My Supports

Throughout the last 5 years as an educator my parents have been my biggest supports.  My mother has had varying roles in education over the last 36 years. My father was a supervisor in an educational entity for 35 years. I am always chatting with them about the highs and lows of my educational experiences.  I cannot imagine my life without my parents support!

This year I am looking for more colleague support because of the complex students I work with. I love the days when therapists come into my room because I can talk with them about what they see in my class.  Talking with colleagues also helps validate what I have been doing. I do not look for constant validation, but when working with students with disabilites, I do not always see the growth the students are showing because I see them on a daily basis. It feels good to hear that I am doing things well!

My Connections to Play

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.

Ovid
Roman poet

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

Kay Redfield Jamison

 

Today play is considered a luxury- which we all know is not what is appropriate for our young learners.  When children play today, more then likely they are playing with electronics by themselves.  Today, play is so different from play even 10 years ago, let alone when I was a child over 20 years ago.  My parents did not buy me any electronic games. I have never owned a playstation, or wii, etc. I was encouraged to use my imagination and creativity (the pictures I have added are what I played with the most as a child).  I think in the 21st century, there is so much of a focus on play being with electronics, and play being isolated to oneself. Luckily for children who attend early learning centers/preschools that know the importance of play, they have that opportunity to be creative with their minds. But there needs to be more of a push for families to get back to playing with each other, and not through electronics.

Relationship Reflection

There are three groups of people in my life that I have relationships with. These three groups impact my life in a positive way on a daily basis.  I could not imagine my life without positive relationships.

They three groups are as followed with characteristics that show our positive relationship:

Family:
- unconditional love
- laughter
-trust
-support
-expressiveness
-personal growth



Friends:
-unconditional love
-laughter
-trust
-support
-expressiveness
-personal growth

Some difficulties keeping a friendship in tact is time and distance.  I had a great group of friends in high school and thought they were going to be my friends forever. Realistically, we are now friendly acquaintances. As I have grown in my 20's I have developed new friendships that fit where I am in my adult life.




Colleagues:
-partnership in education
-respect
-support
-personal growth
-expressiveness

I believe that my colleagues, especially the ones that are in my classroom  (ie. therapists, psychologists, program specialists) have/need to maintain positive relationships and partnerships.  I see  my colleagues and I being in a partnership because we are all working together to provide quality education for the children we work with. 

End of course 6160

It is hard to believe that this is the end of 8 weeks! I honestly can say that these two months have gone by so quickly. I feel part of that is due to the excellent discussions I have had with my fellow ECE. It was truly great to hear about other ECE experiences, beliefs, values, and insights. I look forward to other courses with this group.

Childhood Quotes

"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors.”
― Khaled Hosseini


“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
― Margaet Mead


The first few years of a child's life is crucial to the development of their personality and self-confidence. As an ECE it is part of my responsability as a teacher to allow children to be who they are. I truly believe that children come into this world not knowing about judgement and prejudices. As they grow, the world taints their pure mind and heart. It is important to remember that we have to help children become who they are meant to be, and we should not do anything that would hinder them from becoming their authentic selves.

Assessing students US and Mexico

We all know that standardized testing is an important part of the United States educational system. I think as educators we can all agree there are a lot of flaws in the testing. Proficiency is the expectation- but in reality not all student can and will reach a level of proficiency. In my five years of teaching I have not worked with "typical" students. They have been either students with disabilities or students learning English. Because of my background, I feel the only thing that is truly important is progress and growth. As an ESL teacher I went to bat for many of my students.  Administrators viewed a Basic as a  "fail" because that student was not proficient. I basically said don't you dare tell me this student has "failed" this year because when we look at their growth they grew over two years since last year. But what is reported and cared about is the word- BASIC. After four years of teaching ESL in the same district I finally was able to get administrators to see where I was coming from, and growth began to be celebrated as much as a word.
 
