Practices To Provide Quality Services To Young Children In Early Childhood Setting

Ethical Practices

Question:

Discuss About The Providing Quality Services Young Children?

Knowledge, skills, values, and practices of the early childhood educator play a vital role in providing quality services to the young children. This essay has been conducted for the purpose of explaining the different practices adopted helps in promoting professional knowledge, accounting, values, and relationships within the early childhood setting. Different practices are being adopted by a professional for performing the roles and responsibilities assigned to it in a better manner. This essay will discuss four practices which are ethical practice in the early childhood center, self-esteem, and confidence, collaboration in teams and effective communication. These practices will be discussed in regards to their impact on the professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship of a professional in early childhood setting. For the implementation of these practices, there is a need to adopt strategies. These strategies will be discussed in this essay.

Early childhood settings have been expected to provide high-quality educational experience to children of different sections of the society, engaging the children belonging from different abilities and background and establishing relationships with the families. Teachers and training provided to them determine the quality of the pre-school provision. Different practices are being adopted by a professional for enhancing the knowledge, values, and relationship within the early childhood setting. As an early childhood educator, one is working with the most vulnerable group of the society which is young children. There is a need to adopt practices, values, knowledge and establishing a healthy relationship for providing quality services to this group of the society (BUPL, 2015).

According to Sheridan, et. al. (2009), ethical practices are being adopted in early childhood center for performing the roles in a right manner. Ethical practices adopted by the early childhood educator helps in establishing a healthy relationship between the educator and children. The interaction between the children and early childhood educator helps in enhancing the relationship between them. It is the ethical obligation of the early childhood educator to provide better services to the children for a better future. Ethical practices and attitude are being promoted by different authorities for enhancing the knowledge, practices, and values adopted by the early childhood educator. The motive behind promoting these ethical practices and attitude is to monitor the professional practices of early childhood educator.

Eight principles can be adopted by the educator in the early childhood setting. These principles include promotion of health and well-being of the children, caring attitude, adoption of appropriate practices, adopting integrity, working in partnership with parents and colleagues, focus on enhancing human dignity and professionally competent. These principles are reflecting the ethical practices which will help me in developing my professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship with the children, parents, and colleagues (ECEBC, 2008). Ethical practices guide the efforts in the right direction by focusing on the well-being of the children. Ethical practices shape the values adopted by an individual as an early childhood educator. As an early childhood educator, I have to adopt fair values for enhancing the quality of the services provided to the children in the early childhood setting (Martyniuk & Tucker, 2014).

Self-esteem and Confidence

Another important practice for an early childhood educator is self-esteem and confidence which has the potential to create an impact on the professional knowledge, values, practices, and relationship of the educator with children, parents, and colleagues. One must respect itself for respecting others. One must realize its worth for valuing others. As an early childhood educator, an individual need to value the different stakeholders for providing better quality services to children. This group is vulnerable as it may get affected at large due to the low-quality services. Values, practices, and relationship within the early childhood setting determine the values, actions, and attitude of the children. As an early childhood educator, I have to value myself as well as others for enhancing my professional skills and knowledge. I have adopted a positive self-esteem for realizing the worth of myself as well as of the others. This positive self-esteem has helped me in providing better services and contributed towards professional knowledge and developing a healthy relationship within the setting (Perso, 2012).

Confidence is an important element which helps in performing the roles in a better manner. I have focused on enhancing my confidence level for utilizing my professional knowledge, values, and practices for developing confidence and self-esteem among the children. Confidence level has helped me in communicating with the children, their parents, and colleagues in a better manner. For enhancing confidence among the children, I have engaged the children in self-esteem activities. Basic knowledge developed among the children shape their views for the rest of the life. Developing self-esteem and confidence among the children contributes towards developing a better environment for education and learning. Self-esteem and confidence have helped in adopting values and applying professional knowledge for developing the knowledge of the children (DCCC, 2012).

In the words of Raver & Childress (2014), collaboration in teams is required as different individuals need to work together with the help of sharing information and supporting each other for the attainment of the operations. Teamwork helps in enhancing the performance as well as enhancing the quality of the services offered. In the early childhood setting, teamwork needs to be promoted and collaboration needs to be developed among the educators. Developing this collaboration among the early childhood setting will help in enhancing the professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship within the early childhood setting (Garvis, et. al., 2016). The collaboration will help in sharing information among the educators for taking proper care of the children. Collaboration enhances the effectiveness as well as promotes sharing of professional knowledge. I have enhanced professional knowledge with the use of collaboration. Collaboration in teams has helped in enhancing the values, practices, and relationships in the early childhood setting. It has affected the behavior of the educator towards the children and other stakeholders of early childhood setting (Alsalman, 2016).

Collaboration in Teams

The benefits of collaboration in teams can be seen on the enhancement in the communication process, promoting regular contact between the different entities, developing professional respect, shared goals, and adopting changes, enhancing the relationship between the children and educators, professionals and parents, enhancing support for others and developing understanding. I have focused on applying collaboration in teams for enhancing the quality of the services, developing healthy relationships in the early childhood setting, enhancing professional knowledge and values adopted. Team approach promotes better care to children. Collaboration in teams is required for meeting the needs of the children. Full participation is required from the different entities for the attainment of the objectives. The motive behind using this practice is to eliminate the delay in providing services to children. The focus of the educator is on overall development of the children. I have gained knowledge regarding the manner in which services offered to the children can be improved (Anderson, 2013).

