Professionalism in Early Childhood Education

Description

Dr. Stephanie Feeney is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she directed early childhood teacher education programs for many years. She received her bachelor’s degree at UCLA, master’s degree at Harvard University, and doctorate at Claremont Graduate University. Her publications include Who Am I in the Lives of Children? (9th edition), Continuing Issues in Early Childhood Education (3^rd edition), Early Childhood Education in the Pacific and Asia, Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator: Using the NAEYC Code of Ethics, Teaching the NAEYC Code of Ethics: A Resource Guide, a curriculum for young children, numerous articles, and four children’s books about Hawaii.

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Since the mid l980s Dr. Feeney has participated in work on professional ethics for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She was co-author of the association’s Code of Ethical Conduct which was developed based on input from the field under the guidance of an Ethics Commission which she chaired. She has worked on two revisions of the Code, on the development of supplements to the Code for Adult Educators and Program Administrators, and she co-authors an ethics column in the journal Young Children.

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Dr. Feeney has lectured and taught throughout the United States and in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.¿ She has served on the Governing Boards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE), and on committees relating to early care and education in Hawaii and nationally.

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Dr. Feeney may be contacted at feeney@hawaii.edu.

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Investigate what it means to be an early childhood professional and acquire the knowledge, skills and traits exemplary early childhood educators possess!

 

Written for those entering the field or striving to grow within the profession, early child care leader and author, Dr. Stephanie Feeney helps readers understand the nature of the profession, what it means to behave in a professional way, and where they stand in their own professional journey in her newest resource, Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Doing Our Best for Young Children. She devotes chapters to moral and technical competence and explains what the terms profession and professional mean. Complete with self-assessments and first-hand accounts, Dr. Feeney guides readers in understanding what it means to be an educator who embodies the highest standards of professionalism in their work with children, families and colleagues.

Investigate what it means to be an early childhood professional and acquire the knowledge, skills and traits exemplary early childhood educators possess!

Written for those entering the field or striving to grow within the profession, early child care authority and author, Dr. Stephanie Feeney helps readers understand the nature of the profession, what it means to behave in a professional way, and where they stand in their own professional journey. She devotes chapters to moral and technical competence and explains what the terms profession and professional mean. Complete with self-assessments and first-hand accounts, Dr. Feeney guides readers in understanding what it means to be an educator who embodies the highest standards of professionalism in their work with children, families and colleagues.

Take a look inside…

• Explores the topic of professionalism—examines what constitutes a profession, the professional status of ECE and issues related to professionalism in ECE.
• Discusses what professionalism looks like in the early childhood field (Chapter 4)—includes discussion of the knowledge and skills, or what those who work with young children should know and be able to do.
• Addresses professional behavior (chapter 5)—features discussion of professional conduct, doing what is right, including ethical behavior
• Showcases exemplars in the field and provide guidance to aspiring early childhood professionals (chapter 6)—draws on the experiences of outstanding early childhood educators and illustrates ways to best serve young children.
• Includes reflection questions and self-assessments—helps readers examine their own practice and work toward a higher level of professionalism.

Introduction

· How I came to write this book

· Why address this topic now?

· A note to college teachers and trainers

CHAPTER 1—What is a Profession?

· Origins of professions

· What do the terms mean?

· Criteria for determining if an occupation is a profession

· A continuum of professions

· How should professionals behave?

· Issues regarding professions

CHAPTER 2—Is Early Childhood Education a Profession?

· Historical influences on the field of ECE

· How does early childhood education meet the criteria for a profession?

· Where do we stand?

· Do we want to be a profession?

· Which way should we go from here?

CHAPTER 3—Personal attributes

· What should early childhood educators be like?

· What you bring into the world

· Who you are as a person

· Who you are as an educator

· Knowing yourself

· Final thoughts

CHAPTER 4—Knowledge and Skills

· Historical influences on knowledge and skills needed to teach young children

· The current landscape

· What should early childhood educators should know and be able to do?

· How do these things come together in practice?

· Final thoughts

CHAPTER 5—Professional Behavior

· Characteristics of professional conduct

· Doing what is right—ethics and advocacy

· Performing the job

· Final thoughts

CHAPTER 6—Aspiring to do your Best

· Looking backward

· Early childhood education as a “calling”

· A developmental perspective

· Basics and beyond

· Looking forward

APPENDICES

A—Self Assessments

B—Professional development plan

C—Recommended reading

D— NAEYC CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT

“This book on professionalism by Stephanie Feeney stands to elevate the field. It introduces the idea of a wider and deeper set of dispositions and skills that are required of teachers if we’re ever going to realize true reform and bring about excellence for young children.”

 

Sherry Cleary

Executive Director

New York City Early Childhood Professional Development Institute

The City University of New York

In this groundbreaking book Stephanie Feeney addresses the topic of professionalism and how insights gained from the study of professions can contribute to practice in the field of early childhood education. She offers an approach to looking at professionalism that reflects the unique history, mission and knowledge base of the field of early childhood education.

In it she discusses:

 

·      the nature of professions,

·      the professional status of early childhood education,

·      knowledge and skills that are needed to work effectively with young children (technical competence),

·      professional behaviors needed by early childhood educators including communication skills, work ethic,

        and professional ethics (moral competence), and

·      personal attributes that are desirable for those who work with young children.

 

Because experiences in the early years are so important, those who work with young children need to exhibit a high degree of professionalism in their day-to-day work with children. This book was written to guide them in providing the high standards of nurturing education and care that young children need to support their development.

·         Written by a leader in the field–Dr. Stephanie Feeney, Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, author of five books, four children’s books, numerous articles, and served on the Governing Boards of NAEYC, NAECTE and national committees relating to early care and education.

 

·         An exploration of the topic of professionalism–examines what constitutes a profession, the professional status of ECE and issues related to professionalism in ECE.

 

·        An understanding of what professionalism looks like in the early childhood field (Chapter 4)–includes discussion of the knowledge and skills, or what those who work with young children should know and be able to do. 

 

·        A chapter devoted to professional behavior (chapter 5)–includes discussion of professional conduct, doing what is right, including ethical behavior

 

·        A capstone chapter on aspiring to do your best as an early childhood professional (chapter 6)–draws on the experiences of outstanding early childhood educators and illustrates ways to best serve young children.

 

·        Reflection questions in each chapter–helps readers apply what they have read to their own life experiences.

 

·        A self-assessment at the end of the book–helps readers examine their own practice and work toward a higher level of professionalism.