Ethical Dilemma: Can I Keep This Child Amanda has been caring for four-year-old Jamie for the

past six months. While Jamie is a great kid, when things dont go his way he gets really angry. He throws things and can be destructive. Its getting to the point that Amanda feels she is ignoring the other children while trying to handle Jamie. Amanda has been trying to be consistent in her discipline of Jamie, but shes starting to wonder if she should ask his parents to find another place for him. What should Amanda do?

1. In your own words, identify what you think is the main concern, issue, or problem in this situation. Well, first off, there is the issue that Amanda feels like she isn't delegating properly between Jamie and the other children. That she is spending most of her time with Jamie, and the other children are missing out with one-on-one time they might be needing. The next concern is that Jamie's behavior is putting other children at risk of injury. He is showing signs of anger and destructive behavior and it is posing an overall safety threat within the classroom. Lastly, it states that Amanda is using discipline. The terms of this discipline is unspecified, but as a childcare professional we know better than to use discipline within the classroom. Being consist is good, but it would probably be more helpful if Amanda was consistent in using guidance strategies rather than discipline. Such as, redirection, which might gain a better reaction from the child.

2. To whom do you have responsibilities? Whom and what do you have to consider in making a decision? Above all else, as a teacher I have a responsibility to the child, as well as the parents. I also have a responsibility to the other children and their families within the center since Jamie is taking up a lot of Amanda's time and is also posing a safety threat. All of the children and their families are, who are to be considered in this decision, because all of them will be affected by it. What also needs to be considered is if Amanda has done everything within her power to reach out to Jamie and help him with his behavior; which going by the small amount of information provided, it doesn't sound like she has. Yes, she has been consistent with a certain type of discipline, but it is possible that she needs to try other strategies. Jamie's specific temperament needs to be considered here, and if the strategy she is using fits him

or not. His parents should also be brought into this process before the answer is to send him elsewhere. There should be many parent conferences, and support strategies the parents should be implementing as well. It is important for the parents and Amanda to work together and really try to understand where these behavior problems are coming from to best assist Jamie, and ultimately every child within that classroom.

3. What guidance can you find in this section of the Code of Ethics? What specific items in the code are helpful in guiding your decision? According to Section 1 in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, it states that, "Our paramount responsibility is to provide care and education in settings that are safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive for each child. We are committed to supporting children's development and learning; respecting individual differences; and helping children learn to play, and work cooperatively." There were two things stood out to me about this statement. One, that the environment in which the children are in is currently one that is not responsive for each child because Amanda doesn't feel like she is delegating as well as she could be. Two, that by simply switching Jamie to another program without exhausting all options is not remaining respectful to his differences, i.e. his behavior problems. The specific parts of the code that helped me make this decision were as follows: I-1.5 -- To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and contributions. It is very important that other options are explored right away in regards to dealing with Jamie's behavior to ensure that no other child is hurt when his behavior gets destructive. As well as, Amanda needs to be sure that her "discipline" technique is respecting Jamie's dignity. It important that he feels he is contributing to the classroom, and not out-casted for being the child with challenging behavior. I-1.9 -- To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to the support services needed to be successful. It is crucial that Amanda exhaust all options before sending Jamie off somewhere else. It is important that she works closely with the family in supporting Jamie and figuring out where his behavioral problems stem from. It is also import she conducts research on the types of problems Jamie is having and take them into careful consideration before reaching her decision. It is part of her job to provide Jamie's family with information and community resources that may help him as well to ensure that everyone is working together to figure out how best to help him.

4. What do you think an early childhood educator should do to best resolve this situation? What action(s) should you take in resolving this situation? I'd like to first start off with a specific part of the code that resonated with me and this scenario: P-1.7 -- We shall strive to build individual relationships with each child; make individualized adaptations in teaching strategies, learning environments, and curricula; and consult with the family so that each child benefits from the program. If after such efforts have been exhausted, the current placement does not meet a child's needs, or the child is seriously jeopardizing the ability of other children to benefit from the program, we shall collaborate with the child's family and appropriate specialists to determine the additional services needed and/or the placement option(s) most likely to ensure the child's success. As a childhood educator I feel that one should first call in the parents to discuss what is going on with the child and what options are available in working with him in the classroom and at home. It is important to do so because the parents may be able to offer some insight on what the child is experiencing or going through. I personally would start there, and would take it further. I would discuss with the parents if this sort of behavior is normal for the child and if they have been experiencing the same sort of outbreaks at home. I would ask them if they knew what might be causing the child to act this way in class. In the first place, I would not have used discipline with the child. I would have used guidance strategies such as I-messages and redirection first. I would remain consistent in my attempts to help the child's behavior, but would also continue trying different things to see what would fit the child's specific temperament best. I would continue to have parent conferences so that we were all on the dame page. I would say maybe every 2 weeks. I would also invite the parent to sit in on a class day to observe their child and see if it makes a difference having the parent present in the classroom. I would exhaust all options, and know that I tried my absolute best before I would ever remove a child from my classroom.

