Exploring Key Practices for Early Childhood Educators: An Essay

This essay delves into the crucial practices of early childhood educators, emphasizing their impact on professional knowledge, values, and relationships within the early childhood setting. It examines four key practices: ethical conduct, self-esteem and confidence, collaboration in teams, and effective communication. The essay discusses the significance of each practice and its influence on educators' interactions with children, parents, and colleagues. It highlights strategies for implementing these practices, such as training sessions, platforms for communication, team tasks, and regular meetings to monitor performance and foster continuous improvement. The essay concludes by underscoring the importance of these practices in providing quality services and promoting the overall development of young children, emphasizing the need for educators to continually enhance their skills and knowledge to meet the diverse needs of children.

Early Childhood Education and Care
Early Childhood Education and Care

Early Childhood Education and Care 1
Table of Contents
Essay..........................................................................................................................................2
References..................................................................................................................................9

Early Childhood Education and Care 2
Essay
Knowledge, skills, values, and practices of the early childhood educator play a vital role in
providing quality services to the young children. This essay has been conducted for the
purpose of explaining the different practices adopted helps in promoting professional
knowledge, practices, values, and relationships within the early childhood setting. Different
practices are being adopted by a professional for performing the roles and responsibilities
assigned to it in a better manner. This essay will discuss four practices which are ethical
practice in the early childhood center, self-esteem, and confidence, collaboration in teams and
effective communication. These practices will be discussed in regards to their impact on the
professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship of a professional in early
childhood setting. For the implementation of these practices, there is a need to adopt
strategies. These strategies will be discussed in this essay.
Early childhood settings have been expected to provide high-quality educational
experience to children of different sections of the society, engaging the children belonging
from different abilities and background and establishing relationships with the families.
Teachers and training provided to them determine the quality of the pre-school provision.
Different practices are being adopted by a professional for enhancing the knowledge, values,
and relationship within the early childhood setting. As an early childhood educator, one is
working with the most vulnerable group of the society which is young children. There is a
need to adopt practices, values, knowledge and establishing a healthy relationship for
providing quality services to this group of the society (BUPL, 2015).
According to Sheridan, et. al. (2009), ethical practices are being adopted in early
childhood center for performing the roles in a right manner. Ethical practices adopted by the
early childhood educator helps in establishing a healthy relationship between the educator

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and children. The interaction between the children and early childhood educator helps in
enhancing the relationship between them. It is the ethical obligation of the early childhood
educator to provide better services to the children for a better future. Ethical practices and
attitude are being promoted by different authorities for enhancing the knowledge, practices,
and values adopted by the early childhood educator. The motive behind promoting these
ethical practices and attitude is to monitor the professional practices of early childhood
educator.
Eight principles can be adopted by the educator in the early childhood setting. These
principles include promotion of health and well-being of the children, caring attitude,
adoption of appropriate practices, adopting integrity, working in partnership with parents and
colleagues, focus on enhancing human dignity and professionally competent. These
principles are reflecting the ethical practices which will help me in developing my
professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship with the children, parents, and
colleagues (ECEBC, 2008). Ethical practices guide the efforts in the right direction by
focusing on the well-being of the children. Ethical practices shape the values adopted by an
individual as an early childhood educator. As an early childhood educator, I have to adopt
fair values for enhancing the quality of the services provided to the children in the early
childhood setting (Martyniuk & Tucker, 2014).
Another important practice for an early childhood educator is self-esteem and
confidence which has the potential to create an impact on the professional knowledge, values,
practices, and relationship of the educator with children, parents, and colleagues. One must
respect itself for respecting others. One must realize its worth for valuing others. As an early
childhood educator, an individual need to value the different stakeholders for providing better
quality services to children. This group is vulnerable as it may get affected at large due to the
low-quality services. Values, practices, and relationship within the early childhood setting

