Meet Early Childhood Education Faculty Member: Donyale Miller
Contact Information:
Email: dmiller1@yccd.edu
Phone: 530-619-9808
Office: M-835
Why Early Childhood Education is a great career option:
Being in a career in Early Childhood Education is exciting because you are working with children who are extremely open to learning. Children 0 to 5 years old are full of wonder and like to actively explore new ideas. Being a facilitator of that wonder and learning is thrilling and rewarding. As an ECE professional, you always have the love of learning on your mind for the children and families that you serve as well as your own rewarding experience of learning. Careers in this field explore new ideas while building on old ones. We learn new things about what a young brain is capable of all the time and truly understand how each person or child is unique and individual. ECE careers allow one to have a rewarding experience while allowing the professional to grow and maintain their sense of wonder for themselves.
Advice:
Remember that you need to be having fun, ask questions to yourself and others, “Is this good for children?”, and always be willing to grow and learn as a professional. If you can do this, then you should choose this profession. ECE requires passion and this can be in many forms. It takes commitment to yourself and to others like being part of a team in working with children and families. It requires that you truly understand that parents are the first educators of their children and parents need to be part of the education experience with teachers and children. So, if you like to have fun, get messy, love to learn, and willing to be a team player, ECE is the place to be.
Education/Credentials:
Studied at Pacific Oaks with Masters in Human Development, Chapman University with BA in Liberal studies, Yuba College with AS in ECE
Holds-Child Development Program Director Permit, Career Technical Education Teaching Credential
Things I like to do outside of work:
I love to travel, hike, art, and learn new things. I love the nature and being outdoors.
Experience:
I have 25 years of experiences of ECE in the field with 23 years of Head Start experience- 19 years of preschool teacher experiences, 6 years of supporting, training, and coaching ECE professionals in the field. I have worked in Migrant education, State preschool, school readiness programs, and have also been a Mentor teacher in the California Mentor Teacher Program which I did for ten years. I have been a Center Education Supervisor, an Education Coordinator, Program Specialist, and currently am a Quality Improvement Specialist with Yuba County Office of Education at the Child Care Planning Council with the Keys to Quality program when I am not teaching course here at Yuba College.