After perusing local and state organizations from Bellmawr, NJ, Camden County, the surrounding cities, and the state overall, I chose to focus on the following four organizations, agencies, and/or communities of practice: Larc School; Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties; Center for Family Services; and Twin Oaks Community Services. First I chose Larc School because it is a private, special education school that provides services and educational opportunities for children and adults who are severely disabled. I worked in this school over 6 summers and have a true passion, love, and respect for the work they do and the school. It would be great to create a CoP with teachers, staff, and families from this school, in combination with those who live in my community and work in my building and district, especially since this school is in my community, as well. Secondly, I chose the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization as it is an organization I have been interested in being a part of since I was young. I have always admired those that volunteer and give back to others in any way possible. My cousin participated in this organization but in a branch in Philadelphia growing up and I learned so much from her and the experiences she shared with me which has given me more respect and admiration for the organization and it's premise. Thirdly, I chose to focus on an agency called the Center for Family Services in Camden, NJ, as they have a wide variety of support services for children and families throughout the Southern New Jersey region. You can also volunteer and mentor for children and families through this organization and this agency offers a variety of support for families, such as access to Early Childhood Education opportunities like Head Start and Public Preschool Openings, as well as healthcare and housing help. Lastly, I chose the Twin Oaks Community Services agency because it is a facility where children and/or families can go for assistance with behavioral and mental health services. Once again, I have heard of this reputable agency who have provided services to families in desperate need of support. They are willing to come to your home or you can attend their facilities and they provide support for individuals as well as the entire family, as needed.
In considering each of the aforementioned organizations, I have discovered or pondered about job opportunities I would envision myself pursuing with that specific organization. In regards to Larc School, I have already worked as a teacher and as a paraprofessional assistant to which I could see myself doing again in the future. In addition, I could see myself in a Speech and Language Pathologist position as this is something I have always considered going back to school for later in life. After perusing the site for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization, I have discovered that the best job opportunity I believe I would enjoy and partake in would be as a volunteer. Again, I have always hoped to give back in this sense in some way to this organization as I witnessed my cousin do successfully and wholeheartedly growing up and volunteering would be the best way to do so. The Center for Family Services does has several job postings placed on their website to peruse. After some consideration, I have taken great interest in the "Family Service Advocate" job opportunity at a Head Start program in my county. This is a possible role I am highly interested in fulfilling in my own school district and/or community upon completion of this program at Walden so I was very excited to see this opportunity. Lastly, after perusing the website for Twin Oaks Community Services, I have not discovered any available job opportunities I am interested in. However, I would be interested in either volunteering at this agency or taking on a role such as a Family Advocate for this type of agency as it would combine my knowledge of behaviors and mental health from all of my training and education in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, as well as my education in working with families and children.
In order to successfully and effectively complete any of the aforementioned job opportunities, a certain skill set and experiences within the field with children, families, and education would be necessary. First of all, an individual would need to be an effective, competent communicator, willing and able to work with and communicate with ALL families and individuals in our communities. The individual would need to know how to read and understand nonverbal and verbal language, as well as have strategies and resources to communicate despite language barriers. Additionally, the individual should have experience teaching children and working with families in the educational setting, in order to properly work with and advocate for children and families in other settings. I think I would possess each of these skills and qualities, as well as being flexible, a lifelong learner, and dedicated anti-bias educator.
This week's blog has provided me with lots of 'food for thought' to consider. As we come to an end of this journey at Walden University and I move forward with my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Studies, it is important to consider the variety of opportunities that await. This does not limit me to the classroom, especially if I would like to be an advocate. Many of these opportunities are not full time positions that could be completed and performed in addition to maintaining a teaching position within the Early Childhood field. This was eye opening and exciting to learn about and consider these opportunities that could await in my future endeavors! :)
----------------------------------------------------
Organization/Agency Websites:
- Larc School: http://www.larcschool.com
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties: http://www.bbbsbcg.org/site/c.5oIJJVPsGbISF/b.6458217/k.774A/Big_Brothers_Big_Sisters_of_Burlington_Camden__Gloucester_Counties.htm
- Center for Family Services: http://www.centerffs.org
- Twin Oaks Community Services: http://twinoakscs.org
No comments:
Post a Comment