Examining Codes of Ethics

I think the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Division of Early Care (DEC) codes of ethics should be included in the training and orientation of new staff members and anyone who aspires to teach children.  Here are some of the ideals contained in the NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics that I strongly agree with.

·         To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.: I think children are amazing and when you get to know them you really find out that they are all very different from one another.  I firmly believe that every child deserves respect, and to be given the opportunity to succeed in life regardless of their social economic background. This belief motivates me to be patient and supportive because children will always surprise you.

·         To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect, their dignity and their contributions. As a child educator, I strongly believe that it is my role to provide the children with diverse experiences that can enrich their lives. It is crucial that we support all aspects of development. As a child, I always felt connected to the teachers who respected and believed in my ability to succeed; therefore, respecting children really resonates with me. The more I learn about brain plasticity, the more I believe in supporting children emotional development.  

·         To establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and cooperation with co-workers. This core value resonates with me because I have seen how children can benefit when teachers, respect and support one another.  We know how children love to imitate and seeing adults who model respect, cooperation and collaboration makes them grow emotionally.  I strive to support and collaborate with my co-workers because, just as the children we care for, we all come from different backgrounds with unique perspectives that can make us better teachers and advocates for the children.

I think child education and care is all about the relationships we develop with children, their families and our co-workers. For our own mental health and that of our children, I want to reaffirm that emotional development is the cornerstone of healthy emotional development.  As Jack P. Shonkoff, MD, FAAP asserted:

“Emotional well-being and social competence provide a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities, and all are important prerequisites for success in, in the workplace, and in the community. Therefore, if we really want to build a strong platform for healthy development and effective learning in the early childhood years, then we must pay as much attention to children’s emotional well-being and social capacities as we do to their cognitive abilities and early literacy skills”. (Shonkoff, 2006)