Ethical Dilemma: They Want the Children to Succeed! A parent of a preschooler in your program is concerned that her child will not be ready for kindergarten next year and has talked with other parents who have the same concern. The group of parents has a copy of the kindergarten placement test and would like you to begin preparing the children and deliver the test before the end of the year. They want the children to succeed in school!

1. In your own words, identify what you think is the main concern, issue, or problem in this situation. My first main concern with this scenario is, what if the children simply aren't ready to go to kindergarten? Secondly, that the parent's are not confident in me as their child's teacher to prepare them for kindergarten, and are worried their child won't succeed. Most parents are not well informed or educated in Child Development so they are not familiar with the principles and stages to which their children are developing. Or that for their child's learning to be successful, it also must be developmentally appropriate for each child. Another very large concern I have with this scenario, is that personally, and as a child care professional I am strongly against testing young children, as it holds no value for them, is boring, and pretty much everything but developmentally appropriate. Testing also means that I would be implementing a teacher-directed classroom, instead of childdirected; something again, I am not okay with.

2. To whom do you have responsibilities? Whom and what do you have to consider in making a decision? I have a responsibility to the children, in protecting their specific developments and rights in having a curriculum that will work for them and is developmentally appropriate. One that will get them as ready for kindergarten as they can be, but does not discourage them. I also have responsibilities to the parent's and their concerns. It is important that I consider their needs in this situation as well, because if the parent does not trust I am doing everything to prepare their child for kindergarten it will only hinder said child's learning and development. Lastly, I have a responsibility to myself, and have to consider my own feelings on this matter and think of how I will get the parent's to understand where I am coming from with testing being not developmentally appropriate for their children.

3. What guidance can you find in this section of the Code of Ethics? What specific items in the code are helpful in guiding your decision? According to Section 2 of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, it states that, "Families are of primary importance in children's development. Because the family and the early childhood practitioner have a common interest in the child's well-being, we acknowledge a primary responsibility to bring about communication, cooperation, and collaboration between the home and early childhood program in ways that enhance the child's development." What stood out to me about this statement was because it is the ethical code for families. In this particular scenario, the families need to be taken into greater consideration, because without trust and collaboration between myself and the children's families, the children's learning will not be as successful as it could be. The specific parts of the code that helped me make this decision were as follows: I-1.2 -- To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child. It is important that as a childcare professional I make sure that every child is learning at his or her own pace with developmentally appropriate materials. I-1.12 -- To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next. It is important that the parent's know that I am working diligently to prepare their children for kindergarten and that I want to see them succeed as much as they do. P-1.5 -- We shall use appropriate assessment systems, which include multiple sources of information, to provide information on children's learning and development. By going over each child's assessment with the corresponding parents it would help in the parents understanding of their child's development and exactly what I am doing to prepare them for kindergarten. I-2.3 -- To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program. By encouraging the parents to come into the classroom they will see just how much their child is working on a daily basis and will gain confidence that their child is in fact preparing for kindergarten, even if it might only seem like play. I-2.7 -- To share information about each child's education and development with families and to help them understand and appreciate the current knowledge base of the early childhood program. Hopefully, by doing so the parents may gain a slight understanding of why it is so crucial that their child's learning remain child-directed and developmentally appropriate.

4. What do you think an early childhood educator should do to best resolve this situation? What action(s) should you take in resolving this situation? I believe that as a childhood educator is it important to address the concerns of the parents first. I would probably start with the specific parent that brought in the test and began talking to the other parents. I would hold a personal conference with them to discuss why they feel their child isn't ready for kindergarten. I would then hold a conference for all the parents to attend so I could discuss the overall program, our philosophy, and goals. I would explain that in early childhood education it is very important for their child's learning to remain developmentally appropriate. I would explain exactly what that means and why it is so valuable. During this conference I would have a signup sheet for any other parents that would like to set up individual conferences to talk about where their children are at developmentally. As well as invite them to sit in on class a day or two throughout the week so they could see their child's learning happening first hand. This would also provide me with an opportunity to briefly explain to the parent child development concepts as they observe their child engaging in them throughout the classroom.