 
 
 
 
Testing in Mexico seems to be just as flawed as the US. It seems that the US's reform has also made it's way South of the Border. Mexico is testing reading and math skills just like the US. It is apparent that the whole world is concerned about the outcome of reading and math tests.

What Mexico is facing is the socio-economic issues of the country. We in the US also have these issues, but the majority of Mexico is struggling. One way Mexico is looking to increase levels of proficiency is by creating longer school years. Ultimately though, like many of us ask, is increasing the school days and hours going to be the best way to increase test scores?

Here are some statistics on Mexico:
 

•  School years varied from 139 days to 183 days, variations that resulted from regional festivals lasting several weeks and extreme weather

• increasing the number of school days benefits students attending schools in better-off localities more than their counterparts attending schools in areas with higher poverty rates, which suggests that the achievement gap between students in better-off and worse-off schools could increase with additional instructional days.

•  The cost of one school day in Mexico is approximately $10.56 U.S. per student, so adding 10 more days of instruction for 11 million students could be very costly.

• Students in Latin America consistently rank near the bottom of global academic performance rankings. For example, two-thirds of Mexico’s schoolchildren perform at basic or below basic levels in math and reading.

.

• Twenty years ago in Latin America the challenge was children not going to school. Today, nearly all children under 10 go to school. The question is, what are they learning today, and is it enough to move these countries forward?

http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/14000

Hunger in Mexico

I chose Mexico not only because I have been researching Mexico for previous assignments, but I have an "adopted" boy in Mexcio. I sponsor him...and have been for the last three years. Part of the reason he needed a sponsor was his lack of food due to living in poverty.  As a birthday gift one year, he and his family recieved new pots and pans to cook in. It was hard to believe that was a birthday gift!!  


Statistics:

• According to the 2008 findings of Mexico’s National Evaluation Council on Social Development (CONEVAL), nearly 49 million Mexicans—over 46 percent of the country’s population—suffered from some form of food insecurity at the time of research.
• Of these 49 million, 25.8 were subject to what is designated as “light food insecurity,” while 13.7 million suffered “moderate” such insecurity, and 9.3 million “severe.”
• Included within these 49 million are said to be 11.2 million individuals who consume less than the line at which CONEVAL marks the base-line of extreme material poverty, in addition to nearly 2 million “chronically malnourished” children.
• World-Bank statistics from 2006 show that 15.5% of Mexican children under 5 are stunted by malnutrition; for comparative purposes, this rate compares to a stunting-prevalence of 16.5% among children under 5 in Lebanon, or of 15.7% in Thailand.

Implications:

•  In children, hunger results in stunting and inhibits the ability to concentrate and learn.
• If prolonged, hunger in children can inhibit brain development; such effects, like those related to stunting, are permanent and irreversible.
• Hunger also contributes to weakened immune systems, and hence problematizes health outcomes.
•  In countries undergoing nutritional transition, suffering from food insecurity and hunger have a higher risk to develop obesity and a metabolic syndrome during adulthood, particularly if they show rapid catch-up growth.

 

What's being done?Mexican organizations have begun to come together after years of divisions to respond to the food crisis and fix the badly broken system. They recently succeeded in reforming the Mexican constitution to include the right to food.



http://intlibecosoc.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/hunger-a-specter-that-haunts-mexico/

http://fpif.org/nafta_is_starving_mexico/

Witness to Domestic Violence

This was a tough blog for me. I personally have not experienced any of the stressors discussed or know anyone that has. So, I looked to my preschoolers. I have one child that has been witness to domestic violence at the young age of 3.5 years old. When he started in my class this past February, he was living in a battered women's shelter. Mom had a broken leg from dads abuse. He would come into class and put his hands around our neck when he was angry. He also did not talk and had screaming fits. This was all related to the violence that he saw. I am happy to say that he is now talking, happy to come to school, and is not having any screaming fits. He has come a long way and I cannot wait to work with him again this school year to see even more progress.

Immunization U.S and Mexico

I chose to research immunizations because immunizing children is such a hot topic in the United States. As educators we are all aware of the idea that certain childhood immunizations cause Autism. With the increase of Autism diagnoses, is this theory true, or is it just a coincidence?

I was curious about the immunization rates in the U.S.

U.S. statistics:

• in the US there are about 22 recommended vaccines from Birth - 18 years
• 17 vaccinations occur between birth and 18 months
•  in 2001 62.8% of US children 19-35 months were fully immunized
• 3 out of 1000 children had never received any vaccinations
•  unvaccinated children were more likely to be non-Hispanic white , have a mother who was older, married, and who had a college degree, and living in a household with an annual income of at least $75,000
•  undervaccinated (did not receive all recommended vaccines) were more likely to be black and often had young, unmarried mothers, and from a low socio-economic household
• 48% of the unvaccinated parents stated that they had a concern about vaccine safety
•  California, Illinois, New York, Washington, Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah and Michigan are the states that have the most unvaccinated children.
• Between the years 1995-2000 the number of unvaccinated children in the US increased

Mexico statistics:

• In Mexico there are 16 recommended vaccines from Birth -18 years
• 7 vaccinations occur between birth and 18 months
• 96% of Mexican children birth - 4 years are vaccinated
• if parents are late getting children vaccinated, a public health nurse will come to their house and vaccinate the children
• the government divides its poor neighborhoods into sections of about four square blocks each, then puts a nurse in charge of supervising parents in each area to ensure all of the children are vaccinated on time
• a nurse in charge of immunizations in a particular neighborhood keeps a census of the area, including maps detailing where women of child-bearing age live
•  children also receive a government-issued National Vaccination Record, on which the vaccines they receive throughout their lives will be tallied. The vaccine record must be presented in order to enter school, to get passports or other identification papers and even to get some jobs and loans

It seems that Mexico is taking vaccinations seriously.  Even though they do not have as much money and or resources as the US, they are still able to vaccinate many children. It is great to see the country being aware of the low socio-economic population and creating resources to make sure that population is taken care of.








http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/811040/posts

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/binational-schedule-pr.pdf

http://www.immunizationinfo.org/science/demographics-unvaccinated-children

Childbirth experience

I have to be honest. I do not have children, I do not remember my childbirth, and I only have one close friend that has had a child.

I am going to briefly talk about my friend's childbirth experience because she had her baby one month ago. However, I was not in attendance...this experience I will write about is all through conversation.

I have to say that  my friend was truly lucky with her childbirth. She started to have contractions around 1 am on a Friday and delivered her baby by noon on Saturday. She was admitted into the hospital around 4 am. She had a few contractions early on, received her epidural, and really had no pain. The nurses checked on her hourly and around 11 am she was 9 cm dilated. At this point the nurse also realized her water had not fully broken, so she "popped" the remaining. The labor really began then, and within 30 minutes the baby was born. The baby boy was healthy and my friend was ready to begin motherhood.

What I know from this experience is that prenatal care is important. My friend went to the doctor regularly and attended birthing classes. Again, I have not had much experience with childbirth so it is hard for me to truly comment on my beliefs about this.

Childbirth in Mexico

I chose to look at Mexico's childbirth statistics and practices. I chose Mexico because I have had many Hispanic children during my teaching, and I also love visiting and vacationing in Mexico.

Statistics

-        Mean age of mothers first child is 21.3 years which is one of the youngest mean ages in the world.

-        Cesarean sections are the second highest in the world- 40%

-        44% of indigenous women die during child birth- most gave birth alone or with one family member in attendance

-        64% of women who died during child birth had no prenatal care

-        In 1970 43% of births were attended by midwives. By the mid 90’s it was down to 17%

-        Midwifery is still vibrant in Mexico even though the tradition is diminishing

 

Beliefs/Practices

-        Women are seen as “hot” when they are pregnant- therefore should bathe in tepid water often and take long walks. If not then she will have a long and difficult labor.

