Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

    For my first post on my new blog, I am asked to write, in essence, about three dream jobs of mine. When you are already in your dream job this is a tall order to be asked. Currently, I am the director of a child care center in long Island. I love my job as I get to be a part of so many children's lives. So, it is hard for me to imagine any other jobs I would want. So instead, I will tell you about some jobs I wanted before I want to college and found my calling.  

    The first job was a nurse practitioner (NP) in pediatrics. At the time I know I wanted to work with children and most of the adults I knew where nurses. Seemed like the obvious profession for me to join. To become a nurse practitioner, I would also need to gain a bachelors degree of science in nursing and become a registered nurse. I would then need to gain a masters in a NP focused program and past the NP board certification program. I then realized I did not like to see children in pain or sick nor did I like needles or blood so I quickly changed my mind. 

    I then thought about becoming a child life specialist. A child life specialist helps to reduce the stress and anxiety children and families experience while dealing with healthcare issues and/or hospitalization. They promote effective coping through education, preparation, and play. This is a profession that I stumbled upon while just searching the internet. To become a child life specialist, I need to gain a degree in child life, child development or a related field. I would also need to pass a child life professional exam. Again, because I do not like to see children in pain or sick this was not the profession for me at the time but I often think about perusing the profession one day.  

    My next profession is actual the one that I did pursue which was to become a teacher. In 2010 I completed my program of study and received my bachelors in early childhood education. I went on to become a preschool teacher. This was a very fulfilling position for years but I knew I wanted more for myself and to be honest, the pay was very little. With a growing family I needed to make a decision to either stay in a career that I love or to move to one that paid better. This is when I decided to move into administration. I could stay in the field that I love, still have the ability to teach others, advocate for children and support families. This is also what brought me to pursuing my Master's degree at Walden University. 

    I am not sure what the next step for me will be in terms of my career. For now, I am happy as a director and love the center that I lead. I have a center with a max capacity of 147 students and 11 classrooms. Each day I get a chance to interact with so many children and their families feel like my own. I may not be sure what my next step will be but I am certain I made the right move in joining this field.