)  In addition, I keep an ongoing record of my personal observations and reflections for each child as well as photographs of work being done in the class.  All work is dated and labeled with a descriptor as well as with an explanation of Illinois Early Childhood Standards that correlate to the individual child’s experience.  This collection of each child’s work is not only used as an illustration of learning and development over time, but it is used to understand each child’s stage of development, thought processes, and needs.  I do not believe it is possible to know another person completely – especially because people continuously evolve and change throughout life.  In fact, I am still struggling with completely knowing myself.  However, by really looking at a child’s creative output and by listening to their ideas and questions with an open and accepting attitude, you can get as close as possible to knowing each child.  It is at that point that true individualized instruction and child-directed learning can occur.

My description above is my understanding of assessment practices in the Reggio Emilia schools of Italy.  I mentioned that my classrooms’ are modeled after Reggio Emilia, but I do feel the need to stress that I am far from achieving what the Italians have achieved.  I am still in the process of learning and internalizing the Reggio philosophy.  As I come to understand each new aspect of Reggio Emilia (and there are many many layers of aspects), I add new elements to my classroom environment or I change my approach to teaching preschool.  Then there is a period of change and adjustment which is necessary for accomplishing a harmony between the new direction of my personal teaching philosophy, my own personality and style, the class as a whole and the individual students.  Because I teach in two different classes, often times the original idea morphs into two completely different classroom strategies.  I have found that approaches need to be changed year by year as well – as new children and new classroom dynamics develop.  In a way, I am applying the Reggio Emilia approach to my own development as a teacher just as I am applying it to the development of the children in my care.

Bibliography

Bennett, T. (2007, June 1). Reactions to Visiting the Infant-Toddler and Preschool Centers in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Early Childhood Research and Practice . Champaign, Il: University of Illinois.

Bullock, J. B. (2002, Fall). Modeling, Collaboration, In-Depth Projects, and Cognitive Discourse: A Reggio Emilia and Project Approach Course. Early childhood Research and Practice . Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois.

E.M. Matthews, M. (2008). Reggio Emilia.

New, R. S. (2000, December). Reggio Emilia: Catalyst for Change and Conversation. Eric Digest . Champaign, IL: University of Illinois.

 The following link will take you to a wonderful website that describes the Reggio Emilia schools and philosophy and displays many photographs of the children of Reggio Emilia. From this site you can also download a beautiful and inspiring Power Point presentation:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=reggio+emilia+schools+in+italy+slideshow&go=&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=#focal=80c5f8f25d63670de9dde3a8e8334fce&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.catherineshafer.com%2Fsitebuilder%2Fimages%2FDSC05820_1_-450x600.jpg

Smile Practice" Everybody can see my eyes except for me." Marko - 4 years old by Kristina Yapp

Smile Practice" Everybody can see my eyes except for me." Marko - 4 years old by Kristina Yapp

Children Raised in Adverse Environments

My paternal grandmother was diagnosed with schizophrenia years before my father was born.  After my father's birth, her condition worsened, and he was sent to live with some neighbors for several years.  He remembers these neighbors being very good to him and treating him as if he were their own child.  However, after his mother was released from the hospital, he was brought back home to be with his natural parents.


Unfortunately, his mother's condition had not lessened.  She was considered untreatable.  At this point, my grandfather went into a deep depression.  He went to work every day and he supported his family financially, but he stayed in the garage once he was home and spoke to no one.  He disengaged himself from his family other than his obligation to provide for them financially.


I have heard many stories of growing up with a schizophrenic mother.  First of all, because neither of his parents were mentally or emotionally able to provide for their children, my father often went hungry and shoeless.  He lived in a small town where everybody knew about his mother's condition, and therefore had no friends at school.  He would go out to farmers fields and pick fruits and vegetables to eat, and this was one of the ways he survived.


