Initial Post: To complete the Whole Teacher matrix, include each of the following components:

• Column 1: Choose eight tips from the “Tips for Teachers” provided in figure 1.1, page 9 of your course text. The tips you choose should hold meaning to you and in your work with children.
• Column 2: Reflect on ways in which you can uphold the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (Links to an external site.) for each teaching tip. You are required to reference and cite from the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct for each section of this column. 
• Column 3: Explain specific strategies you can utilize to incorporate social justice into each of the teaching tips you chose in the first column. To help you organize your thoughts for this column, review the article, “Embracing a Vision of Social Justice in Early Childhood Education (Links to an external site.).”
• Column 4: Organize the five suggested priorities (Just the topic) from Chapter 16 of the course text with each of the teaching tips you chose that they correlate with. Note that some priorities will fit into more than one category.
• Summation: In a paragraph, summarize how you will use this matrix to develop your philosophy of education statement and why it is important to have a well-written philosophy of education statement. 
•  The matrix is simply a way of organizing your thoughts, values and knowledge when it comes to working with children. For this section, you will state how you plan to use your newly organized thoughts in the creation of or modification of your personal philosophy. Then, based on previous knowledge regarding philosophy, tell why it is important that you create a well-developed philosophy statement.  Mention some possible benefits of a successful philosophy statement.

Figure 1.1 and the five suggested priorities have been attached. Thank you so much!

investigation. Researchers found substantial differences between the experimental group, which
had experienced the benefits of a good preschool program (the Perry Preschool), and a similar
group, which had not had those experiences as they reached adulthood. All the children in the
study lived in low-income families and were considered at risk for developing ability deficits
that produce a range of problems in school and throughout life. Fewer of the Perry Preschool
children had been in trouble with the law, more of them had graduated from high school, and
more of them had jobs after graduation (Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, 2006
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib95) ; Heckman,
2011 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib281) ;
Schweinhart, Montie, Yiang, Barnett, & Belfield, 2005
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib578) ; Weikart,
1990 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib681) ). The
most recent data indicate that this trend toward self-sufficiency was continuing as the group
reached age 40. They continued to have fewer arrests and significantly higher incomes, and
many more of them owned homes than did those in the control group. When these results are
translated into taxpayer dollars saved, the money amounts to over $195,000.00 per participant
(Schweinhart et al., 2005
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib578) ). For every
dollar originally invested in the preschool program, the rate of return is 7% to 10%. Heckman
(2011 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib281) ) points
out that this rate of return is higher than the return on the stock market and concludes, “The
high return demonstrates that society can substantially benefit from early childhood
interventions” (p. 6).

Figure 1.1 Tips for teachers on the day-to-day care of young children’s brains

The Perry Preschool studies are presented because they are the most widely publicized pieces of
research on this subject, but you should realize that they are among many studies that now
support the value of well-planned early education in children’s development and success in later
life (Barnett, Jung, Wong, Cook, & Lamy, 2007
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib45) ; Heckman,
2011 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib281) ; Isaacs,
2008 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib320) ;
National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force, 2007
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib467) ). In a review
of the most prominent research studies on early childhood intervention programs, Campbell
and Taylor (2009
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib88) ) state,
“Enduring cognitive or educational gains attributable to early educational programs have now
been demonstrated convincingly” (p. 206).

Research Implications for Teaching

The Perry Preschool studies and the research on brain development lead us to an important
conclusion: Good early education has long-lasting positive effects on children and on society.
Teachers of young children wield a considerable power. With that power comes the
responsibility to provide the best possible care and education for the infants and young children
under our watch. The first step for the beginning teacher is to understand the theoretical
foundations that underlie early childhood education. As teachers, we make theoretical choices
throughout the day—whether we are aware of them or not. They include everything from how
we structure the day, to the types of questions we ask, to the experiences and materials we
provide. The more informed we are in our choices, the more positive our impact on the children
will be.