OUR MISSION
The BMCC ECE Program mission is to provide accessible, high-quality professional preparation in the field of Early Childhood Education to the diverse post-secondary student population in New York City and the surrounding communities. We are devoted to the preparation of teachers of young children who are committed to fostering intentional, meaningful and research-based learning opportunities to support the optimal development of young children. Our program aims to cultivate graduates who are knowledgeable, reflective, culturally responsive and innovative educators.
Whether for the education of young children or for the preparation of teachers, we believe that the overall goals of education for ALL students are to foster and nurture:
- Intellectual curiosity in life-long learners who strive to realize their full potential in all domains.
- A capacity for caring and empathy in learners who are emotionally and intellectually invested in relationship building, for their health and well-being and the health and well-being of others.
- Confident and creative problem solving in learners who are self-assured, curious, expressive, imaginative and well-organized, with well-developed knowledge-bases and strategies for interacting with the social and physical world.
- Cultural Competency in learners who are aware of their own cultural worldview and cultural heritage, and acknowledge and interact in ways which are respectful of and responsive to the beliefs, practices and cultural and linguistic diversity of others.
- Active participation in our democratic society in learners who cultivate and exert their own rights, and respect the rights of others, for the betterment of society as a whole.
OUR VALUES
Grounded in evidence-based practice in the ECE field and our mission, the BMCC ECE program embraces eight basic principles about young children and learning and the related implications for their optimal education. These principles and practices reflect our shared beliefs about ECE and are integrated throughout the ECE sequence of courses in the program:
| PRINCIPLES OF YOUNG CHILDREN & LEARNING | IMPLICATIONS FOR ECE TEACHING PRACTICE |
| Each child is a unique person of strengths and capacity who is worthy of respect as the primary agent of his/her own learning. | Teachers advocate for the rights of young children to have educational experiences that validate their autonomy, exploration and wonder. |
| Early child development and learning is a holistic process (cognitive, social, emotional, physical and self-help) that sets the foundation for lifelong learning, resiliency and well-being. | Teachers use observation and authentic assessments to know children and then use this knowledge to design learning experiences and environments that support and build on all areas of development. |
| Children thrive in an environment that respects diversity, equity and inclusion. | Teachers advocate for and teach in ways that explicitly value each child’s personal narrative and to design curriculum that reflects the diversity of their classrooms. |
| Early attachment to loving and nurturing adults lays the foundation for later emotional self-regulation, self-confidence and independence in learning and in life. | Teachers build caring and responsive relationships with all children, based on consistency and trust. |
| Children construct their own understanding of the world through social interaction, problem-solving and creativity, as well as observation, discussion and reflection. | Teachers provide intentional experiences based on a view of children as capable learners who engage in meaning-making through active interaction with people, materials, events and ideas. |
| Children’s learning is grounded in play. | Teachers advocate for play as an authentic way to foster learning and provide experiences and environments that support various types of play. |
| Families and communities play a primary role in supporting and nurturing young children. | Teachers cultivate partnerships with their students’ families in order to bridge relationships between home and school. This includes honoring the values, hopes, dreams and expectations of young children’s families and communities. |
| Children flourish in ECE settings where teachers make informed and reflective choices. | Teachers recognize themselves as lifelong learners who critically examine their actions and engage in professional development that supports the growth of their teaching practice and their work with children. |
PREPARING ECE TEACHERS
Courses in the BMCC ECE program are designed to facilitate students’ development and mastery of the dispositions, skills and knowledge needed to optimally support young children’s development and learning. Upon completion of the BMCC ECE program, our graduates will have achieved competency in:
- Applying professional and ethical standards of teaching
- Interpreting knowledge of child development and learning
- Creating caring and responsive relationships
- Supporting individuality and diversity
- Observing and assessing children’s development
- Designing healthy and safe learning environments
- Planning and executing developmentally and culturally responsive curriculum
- Evaluating teaching practice through self-reflection