One day my father had come home to find that dinner had been prepared.  He opened the pot to find his pet rabbit boiling in a stew.  His mother had, on this day, remembered that she should feed her family, but had forgotten that the rabbit was a pet.


My grandmother was very paranoid.  She lived in fear of outside forces that would attack.  At times she  felt certain that aliens were going to invade, other times it was simply "bad men" that she feared.  She was sometimes certain that the end of the world was imminent and that everyone must pray for the salvation of their souls.  When my father was a teenager, he came into the house and his mother attempted to shoot him (luckily there were no bullets in the gun.  She thought he was one of the invaders she feared and did not recognize him as her son.


My father was blessed by his intellect.  He spent most of his free time alone outdoors.  He invented things wit natural objects that he found and explored the properties of nature.  He knew from a young age that he did not want to stay in the town where he lived, and he viewed school as his means to liberation.   He got perfect grades, and won a scholarship to The University of Illinois.  He became a successful chemist, married and had two children, and now has six grandchildren.


Not all children of mentally ill parents are so lucky.  According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children of mentally ill parents run a high risk of developing mental illness themselves.  Additionally, because living with mental illness is stressful for the whole family, children are at harm due to neglect.


The following are behaviors often seen in children of mentally ill parents:



YOUNGER CHILDREN 

• Marked fall in school performance
• Poor grades in school despite trying very hard
• Severe worry or anxiety, as shown by regular refusal to go to school, go to sleep or take part in activities that are normal for the child's age
• Frequent physical complaints
• Hyperactivity; fidgeting; constant movement beyond regular playing with or without difficulty paying attention
• Persistent nightmares
• Persistent disobedience or aggression (longer than 6 months) and provocative opposition to authority figures
• Frequent, unexplainable temper tantrums
• Threatens to harm or kill oneself

PRE-ADOLESCENTS AND ADOLESCENTS 

• Marked decline in school performance
• Inability to cope with problems and daily activities
• Marked changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
• Extreme difficulties in concentrating that get in the way at school or at home
• Sexual acting out
• Depression shown by sustained, prolonged negative mood and attitude, often accompanied by poor appetite, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of death
• Severe mood swings
• Strong worries or anxieties that get in the way of daily life, such as at school or socializing
• Repeated use of alcohol and/or drugs
• Intense fear of becoming obese with no relationship to actual body weight, excessive dieting, throwing up or using laxatives to loose weight
• Persistent nightmares
• Threats of self-harm or harm to others
• Self-injury or self destructive behavior
• Frequent outbursts of anger, aggression
• Repeated threats to run away
• Aggressive or non-aggressive consistent violation of rights of others; opposition to authority, truancy, thefts, or vandalism
• Strange thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or unusual behaviors

Often, professionals concentrate on the mental health of the parent and do not consider the health of the whole family.  In order to stop the cycle of mental illness in families, the following steps are necessary for the health of children:

• Knowledge that their parent(s) is ill and that they are not to blame
• Help and support from family members
• A stable home environment
• Psychotherapy for the child and the parent(s)
• A sense of being loved by the ill parent
• A naturally stable personality in the child
• Positive self esteem
• Inner strength and good coping skills in the child
• A strong relationship with a healthy adult
• Friendships, positive peer relationships
• Interest in and success at school
• Healthy interests outside the home for the child
• Help from outside the family to improve the family environment (for example, marital psychotherapy or parenting classes)

http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_of_parents_with_mental_illness

It is amazing to find that children being raised in war-torn countries can suffer many of the same effects as children of mentally ill parents.  And, as in the case of parental mental illness, "For young children, quality of care is the most important protective factor; caregivers play a critical shielding role as does the lack of understanding or awareness of the full meaning of the situation." Ann Masten  

The description of the film "Children In War" states "At the end of the 20th Century, the targeting and killing of children in war has become another crime against humanity. Although the Principles of Protection and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in wartime are clearly defined by international law, these accepted standards of decency are routinely violated by governments and military leaders. In today's wars 90 percent of the casualties are civilians, compared to 50 percent in World War II. In the past ten years, two million children have been killed in wars throughout the world."  

