staff members will also enjoy working with you. A good attitude could be
demonstrated in many ways for example talking in a nice tone of voice,
smiling, helping other staff members, interacting with children, when
talking to staff members listening carefully.
Understanding a child’s behaviour is necessary because you should be
able to understand the best way that they can learn and which learning
method they would prefer or find easiest to gain knowledge. To develop
an understanding of child behaviour you should observe children closely,
you can also do this by reading about different behaviourist theorists. All
practitioners should have respectful attitude towards all children, families
regardless of their background or abilities. For example the practitioner
should include all children in activities regardless of their needs or
behavioural issues.
D4 -
Recently I helped a young child understand the meanings of the word co
operate. While I was working at my placement I found two young
children arguing with each other and I said “could you please co operate
with each other” they had both stopped but after a while the young girl
came up to me and asked what is the meaning of the word I had just said.
I was very happy to hear that she was interested I got down to her level
and I talked very calmly in a serious tone and told her what the word co
operate meant. I gave her many examples of how co operation helps
people and I new she understood because she was nodding while I was
talking she asked a few questions by the end of it I asked her what co
operation meant and she explained it very well in her own words. This
made me very happy. While I was explaining to her I was using lots of
different body language so she would understand better.
While working at a pre- school placement a parent had come up to me
and was very upset about the way her three year old child had been
having tantrums at home. After she had told me she had broken into tears,
I calmly took her into a separate room and used eye contact and was
nodding while she was telling me her concerns which made her feel like I
was listening. While talking to her I was sitting in a professional way so
that she knew she was listen to. Her main concern was that she felt like
she didn’t know her child anymore, she also explained how he had
tantrums and she didn’t know how to deal with them, after she was finished talking, I had explained to her that it was normal for a child of 3 years old to have tantrums and it also might be because she does not spend enough time with him. So I helped her by telling her information on the pre-schools new parent toddler groups which are on Saturday so it would not interfere with her schedule for work and could help her bond with her child.
D5-
Practitioners should always keep information confidential when working with a child. There are many ways in which confidentiality can be met for example when given an important document which is confidential information it should be put in a filing cabinet that has a lock. So that no one can steal it or read it. When sending an email which is an important document this also should be done under a lock for example the person that will be receiving the information will have to enter a secret password before being able to open the confidential document which the person sending it and the person receiving only knows the password to. This is done so that only the sent person can read it. This will be following the confidentiality policy. Also will be following the data protection act 1998. According to this website 10/2/2011 the data protection act states when keeping any information confidential all practitioners should
“ processed fairly and lawfully, processed for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and not further processed in any way that is incompatible with the original purpose, adequate, relevant and not excessive, accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date, kept for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it is being used.”
Also if a child’s mother has told you some information you should always keep it confidential and not talk about it between other staff members because the parents of the child might not like this. If the staff member which has been told this confidential information needs guidance on the case he or she can ask her supervisor or ask the manager or anyone else that is in charge. It is very hard for parents to tell practitioners there confidential information so staff members should make it as easy as possible for them and should understand their rights and not tell anyone because if somehow the information is let out then the parents of the child might not tell the staff any other information which is crucial and this might put the child at risk. At my placement I was handed a confidential document by a parent I immediately put it in the filling cabinet and I told my supervisor because it was important information which she should know about. I did not discuss it with any of the staff members because that would not be following the confidentiality policy.
D6-
I have been preparing for employment in many ways for example I have written a curriculum vitae (CV) which contains my GCSE grade, my qualifications that I have gained, my previous work placement references, also I have written a paragraph in my CV about myself my likes and dislikes. CV can help me in many ways for example it can help my supervisor or the manager understand who I am and what kind of employee I would be if I was hired. I have also created some draft application letters which will help when the time for employment comes it will be easier for me to just send off to the manager. I have also been practicing some interview techniques with friends and family so when I have been called for an interview I will feel less nervous and understand the types of questions I will be asked and know the type of answer I will be expected to give. I have also been watching some videos that explain a lot about the way you should dress and what are the good things and bad things you should do and not do when being interviewed. I have also been trying to identify all my bad points which I have received in feedback so I can improve and when at an interview seem more professional. I have also been finding relevant further training and development opportunities so I can improve in everything and succeed to the best of my ability. Everyone should always research on all the different jobs at hand when looking for a job because a better opportunity might be at hand so you should look through all your choices.
You should also check if there are any extra classes which could improve your qualifications because this can improve your chances in to getting a better job.
Professional development –training days (appendices 1)
D7-
Diversity means when you do not treat every one the same because of their gender, race, age, disability, linguistic differences, learning abilities, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and cultural background, everyone is different and because of this you should not treat them equally because everyone is unique. According to this website 3/2/2011 “Day-care providers in quality childcare settings work with these differences on a daily basis. They carefully try to integrate the group to create an environment in which each child's uniqueness is celebrated.”
The quote above is from the website link and it shows how practitioners encourage young children to be different and unique. To do this all practitioners follow the diversity policy at their setting and they need to acknowledge and respect the fact that everybody is different.
Inclusive practice means helping each child take part in an activity no matter what their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion, beliefs or sexual orientation is. Practitioners should encourage young children and teach them about how everyone is different this can be done in many ways for example having parents bring in different types of cultural food once a week or maybe having the children talk about what kind of different things they do in their culture at circle time. Practitioners follow the inclusive practice act.
D8-
Bibliography
Tasoni P (2008 – Page 205)
Child care and education
Level 2
Heinemann Publishers
13/1/2011
13/1/2011
13/1/2011
13/1/2011
accessed: 13/1/2011
13/1/2011
3/2/2011
10/2/2011
C1-
While working at my placement I have realised that it will help me greatly when I become a professional practitioner because it gives me an example of how work life would be. Time keeping is important because staff members will not give me reliable jobs and will not trust me if I did not arrive to work on time. When a person has good time management it shows that they are organised which also shows that they are professional. By arriving on time and having a good attendance it will be a better chance for you to develop a bond with the children. If your attendance is good then the practitioner has a better chance of getting a good reference.
According to this website
date accessed: 13/ 1/2011 time management is very important because it helps you prioritize which can be based on a list of things you have to complete, it also says that by keeping track of time you can get more done in less and make a list of how long each job will take so that you don’t spend your time doing nothing.
When time managing your work is also in a much better quality because you are not rushing you have just the right amount of time to complete it so it is neater. Time keeping keeps you on track and helps you to understand all the stages you have to go through.
Supporting colleagues is good and helpful and it shows that you are a kind person. It also brings staff confidence up and it will be more helpful for them to work around other staff members. According to this website: Date accessed: 13/1/2011 It is important to help develop and support your colleagues to help them learn new skills, to build their confidence, to pinpoint areas where they may need support, if they are working effectively and efficiently it will help promote your area of work. By supporting your colleagues this means you are working in a team this can be helpful in many ways because you can learn from each others mistakes and this will improve your practice.
While at work the practitioner should always have a good attitude so that the staff around will find you friendly and enjoy working with you. If all practitioners have good attitude then this will show parents that staff do care and this will reassure them. If the practitioner is hard working and caring he or she is more likely to get promoted because of how co operative he or she is.
The practitioner should be polite and well mannered and should never speak in a bad tone or swear in front of staff or especially the young children. If the practitioner does swear and be impolite in front of the young children then this gives a bad impression and the children could also catch on to the words and have a bad role model. accessed: 13/1/2011
According to the website: “If you’ve got a good one, chances are you brighten other people’s day. If you’ve got a bad one, you may be alienating colleagues at work and even your friends. And a bad one may be costing you a promotion or appointment to a new position. It’s all about attitudes.”
This means that when working in a child care area you should always have a good attitude because the children and the staff will end up having a good attitude but if you are rude and your attitude is rude then the staff around you will not enjoy working with you and the manager will not be happy and you are also not likely to get any job satisfaction.
When at placement one of the many things I learned that helped me a lot was understanding the different types of behaviour children might have and how to deal with them for example if a child is angry over something then I learnt that I should take them in to a quite area and ask what is wrong with them so that they have a say and the child does not feel like they are not being listen to. By doing this the practitioner is most likely to meet the individual child needs.
B1-
When communicating with the child I understand the method was effective because I used a variety of different methods so that she would not feel intimidated and would feel comfortable when asking me a question. I understood that she was listening to me because she was nodding and saying yes while I was speaking which told me she was understood.
While I was explaining the meaning of the word I was telling her about I used many different types of body language and different words so she would found it easier to learn. I also used lots of different gestures so that she can look back and remember the word. I also gave her many different examples on how the word makes a person react
I think it helped her a lot because I spoke to her calmly so she found it natural to ask a question and didn’t find it scary. There were a few ways in which I understood that she had listened to me because she was asking lots of questions after I had finish explaining and at the end of the conversation I had asked her what co operation meant and she explained it in her own words and I was pleased because she gave the correct meaning.
Also while working in the pre-school I helped a parent who was very unhappy I understood that my advice was effective because she was very pleased to hear about the parent toddler group. While talking to the parent I was calm I made her feel like I understood what she said by nodding. She was openly telling me her problems because I had taken her in to a separate room’ which from my point of view was very helpful towards her. At the end of the conversation she felt calm and pleased because I had given her advice to join a Saturday parent toddler class which was in the pre- school centre. This is following the parent partnership policy.
B2-
While working in the placement it was very important to maintain confidentiality about children and their families. It is hard for parents and children to discuss personal matters with teachers so staff should respect this and keep all personal information confidential. If some how the information was let out then maybe the parents of the child will not tell other vital information to staff because they are afraid that the information would be let out again.
It is staff member’s professional responsibility to maintain confidential information and not use it as a chance to have a conversation about it with other staff members. It is important to build trust with parents so it is easier for them to speak freely about something that is happening in their life you should always make sure that a parent feel safe when leaving their child at the setting and staff members should be able to tell parents how their child is getting on and if they are settling in because these are signs of trust. While building trust you should always follow the policies of the placement such as confidentiality because the parent should be able to openly tell the practitioners her problems without feeling any type of threat because it should be a trusting relationship. If a parent of a child talks to a staff member about something which may be bothering them then the staff member should always remember their right s for confidentiality and should follow the data protection act 1998.
There are some cases were the staff member should immediately tell a supervisor or someone of a higher authority but this is only if it’s something worrying like the welfare of the child.
When given a confidential document by a parent it should be put away in a filing cabinet which has a lock because if left lying about then other people can read it if this is the case then this will not be taking the parent or child’s rights in to consideration which are listed in the data protection act 1998.
Also when sending something confidential by e-mail it should be done safely so when the other person receives it they have to open the document with a password or answer various amounts of questions that the staff member and the receiving staff member knows.
There are many consequences for giving out confidential information or even leaving a piece of paper that has information lying around. So that’s why most information is kept on computers or in a filing cabinet that has a lock. According to this website: accessed: 13/1/2011 People should always keep their information safe on their computers but also should take care while sending information. If another senior staff member ever needs information through the internet the practitioner should always use a proven *encryption program to protect the data from getting into the wrong hands.
If the is not practitioner keeping the confidential information private then he or she is breaking the data protection act. By not keeping the information confidential the practitioner will not be doing their jobs properly.
A1-
It is important to prepare for employment beforehand because you should show that your keen and you are a professional practitioner. It is important to create a CV and take it to every job interview because if the manager asks for it and you do not have one then the manager will think that you are not professional and if you have one the manager will believe that you are a professional person and keen to work’ you should create your CV before hand so that it is up to date and free of errors. If there is an error in your CV and you hadn’t noticed then the manager or employer would think that you are not professional and you recently made the CV without checking it so it is better to be prepared.
You should always rehearse and practice interview techniques so that when you’re in an actual interview you are not alarmed at the types of questions being asked and you already understand a little about the types of answers you will be giving.
Before going for a job interview you should look up on the placement you will be going to so that if the interviewer asks if you would like to ask any question instead of saying no you would ask a question about the job which would make the manager think that you have come prepared for the job.
Whereas if you did not look the placement up you would not look professional. Before starting at a new placement you should always check were the location is to ensure you know where you are going and arrive in plenty of time by doing this you can also find information about the organisation which would be helpful to you.
There are many different ways in which you can prepare for employment there are a few above but I think that the one that is most helpful is by watching videos on which good points to do at an interview and what not to do at an interview.
These videos help you act more professional even if it is your first interview.
When getting ready for employment you should always keep in mind first impressions which are very important. According to this website; A CCEW should always give a good first impression because it tells the other staff members that the CCEW is reliable and he or she can be trusted to work at the child care setting effectively.
According to this website: date accessed 13/1/11 the practitioner should always arrive to work on time and look the part. It’s important to dress smartly because by doing this the other professionals at the school/nursery will think that you know what you’re doing and that you’re going to take the placement seriously. It’s important to make good first impressions because if you don’t make good first impressions then the people there will not take you seriously, they won’t rely or trust you to have responsibilities.
As an early years practitioner your qualifications are not always just enough to improve your professional development you should always find out any other courses which might help you to develop your education. You can also improve your professional skills by talking to your tutor and asking which path to take to progress further. By doing different courses it can also help you further in life and get you the job you need. If you have lots of different courses on your CV when applying for the job this might single you out from others because of your qualification and you will have a better chance to be accepted for the job.
A*-
When reflecting on why it is important to review my communication skills I can improve by speaking in a professional tone which would make the manager understand that I am willing to work and I am enthusiastic. When given feedback it is always important to improve in my communication mistakes which have been made in the past so that when I go for another interview the manager will realise that the practitioner is professional and that they have good communication skills. For example, if I went to an interview and the manager informed me that my verbal and non-verbal communication could have been better because I didn’t give eye contact, my tone of voice was very quiet and my body language was tense, I would improve on this in the future because I would reflect on what the manager had told me and I would try to improve on these things at my next interview by speaking clearly and having good body language, dressing professionally and most importantly giving eye contact. If the practitioner does not reflect on previous communication skill mistakes which were made in interviews and not reflect on feedback, the practitioner will never improve and when applying for a new job the manager will think the practitioner is not professional. The practitioner’s verbal and non verbal communication will be poor because the practitioner has failed to take on board what the manager has said. It is also important to continuously review and evaluate on your communication skills and other professional skills because if the practitioner doesn’t he or she will never improve. Practitioners should always reflect honestly on their performance because this will impact on their career not only know but also in the future because the practitioner would know what things to do and what not to do.
If the practitioner can identify strengths and weaknesses themselves then it is easier to set smart targets. By improving on your targets it is not only beneficial for you but also beneficial for the children that are in your care.
There are many skills required to have good communication for example one point is being friendly yet professional this means that if other staff members have any problems they can talk to the practitioner openly but being professional at the same time, for example giving advice that is needed and helping the staff members calmly.
Being professional can also be done by understanding the staff needs and not replying in a judgemental way and listening to them and their problems.
While talking to staff the practitioner should always be sincere and interested in the problem and understand ways in which to solve the situation. While doing this the practitioner should always remember that confidentiality is important and not to tell anyone what has been said. If you do not keep any important information confidential then the person that has told you this information will not trust and rely on you and probably will not give you important responsibilities in the future. According to this website:
Date accessed 13/1/2011
The following communication website argues: You can have the best benefits in the world but if you don’t engage with your employees, the staff, children and parents at your setting and engage with the benefits that are on offer, they will not have sufficient awareness or in positive ways, none of you will be able to form strong, effective and positive relationships so practitioners always need to reflect on their communication so that they can work towards improving their communication weaknesses. The practitioner should always review them self’s to make them self’s better.
There are many ways in which I can progress in my profession for becoming an English teacher for example look at different job adds to see what type of qualifications are needed for the type of job I am looking for. It is also important to talk to a tutor or a careers advisor to advise you the different types of routes you can take to get the job you need. Also I have been looking out for courses that I can take that can also improve my education by doing this it won’t only help me but also can help my placement. I have been looking for a behaviour management course which fits in to my timetable this course can develop my qualifications and help me to get the job I need’ because if I was with a group of people applying for the same job and they do not have the qualification I would get a better chance of being accepted for the job then the others applying for the job.
There are many ways you can find different types of courses I have been looking at courses leaflets but you can look on college notice boards or even talk to an advisor at the job centre. Tassoni, P says “an important way of keeping up to date is to read. Most settings subscribe to professional magazine and journals which can help you to gain ideas and keep you updated. (2008, 205) this reference also talks about how practitioners need to keep up to date on courses and information that could be helpful.