-       Women should stop nursing a child at the onset of another pregnancy because they believe the milk will become weak and watery and will sicken the child.

-        If the mother is pregnant again, she cannot pick up, hug, or sleep with any other children because they view pregnancy as being “hot” Therefore the child is deprived of a familiar source of security.

-        Mayans believe that it is the father’s responsibility to bury the placenta to make sure the baby is healthy. Girl's placentas are buried under the hearth and boys are buried in the yard.

-        The "cuarentina” (40 day confinement) is the period following birth where dietary and activity restrictions are observed by the mother. This is a time of recovery from the birth and also a time to bond with the child.

-      It is tradition to close everything rather then open it. In Mexico doors and windows are closed and the slightest hole is blocked with cloths. It comes from the belief that when you give birth you are at risk of receiving evil forces, so the baby and mother need to be protected. 

 

 

-        Cultural tradition dictates that a husband not see his wife or child until the delivery is over and both have been cleaned and dressed. In general, Hispanic women prefer that their mothers attend them in labor.

 Implications:

During my research of childbirth practices in Mexico it is very apparent that prenatal care is not as prevalent as it is in the United States. Many times this is due to the women living in such rural areas, that going to a doctor is out of the question. Another aspect of Mexico's practices that is different then the United States is the use of midwives. In many rural/indigenous areas, midwives are the primary attendant in a birth. Mexico is rich in traditional aspects of life due to the Mayan/Aztecs. Because of these traditions, Mexico practices many more "folklore" beliefs when it comes to childbirth. When reading over some of the traditional practices, I questioned how they impacted the children. For example, not encouraging women to pick up and hug their children if they are pregnant again because they are viewed as being "hot." I cannot support this practice because of the bonding children need to have with their mothers. The lack of prenatal care is also questionable in my mind. The Mexican government is trying to put more prenatal care into their health system, but it is more about the local availability then the health care system.

 

http://www.instituteofmidwifery.org/MSFinalProj.nsf/a9ee58d7a82396768525684f0056be8d/a66f5bafd9f749918525699d007bdc6d?OpenDocument

http://www.culturediversity.org/hisp.htm

http://www.oecd.org/els/soc/SF2.3%20Mean%20age%20of%20mother%20at%20first%20childbirth%20-%20updated%20240212.pdf

 

End of Course EDUC 6005

It is hard to believe that this is the end of 8 weeks! I honestly can say that these two months have gone by so quickly. I feel part of that is due to the excellent discussions I have had with my fellow ECE. It was truly great to hear about other ECE experiences, beliefs, values, and insights. I look forward to other courses with this group. 

Code of Ethics

It was hard to choose just three ideals/code of ethics from the NAEYC and DEC documents. I have chosen four ideals/codes that I can specifically relate to.

The first three codes of ethics I chose are from the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council of Exceptional Children.

1. We shall serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families and for the professionals who serve them by supporting both policy and programmatic decisions that enhance the quality of their lives.

• As a teacher of children with special needs, this code of ethics is particularly important to me. For most of this year, my job was supporting students in Head Start. My job was to advocate for these students to make sure their IEPs were being met and that their needs were being accommodated for.

2. We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services.

• I chose this code because I feel that this can be an area that is lacking. When I was a first year teacher, I was actually forgotten about and did not go through the PA mentoring program. It was not until my second year of teaching that I went through the program. My mentor was also not doing the same teaching as I was, and was 45 minutes away from me. Needless to say, there was no actual "mentoring" going on. I think as first year teachers or teachers in a new field, it is especially important to have a positive mentor. It feels horrible to be left to your own devices, questioning if you are actually doing the right thing. I would really like to be a mentor of a young teacher because of the experience I had.

3. We shall empower families with information and resources so that they are informed consumers of services for their children.