The following statistics refer to the effects of the Bosnian War on children:

BOSNIA
An estimated 15,000 children died in this three-year-long civil war.

UNICEF

An estimated 200,000 people were killed during the war which also produced 3 million refugees who were forcibly expelled from their homes by Serbian and Croatian ethnic cleansing.

UNHCR

After the Dayton Peace Accord, fewer than 10 percent of refugees were able to return home. The majority of refugees were displaced throughout the former Yugoslavia and the world.

UNHCR

http://www.videoverite.tv/childreninwar/bookforward.html

Children living through wars cannot feel safety and security because those concepts are not a part of their reality.  These children are hiding in bomb shelters listening to the sounds of mortar fire all around them.  They emerge to see homes and cities destroyed - and then their parents go to fight in the war, leaving them feeling less protected than before.  During the Bosnian War it was common practice for soldiers to rape and murder children and women, and now the children of the rape victims are coming to an age of understanding of their origins.  Children who survived this time were traumatized, separated from their families, orphaned and terrified.  

There are several organizations who have attempted to help lessen the psychological effects of war on the surviving children.  Through art therapy and self-expression.  However, the long-term effects are only now becoming apparent.

The only way to truly protect children from the effects of war is to stop war all together.

Masten, A. (2009). Effects of War on Children and Child Development. New York: The Melissa Institute.

Psychiatry, A. A. (2010). When to Seek Help for Your Family. Retrieved november 27, 2010, from American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry: http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_of_parents_with_mental_illness

Raymond, A. a. (2003). Children In War. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from Children In War: http://www.videoverite.tv/childreninwar/thefilm.html

The Effects of Nutrition on Child Development

For several years I have been making an effort to improve my own health and nutrition as well as that of my family.   I came to understand the importance of proper nutrition in people being the best that they can be.  A nutritious diet as well as an active lifestyle improve health, body image, energy levels, thinking skills and emotional health.  I have worked hard at lifestyle changes that would improve the well-being of my family as well as give my children the foundations for a happy and successful life.

The more I have learned about the importance of proper nutrition, however, the more I have come to realize the magnitude of the problems that worldwide malnutrition is causing and will cause in the future, the more concerned I have become.  The statistics are bleak, and if major efforts to improve humankind's dietary intake are not made, the results could be devastating.

The World Health Organization's website "Nutrition for Health and Development," http://www.who.int/nutrition/en/ states the following statistics:

• On the average, a person dies every second as a direct or indirect result of malnutrition - 4000 every hour - 100 000 each day - 36 million each year - 58 % of all deaths (2001-2004 estimates).
• On the average, a child dies every 5 seconds as a direct or indirect result of malnutrition - 700 every hour - 16 000 each day - 6 million each year - 60% of all child deaths (2002-2008 estimates).

Those are huge numbers, especially when you consider the fact that providing people with education and access to good food could virtually eradicate the problem.  This sounds like a simple solution, but we have a long way to go.  

The website "An End To World Hunger:  Hope For The Future," http://library.thinkquest.org/C002291/high/present/stats.htm  lists the following trends in the worldwide nutrition problem:

• In the Asian, African and Latin American countries, well over 500 million people are living in what the World Bank has called "absolute poverty"
• Every year 15 million children die of hunger
• For the price of one missile, a school full of hungry children could eat lunch every day for 5 years
• The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world is well-fed, one-third is under-fed one-third is starving- Since you've entered this site at least 200 people have died of starvation. Over 4 million will die this year.
• One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5. 
• The Indian subcontinent has nearly half the world's hungry people. Africa and the rest of Asia together have approximately 40%, and the remaining hungry people are found in Latin America and other parts of the world. Hunger in Global Economy
• Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion - a majority of humanity - live on less than $1 per day, while the world's 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries with 45 percent of the world's people. UNICEF
• 3 billion people in the world today struggle to survive on US$2/day.
• In 1994 the Urban Institute in Washington DC estimated that one out of 6 elderly people in the U.S. has an inadequate diet.
• In the U.S. hunger and race are related. In 1991 46% of African-American children were chronically hungry, and 40% of Latino children were chronically hungry compared to 16% of white children.
• The infant mortality rate is closely linked to inadequate nutrition among pregnant women. The U.S. ranks 23rd among industrial nations in infant mortality. African-American infants die at nearly twice the rate of white infants.
• One out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night.
• Half of all children under five years of age in South Asia and one third of those in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished.
• In 1997 alone, the lives of at least 300,000 young children were saved by vitamin A supplementation programmes in developing countries.
• Malnutrition is implicated in more than half of all child deaths worldwide - a proportion unmatched by any infectious disease since the Black Death
• About 183 million children weigh less than they should for their age
• To satisfy the world's sanitation and food requirements would cost only US$13 billion- what the people of the United States and the European Union spend on perfume each year.
• The assets of the world's three richest men are more than the combined GNP of all the least developed countries on the planet.
• Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger
• It is estimated that some 800 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition, about 100 times as many as those who actually die from it each year.

Malnutrition causes more child deaths, more low-birth rate babies and more stillbirths than any other factor in existence.  Children who are malnourished and survive suffer from poor health, stunted growth and decreased ability to learn.  For example, iodine deficiency lowers intelligence by 10 to 15 I.Q. points.  Additionally, studies have shown that children who are hungry cannot concentrate at school.  I know that I can neither concentrate nor be pleasant when I am hungry (and I am far from starving).

according to the World Health Organization, "If a pregnant woman is malnourished, her child may weigh less at birth and have a lower chance of survival. Vitamin A deficiency from malnutrition is the chief cause of preventable blindness in the developing world, and kids with severe vitamin A deficiency have a greater chance of getting sick or dying from infections such as diarrhea or measles. Iodine deficiency, another form of malnutrition, can cause mental retardation and delayed development. Iron deficiency can make kids less active and less able to concentrate. Teens who are malnourished often have trouble keeping up in school."

While malnutrition is considered to be a third world problem, in 2009 it was estimated that more than a million children in the United States go to bed hungry every night.  This number is expected to rise as the recession continues.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/17/millions-hungry-households-us-report

The following are signs and symptoms of malnutrition.  If children are displaying problems with behavior or academics, teachers should consider hunger as a possible cause:

• fatigue and low energy
• dizziness
• poor immune function (which can hamper the body's ability to fight off infections)
• dry, scaly skin
• swollen and bleeding gums
• decaying teeth
• slowed reaction times and trouble paying attention
• underweight
• poor growth
• muscle weakness
• bloated stomach
• osteoporosis, or fragile bones that break easily
• problems with organ function
• problems learning

While the statistics of world hunger are staggering, I found something really shocking during my research.  While it is commonly understood that hunger and malnutrition go hand in hand - there is another dietary factor that leads to malnutrition, and it is a problem that is steadily increasing worldwide.  Childhood obesity and malnutrition are just as strongly related as hunger and malnutrition.

According to the CDC, childhood obesity rates in The United States alone have triples in the past 30 years, and doubled in preschool age children.  Malnutrition is not simply caused by lack of food, it is caused by lack of nutritious foods.  With the increased popularity of fat foods and processed convenience foods, children are living on a diet of grease and salt with little or no nutritional value.  According to the CDC's website "Childhood Overweight and Obesity," http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html, Obese children can suffer from all of the same conditions as hungry children with the addition of:

• Hypertension
• Heart Disease
• High Cholesterol
• Pre Diabetes and Diabetes
• Gastrointestinal Disease
• Depression
• Poor Self –Esteem
• Sleep Apnea
• Early Puberty
• Bone Disease
• Reproductive Problems    

As a teacher, I think it is important to teach children and families about the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.  Additionally, it is my obligation to help hungry families locate resources for healthy foods.  Finally, I am committed to working with my school's food program in order to help ensure that the children we care for receive healthy meals and snacks every day.

