The first meaningful thing that I have learned from this program is the importance of being a good leader. “Effective leadership in early childhood education requires individuals to be in touch with the prevailing sociocultural attitudes in their communities regarding child care and child development.” (Scott, 2015). He goes on to talk about how a leader has to understand the science behind childcare and policies. He also talks about the importance of communication and team-building skills. I have learned so many good skills that will help make me a great leader. The biggest thing that has been in every class I have taken is the importance of communication. Being a good leader means that I know how to communicate with my team.
The second meaningful thing I learned from this program is
the importance of a budget and how much it costs to run a childcare center. A
budget for a childcare center is so much more than just bills; there are
hundreds of things to account for. Sorenson & Goldsmith, 2018) taught me
how to create a budget that aligns with my mission and vision statements. They
taught me that budgeting is not simply about money, but it includes how the
center is run and what my goals are for the center.
The third meaningful thing I learned is the importance of
forming relationships with not only my staff but other people in this field. I
learned the importance of collaboration which is something I still talk about
to this day. Collaborating with my colleagues is one of my favorite things to
do because I know they have great ideas that I have not thought of.
Collaborating helps each one of us learn something new and gives us the
opportunity to learn.
My long-term goal is to get a job that focuses on creating
policies and procedures for childcare centers. I want to create policies that
will help create a high-quality learning environment with high-quality
teachers.
I truly cannot believe this is the end; it feels like I
started this program just yesterday with all of you. Thank you to all the
instructors who were with me during this time and taught me things that I will
put to good use in this field. My colleagues throughout this experience have
been amazing, and they have taught me so much. I hope I am able to keep in
touch with some of you as we continue our careers in the early childhood
education field. It would be an honor to work next to each and every one of
you. I will definitely miss interacting with everyone weekly.
Reference
Scott, D. (2005). Leaders on leadership: How do you envision
leadership in early care and education in 2015? YC Young Children, 60(1),
20-22.
Sorenson, R. D., & Goldsmith, L. M. (2018). The
principal's guide to school budgeting (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.