Reflective Account For An Early Assignment Sample

Crafting a Reflective Account: Comprehensive Guide for Early Assignments

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Introduction Of Reflective Account For An Early

The ability of a person or group of people to lead, inspire, and direct others towards a common objective or vision is referred to as leadership. It involves creating a clear vision, inspiring and encouraging individuals to work towards the objective, and giving them the freedom to own their work. Leadership may be exhibited at all levels of an organization and is not only reserved for particular roles or positions. Strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, the capacity for strategic thought, the capacity for decision-making, and the willingness to take measured risks are all characteristics of effective leaders. Leadership can be transactional, where a leader concentrates on attaining specific goals through a system of incentives and punishments, or transformational where a leader inspires and motivates people to do more than they thought was possible.

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My aim in the reflective account is to reflect on my current skills and the skills I need to develop in the future to become an effective early-year teacher. To become a successful early-year teacher, communication, teamwork, and planning are required. My purpose in choosing this job role, because it plays a vital role, is to shape children's development during the early years.According to (An and Shin, 2023), the role of the early-year teacher is situated within the context of being a recognized profession that requires early-year educator credentials. The early year foundation stage (EYFS) framework, which establishes a standard of learning, development, and care for children from birth to age five, is one of many government initiatives that have contributed to the creation of this position (Tárraga-Sánchez et al., 2023).

Areas of focus

I am inspired to become an early-year teacher; my strengths areas of development are based on particular theme which is leadership for success in this job. I believe I have great communication skills regarding my existing abilities. I am confident and can express myself, and I feel comfortable conversing with people of different ages and backgrounds. I have also had experience working in teams, so I think I can collaborate well with others to accomplish common objectives. Furthermore, I have some experience in leadership positions, which has helped me develop my strength in leadership abilities. However, I know in which areas I need to improve my skills. For example, I need to develop my teamwork and leadership skills in the future. I can work in teams comfortably, but I do not have experience leading teams or taking charge of group projects. According to a study by childcare exchange (Ata-Akturk, 2023, p.110) early years teachers need to have strong leadership qualities in order to manage their team and serve as good role models for the students they educate; I must therefore improve my capacity to inspire and lead my team to accomplish shared objectives. I also need to work on being more organized and planning. As an early-year teacher, it is important to plan and prepare activities and lessons that are attractive, age-appropriate, and meet the needs of individual children (Sarama et al.,2022, p.278). Early-year teachers need strong abilities to construct developmentally appropriate curriculums, according to a study by the national centre for education statistics (national centre for education statistics, 2019). I must concentrate on improving my organizational and planning skills to guarantee that I am giving the kids in my care the finest learning opportunities.

Leadership Theory

In terms of leadership, I can connect to transformational leadership, which emphasizes the importance of inspiring and motivating others toward shared objectives (law-Davis, 2023, p.59). In order to make sure that we are giving the children the finest learning opportunities possible, I need to be able to effectively lead my team of early-year teachers. To lead the team effectively it is equally important to follow some theory and approach founded by professionals. The complicated nature of leadership is oversimplified by the trait theory, and situational aspects that may affect leadership effectiveness are not taken into account. A lack of agreement exists regarding the attributes that make for effective leadership, and some study suggest that traits may not be a crucial as other elements like abilities and experience.

The trait theory has helped me understand leadership by emphasizing the meaning of individual variability in leadership effectiveness and the necessity for successful leaders to have a certain set of traits

Trait theory

According to Researcher Thomas Carlyle, the trait theory of leadership, some people are just born with skills or traits that make them good leaders. These traits are believed to be inherent and cannot be learned and developed. This theory contends that traits or personality qualities that set leaders apart from followers are present in leaders. These qualities could include, among others, intelligence, self-assurance, integrity, and aggressiveness. These qualities are thought to enable leaders to influence people, communicate clearly, and make wise choices (Aspden et al., 2023, p.320). Although I have good communication skills, I need to strengthen my teamwork and leadership abilities and planning and organizational skills. Doing this will make me a successful and more effective early-year teacher.My strength and areas of development as an aspiring early-year teacher, I believe that leadership and teamwork are the key skills that I need to develop in the future (Cheffi,et.al 2023). Regarding teamwork, I can link bel bin's theory of team roles, which holds that many people have different talents and abilities contributing to productive teamwork (Bratsch-Hines et al., 2023, p.149). I can assign duties and responsibilities' following the team member's talents, ensuring everyone contributes to the team's objectives.According to Dhillon (2023), Government regulations and sources greatly impact the early-year education field, so I need to understand them as an early-year teacher. For example, the early year foundation stage (EYFS) frame outlines the requirements for the education, care, and development of children in England from birth to age five. In order to ensure that children are safe and well-cared for, it highlights the value of collaborating with parents and carers, nurturing strong communications, and doing soas cited by Leung et al., 2023.