Resources:

Websites:

the CDC's website: Childhood Overweight and Obesity

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html

Guardian: Record Numbers Go Hungry In The US

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/17/millions-hungry-households-us-report

An End To World Hunger:  Hope For The Future http://library.thinkquest.org/C002291/high/present/stats.htm 

The World Health Organization's website: Nutrition for Health and Development

 http://www.who.int/nutrition/en/

Articles:

"The World Health Organization Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition: methodology and applications"  Mercedes de Onis and Monika Blössner

"Childhood obesity: Public-health crisis, common sense cure" Cara B Ebbeling; Dorota B Pawlak; David S Ludwig

"Worldwide Trends in Childhood Overweight and Obesity"  Youfa Wang and Tim Lobstein

"Long-term Poverty and Child Development in the United States"  Sanders Korenman

"Child development in developing countries 2: Child development: risk factors"Susan P Walker

Giving Birth

I have actually given birth five times.  The first was a hospital birth (18 years ago).  The second was a hospital birth with midwives.  The third was a home birth with midwives.  The fifth was a hospital stillbirth at 18 weeks gestation.  The fifth, (five years ago this coming Tuesday) was meant to be a hospital birth with midwives, but ended up being an emergency c-section with a physician.

Each experience was very different from the others, and each was beautiful in it's own way.  By far, however, the most positive experience I had was the home birth of my third son which was attended by midwives from the Alivio Medical center in Chicago, Illinois.  http://aliviomedicalcenter.org/.

This planned home birth had the advantages of both a traditional birth and modern healthcare.  I had most of my prenatal appointments at the medical center, and received all of the standard tests that American women receive.  In addition, I had two prenatal appointments in my home, with the midwives coming to me.

When I started feeling labor pains, I stayed at home and relaxed.  When the pains began to get closer together, I did not have to grab my bags and head for the hospital - I called my midwives and stayed right where I was.  Being at home was comfortable and much less stressful than the ride to the hospital and the procedures that take place before arriving in the sterile delivery room.

The midwives came, and they checked my progress from time to time, but the whole process was very private for my husband and I.  Things were calm and comfortable, it was the two of us together supporting each other at home, and the whole birth process felt natural and beautiful instead of feeling like a huge risk with the possibility of complications.

The midwives were present, however, to offer advice and comfort.  For pain, I took a hot bath, or got a massage.  The pain never reached a point of being unbearable.  I attribute this to the stress-free, comfortable feeling of being supported in my own home.

When it came close to time to push, the midwives became much more active.  With their encouragement and support, I gave birth to an 8 lb baby boy, Milan Yapp,  in my own bed, leaning against my husband, who then cut the cord.  We were allowed to keep the placenta so that we could bury it in the ground and plant a tree in the same spot.

Milan Yapp - 8 years later

I read an article about a hospital in Ecuador that does vertical birth, with the mother standing and squatting rather than lying horizontal in a bed.  http://www.womensenews.org/story/health/090215/gravity-birth-pulls-women-ecuador-hospital..  At this hospital modern medicine is truly integrated with traditional practices.  The women give birth vertically so that gravity can speed the birth process, and they are given traditional herbal teas and traditional shamans are present.  However, obstetricians and modern medicines are available as well, and the hospital has an infant mortality rate half that of the rest of the country.

I would recommend that anyone interested in a more traditional birthing seriously explore the options.  It is so much more pleasant than a hospital birth.

