Having gotten familiar with the work of Caulfield and Dr. Langford, I now have a better understanding of the perfect candidate to work in the field of Early Care and Education (ECE). To be more exact, I agree with most points highlighted by Caulfield, such as a compulsory knowledge of child development and advanced communication skills to be able to form a trusting relationship with the children’s families (Caulfield, 1997). In addition, the ability to observe infants’ behavior seems highly crucial as well as it assists in catering to their needs and interests (Caulfield, 1997). Dr. Langford highlighted that the ECE’s representative should never value one’s personal gains higher than a child’s accomplishments: one’s educational performance, acquiring of skills, and physical abilities (College of Early Childhood Educators, 2014). On and whole, I consider the aforementioned concepts to be essential for working in ECE and eventually becoming a professional in helping children realize their potential.
The significance of becoming a leader in the learning settings for children and their families plays a pivotal role in the child’s development. For instance, both Caulfield and Dr. Langford mentioned that the first five years of a child’s development set the course of their lives for a long time further (Caulfield, 1997; College of Early Childhood Educators, 2014). Therefore, the adequate performance of the ECE’s representative depends on one being supported and respected by children and their parents. Undoubtedly, the results of the settings may be beneficial only if the ECE worker is able to make crucial decisions when it comes to deciding the plan for development, employing one’s observations and assessment of a child’s behavior (Caulfield, 1997). In other words, leadership in ECE is crucial for creating a professional learning community for the staff to generate new ideas regarding future work. Furthermore, it sets an authority among children, which allows the ECE worker to gain their trust and respect to reach fruitful outcomes of the developmental process.
Moreover, leadership skills seem relatively similar to the concept of professionalism in ECE. For example, advanced communicative skills aid ECE workers in maintaining fruitful collaboration with children and their families, which ultimately helps the ECE representatives to reach the set goals regarding the infants’ development (Caulfield, 1997). Additionally, the ability to foster a learning atmosphere among staff effectively fosters positive workplace culture and encourages continuous improvement among the educators, meaning that they have an opportunity to reflect on their practice (College of Early Childhood Educators, 2014). Lilian Katz (2021) claimed that colleague advice plays a pivotal role in the development of teachers themselves so that they are prepared to work with children. I believe that the benefits for the children stem directly from the ECE team’s professionalism and knowledge of child development, which allows the members to advocate for childcare and come to make impactful decisions.
However, it is still possible to be a professional ECE worker with no leadership skills in possession. I consider leadership traits to be of no value to people who do not desire to be on top of the ECE team. To be more particular, if the educator feels productive without making crucial decisions and choosing the route for the learning settings for the children, then there is no need to demand leadership skills from one. In addition, it is advisable for most members of the team not to desire control over the performance since it may provoke competition or other negative repercussions. Consequently, the aforementioned consequences are likely to serve as an obstacle to reaching the primary goal of ECE, aiding in childcare and helping children to realize their potential.
References
Caulfield, R. (1997). Professionalism in early care and education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 24(4), 261–263. Web.
College of Early Childhood Educators. (2014). What does it mean to be a professional? [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Katz, L. G. (2021). The developmental stages of teachers. ECAP. Web.