Recent changes to the National Professional Qualification for Early Years (NPQ) made by the government are intended to raise the standard of early childhood education and give early childhood teachers more opportunities for professional growth(Solberg, 2023, p.30). I can advance my teamwork and leadership and gain a deeper understanding of the laws and policies that influence the early-year education sector by pursuing the NPQ. I may improve my abilities as a successful early-year teacher by making links to theories of leadership and cooperation and by understanding the influence of governmental resources and regulation on the early-year education sector (Undheim,2022, p.479). I can give possible learning opportunities to the children under my care by continuing to learn and grow, supporting their growth, and enabling them to reach their full potential.

When I think about my abilities and experience, I see that my organizational and communication skills are my strongest (Ahmad and Ghavifekr, 2017). I have improved my ability to communicate successfully with coworkers, parents, and kids and to make sure that tasks are accomplished quickly and accurately through my placements and prior employment. This has been especially clear during group presentations and seminar exercises, where I have effectively conveyed my ideas and worked collaboratively with others to accomplish a shared goal (Ornaghi,2022).As I evaluate my abilities and experiences, I have discovered that my areas of strength are communication and organization, while my weaknesses are teamwork and leadership. I need to continue to improve my leadership and collaboration abilities if I am going to be a successful early-year teacher. I will list concrete steps to accomplish these goals in this growth plan.

SWOT Analyses on Leadership

  • STRENGTHS
  • Strong communication skills
  • Ability to motivate and inspire members of the teams (Gencer and Batirlik, 2023).
  • Problem-solving and strategic thinking skills
  • Confident and significant decision making
  • High emotional quotient and empathy · Imaginative and forward-thinking
  • Able to establish strong relationships with stakeholders and the team (Longnecker, 2023).
  • WEAKNESSES
  • A propensity towards micromanagement or inadequate delegation
  • Lacking certain knowledge or technical skills (West, and Borrill, 2023).
  • Aggressive or overly pushy communication styles.
  • Struggles with uncertainty or adapting to change.
  • Difficultyhandling disagreements or providing constructive criticism.
  • Can get overly preoccupied with accomplishing objectives and neglect the needs of team members.
  • OPPORTUNITIES
  • Gaining new abilities or knowledge through instruction or training.
  • Assembling a more diversified staff to provide fresh perspectives and concepts (Douglas and Sutton, 2023).
  • Reaching new audiences or breaking into new markets.
  • Creating new goods and services.
  • Putting a focus on professional development for employees.
  • Establishing associations or working together with other organizations.
  • THREATS
  • Market volatility or unstable economic conditions.
  • Increasing competition or the entry of new competitors.
  • Rapid shifts in industry trends or technology.
  • Potentially negative political or regulatory changes for the organization.
  • Loss of important stakeholders or team members (Luedi, 2022).
  • Negative media coverage or reputational harm.

Examples

I will take advantage of the chance to work with and shadow the head teacher at the school, where I will be placed as an example of how I aim to improve my leadership abilities (Ranta, Heiskanen and Kahila, 2023). I can gain a better hold of the responsibilities of a leader in the early years setting by studying methods for overseeing workers, interacting with parents, and working with other stakeholders. I will also take the initiative to run meetings with the group or give lectures so that I may put my new knowledge and abilities to use.I will look for opportunities to work on projects or initiatives with other teachers or teaching subordinates to improve my teamwork abilities. For example, I might offer to assist with a project or event that affects the entire school and calls for cross-functional cooperation. I can develop the confidence and abilities necessary to perform well within a team by actively engaging with coworkers and improving my teamwork skills (Nazarov, 2023). I think I can improve my leadership and teamwork skills through training, observation, and practice and become a successful early-year teacher. I can give kids the best learning opportunity by focusing on my organization and communication skills while frequently looking for ways to improve my deficiencies.

Action plan

Objectives (What are your goals?) Tasks (How are you going to achieve your goals?) Success criteria (How will you know if you have achieved your goals?)
In order to become a better early childhood educator, I want to hone my communication abilities. Learn how to communicate effectively by enrolling in a workshop. Proving an ability to talk more openly with kids, co-workers, and parents.
With the goal of being a better team player and contributing member in the workplace. Take part in group exercises designed to foster collaboration among workers. Having a beneficial impact on the team as a whole and working well with others to achieve common goals.
I want to get better at planning so I can provide better early childhood education. Work together with your team to develop a unified strategy. Take a course to learn effective methods of planning. Providing a preschool curriculum aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).Having my students, their parents, and fellow teachers express appreciation for my methods.

Conclusion

Finally, I want to conclude that becoming an effective early-year teacher requires a combination of skills, knowledge, and personal qualities. Through this reflective account, I have identified my strength and areas of development. To become an early-year teacher, I have recognized the importance of leadership skills .In terms of my strength, I have proven to be able to collaborate and work well with others. I have also established leadership qualities in a few conditions. I have established good communication abilities via my prior experiences, including public speaking and presenting. I am aware of some areas where I could do better. In order to properly manage and lead a group of professionals, I need to continue to enhance my leadership abilities and focus on my communication skills. I have defined specific growth strategies to help me reach these objectives, such as taking leadership courses, engaging in active listening exercises, and getting feedback from colleagues.

