North Shore Community College
Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Final Case Study
The NAEYC Standard being addressed in this assignment is Standard #6 Becoming a Professional
Key elements of Standard #6:
6a. Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field
6b. Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines
6c. Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice
6d. Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early childhood education
6e. Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession
Supportive skills:
SS2. Mastering concepts in general education
SS3. Written and verbal communication
SS4. Makes connections between prior knowledge/experience and new learning
SS5. Identifies and uses professional resources
The purpose of this assignment:
To describe the role of the teacher of young children and reflect on and identify ethical
standards and opinions that can affect professional decisions and judgement
To discuss current issues in the field of early child care and education and be able to articulate a
position on them
Read and answer the questions 1-5
You are a teacher in a preschool classroom in a Head Start Program. The Head Start Program Staff
consist of:
Head Teacher, Assistant Teacher, Student Teacher, Social Worker, Family Advocate, Nutritional
Consultant, and other specialists (speech therapists, occupational therapists).
The Head Start Program is in a large city and a recent influx of families from Somalia have settled in the
community. You are fortunate to have several Somali children assigned to your preschool classroom.
You have learned much about their cultural practices through their play and have enjoyed observing
how they have acclimated to their new classroom environment although it has been challenging for the
students to learn new foods, how to use utensils and general table manners. Lately, K has been asking
for second and third helpings and has been observed putting food in his pockets and backpack. At the
staff meeting you discuss the child’s hoarding food with the social worker and family advocate, and you
decide to schedule a home visit. When you arrive at the child’s home you are warmly greeted by the
family. As you walk into the small apartment you notice there are three bedrolls on the floor and there
is no furniture. When the child opens the refrigerator, you notice the only thing inside is a picture of
water. You try to explain your concerns about K with the parent and ask if the family has enough food,
the parent nods and smiles.
In a typewritten response please analyze this case study by answering in depth the following questions.
1. As a teacher in this preschool classroom working with the Somali children what resources can
you contact to help this family. Identify at least 4 agencies that you would contact and state
your reasons why you chose them and what resources they will provide for this family. This
question relates with the Standard 6a.
2. Looking at NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct in your text Ethics and the Early Childhood
Educator pages 127-134, choose one principal from each of the four sections in the Code of
Ethical Conduct that relates to this case and discuss why it is relevant.
3. Choose one issue listed below and discuss 4 things you learned that helped increase your
knowledge on the subject matter. Interview a person who works with this issue (hunger, Somali
culture, translation, community organization that supports refugees), writing down your 4
questions and the responses from the interview.
Hunger
Somali culture
Translation
Community organization that supports refugees
4. Set up an action plan on how you and your colleagues will approach this concern. You can use a
top down web to show where you will begin your plan and where you want to be when you are
finished. Identify 4 ways you will evaluate your plan once it is implemented.
5. One of your responsibilities as a teacher of young children is to advocate for children and
families. Based on the issue you have chosen and the knowledge that you have learned write a
letter to an influential person addressing the issue you have chosen and what actions you
believe could improve this issue or bring attention to this issue.