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ECE Professional Interview Assignment

Miriam Sanchez

Brandman University

ECED 300: Professional Early Childhood Educator

Dr. Hawani Negussie

September 26, 2021

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ECE Professional Interview Assignment

Introduction/Background

The person I interviewed for this assignment is Jolivette. She works for Footprints

Christian Children’s Center. This center offers care from as young as 6 weeks old up to school

age, 12-year-olds. Jolivette’s role is a 2 ½-year-old teacher and I chose to interview her because

we had an online class together last semester. I felt like she was more up-to-date with the ECE

roles and she is learning at the same pace as me. It was a little hard to manage time to meet

because of work but we made it work.

Connections and Reflections

1. What did you learn about early childhood education as a profession? Is this what you

expected or were there surprises? Why?

What I learned about early childhood education as a profession is that what we do is

important. We are required to have the knowledge, skills, and hardwork. We are still progressing

as ECE professionals. ECE educators may not be seen as a profession in some areas in the world,

“but those who engage in it perform a significant service to society as they interact with children

at a critical stage in the life cycle (Feeny 29, Professionalism in Early Childhood Education:

Doing our best for Young Children). This is what I expected because we provide early learning

in care programs. To provide learning we need to be knowledgeable and have the skills to do so.

We work hard to plan a curriculum that helps young children with their early learning and

development.
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2. What did you learn about knowledge, skills, and dispositions for early childhood

educators? Is this what you expected or were there surprises? Why? (worth up to 10

points – see rubric)

What I learned about knowledge and skill is that it is essential to become a professional

early childhood educator. ECE professionals need to be knowledgeable about the child’s

development and their pedagogy to provide different strategies for those children. Many of the

educational practices in ECE programs were shaped by the founders of ECE. Professionals use

the founders’ theory to help them understand how a child develops and use them to guide them

to provide the right teaching skills. This is what I expected because it is essential to know a

child’s development in order to help them learn. You can’t teach without knowledge.

3. What did you learn about ethics in early childhood education? What did you learn about

ethical dilemmas? Is this what you expected or were there surprises? Why?

What I learned about ethics in early childhood education is that it is the study of right and wrong,

duty, and obligation. You will most likely face challenging ethical issues in your field as an ECE

professional. I learned that ethical dilemmas are moral conflicts that involve determining

appropriate decision-making. I kind of expected this but at the same time I was surprised. I

expected it because in the ECE field you will encounter some kind of hard decision-making. I

was also surprised that dilemmas can have right and wrong decisions in one situation. It’s hard to

deal with this because no matter what you do it may be seen as wrong from a different

perspective. Throughout this class, I am getting a better understanding of ethics and ethical

dilemma.
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Conclusion

I learned what it means to be a professional in early childhood education. I’m still

learning this and putting it into practice. I also learned what ethical dilemmas look like but I do

want to learn more about them. I would like to be able to distinguish an ethical dilemma right

away. I know I experience some dilemmas I just don’t know that I am at that moment. Doing the

interview was beneficial as I got to learn the roles of an ECE professional from another

perspective. Overall, I had a great experience.

Appendix

Interview questions

1. When you hear the term profession, what image comes to mind?

2. What do you expect from a person who is called a professional?

3. Do you consider yourself a professional? Why?

4. In your program for children or educational institutions, what terminology is used to refer to

those who work directly with young children? Are they professionals? If not, what are they

called?

5. What content and experiences were most meaningful and helpful to you in working with

children?

6. Describe a situation where you felt someone was behaving in a way that you thought was

highly professional.

7. Describe a situation where you felt someone was behaving in a way that you thought was not

professional.
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8. How do you let children know that you will protect them and that they can feel safe in your

classroom?

9. Why does early childhood education need code of ethics?

10. What was your initial reaction to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct? Have you used it in

your work? In what ways have you found it helpful?

Interview transcript

1. When you hear the term profession, what image comes to mind?

a. Lawyer, suits, professional, on time.

2. What do you expect from a person who is called a professional?

a. On time, dependable, leader, collaborative, reliable, shows to work, not rude

3. Do you consider yourself as a professional? Why?

a. Yes because I am not only teaching but I am also learning I am responsible for

the children I work with to have an educational fun day

4. In your program for children or educational institutions, what terminology is used to refer

to those who work directly with young children? Are they professionals? If not, what are

they called?

a. Co teachers, caregivers

5. What content and experiences were most meaningful and helpful to you in working with

children?

a. Watching different developments and personalities. I get to know who they are. In

order for me to work with them I need to know their personality, their stage of

development.
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6. Describe a situation where you felt someone was behaving in a way that you thought was

highly professional.

a. Co-teaching with Ms. Vickie conducted her classroom. Circle time, the way

children intuitively like listening to the teacher. The way she introduces the

curriculum of the day and the subject. Children were able to listen and respond

and have a conversation.

7. Describe a situation where you felt someone was behaving in a way that you thought was

not professional.

a. A lot of teachers that know gossip between teachers making it hard to not want to

come into work making it hard to work together collaborative

8. How do you let children know that you will protect them and that they can feel safe in

your classroom?

a. Being attentive meeting their needs communicating with them that I will be there

for whatever they need

9. Why does early childhood education need code of ethics?

a. We need it because we need structure. Something where we can look back to in

order to view if a child is in danger. To know what our responsibilities are as

educators.

10. What was your initial reaction to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct? Have you used it

in your work? In what ways have you found it helpful?

a. First I thought there’s a lot how am I going to remember these. Honestly the only

one I used was the first one to protect the children. I am in the process of learning

about them. On my own being aware and educated to become a good teacher.
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Reference

Feeney, Stephanie. Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Doing our best for Young

Children. Pearson.

Feeney, Stephanie & Rhian Evans Allvin. Ethics and the Early Childhood Educators: Using the

NAEYC Code. 3rd edition. naeyc.

Footprints Christian Children Center. http://www.footprintsav.com/