Early childhood educators (a) identify and participate as members of the early childhood profession. They serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the children in their care, and for the early childhood profession. They (b) know and use ethical guidelines and other early childhood professional guidelines. They (c) have professional communication skills that effectively support their relationships and work young children, families, and colleagues. Early childhood educators (d) are continuous, collaborative learners who (e) develop and sustain the habit of reflective and intentional practice in their daily work with young children and as members of the early childhood profession.
In my Professional Issues in ECE course in the Spring of 2024, we had a journal assignment regarding the Model Code of Ethics. We had to look through them and find ones that we knew, as well as ones that we did not know. I was aware of more of them than I thought! We also had to look at different ethical dilemmas to understand what we should do in different situations. We are going to have to make tough choices as educators, but knowing our guidelines and what is right can help guide us to the right choice. It is essential that we have these guidelines so that we can be the best professional early childhood educators for our students, staff, parents, and peers.