In the words of Kolucki & Lemish (2011), communication is an important aspect which enhances the flow of information. Communication enhances the interaction between the educators and children within the early children setting. Effective communication helps in identifying the needs of the children. Communication process adopted by the educator needs to be age-appropriate and child-friendly. Effective communication channels will promote better communication between the children and educators which ensure that information is exchanged effectively. Lack of communication affects the flow of information and interaction between the educators and children. Communication helps educators in gaining knowledge which contributes towards the professional knowledge. Children may feel hesitant in communicating with the educators which affect the quality of the service. Educators need to adopt values and practices which ensure that educators are fulfilling their responsibilities within the early childhood settings. Communication will contribute towards the development of the healthy relationship in the early childhood setting. Colleagues will exchange the information with each other with the help of communication. Effective communication will enhance the exchange process of information (Samuelsson & Kaga, 2008).

I have learned that communication plays a vital role which enhances the services offered. Effective communication helps in interacting with the children in a better manner. I have developed communication skills for providing better services to children. Communication has helped in implementing my professional knowledge for providing services. I have used my communication skills for sharing and exchanging the information. I have used communication skills for communicating the rights and developing knowledge of the children for providing proper care to them. Communication needs to be done in an effective manner for resolving the issues which are being faced by the children. Effective communication has enhanced the well-being of the children (Kolucki & Lemish, 2011).

Effective Communication

Different strategies can be adopted for the implementation of these practices within the early childhood setting. These strategies will enhance the implementation process of these practices and results in better quality services to the children. These strategies include conducting training sessions, a platform for interacting with different entities effectively, allocating team tasks, setting team objectives or goals, conducting regular meetings and monitoring performance. All these strategies will help in implementing ethical practices, self-esteem and confidence, collaboration in teams and effective communication (Sun, et. al., 2015).

Training sessions can be conducted for enhancing the communication skills of the educators. Training sessions can be conducted at regular intervals for ensuring that these practices are adopted by the educators for providing quality services in the early childhood setting. Training will enhance the knowledge and skills of the educator which can be applied for enhancing the quality of the services offered to the children. Training can be provided for developing values and ethical practices in the educators for ensuring that they are meeting the expectations of the service users. Training sessions will not only contribute towards knowledge and skills but will develop confidence among the educators. Platforms can be created for facilitating communication between the educators with the children, parents, and colleagues (Jiban, 2013).

Team task can be allocated to the educators for enhancing the professional skills and promoting team work. Team tasks will help in enhancing the relationship shared among the educators with the other entities. Team objectives will enhance the flow of information and sharing of knowledge and information among the educators. The focus will be on enhancing the performance by supporting each other. Regular meetings can be conducted for the analysis of the performance of the individual. Practices can be discussed with the educators in the regular meetings. Regular meetings develop the coordination and promote collaboration among the teams. Performance of the educators needs to be monitored for analyzing the issues. Monitoring will help in analyzing the issues affecting the performance of educators. For overcoming the issues faced, training can be provided (Sun, et. al., 2015).  

Thus, it can be concluded that these four practices are important in the early childhood setting. These four practices have enhanced the professional knowledge, added to the values adopted and practices followed and helped in enhancing the relationship with children, their parents, and colleagues. The discussion has been made regarding the contribution made by these four practices. Different strategies have been discussed which can be adopted for the implementation of these practices. These strategies will contribute towards knowledge gained. These strategies include team tasks, setting team goals, effective communication, regular meetings and conducting training sessions.

References

Alsalman, Amani S. (2016). Building Successful Collaborative Practices Among Early Childhood economics: Understanding the Role of Educator Preparation Programs. Dissertations. Paper 325.

Anderson, E. M. (2013). Preparing the next generation of early childhood teachers: The emerging role of inter-professional education and collaboration in teacher education. J. Early Child. Teach. Educ, 34: 22–35.

BUPL. (2015). Ethics for Early Childhood Educators. BULP.

DCCC. (2012). Supporting Every Child’s Right to Early Education. DCCC.

ECEBC. (2008). Code of Ethics. ECEBC.

Garvis, S., Kirkby, J., McMahon, K., & Meyer, C. (2016). Collaboration is key: The actual experience of disciplines working together in child care. Nursing & Health Sciences, 18(1), 44-51.

Jiban, C. (2013). Early Childhood Management: Implementing Effective Practice. NWEA.

Kolucki, B. & Lemish, D. (2011). Communicating with Children: Principles and Practices to Nurture, Inspire, Excite, Educate and Heal. Unicef.

Martyniuk, O. J. & Tucker, P. (2014). An exploration of Early Childhood Education students’ knowledge and preparation to facilitate physical activity for preschoolers: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health.

Perso, T.F. (2012). Cultural Responsiveness and School Education: With particular focus on Australia’s First Peoples; A Review & Synthesis of the Literature. Menzies School of Health Research.

Raver, S. A. & Childress, D. C. (2014). Collaboration and Teamwork with Families and Professionals. Brookes Publishing.

Samuelsson, I. P. & Kaga, L. (2008). The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society. UNESCO.

Sheridan, S. M., Edwards, C. P., Marvin, C. A., & Knoche, L. L. (2009). Professional Business Development in Early Childhood Programs: Process Issues and Research Needs. Early Education and Development, 20(3), 377–401.

Sun, J., Rao, N. & Pearson, E. (2015). Policies and Strategies to Enhance the Quality of Early Childhood Educators. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.