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determine the values, actions, and attitude of the children. As an early childhood educator, I
have to value myself as well as others for enhancing my professional skills and knowledge. I
have adopted a positive self-esteem for realizing the worth of myself as well as of the others.
This positive self-esteem has helped me in providing better services and contributed towards
professional knowledge and developing a healthy relationship within the setting (Perso,
2012).
Confidence is an important element which helps in performing the roles in a better
manner. I have focused on enhancing my confidence level for utilizing my professional
knowledge, values, and practices for developing confidence and self-esteem among the
children. Confidence level has helped me in communicating with the children, their parents,
and colleagues in a better manner. For enhancing confidence among the children, I have
engaged the children in self-esteem activities. Basic knowledge developed among the
children shape their views for the rest of the life. Developing self-esteem and confidence
among the children contributes towards developing a better environment for education and
learning. Self-esteem and confidence have helped in adopting values and applying
professional knowledge for developing the knowledge of the children (DCCC, 2012).
In the words of Raver & Childress (2014), collaboration in teams is required as
different individuals need to work together with the help of sharing information and
supporting each other for the attainment of the objective. Teamwork helps in enhancing the
performance as well as enhancing the quality of the services offered. In the early childhood
setting, teamwork needs to be promoted and collaboration needs to be developed among the
educators. Developing this collaboration among the early childhood setting will help in
enhancing the professional knowledge, practices, values, and relationship within the early
childhood setting (Garvis, et. al., 2016). The collaboration will help in sharing information
among the educators for taking proper care of the children. Collaboration enhances the

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effectiveness as well as promotes sharing of professional knowledge. I have enhanced
professional knowledge with the use of collaboration. Collaboration in teams has helped in
enhancing the values, practices, and relationships in the early childhood setting. It has
affected the behavior of the educator towards the children and other stakeholders of early
childhood setting (Alsalman, 2016).
The benefits of collaboration in teams can be seen on the enhancement in the
communication process, promoting regular contact between the different entities, developing
professional respect, shared goals, and adopting changes, enhancing the relationship between
the children and educators, professionals and parents, enhancing support for others and
developing understanding. I have focused on applying collaboration in teams for enhancing
the quality of the services, developing healthy relationships in the early childhood setting,
enhancing professional knowledge and values adopted. Team approach promotes better care
to children. Collaboration in teams is required for meeting the needs of the children. Full
participation is required from the different entities for the attainment of the objectives. The
motive behind using this practice is to eliminate the delay in providing services to children.
The focus of the educator is on overall development of the children. I have gained knowledge
regarding the manner in which services offered to the children can be improved (Anderson,
2013).
In the words of Kolucki & Lemish (2011), communication is an important aspect
which enhances the flow of information. Communication enhances the interaction between
the educators and children within the early children setting. Effective communication helps in
identifying the needs of the children. Communication process adopted by the educator needs
to be age-appropriate and child-friendly. Effective communication channels will promote
better communication between the children and educators which ensure that information is
exchanged effectively. Lack of communication affects the flow of information and interaction

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between the educators and children. Communication helps educators in gaining knowledge
which contributes towards the professional knowledge. Children may feel hesitant in
communicating with the educators which affect the quality of the service. Educators need to
adopt values and practices which ensure that educators are fulfilling their responsibilities
within the early childhood settings. Communication will contribute towards the development
of the healthy relationship in the early childhood setting. Colleagues will exchange the
information with each other with the help of communication. Effective communication will
enhance the exchange process of information (Samuelsson & Kaga, 2008).
I have learned that communication plays a vital role which enhances the services
offered. Effective communication helps in interacting with the children in a better manner. I
have developed communication skills for providing better services to children.
Communication has helped in implementing my professional knowledge for providing
services. I have used my communication skills for sharing and exchanging the information. I
have used communication skills for communicating the rights and developing knowledge of
the children for providing proper care to them. Communication needs to be done in an
effective manner for resolving the issues which are being faced by the children. Effective
communication has enhanced the well-being of the children (Kolucki & Lemish, 2011).
Different strategies can be adopted for the implementation of these practices within
the early childhood setting. These strategies will enhance the implementation process of these
practices and results in better quality services to the children. These strategies include
conducting training sessions, a platform for interacting with different entities effectively,
allocating team tasks, setting team objectives or goals, conducting regular meetings and
monitoring performance. All these strategies will help in implementing ethical practices, self-
esteem and confidence, collaboration in teams and effective communication (Sun, et. al.,
2015).

