Code of ethics is important for me not only as an individual but as a professional as well. They are a set of behavior rules that I live by and that guide every step I take. They ensure that I remain grounded in who I am and what my beliefs are. My code of ethics represents the person I am due to my moral, religious, and cultural upbringing. Having solid ethics eases and streamlines the process of decision-making regardless of the situation I find myself in. I am a childhood educator, one of the most important professions in the world. I enjoy waking up every day to take care of the young children placed in my hands. However, it is scary to imagine that if I do not get it right, I hinder my growth and the proper cognitive and physical development of the children. My ability to create a safe learning environment for the children depends on the personal code of ethics I have laid out to serve as a guide in my daily activities and decisions.
Young children are like a clean blank page of a book. An educator plays a significant role in determining what fills those pages. I choose to fill them with love, and I am a loving early childhood educator. Love is the foundation of everything; religion considers it the greatest commandment, and so do I. I believe that anybody can teach the basic skills in life without love, but love needs to be at the center to truly make a difference in a child’s life as an educator. Loving the children unconditionally pushes me to care for them, their happiness, well-being, and life beyond the classroom. With this, I can nurture them into the best versions of themselves. I can communicate with the children and their families without discrimination and remain respectful of diversity. Loved children feel encouraged, supported, and empowered to develop coping skills, regulate their behavior, and positively interact with others.
I believe in being a collaborative partner with young students, their families, and my colleagues. Working in collaboration with families and colleagues gives me access to information about the various relevant family circumstances such as the family structure, and cultural and linguistic background that might shape the child’s identity (College of early education childhood educators, 2017). I can better understand the individual differences in the background of each child. In the end, I understand how to meet the needs of each child as required. It enhances the developmental skills of the children and enables them to achieve different milestones. For example, potty training requires that the family and educators work hand in hand to remind the child to use it after a specific duration. Being collaborative enhances the development of my children in every area: physically, emotionally, and socially.
Respecting the confidentiality of information is yet another core value that dictates the daily decisions that I make. In my line of duty, I received sensitive information regarding the health, family relations, and background of children. If availed to the wrong people, some of this could cause embarrassment and consequently mental torture for the child and their family. A mentally disturbed child can in no way perform as expected in school. Some children who are bullied as a result of this carry the trauma into adulthood. I understand that the only time I am allowed to share any child’s personal information is if the parents or guardians give me consent or when disclosure without consent is allowed by the law. However, I must report cases of abuse on the child without divulging more information than is necessary.
I am also continuously competent. Every day new technologies, ways of disciplining children, and curriculums, among others, come up. As an educator, I must keep up with the trends to ensure that what I transfer to the children is updated. Being competent builds awareness, capacity to change, and readiness, and supports exploration and adaptation in this field. The only way I can achieve this is through keeping updated research content and knowledge about the practices recommended in early childhood practices (The British association for early childhood education n.d). It is also essential to pursue and build collaborative professional relationships while remaining aware and challenging the power dimensions within these relationships.
As an early childhood educator, I also need to be assertive in maintaining healthy boundaries. Maintaining professional boundaries ensures that I use my power well and fairly. The purpose of being as knowledgeable as I am is to build healthy relationships that support the development of the children and should not be in any way used to exploit them (College of early education childhood educators, 2017). One way this can be done is through identifying, solving, or avoiding potential conflicts of interest. Maintaining healthy boundaries can be challenging, but they are essential if things are to run accordingly, and they also facilitate the feeling of safety for the children. Children can be manipulative and continuously test their teachers. Having boundaries makes it easier for them to make sense of their world. I have realistic boundaries, and I believe they can be renegotiated depending on the situation as long as none of the parties are exploited.
References
College of early education childhood educators. (2017). Code of Ethics and standards of practice. College-ece.ca. Web.
The British association for early childhood education. (n.d) About Early Education. Early education.org.uk. Web.