Chapter 11: Professionalism in Early Childhood Education
Overview
In Chapter 1 we introduced the term teaching practice and referred to the field of early childhood education (ECE). In the last two decades, much attention has been paid to the difference between a field and a profession of ECE (Goffin & Washington, 2007). While the intensity of the attention around defining ECE as a profession has increased considerably, this attention is far from new. As early as the mid-1960s, Bettye Caldwell wrote about the limited concern for defining the field (1967).
This chapter explores the definition of profession and considers whether ECE fits that definition. You will learn about a recent effort by NAEYC and partners to position ECE to be recognized as a profession. We also look at the currently used and various systems of standards and codes that define the professional behavior and conduct of the ECE practitioner. This chapter explicates the expectations of a professional early childhood educator as you prepare to move into that role.
Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
- Define professionalism using widely accepted criteria.
- Describe the ways in which early childhood education meets the criteria of a profession.
- Describe the process undertaken in the Power to the Profession initiative and the intended goal of the initiative.
- Describe the main issues the Power to the Profession initiative took on.
- Describe standards currently used to define and regulate the work of early childhood educators, including:
- The Washington Administrative Code
- Washington State Core Competencies
- NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators
- NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
- Define advocacy and describe how this activity is part of professionalism in ECE.
Key Terms
- Advocacy
- Early childhood education
- Early childhood educator
- ECE field
- Ethical conduct
- Ethical dilemma
- Ethical finesse
- Ethical ideals
- Ethical principles
- Ethical responsibility
- Field of practice
- Ideals
- NAEYC
- Personal advocacy
- Principles
- Profession
- Professional
- Professional preparation
- Public advocacy
- Scope of practice
- Stackable certificates
- Standards
- Unifying Framework
- Washington Administrative Code (WAC)
Attributions
- Chapter opening image: Preschool Teacher Reads to Class by Allison Shelley for EDUimages is released under CC BY-NC 4.0