Code of Ethics

When reading the NAEYC Code of Ethics, I realized that the responsibility held by an Early Childhood professional goes far beyond an obligation to the children.  Because it is in the best interest of the children, a professional must be willing to work with and educate the many people they come into contact with.  The following are some of the NAEYC principles that really struck a cord with me:


Ethical Responsibilities to Families
Families* are of primary importance in children’s
development. Because the family and the early childhood
practitioner have a common interest in the child’s
well-being, we acknowledge a primary responsibility to
bring about communication, cooperation, and collaboration
between the home and early childhood program
in ways that enhance the child’s development.

The thing that resonated with me in the section of the NAEYC Code of Ethics on families was the importance of respecting families, the choices they make for their children, and their child rearing practices.  I have recently become more attuned to negative comments about families made by my center staff.  It is actually more common than not to hear staff talking badly about the families of the children in our care (and sometimes doing it right in front of the children).  I have come to understand that each family is different, and chooses to do things in different ways, and for different reasons - and as long as the child isn't in danger, it is not the place of childcare staff to voice their negative opinions.  I have started speaking out about the unsoundness of this practice.


Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues
In a caring, cooperative workplace, human dignity is
respected, professional satisfaction is promoted, and
positive relationships are developed and sustained.
Based upon our core values, our primary responsibility
to colleagues is to establish and maintain settings
and relationships that support productive work and
meet professional needs. The same ideals that apply
to children also apply as we interact with adults in
the workplace.

Concerning responsibilities to colleagues, several ideas made an impact on my thinking.  The first was, that like families, staff come from different cultural, educational and child-rearing backgrounds.  Many staff members will do things differently than me, but that does not mean either of us are wrong.  as long as the children are safe, healthy, and happy, it is important to respect and celebrate differences among staff.

The other idea that I found thought-provoking was the idea of working directly with a colleague when I do believe they need to change their practices with children before reporting the issues to the director or owner.  In the past, I always felt that I should report things I found to be unhealthy for the children, and then let the director and owner decide whether or not as well as how to deal with it.  Now I see that, based on my experience and education, it is better to try to work as a partner with the other staff, and share my concerns and ideas with them.


Ethical Responsibilities to Community
and Society
Early childhood programs operate within the context of
their immediate community made up of families and
other institutions concerned with children’s welfare.
Our responsibilities to the community are to provide
programs that meet the diverse needs of families, to
cooperate with agencies and professions that share the
responsibility for children, to assist families in gaining
access to those agencies and allied professionals, and
to assist in the development of community programs
that are needed but not currently available.
As individuals, we acknowledge our responsibility to
provide the best possible programs of care and education
for children and to conduct ourselves with honesty
and integrity. Because of our specialized expertise in
early childhood development and education and
because the larger society shares responsibility for the
welfare and protection of young children, we acknowledge
a collective obligation to advocate for the best
interests of children within early childhood programs
and in the larger community and to serve as a voice for
young children everywhere.
The ideals and principles in this section are presented
to distinguish between those that pertain to the
work of the individual early childhood educator and
those that more typically are engaged in collectively on
behalf of the best interests of children—with the
understanding that individual early childhood educators
have a shared responsibility for addressing the
ideals and principles that are identified as “collective.”


This section was the most surprising.  I never really thought about my responsibility for children as going outside of the center.  This section, though, maps out a responsibility to work with other areas of the community to make them work together with the center and with each other to create a child centered culture throughout the town and surrounding areas.  As they say "It takes a village to raise a child," and a village that works under the NAECY Code of Ethics would help guarantee the healthy development of it's youngest residents.




All of the above principles have their basis in the best practices for young children.  These are the core values upon which the NAEYC Code of Ethics is based:






• Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage
of the human life cycle
• Base our work on knowledge of how children develop
and learn
• Appreciate and support the bond between the child
and family
• Recognize that children are best understood and

supported in the context of family, culture, community,
and society
• Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each
individual (child, family member, and colleague)
• Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues
• Recognize that children and adults achieve their full
potential in the context of relationships that are based
on trust and respect