Thinking of some communities of practice that I would be interested in participating in was easy, especially since thinking about it made me feel really guilty.  I started my job two and a half years ago.  At that time, the local COP known as PCCP (Pike County Care Partnership) reached out to me.  They meet the first Tuesday of each month.  This group is composed of local organizations and businesses that are all considered to be community resources to help individuals and families in need.   There are mental health professionals, physicians offices, food banks, housing organizations, the local health department, the county social service offices, etc.  I was excited to join!  It sounded like such a good way to meet each month and to share information about how best to help the members of the community that I work in and the families at my center.  I have never been to a single meeting... not one.  There just doesn't ever seem to be enough hours in the day and I always feel like there is something that I should be doing at the center.  This is so silly.  I could really learn a lot from going to these meetings and by participating in this COP.  I also have so much that I could offer.
     One COP that I found while researching was the United Way of Central Missouri.  Most of us are familiar with the united way.  However, I did not know that our local United Way created an Early Childhood Advisory Committee.  The purpose of this committee is to support and promote early childhood programs and initiatives in central Missouri.  One of their goals is to identify gaps in services and needs in the early childhood community, which is one of my passions!  I also saw that they want to provide "Born Learning" materials to all low income families.  I was really interested in this, because I had never heard of this program.  The "Born Learning" program looks like something that I would be interested in for my own community.  It is a series of workshops to meet parents where they are and shows them how to use every day moments as learning moments.  I would love to be part of this Early Childhood Advisory Committee!
     I also discovered, while researching, that Missouri has a COP called the Missouri Coordinating Board for Early Childhood.  This board works to ensure that early childhood program's services are comprehensive.  The vision is that "all young children in Missouri are safe, healthy, and capable of reaching their full potential".  One of their missions is to ensure equal access to the necessary resources that result in implementing effective and sustainable early childhood programs.  This all sounds right up my alley!
     The conversation of job opportunities is a very frustrating one for me.  I love my job.  I am currently the director of a center.  I would maybe like to move up into administration one day, when my administrators retire, but for now I am happy doing what I do.  However, I badly want to start teaching online early childhood courses to college student.  I search constantly for job openings.  I find them (rarely) and I almost have the needed Master's degree and I already have a lot of early childhood experience.  However, I do not have experience with teaching college courses.  Even community colleges look for experience teaching college courses.  This brings about the age old dilemma... how does one get experience when they can't get a job without experience???!!!  This is a huge frustration for me.  I know that I could do it and I know that I have a lot to offer others entering into the early childhood profession.  You guys let me know if you have heard of a place in which I can get my foot in the door! 😕😕😕😕😕