Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 6: BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL
Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs a) identify and conduct themselves as members of the
early childhood profession. They b) know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to
early childhood practice. They c) are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable,
reflective and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that d) integrate knowledge from a
variety of sources. They are e) informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies (NAEYC,
2010).
Brief Description of Evidence:
As a part of my ECED 245 School Age Practicum during the fall 2013 semester, I interacted with the
teachers and had to participate and learn the professional way to run a classroom. I participated in a couple
different teacher meetings with not only my mentor, but other educators in the building. One of the teachers
had a room full of children who were involved in Special Education classes and students who were not. Most
meetings I had with the teachers were spent explaining goals that were being set for each individual student in
their classrooms and why they were being set. Not only did I participate professionally in my practicum room,
but I also worked in the child watch area at the YMCA in Pendleton. My work in each classrooms relate to
Deweys theory requiring interaction and hands-on experiences with the children and educators.
Analysis of What I Learned:
Because I took the opportunity to work collaboratively with educators in the professional filed, I have a
better understanding on what their responsibilities are each week as an educator/teacher. I feel more confident
while creating lesson plans and making decisions when being responsible for a room full of children. In the
teacher meetings I was involved in at my practicum site, we discussed where each individual student is at in the
curriculum, reading levels, and plans to help each child to succeed in their classroom. At my workplace, I was
required to make lesson plans and ideas for the many different kids I would see each day. There, I was the head
educator present in the child watch area. Before a parent and or family member were to drop off a child, they
were to sign their names and speak with me first. This was the policy for my workplace for educational safety
for the child and their families. If anything were to happen to a child while they were under my care, I was to
complete an accident chart for the child to share with their caretaker picking them up. This artifact made me
competent in taking full responsibility in a child care setting while making informed decisions that proved my
knowledge from variety of sources.
How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:
This artifact demonstrates my competence in the becoming a professional standard because in both
events, I had to present myself as an educator and staff member of the school and my job. During the teacher
meetings, the educators allowed me to give my opinions and suggestions from what I observed. They took my
opinions and suggestions into consideration and built off of it. This hands-on experience has made me
competent in becoming a professional.