There are three organizations that appeal to me in my
community and state and it begins with my local Onslow County Partnership for
Children. This organization is a
resource and referral for professionals in early childhood and a referral
center for both parents and professionals. This organization appeals to me
because it works hand-in-hand with local family and child care centers in star
ratings, trainings, and resources in the community. It is a great place to send parents who are
looking for local events or resources in the community involving children.
The next two organizations are state organizations and the
first one is T.E.A.C.H. Early childhood National Technical Assistance &
Quality Assurance Center and this organization are about giving individuals who
are interested in early childhood as a career a scholarship to pay for their
tuition. I like this organization because
it is trying to maintain quality and equity in early childhood and alleviate
the high turnover rate of early childhood workers, which is such an issue
because of the low pay. The last
organization that I am found appealing is North Carolina Early Childhood
Association and it is basically a resource for early childhood professionals in
attending trainings and conferences in early childhood and also maintaining
quality programs. The advocates on this
organization work towards the quality and maintained of early childhood
programs in North Carolina.
In essence, jobs that would currently appeal to me would be
director positions over a preschool program such as Head Start or NC Pre-K or
the current training and curriculum specialist at my job. As of right now, I have the qualifications for
the Training and Curriculum Specialist as I will be receiving my Masters in
Teaching and Diversity and it only requires a bachelors degree in early
childhood. The director position for
Head Start and NC Pre-K requires more of a supervisory experience so I lack in
that position as far as management material but, I do supervise four caregivers
in my pod so I know the drama that comes with working with a variety of
individuals. However, it seems that even
where I work you don’t need supervisory experience you need knowledge which I
have in early childhood. The job only
requires a bachelor degree but prefers a person with a master’s degree. I am on the hunt for a higher position as we
speak and I am hoping between my education and 8 years of teaching experience
that I will land a job that satisfies my passion and makes a difference in
early childhood.
Michele,
ReplyDeleteRecently, I learned about the T.E.A.C.H. program here in Arizona. At one of the early child care centers I work with in Tucson, both of the teachers are enrolled in the program. These teachers have fifteen years of teaching experience. Each have their associates and now are working towards their Bachelor degrees in early childhood. The T.E.A.C.H program has enabled them to grow and learn and earn their degrees!
Michele, I empathize with you in regards to looking for a new job. I looked for six months. My advice to you, is apply to any jobs you are interested in. My philosophy is that even though you may not feel you are qualified you may surprise yourself.
Good Luck!
Millie
Hello Michele,
ReplyDeleteI see that a few of us have found jobs that require just a bachelor’s degree. I am in the market also and wish you the best in finding the perfect job for you. With the additional education you offer so much more to the students and the staff. Good luck.
Carmellia
Hi Michele
ReplyDeleteI think it is wonderful that you are exploring different roles. Although teaching is rewarding, there usually comes a time when we want to broaden our field of experience. It also sounds like you do have supervisory experience (in your pod) and sometimes when we apply for positions it is all in the wording on how we relate these experiences on whether or not an employer will take a chance on us.
Good luck
Carolyn
Michele-I love the second organization and wish I had a similar program here to help pay for the cost of tuition. Tuition is so expensive and being that early childhood teachers do not make a lot of money, I know this keeps quality individuals out of the field for fear of massive student loans and debt. I have paid off my undergrad loans, but I have reaccumulated about the same amount of student loans for grad school and it is overwhelming to think about. I know education and staying up to date are important in our field, plus a Master's degree opens up more opportunities for me in the future, but some individuals may back furthering their education because of money which is really too bad. And I laugh when you mentioned drama being associated with a managerial position. I became a supervisor almost two years ago at my work and I thought I would have more paperwork and responsibilities associated with running the program for the kids, but I deal with the adults at my work (and their drama) more than I deal with the kids some days and it is not always fun. I'll admit some days I wish I was back in my classroom away from it all, but it is a good learning experience and hopefully will set me up for something later down the road.
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