Jessica Tabije
ECED 420
Iorio
9/11/11
Chapter 1: Guiding your program with a Vision
The members of our profession are predominantly female, and in a world where resources are controlled by predominantly male priorities, we struggle to be taken seriously. To get the recognition and support they need, women tend to do what is expected of them-color within the lines and play the game according to the rules. In early childhood care and education our message is often, “We are doing such a good job with children; please give us more recognition and resources.” If we spoke the bigger truth and acknowledged that most of our programs are mediocre at best, we’d feel like failures. Politically, we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot. Most of us early childhood professionals prefer to confine our sights to what seems possible, rather than face the pain of what Langston Hughes called “a dream deferred.” Thus we strain under multiple stresses and minimal resources, and our work force continues to turn over at a disturbing rate.
Specific blog assignment:
1. How do you respond to this paragraph?
The paragraph is absolutely correct. I’ve been in the field for over ten years and I’ve noticed that the field is managed by women. As from experience the turnover rate is constantly moving. I can count the times I’ve changed schools for various reasons like continuing education, family reasons, pay up grades, conflicts with a co-worker, or moving to a different island. In our field there’s always work out there for us. Thankfully, I’ve never has a problem getting a job in early childhood education as a preschool or toddler teacher.
2. Are there experiences or ideas that compare to this reading?
The quote of “We are doing such a good job with children; please give us more recognition and resources” could mean many different things from different personal experiences. In my opinion, we give our all for the children we care for in our classrooms, but sometimes we don’t have all the recognition or resources and we either make use with what we have or end up using our own personal resources. One may feel that our pay may not compensate for all we do. Sometimes we assist families with social services like financial assistance or transportation to doctor visits. We go beyond our job description to help support our families. We’re not social workers and sure don’t get paid as social workers but we give from the heart knowing that we can help not only the child but the family.
3. What questions emerge for you?
Sometimes I would ask myself am I in the right profession? Should I be in the social services field? Will the economy ever change that our salary be more? How much more will my salary be once I receive my bachelor’s degree? How will being in the early childhood field help me in the long run as in profession wise? How long will I have to work in the field until I can work in the administration department?
Good points! What do you think a early childhood center would be like if it was run solely by men? I think that would be rather interesting seeing that tending to children has always been "a woman's job". You mentioned that you never had a problem finding a job in our field, why do you think that is? Is it because we are one of the few special people that have mounds of patience willing to share? Or is it because people know how much teachers get paid?
ReplyDeleteSometimes being an early childhood educator can be a frustrating profession, seeing that we are overworked and underpaid. For a lot of people, the pure satisfaction of being around children promoting growth and helping them develop is enough, but the love and kindness of our hearts are not always recognized. Thanks for your imput, you got my gears grinding :).
It’s such a struggle to make ends meet sometimes and I feel your frustration. Because of this we begin to ask ourselves, do we thing our job is mediocre? Many times our profession takes a lot of our energy and time that sometimes we feel so burnt out and not feel acknowledge or recognize for the good that we do. Or Let me ask you this does your vision have a greater expectations from you?
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteWhat would the prefect school be like to keep their staff forever? Would it offer time off for education, family concerns, higher pay, etc? How can we create the perfect school?
With the many problems families are facing many times parents will express them to us. It does helps us understand what their child is facing but I wonder if we are equipped to handle their problems?
What brought you into the Early Childhood field?
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the perfect school would be like? Would this school have a lower turn over rate? Why is it that our job expands to social services? Do you think many Early Educators are forced to change careers because of our salary?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat would the perfect school be like? Could it meet the needs of staff, students, parents and the community?
ReplyDeleteIt’s such a struggle to make ends meet sometimes and I feel your frustration. Because of this we begin to ask ourselves, do we thing our job is mediocre? Many times our profession takes a lot of our energy and time that make us feel so burnt out and not feel acknowledge or recognize for the good that we do. Or Let me ask you this does your vision have a greater expectations from you?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhile the statment that the ECE field is dominated by women is true, do you question why this is true? Is there a downside to Early Education being seen as "women work?" What are comon perceptions of males in the ECE field?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the compensation and status of early childhood were higher, would there be more men or is it something that women are naturally more drawn to? When I look at our field and see the sprinkling of men, many of them hold positions above preschool aide or teacher. Why is that? Are men more likely to go for what they want than to accept their current roles? Does society value the role of women as nurturers more than men? We had a male assistant a couple of years ago. The children adored him and he was wonderful, yet families were wary about leaving their child in the care of a man. How can we challenge this way of thinking through our work with children and families?
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the societal view of children as incapable has placed the only recognition of children in the hands of early childhood educators. Further, I also wonder how often children are not viewed as capable by early childhood educators. How can a director ensure children are viewed as capable? Does a rethinking of policy and structure of schools need to happen before this shift can happen? What is the director's role in this possible shift?
Jeanne