• As a teacher of children with special needs and an ESL teacher I feel that parents can rely too much on the teachers to make sure their children are receiving the right services. It is our jobs as teachers to empower parents to be advocates for their children because in the end they know their children the best and will be with them for the rest of their lives. The Chinese proverb "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" is a great way to view empowering parents.

The final ideal is from NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct.

4. To ensure that each child's culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and valued in the program.

• As a former ESL teacher this ideal is extremely important to me. Every child needs to feel that their culture/ethnicity is valued and an important part of who they are.

 NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved June 16, 2013 fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

 The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved June 16, 2013 fromhttp://www.dec-sped.org/

Course Resources

• Here are a list of ECE resources from EDUC 6005 (Parts 1-4)
• Part 5 are the resources I listed

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• 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
   

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• 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/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

 

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• 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/
  
• 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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
  
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
  

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available

• 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

Part 5: Resources I chose about ECE

Book: "The Hidden History of Head Start"
 by Edward Zigler and Sally J. Styfco

Website: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/opinion/sunday/a-childs-wild-kingdom.html?_r=0

 

Quotes from influetinal people in ECE

I must say that Dr. Lilian Katz seems like quite the character. I read over an interview that someone had with her and she seemed so knowledgeable and full of "moxie." From that interview I read one quote that I particularly liked.

Never confuse excitement with education. Enlighten the child. That is education.

(http://teacherdavid.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/lunch-with-dr-lilian-g-katz/)

The other quote by Dr. Katz that I felt connected to and that showed her moxie is :

Remember that whoever might be president of our country in 40 or 50 years is likely to be in someone’s early childhood program today; and I hope she is having a good experience!" (Rothenberg, 2002).

The other influential person I chose to look at was Dr. Robert Cooke. He helped in the planning and development of Head Start. Dr. Cooke was a pediatrician and a parent of children with disabilities.  In the 1960's when children with disabilities were still viewed as taboo, Dr. Cooke and his wife tried to adopt a child. Dr. Cooke was told this, " that we were unfit parents because we had retarded children in our home,” To Cooke,  “That was a blow that I’ve never forgotten.”
(Grauer, N. http://esgweb1.nts.jhu.edu/hmn/F06/classnotes.cfm)


As a teacher of children with disabilities, I cannot ever imagine what it must have felt like to be told that you are an unfit parent because of your other children with disabilities. I am so thankful that because of people like Dr. Cooke, children with special needs are no longer viewed as a societal taboo.

 

 

 

From the multimedia presentaton in Week 2 I found that I connected to the passions of Louise Derman Sparks. She talked about how as a young child she would play school. I did that as well. As she grew older she knew she had a built in passion for children and she wanted to make a contribution to the world by teaching. After a few years she became interested in ECE she found joy in the three and four year olds. I am the same way! She also felt that ECE allowed her to be creative. I feel the same way too! The quote that really hit home with me was when Louise said  that she now has the "passion to make sure all children were taught in environments and in ways that truly nurture their abilites."

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). The Passion for Early Childhood. (Video Webcast). In Foundations: Early Childhood Studies

 

My Childhood Web

I must admit, this was a tough post for me because it was hard to think of specific individuals that had an impact on my life. I can truly say that my childhood was filled with many caring people.  There are three people that I feel were especially nurturing, caring, and influential in helping me become who I am today. They are as followed:

My maternal grandmother-
My Nan was my primary care giver as a child. From the age of 1.5 years until I was old enough to stay by myself at home, she was the person that would always "watch" me. We would go to the store together, we went on walks,  I spent the night at her house, any day to day activity there is, we did it together. When I was school age, she would volunteer in my class, go on field trips, take me to dance/piano lessons, make my lunch to take to school, and again anything else you can think of she did. To this day she still is making me muffins, playdough for my class, beanbags for school, or anything else that I may need.

This is me with my maternal grandparents at my first Easter.

My grandmother is a coupon lady. She taught me at an early age to make sure I look at the weekly ads for the best deals!