Early Childhood Education and Care 7
Training sessions can be conducted for enhancing the communication skills of the
educators. Training sessions can be conducted at regular intervals for ensuring that these
practices are adopted by the educators for providing quality services in the early childhood
setting. Training will enhance the knowledge and skills of the educator which can be applied
for enhancing the quality of the services offered to the children. Training can be provided for
developing values and ethical practices in the educators for ensuring that they are meeting the
expectations of the service users. Training sessions will not only contribute towards
knowledge and skills but will develop confidence among the educators. Platforms can be
created for facilitating communication between the educators with the children, parents, and
colleagues (Jiban, 2013).
Team task can be allocated to the educators for enhancing the professional skills and
promoting team work. Team tasks will help in enhancing the relationship shared among the
educators with the other entities. Team objectives will enhance the flow of information and
sharing of knowledge and information among the educators. The focus will be on enhancing
the performance by supporting each other. Regular meetings can be conducted for the
analysis of the performance of the individual. Practices can be discussed with the educators in
the regular meetings. Regular meetings develop the coordination and promote collaboration
among the teams. Performance of the educators needs to be monitored for analyzing the
issues. Monitoring will help in analyzing the issues affecting the performance of educators.
For overcoming the issues faced, training can be provided (Sun, et. al., 2015).
Thus, it can be concluded that these four practices are important in the early
childhood setting. These four practices have enhanced the professional knowledge, added to
the values adopted and practices followed and helped in enhancing the relationship with
children, their parents, and colleagues. The discussion has been made regarding the
contribution made by these four practices. Different strategies have been discussed which can

Early Childhood Education and Care 8
be adopted for the implementation of these practices. These strategies will contribute towards
knowledge gained. These strategies include team tasks, setting team goals, effective
communication, regular meetings and conducting training sessions.

Early Childhood Education and Care 9
References
Alsalman, Amani S. (2016). Building Successful Collaborative Practices Among Early
Childhood Educators: Understanding the Role of Educator Preparation Programs.
Dissertations. Paper 325.
Anderson, E. M. (2013). Preparing the next generation of early childhood teachers: The
emerging role of inter-professional education and collaboration in teacher education.
J. Early Child. Teach. Educ, 34: 22–35.
BUPL. (2015). Ethics for Early Childhood Educators. BULP.
DCCC. (2012). Supporting Every Child’s Right to Early Education. DCCC.
ECEBC. (2008). Code of Ethics. ECEBC.
Garvis, S., Kirkby, J., McMahon, K., & Meyer, C. (2016). Collaboration is key: The actual
experience of disciplines working together in child care. Nursing & Health Sciences,
18(1), 44-51.
Jiban, C. (2013). Early Childhood Assessment: Implementing Effective Practice. NWEA.
Kolucki, B. & Lemish, D. (2011). Communicating with Children: Principles and Practices to
Nurture, Inspire, Excite, Educate and Heal. Unicef.
Martyniuk, O. J. & Tucker, P. (2014). An exploration of Early Childhood Education students’
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sectional study. BMC Public Health.
Perso, T.F. (2012). Cultural Responsiveness and School Education: With particular focus on
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Raver, S. A. & Childress, D. C. (2014). Collaboration and Teamwork with Families and
Professionals. Brookes Publishing.

Early Childhood Education and Care 10
Samuelsson, I. P. & Kaga, L. (2008). The contribution of early childhood education to a
sustainable society. UNESCO.
Sheridan, S. M., Edwards, C. P., Marvin, C. A., & Knoche, L. L. (2009). Professional
Development in Early Childhood Programs: Process Issues and Research
Needs. Early Education and Development, 20(3), 377–401.
Sun, J., Rao, N. & Pearson, E. (2015). Policies and Strategies to Enhance the Quality of Early
Childhood Educators. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation.