I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for nearly nine years. When I first got hired at a child care centre it was when I was still in high school, finishing my senior year, and needing some extra money. I had absolutely no plans of staying in the field long term, the job was simply to help me pay for university, I would work after school when I was in high school, full time in the summer, and part-time while in university. All with the goal of graduating university and moving on to the field of Psychology.

But this was not how it played out, by my second year of university I was already considering dropping out and switching to an Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. I had quickly fallen in love with my job and found I would much rather be at work with the kids than at university. However my parents wanted me to finish my university degree before starting another program. And so I listened to them, but by the time I was finished university I was burnt out and not mentally prepared to start school again. So I worked full time as an Assistant ECE for three years before a friend mentioned this program to me.

There were many benefits to this program that made me realize I was finally ready to head back to school, the ability to fast-track and get through the schooling at a quicker pace, as well as it being fully online and asynchronous were the two factors that made me decide to go for it. The ability to still work full-time while also being in school full-time was a major plus as I live on my own so taking time off work for school was not an option for me.

Being able to do placement in my own place of work was also a driving factor. I had a great experience during my placement in the Infant Room at Story Book Early Learning Centre, and it was nice still being able to be in my original classroom as the children were already familiar with me. Connecting to and talking with the parent's was also easy as we already had a previous relationship, however it did lead to many conversations about my time as a student with Fanshawe College and discussions about the ECE program which allowed me a bit of time to advocate for the program and the field of Early Childhood Education as a whole.

At the completion of this program I look forward to being able to call myself a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE). My mom is an RECE and growing up I always looked up to her and thought her job was something not everyone is capable of doing, including myself. It was always clear to me that it takes a special type of person to care for and educate little ones every day, as it is not always an easy job. And I feel like I can say that I am proud of myself for growing into one of those people, and that I will take pride in my job and the title of RECE.

The following artifacts show my acquired skills in child development, program and curriculum development, responsive relationships and partnerships, health, regulations and practices, advocate for children, families and the profession of early childhood, research and professional learning.

1. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition: 0-3 Years

2. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition: 3-6 Years

3. Outdoor Play Newsletter

4. Field Trip poster and FAQ Sheet

Courses:

1. FLDP 1022

2. FLDP 3023

3. ECED 1076-ECE7: Curriculum and Pedagogy 0-3 Yrs

4. ECED 1005-ECE7: Health Safety & Nutrition

Reflection:

I included these four artifacts as proof of my learning in regards to program and curriculum development as I felt they showcased a wide scope of concepts. Through these artifacts I demonstrated my ability to plan and develop learning experiences and activities for children aged 0-6 that aligned with the four Foundations - Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement, and Expression, as well as the Frame - Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviour. An ability to curate outdoor play experiences, field trips, and documentation of such curriculum are other skills that are evidenced in these artifacts.

Having competency in creating learning opportunities and activities that are going to benefit the children is an important skill to possess as an Early Childhood Educator. Personally I value emergent learning, outdoor play, and play-based learning. These are three aspects of program and curriculum development that I am passionate about and plan to integrate into my professional pedagogy.

1. Discussion Post - Discussion 2: Immigrant Families

2. Reflecting on The Universal Beliefs about Early Education and Care

3. Online Community Resource - Caring for Kids New to Canada

4. Elevator Talk - Caring for Kids New to Canada

Courses:

1. SOCI 3003: Canadian Families Change & Diversity

2. ECED 3044-ECE7: The Reflective Practitioner

3. ECED 3038-ECE7: Child Development 3-6 Yrs

4. ECED 3038-ECE7: Child Development 3-6 Yrs

Reflection:

These artifacts represent my ability to engage in partnerships that promote respect and understanding of other cultures and Indigenous world views. Through watching videos and reading articles from the perspective of refugee families and Indigenous educators I have gained an understanding of how to work to recognize and integrate the different practices, beliefs, and worldviews of other cultures into my pedagogy. And also how to create a safe space that is cognizant of and working to counteract the challenges that those not of a Western-colonial society may face. The Caring for Kids New to Canada website was also helpful in providing me with information and resources on how to best support immigrant and refugee children/families in my care as they adjust to life in Canada.

In today's society it is important that we recognize two things: Canada was the Indigenous Peoples home first, and Canada's population would not survive currently without immigrants and refugees. This is to say that people of a non-colonial background are so important to our society and so we need to do better to recognize that and move away from a predominantly Western worldview. Working together to create a learning environment that recognizes individuals of all cultures and worldviews is what is going to be best for the children in our care, as they all should feel included and as though they belong.

1. First Aid and CPR certificate

2. Simulation Role Play: No-Report Form

3. Hand Washing Song

Courses:

2. ECED 3041-ECE1: Understanding Child Abuse & Neglect

3. ECED 1005-ECE7: Health Safety & Nutrition

Reflection:

I chose these three artifacts as I believed they demonstrated my ability to not only gain an understanding about health, regulations and practices but also put that knowledge to use. The artifacts provided prove my certification in first aid and CPR as well as my understanding of the regulations on child abuse and neglect and my duty to report as an Early Childhood Educator. My comprehension of proper hand washing practices is also evidenced as well as an ability to use song to educate children on personal hygiene and proper hand washing.

All of the skills I have acquired through the completion of these artifacts are extremely important in the field of Early Childhood Education. First Aid and CPR is needed to ensure that I am capable of helping any child in my care if they are injured, choking, or in need of life saving measures. While an understanding of the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, and how to report such scenarios, is important as it is our duty to protect the children and report if we suspect abuse. Not only do we need to protect children in this way, but we also need to protect their health and that can be done by practicing proper hygiene and hand washing skills. Children's immune systems are not as strong as ours so it is up to us to teach them the importance of hand washing and keeping the germs away.

1. Secure Attachment Assignment

2. Guidance and our Role in Supporting Children

3. Elected Official Letter (Group Assignment)

Courses:

1. ECED 1075-ECE7: Child Development 0-3 Yrs

2. ECED 1053-ECE7: Promoting Pro-Social Behaviour

3. ECED 3040-ECE7: Professionalism, Ethics & Advocacy

Reflection:

I chose to include these artifacts as I felt they showcased my skills in advocating for both children and families. I demonstrated an ability to provide families with support in forming secure attachments when they were previously struggling, as well as an ability to provide children with the support they need when learning to self-regulate and work through challenging behaviours. Through group work I demonstrated an ability to stand up for and advocate for children's rights to safe care as well as the family's right to transparency and open communication in childcare programs.

Being able to advocate for the children in our care, their families, and our profession is an important skill. We want what is best for the children and as they cannot advocate for themselves we need to be able to do that for them. With the knowledge and skills we have gained through the ECE program sometimes these are things that parents may miss or may not be aware of. Thus we need to speak up on everyone's behalf to ensure those involved are receiving the means necessary to help them succeed.

1. Child Care and Early Years Self Test Certificate

2. Healthy and Sustainable Child Care Checklist Certificate

3. Self-Assessment Paper

Courses:

1. ECED 3044-ECE7: The Reflective Practitioner

2. ECED 1005-ECE7: Health Safety & Nutrition

3. FLDP 1038-ECE7: Field Seminar

Reflection:

The three artifacts I chose to include show my drive to further my education by participating in professional learning practices. Through my attainment of the two certificates I gained knowledge in and a greater understanding of the Child Care and Early Years Act, ministry regulations for licensing a child care facility, and health and sustainability practices in a child care setting. While the use of the Self-Assessment Tool helped me to understand where I am in my journey with reflective practices, my strengths and weaknesses in that area, and how I can improve upon them in the future.

The world of Early Childhood Education is always changing and adapting. Thus I recognize that as an educator it is important that I keep up to date on research and continue participating in professional learning and development to ensure that I am following and promoting the most recent and up to date practices. As well as working on myself as an educator, through reflection, to be the best possible version of myself and provide the best possible care that I can.

1. Weekly Reflections

2. Op-Ed: Ms. Rachel and Language Acquisition

3. Child Development Case Study

Courses:

1. ECED 3038-ECE7: Child Development 3-6 Yrs

2. ECED 3038-ECE7: Child Development 3-6 Yrs

3. ECED 3038-ECE7: Child Development 3-6 Yrs

Reflection:

I have chosen these three artifacts as I feel they demonstrate my understanding of the broad spectrum of child development. Throughout these artifacts I will present my knowledge on the topics of: trauma-informed environments, self-regulation, epigenetics, language development, and risks factors on typical development. As well as an opinion piece on the effects of media entertainment, specifically Ms. Rachel, on children's language acquisition skills.

I believe that anyone working with children should have an understanding of child development. I think we all want children to reach their full potential and to be the best version of themselves that they can be, and in order for us to do that we need to have an understanding of how best to help them. Not every child is going to progress at the same speed or even progress in the same way and thus as educators we need to be able to recognize the signs of a child who may need additional support. I hope to be able to use my knowledge on child development to help the children in my care thrive in their learning journey.