My parents-
I know it probably sounds cliche to say your parents had a big impact on you during your childhood, because in most cases, what parents don't have an impact. But I truly cannot imagine what my childhood would have been like without them.

At an early age I began to travel.  I am pretty sure my first trip was when I was 4 months old, so I guess I got the travel bug early. I really believe that because my parents traveled with me, and exposed me to different cultures, people, food, and experiences, I am the inclusive thinker/person that I am. I also believe that my love for traveling is because of them and remind that when I want to go to places that are a little more "exotic." 

This is a picture of me on one of my first vacations.

My passion for education is also thanks to my parents. Both of my parents are educators. My mother was a teacher and principal and my dad is a director of adult education. As a child  I can remember going into my moms school to help her decorate, visit her class, drop off supplies, attend a concert, or anything else she needed to do at school. As a child I was always around educators.  I often say when people ask me why I chose education as a career that I didn't know better, that's what I grew up in.


Mrs. Anderson-
Mrs. Anderson was my gifted education teacher. I had the privilege of being her student from 2nd grade until 6th grade. Looking back on things, I can say she is one of the people that knew I could be a leader, and pushed me to do this. As a younger child, of course I was not doing presentations or anything, but Mrs. Anderson pushed me to share my opinion and speak up! In the elementary school I was in, I was the only girl in the gifted program in my grade, and the boys I was with were very opinionated. Mrs. Anderson would always tell me to stand up to those boys, and tell them what I think. I am pretty sure that was one of my GIEP goals.

Mrs. Anderson also stood up for me. My district thought that gifted education meant that high math scores were the only thing that "smart" kids were good at. I was not a "smart" kids that was good at math and my district didn't feel that I should be in the gifted class anymore. Mrs. Anderson went to bat for me and of course reminded them of multiple intelligences, and that being in a class of math wiz boys doesn't mean I am not "gifted." Even as a young student I can remember how upset I was that I wasn't the normal gifted student and that my math abilities or lack of, were the most important thing.

I see Mrs. Anderson every few years, just out and about, and I always tell her how much she meant to me and thank her for everything.

 

Oh to be young again....

 

This is my first dance recital, at the age of 3.  I was a chick. I still have my ballet slippers from this show, and I cannot believe how tiny my feet were!



My dad and I have the same goofy personality...obviously :)






 

This is Olivia. She is good at lots of things.

I know "Olivia" is a children's book series, but it is by far my favorite read of all time! I have every Olivia book by Ian Falconer, and will frequently read them aloud to myself.  They are a great pick me up when having a bad day. Whenever I  need to buy a little girl a present, an Olivia book is what they will get. Don't get me wrong, I have had many little boys enjoy hearing an Olivia story, but I find that little girls can relate to her better. Even as an adult I can relate to Olivia. Espeically when it comes to trying on all of her clothes before she goes out for the day. This sassy little piglet cracks me up! You cannot read an Olivia book without smiling at the end. If you have not read an Olivia book, please go and pick one up!!

Coloring books

"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors.”
  ― Khaled Hosseini


“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
―    Margaet Mead


The first few years of a child's life is crucial to the development of their personality and self-confidence.  As an ECE it is part of my responsability as a teacher to allow children to be who they are. I truly believe that children come into this world not knowing about judgement and prejudices. As they grow, the world taints their pure mind and heart. It is important to remember that we have to help children become who they are meant to be, and we should not do anything that would hinder them from becoming their authentic selves.

First blog post....ever

I had a tough time trying to think of a title for this blog.  I know when some people read this title they may question it.So, let me briefly explain.  I was chatting with a guy that  I had met online.  We had been talking for a few days, and both knew what we did for work.  This guy knew that I taught preschoolers. We were talking during my Easter break and I mentioned that I was going into work on a day off. This guy replied saying "Yeah you have to get in there because those smiley faces don't hang themselves."  I have not talked to him since that comment becasue as all early childhood educators know, it's more then just smiley faces.