Communities of Practice and Career Options

In the field of early childhood education it is essential for both educators and organizations to combine resources in order to best meet the needs of the young children and families we serve. There are several organizations that provide supports and community resources for teachers, these include:

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as well as its local affiliates. NAEYC provides educators with tools, resources, and local forums or communities to discuss, share and exchange ideas and challenges professionals in the field are experiencing. Through online forums, monthly publications, and conferences members of this community of practice can come together to learn from each other and contribute to the overall well-being of the profession.

The Lucile Packard Foundation has support community collaboration efforts called the 5 C's or the California Community Care Coordination Collaboration. The Lucile Packard Foundation is a charitable organization that has provided grants to communities to set up these collaborative communities to support children in California that have a special healthcare need. Bringing together the different stakeholders to better improve services and communication and interaction among agencies that serve  children and families with special medical needs.

In California preschool teachers have many opportunities for supporting their professional development the California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN), is one such organization. CPIN provides free professional development workshops across the state, as well as valuable resources on their website. The site also has a discussion forum where early childhood educators can share ideas and ask for assistance from one another.

Within the field of early childhood education there are several career paths that I can take, while I would not dream of leaving my current position, I would enjoy adding to my CV by becoming an adjunct faculty member at the local community college. This position requires a Master’s degree in Child development/early childhood education, human development, home economics/family and consumer studies with a specialization in child development/early childhood education, or educational psychology with a specialization in child development/early childhood education, and The ability to demonstrate clear evidence of a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.