Prioritizing Your Time As An Early Educator
s care providers, it often becomes natural to neglect our own needs. We use up all our time making sure the children in our care are happy and cared for, often at the expense of...
“Every child deserves a champion,” said longtime teacher Rita Pierson in a famous TED talk. She was talking about “an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be”—words that describe our early childhood teachers who hold a CDA®. You are the champions our children deserve, and you have a new way of showing parents and peers just how special you are. To celebrate and promote educators like you, the Council has designed three posters that describe the “10 Qualities of an Extraordinary CDA Educator.” You can use them to tell everyone about the ways you stand out in the field of early childhood education. So, click below to download yours today!
We also encourage you to spread the word about your CDA on social media by sharing our new posters on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #CDAandBeyond, or by tagging the Council. You might even be featured on the Council’s social media because we want to highlight extraordinary early childhood educators like yourself.
Why We Want to Highlight You
Great educators like you do more than teach children the three Rs and respond to their questions. They understand the roadblocks young learners face, know how to fill their needs and give them tools to succeed. They see and educate the whole child. And you can do that because you’ve gained the skills laid out in Essentials for Working with Young Children, the Council’s flagship text. You have earned your CDA, an achievement that shows you know how to reach children’s hearts, emotions and minds.
You do that by wearing many hats, as our new posters point out. You’re an expert on safety and health. You’re a child development architect who knows how to build brains and design a space that promotes learning and exploration. You’re a communication guru, who helps kids express themselves through both words and acts. You know how to use music, movement and visual arts to stir the creative spark in every child. You advocate for all children by treating them with compassion and caring in the early childhood setting. You also show them how to behave beyond your classroom walls in the wider world, where many children face challenges, as you understand. And their parents often struggle, too, so you even serve as a family advocate who helps families find the resources they need.
You Deserve Recognition
Families mainly rely on you to give special care to their precious little ones, and you can rise even higher in their eyes by showing them the value of your CDA. It proves that you’re a competent teacher who’s committed to continue learning in your field. And you can encourage others to also learn more about earning a CDA by using these downloads, whether as posters in your facility, notices on a bulletin board or handouts to colleagues and the parents who you serve.
We want to help you tout your achievement because we know the importance of what you do. It goes beyond teaching 123s and ABCs, as famed Detroit Free Press columnist Bob Talbert understood. “Teaching kids to count is fine,” he wrote, “but teaching them what matters is best.” The kindness you show in the classroom goes far towards helping kids know the type of caring folks they want to grow up to be.
Your Professional Growth
Your work advances equity, the Council’s enduring mission, and we want to help you grow as professionals in ECE. You’ve already taken a big step by earning your CDA. Now we urge you to follow new paths to success by learning from peers on the Council Alumni Network, joining our online seminars, attending our Early Educators Leadership Conference and using the many resources we provide on the Council website. We also encourage you to use these new posters to get the recognition you should have. They’re one of the many ways the Council shows that we’re always here for you. We know that our educators are essential and deserve champions, too.
Download Your Free Poster Today
Recommended for Birth to 36 Months
Recommended for Ages 3-5
Printer Friendly Option (Ages 3-5)
Recommended for All Ages
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