Reflection

Author

Institution

Part1: Course Reflection

Introduction

Child development is extremely crucial in enhancing the future of any nation. However, it is closely connected with their families and the nature of early childhood that the children undergo. One of the fundamental insights that I have attained from the coursework is the importance of roles in the family as far as enhancing child development is concerned. Roles have a bearing on the behavioral expectations and patterns. This, therefore, determines the nature of response of any individual to certain circumstances. In addition, the rules applied in the family environment have a key role the growth of children both in the family and later on in their social lives (Diffily & Morrison, 1996). Moreover, I gained insight on the role played by boundaries applied in the family in shaping the personality of the child as they define the separateness, togetherness and limits within that family (Walsh & Giblin, 1988).

Throughout the course, my professional goals have been strengthened and refined. This is especially considering that, the curriculum in child education has been mainly paying attention to academic or intellectual growth while neglecting other aspects such as cognitive growth. This has opened my eyes to the incredible challenge that I faced in my career and underlined the importance of creativity in enhancing the outlook of this curriculum. I believe that immense research must be done on the various curricula so as to determine or evaluate the best one for the growth and development of children. These have to be customized to suit the needs as per time, stage of growth and the realities of the age.

I have drawn incredible inspiration from the various people who have shared their experiences pertaining to early childhood education. Their experiences opened my mind as to exactly what I should expect in the field. However, I was particularly inspired by ms Sandy Escohedo who has underlined the incredible role that professionals in the field of early childhood play in shaping the life of a kid (Escohedo, 2010). This motivated me as it cemented my notion on the incredible role that I have in shaping the future, and complimented my passion in incorporating creativity.

Part 2.

The importance of professional goals cannot be understated as far as charting one’s career growth is concerned. However, there are instances where the professional goals change in the course of one’s academic and career growth. These changes are bound to underline the changing dynamics or realities of the time. At the beginning or first few weeks of the semester, I set out my three professional goals as being innovative and creative, performing beyond the set standards, and taking risks so as to enhance my professional growth. These professional goals have not changed in any way. I acknowledge that child education is always changing. In essence, what may have productive in the past may not be effective today. In essence, I have purposed to sharpen my creativity so as to enhance the application of my knowledge in different times. In addition, I have noticed that recent curriculums have emphasized on academic growth of children while relegating other aspects of a child’s life such as socialization and emotional wellbeing to the periphery. This underlines the importance of changing the curriculum, something that will necessitate innovation and creativity to ensure that all aspects of a child’s growth are well considered (Diffily & Morrison, 1996).

This would ensure that my performance is beyond the set standards but within the set rules and regulations. The experimentation and implementation of innovative ideas would undoubtedly involve risking quite a lot. The innovation has to be founded on comprehensive research to determine their applicability in the circumstances. Investing in the future must involve investing in the wellbeing and growth of the children and ensuring that the system and curriculum allows for their growth and development in all aspects.

References

Escohedo, S. (2010). The passion for early childhood [DVD].

Walsh, W., & N. Giblin. (1988). Family counseling in school settings. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Diffily, D &Morrison, K, (1996). Family friendly communication for early childhood programs. New York: National Association for the Education of Young Children