MY SUPPORTS

MY SUPPORTS

1.  Children

I believe my children have been my number one supporter prior to my returning back to school especially when I was between a rock and a hard place and I needed direction.  Without them being there I don't believe my achievements in life would have been as successful as they have been.

2.  Family

Having a close net family has always been a positive characteristic in my family for as long as I can remember.  If I mention something I want to do and ask for my family's support (as long as it's within reason) I can depend on their support.

3.  Staff

My staff has been awesome in supporting my decision to open a day care center.  This is so important because having a supportive staff allows less time for challenges to enter into the plan and you can allocate work and know that it's going to be completed with excellency.  Without their support my work days would be very long and I probably would feel most days like giving up.

4.  Church Family

My decisions are based on answers and directions I receive from prayers.  In the past I have "went out on a limb" in other words, on my own will and I have not had the backing (prayers and financial support) from my church family.  Those attempts were failures.  I believe because I did not seek direction first was the cause of those failures.

5.  Friends

I only keep a small circle of close friends.  We are there for each other regardless of any situation, or any time of the day or night.  Our conversations stay within our circle but at the same time we can accomplish great things once we put our thoughts and actions together.  Without their support my sense of direction and hope would be lost.

I believe it is so important to have a good support system that unselfish and that looks out not only for themselves but others first.  Many challenges we face today not only can have impact on our lives but also the others we are connected to.  Without having that support from our family, colleagues/staff, or friends we face issues by ourselves.  Eventually I will add more individuals to my support system but for right now it's just what I need to make through each day.

My Connections to play

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning ~ 

Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author

 

A child who does not play is not a child, 
but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived in him.

Pablo Neruda - Chilean poet
1904–1973

SUPPORT:

Encouraged

Adults Active Participants

Recess Twice A Day

Start Day with A Big Hug& Smile

After-School Activities

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's Not The Same..........

Nowadays, play is so serious it's almost like it's another core subject.  

It is very different from when I was a child.  Everyone participated 

including the Teachers!  Everyone enjoyed getting out of the classroom 

and going out for recess.  It was a punishment to stay inside. Now kids 

make up every excuse not to go outside.   

The joy of being a kid again!

The role of play throughout my life has been the same concept.  Life is not that serious.  I often quote that saying, “Work all day with no play, makes a boring day.”  The simple things in life are the things we overlook or let slip out from under us. 

 

Add a little play, add a little life!

 

 

 

Relationship reflection

Why relationships/partnerships important……

1. Trust
2. Support
3. Understanding
4. Encouragement

People in my life positive relationships…….

1.      Mom

2.      Siblings

3.      Children

4.      Day Care Parents

5.      Teachers & Principal

6.      Pastor

Ways each are positive……

1. Trust and Support
1. Dealing w/personal issues & growing up being there
2. Encouragement
1. Being the youngest of 6 siblings sometimes parents are worn out and siblings step in to help.  Their help was encouraging me to reach the next level of accomplishments;
3. Trust, Support, Understanding, Encouragement
1. Knowing whatever obstacle they faced I would somehow work things out for their benefit; being supportive & understanding of my decision to return to school knowing this time would take away from the time we spent together; Even when I face failure children were there to push me over that hurdle;
4. Trust and Understanding
1. They trusted me with their child’s life while understanding I’m not perfect, I make mistakes too;
5. Support and Encouragement
1. As a single parent I needed to know I wasn’t alone in the task of raising my children.  There were others who also cared about their well-being and accomplishments.  They also supported my career choice and referred parents to my day care;
6. Trust, Support, and Encouragement
1. Many times when things don’t turn out as planned I would second-guess my choices.  It was words from my Pastor who supported me and encouraged me to trust my decisions.

Insights regarding challenges to developing and maintaining relationships

First, relationships must begin with trust.  If I don’t trust you more than likely I will doubt everything it is that you are trying to say to me.  In maintaining relationships you have to form a relationship on a strong foundation.  If one thinks the relationship is formed just to see what they can get out of a person the relationship will not stand against the test of time. Second, you have to remember everyone is not going to always agree with everything you say.  There are times when differences of opinions will destroy relationship or misunderstanding what a person is saying and interpreting them to say something totally different.  Third, which I think is very important, is that relationships just don’t happen over night.  They take time to establish.  Just like all marriages don’t work all relationships don’t work.  But then there are those that instantly happen.

Relationships turned Partnerships

There is a great possibility relationships can turn into partnership when everyone involved have the same mindset and goals.  The relationship is between two individuals or more but the partnership is on what commonly brought them together.  Neither person is greater then the other; they are very mutual and have similar interest and goals.  Relationships must be lively and partnerships should show so creativity.  No need to be stingy or withhold ideas, partnerships are in a relationship together and they share the knowledge they have with others in order for it to be a benefit to others they come in contact with.

Building successful relationships

I’m a firm believer that experience is the best teacher!  I believe past relationships will only help me to build better relationships.  Some things I’ve tried that worked others haven’t quite had the positive impact I wanted so I’ve tossed them.  As an early childhood professional I believe building strong effective relationships are the keys that unlock the door for parents to become more active and involved in their child’s education.  I believe when parents see the teacher or the caregiver is interested in more than just a paycheck they want to show not only their support but also become involved.  Reflecting back on my experiences with relationships I will know which ones are instant and which ones need a little more convincing.

WHEN I THINK OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

"In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry of idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then, and their future life is safe.”
- Lydia Sigourney  

Testing for Intelligence

Considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically (i.e., a commitment to “the whole child”) what, if anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed?  Explain your reasoning.

Every child born into this world has the potential to succeed in whatever they do and certainly with great expectations from his/her parents.  But there is a fine line between what they are capable to do physically as well as academically.  Every child learns at different pace, some faster than others.  But if we can get a good understanding how each child learns and at rate each child develops we can understand the whole child.  I believe a child’s ability should be measured individually.  Once each child is individually measured then at that point a comparison can be done with the whole group to see where improvements are needed. 

In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world?  (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a personal affinity.)

Standardized testing of school-age children is used across Canada to measure the performance of students from province to province.  They are concern that students are performing on basic things like reading, writing, and math (Global News, 2012).

What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples, and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share with your colleagues?

I don’t feel standardized testing should be totally done away with.  I believe we have to monitor a child’s progress in order to make sure children are developing on point.  I also believe in order to see a child’s full potential we must move outside the classroom into a more kid-friendly environment.  It is important to evaluate the whole child and not only look for and report back on the areas that don’t meet certain levels but look for those areas that exceed beyond the norm.  I think other ways for monies being granted from the results of testing should be sought.  Overall, concentration should be on the whole child if standardized testing is going to continue.

References

Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2012.

Read it on Global News: Global News | Canadians worried about kids’ grasp of math, literacy: poll

Coping with Death of Toddler

The stressor I chose was the tragic death of my four-year old cousin.  Many times we don’t understand how a child feels because they are unable to express themselves or their feelings in full detail and a way we can clearly understand them.  They don’t voluntarily share that information because being unable to connect with the person they’re trying to explain their emotions to makes them more frustrated then anything else.

Seeing a sibling fighting to be rescued helplessly from a fire, which in a matter of seconds, faces life then death and then trying to come to grips with the fact and finally realizing she didn’t make it out alive is very traumatic for anyone.  Death is never easy no matter how old an individual is.  Though it is a little more understandable when the deceased person has lived a full life, has seen all but the moon and finally has been called from labor to rest for whatever reason (illness, aging, etc.).  Questions arise when it’s a toddler, questions where answers aren’t always available, questions as to what could have been done to prevent such a tragic event.  Furthermore, why did such a thing happen?

            Death changes every aspect life once had.  Later in life that same toddler who witness that death is still affected and questions what this person possibly would of become in their life.  A child’s coping method is totally different than an adult and whereas we have learned different coping methods and still struggle when it comes to the actual test.  We must learn ways to assist children when expressing themselves.  Toddlers have emotions which we sometimes label as unhappy times especially when those times are uncertain or seem impossible. 

The coping I can remember that was used during this tragedy was just being around loving family and being comforted.  We were told my cousin was in Heaven and that we would see her again.  Day after day the conversation about the event grew fewer and fewer and within two to three months very little was being said returning life back to normal. 

Similar incidents such as this one have happened in Africa where the young children have lost their lives due to a fire.  I would like to research how the death from a fire is compared to children dying from living in poverty or being diseased stricken and see what coping methods are used and if it is different for each incident. 

Good nutrition is so important in a child’s life.  Cognitive development is a term that covers human perception, thinking, and learning.  Nutrition, genes, and environment are three major factors impacting cognitive development (www.nfsmi.org).  As a caregiver for children it is our role to provide and encourage children to eat nutritious food.  We also can introduce them to new foods, food out of the ordinary.  Children are more likely to eat what they see their caregiver eating which is a way to encourage variety and those new foods.  Children love raisins and marshmallows.  Unfortunately, celery is not a well-liked food.  But by making “Ant on a Log” and allowing the children to decorate it with the marshmallows or raisins children usually will eat their creativity.

The effect of nutrition on the brain begins before birth – with the nutrition of the mother.  Undernutrition and the resulting negative effects on brain development during pregnancy and the first two years of life may be permanent and irreversible (www.nfsmi.org).  Children who lack good nutrition have low levels of energy.  They have no interest in playing for long periods of time or interacting with other children who are energetic.  Poor nutrition provides the energy and nutrients people need to meet their physical and mental potential.  Proper nutrition fuels the body, which gives children the energy they need to play and exercise. (www.livestrong.com). 

The reason good nutrition is meaningful to me is believe it or not there are children suffer from poor nutrition.  I know for certain the children I provide care for do at least receive one nutritious meal while in my care.  Depending on the time frame they’re in my care they may receive two or three nutritious meals.  As a future director of my day care facility my goal is to push nutrition knowing the lasting impact it has on the child as a whole.

References

www.livestrong.com

www.nfsmi.org

My personal birthing experience was the birth of my oldest daughter.  Books can only teach you so much but when reality really strikes you tend to forget everything or at least just about everything you learned or read about the dos and don’ts of childbirth.  Administering the Epidural wasn’t around during the time of my childbearing days and I experience great amounts of pain.  I remember the nurse telling me how I would be okay in the middle of a contraction, which is definitely something someone in that type of pain does not want to hear at that particular moment.  But in the end, the birth of my firstborn erased that pain shortly after.

I choose this example because I have never experienced anything like it and I’ll never forget it.  Even though at that time it was very painful and I’m sure even more before my time having a baby in this day and time seems to be a whiz.  While thinking back I understand some of things the book tried to fore warn me but I do believe experience was my teacher and if I could I probably would do it all over again.

The region I chose was Nigeria.  Only 57.7% pregnant women receive prenatal care (www.tradingeconomics.com).  At first I didn’t realize how important it was to seek prenatal care.  It literally thought it was a waste of time but having this available made so much of a difference and helped my to think of what was expected even though I didn’t remember much during that time.  What was interesting about this was that this is on a decline when in January of 2000 over 63% pregnant women sought prenatal care.  Prenatal care can depict early signs of defects and it monitors the baby’s growth.

References

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/pregnant-women-receiving-prenatal-care-percent-wb-data.html

Erin (littlelaughter@wordpress.com):

I wish I could have figure out how to get to your blog earlier in the course but I wanted to share with you a "Word of Thanks."  Thank you for your creativity in your blogs.  I've learned so much and even though I received very little replies from my colleagues I appreciate the time and efforts you shared with everyone.  Good luck in all of your future endeavors.

Roslyn (rozecs@blogspot.com)

April (addaringer@blogspot.com):

Just a "Word of Thanks" for sharing throughout this course.  I really have enjoyed reading every post you have made.  Not only were they interesting but it also opened my thought process and either confirmed or changed the way I thought about certain things.  Good luck in all of your future endeavors!

Roslyn

NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics

1.  I-1.1  To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood education and to keep current through continuing education and in-service training.

2.  I-4.6  To support policies and laws that promote the well-being of children and families.  To oppose those that impair their well-being.  To cooperate with other individuals and groups in these efforts.

3.  I-3A.1  To establish and maintain relationships of trust and cooperation with co-workers.

It is so important to establish a trusting and cooperative relationship with co-workers because down the road we all need support from each as we venture out into the early childhood field.  We also need to be familiarized with issues concerning early childhood.  By attending seminars or taking college courses you will stay current with any issue.  This will prevent early childhood professionals from giving misleading information to the families we serve.  Finally, we must support any policy or law that promotes the well-being of children and their families.  Just as we look for support those individuals responsible for making those policies and law also need our support. 

POSITION STATEMENTS AND INFLUENTIAL PRACTICES RESOURCES


NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND WELL-BEING RESOURCES
 
Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

Websites:
World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP's mission.

Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/

SELECTED EARLY CHILDHOOD ORGANIZATIONS RESOURCES
National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/
  
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS AVAILABLE IN THE WALDEN LIBRARY RESOURCE

YC Young Children
Childhood
Journal of Child & Family Studies
Child Study Journal
Multicultural Education
Early Childhood Education Journal
Journal of Early Childhood Research
International Journal of Early Childhood
Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Developmental Psychology
Social Studies
Maternal & Child Health Journal
International Journal of Early Years Education


ADDITIONAL PERSONAL RESOURCES

www.healthychild.net/
greatstartforkids.org/content/connect-regional-resources
www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200703/BTJClusterResources.pdf  

WORDS OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION
Teachers in most early care and education settings, unlike those in K-12, are seldom required to complete student teaching as a pre-requisite for employment.  In part, this is due to the low expectations for education and training necessary to work effectively with young children, it also reflects the reality that most early care and education practitioners do not participate in pre-service preparation, but pursue education and training after they are employed in the field (Whitebook, Gomby, Bellm, Sakai, & Kipnis, 2009a).
~ Dr. Marcy Whitebook

"Good Teaching is about hard work, not a halo." ~ Doug Lemov

Passion comes from wanting to make a difference - making a 

difference may sometimes mean helping one child be able to be

successful in the classroom. ~ Renatta M. Cooper


Walden University.(n.d.). The Passion for Early Childhood. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from mywaldenu.edu

My passion is to make sure all children were taught in 

environments and in ways that truly nurtured their 

ability to grow and to develop to their fullest ability  

- passion to create a safer more just world.  

~ Louise Derman-Sparks

Walden University.(n.d.). The Passion for Early Childhood. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from mywaldenu.edu

"A person's a person, no matter how small." ~ Dr. Seuss

The five people who nurtured and cared about me when I was just a child are my Mom, Mary Reed, my Grandparents (I had six), my Pastor and his Wife, my Siblings, and my 1st Grade Teacher.

My Mom – She means the world to me.  She influenced my life as a child to be a hard worker.  The sky is the limit and never look back and regret, always press forward and receive were some of her favorite remarks.  She made single parenting seem so easy.  She never let anyone see her sweat.  She worked many hours in a factory, made time to come home and cook and still manage enough time to help us with our homework and question us about our daily activities. Through her demonstration of hard work and her support topped with love made me feel very special.

My Grandparents – I grew up living in one big country block with my grandparents on one side, my great-grandparents on the other side, and my other grandparents on the other corner.  It was very special because I was fortunate to have six grandparents involved in my life – many trips to candy store or the ice cream parlor, riding on the big John Deere tractors, along with taking many vacations with them.  I always felt loved and they always felt I would grow up to be their little teacher in the family.  The supported my Brownie years, my Choir production, Grandparent’s Day at school, just about anything you could imagine.

My Pastor & Wife – My Pastor and his wife were also my godparents.  Even though I know now it wasn’t fair to the other children some rules didn’t always apply to everyone.  I got away with murder.  If I was going to be punished by my Mom they had a way to talk her out of it.  On special events I could count on my godparents to be in attendance smiling and cheering me on.  If something discouraging happen to me I knew they would say something encouraging that would ease the moment.  I knew without a doubt I was loved.

My Siblings – I have six siblings, one brother and five sisters two older and three younger.  Being youngest of the first set of babies my brother and sisters had to share everything with me and they had to take turns taking me on wagon rides every day sometimes twice a day.  I went on “puppy love” dates with my older siblings.  I was the role model figure to my younger sisters.  In all, I knew I was special to them if not only for the moment we shared together and they loved me.

My 1st Grade Teacher – My 1st Grade Teacher, Mrs. Grueneisen, always made me feel special.  Not always did I have money to get milk and she would make sure she bought an extra carton to share.  When I did a good job on my work she would put a big smiley face on it and let me pick out my own sticker.  She always told me I was beautiful and that she was proud of me for being respectful in her class.  She gave me big hugs throughout the week and on Friday she would give me a big bear hug to last all weekend long.  She had a unique way of showing me she cared.  When other children would tease me about being an Afro-American she would immediately take my side and take action.  She was special and she made me feel special as well.

Each of the above mentioned persons still to this day impact my life.  My Mother continues to support me and push me to do better than what she did.  Although my Grandparents, godparents, and Teacher are deceased the words they said to me and their actions continue to impact my life.  I’m sure just the way they made me feel as a child, now as an adult I would make them feel proud mainly from their positive support.

A Children's Book I Love -

What I like about this little book is that it teaches children how hard work really pays off.  Everyone struggles with something.  However, if you try after try after try eventually that struggle will become history and you'll soon be on to the next task.