I believe that one goal to become more effective in my role is
to immerse myself in the early childhood field by reading literature,
conducting research and participating in local and global conferences. More
importantly, I think it would be advantageous to specifically attend
conferences that focus on public policy. By understanding how public policy
works and how to make changes to policy, I would be more effective in my
professional role.
I have heard of Quality Stars throughout my professional
meetings. However, I didn’t take the time to truly understand this system until
I read about QRIS. I would like to become more involved in the New York State
Quality Stars program. Understanding their goals and mission will enable me to
be more effective in my role as a member of the Albany Promise Action Team.
Also, I could be part of the professional development team that prepares
workshops related to the Quality Stars program for prekindergarten and
kindergarten teachers.
Critical thinking is an important skill for young children to
develop. Although, NAEYC has emphasized the importance of engaging students in higher level thinking
rather than memorizing facts, there is a lack of professional development for
early childhood educators on how to foster higher level thinking in young
children. I would like to conduct research on this topic to provide more
evidence in hopes that a system would be put in place for early childhood
educators. I think it is important to better prepare educators to foster
critical thinking skills in young children. This can lead to improved teacher
preparation and valuable professional development. In doing this, educators
will have the opportunity to implement best practices and teach young children
how to think.