References

  • Ahmad, R.H. and Ghavifekr, S., 2017. School leadership for the 21st century: A conceptual overview. MOJEM: Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 2(1), pp.48-61.
  • An, M. Y., & Shin, K. S. (2023). Teachers' Perceptions on Early Childhood's Traffic and Life Safety Education Program Using VR. Applied Sciences,13(2), 777.
  • Aspden, K., Hunt, L., McLaughlin, T., & Cherrington, S. (2023). Developing Teacher-Researchers Capacity to Support the Use of New Data Systems. InAssessment and Data Systems in Early Childhood Settings: Theory and Practice (pp. 309–330). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
  • Ata-Akturk, A., &Sevimli-Celik, S. (2023). Creativity in early childhood teacher education: beliefs and practices.International Journal of Early Years Education,31(1), 95-114.
  • Bratsch-Hines, M., Cohen-Vogel, L., Little, M., Lindsay, C. A., &Carr, R. (2023). Teacher-child racial/ethnic match from prekindergarten through first grade: Understanding early exposure and outcomes.Early Childhood Research Quarterly,63, 145-155.
  • Cheffi, W., Zahir-ul-Hassan, M.K., Farooq, M.O., Baqrain, A. and Mansour, M.M.H., 2023. Ethical leadership, management control systems and circular economy in SMEs in an emerging economy, the UAE. Journal of Business Research, 156, p.113513.
  • Coffey, A., &Lavery, S. (2023). Understanding the middle year's learner: The role of service-learning in an Initial Teacher Education program. InMiddle-Level Teacher Preparation across International Contexts (pp. 68–82). Routledge.
  • Dhillon, K. (2023). Taking on learners in your early years of practice.Canadian Family Physician.
  • Douglas, K.M. and Sutton, R.M., 2023. What are conspiracy theories? A definitional approach to their correlates, consequences, and communication. Annual review of psychology, 74, pp.271-298.
  • Gencer, Y.G. and Batirlik, S.N., 2023. Importance of Leadership in Managing Post-Pandemic Crises. In Managing Inflation and Supply Chain Disruptions in the Global Economy (pp. 104-122). IGI Global.
  • Hadley, E. B., Barnes, E. M., Wiernik, B. M., & Raghavan, M. (2022). A meta-analysis of teacher language practices in early childhood classrooms.Early Childhood Research Quarterly,pp. 59, 186–202.
  • Ko?kulu-Sancar, S., van de Weijer-Bergsma, E., Mulder, H., &Blom, E. (2023). Examining the role of parents and teachers in executive function development in early and middle childhood: A systematic review.Developmental Review,67, 101063.
  • Law-Davis, S., &Topliss, J. (2023). Perceptions of pre-service and graduate early childhood and primary teachers regarding their confidence in teaching Religious Education in Catholic primary schools.British Journal of Religious Education,45(1), 57-68.
  • Leung, S. K., Wu, J., Lam, Y., & Ho, T. H. (2023). An explanatory study of kindergarten teachers' teaching behaviors in their visual arts classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education,124, 104018.
  • Longnecker, N., 2023. Good science communication considers the audience. In Teaching Science Students to Communicate: A Practical Guide (pp. 21-30). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  • Luedi, M.M., 2022. Leadership in 2022: A perspective. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology.
  • Nazarov, R., 2023. COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING ENGLISH. ??????????????????????? ? ???????????, 5(5).
  • Ornaghi, V., Conte, E., Agliati, A., &Gandellini, S. (2022). Early-childhood teachers' emotion socialization practices: A multi-method study.Early Child Development and Care,192(10), 1608-1625.
  • Ranta, S., Heiskanen, H. and Kahila, S., 2023. Team leadership profiles in Finnish early childhood education centres–Teachers' experiences of team leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, p.17411432231168234.
  • Sarama, J., Clements, D. H., Barrett, J. E., Cullen, C. J., Hudyma, A., & Vanegas, Y. (2022). Length measurement in the early years: teaching and learning with learning trajectories.Mathematical Thinking and Learning,24(4), 267–290.
  • Solberg, J. (2023). The role of the multilingual assistant in the parent-teacher conference in early childhood education and care: opaque agencies.Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education,17(1), 25–36.
  • Tárraga-Sánchez, M. D. L. Á., Ballesteros-García, M. D. M., &Migallón, H. (2023). Teacher-Developed Computer Games for Classroom and Online Reinforcement Learning for Early Childhood.Education Sciences,13(2), 108.
  • Undheim, M. (2022). Children and teachers are engaging together with digital technology in early childhood education and care institutions: a literature review. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal,30(3), 472–489.
  • West, M. and Borrill, C., 2023. The influence of team working. In Understanding doctors' performance (pp. 106-122). CRC Press.
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