My Supports

There are many different types of supports. These can include: emotional, physical, finanical, social, and academic support. My husband gives me support from all of these areas.  My husband is a wonderful support for me.  He supports me by always being there for me emotionally, helping out with household chores, and taking care of our children when needed so I am able to focus on school.  My husband always encourages me to do my best with my schoolwork.  We are a team and I could not do this without him and his support.  I also have a huge support system with my mother.  She helps out by watching my children and always being there for me.  I am very blessed to have my husband and mother in life and to have them help and support me so much.  It would be very difficult without these supports.  I don't think I would be able to go back to school or buy my children things that they need.  I would probably have to work two jobs or live in a very tiny house or apartment if I did not have my husband.  His supports is what I need on a daily basis to keep me motivated to keep pushing on when times are tough.

I often think of the challenges that children and adults face when they are bound to a wheelchair.  They need all kinds of support from others for their daily living.  If I found myself suddenly having to be in a wheelchair I think it would be difficult.  I would need a lot of emotional support.  It would be hard watching everyone else walk or run and knowing that I can no longer do those things.  I'm sure there would be times that I would need someone's shoulder to cry on or to complain and vent my anger with.  I would need physical support.  I would not be able to drive myself places so I would need support there.  I would also need someone helping me around the house doing everyday tasks that would not longer be easy for me.  Finding a decent paying job may be difficult so I would need financial support.  I also would need help with my children.  I have two very young sons and would need help raising them.  I think being in a wheelchair would be very challenging and difficult for me.

Connections to play

My "connections to play" post can be found under the page titled "My Connections to Play."

Relationship Relfection

Having a positive relationship with family and friends is very important.  We need to have strong relationships so we always have someone we can depend on to be there for us.  I have a very strong relationship with my family.  My husband and two sons are so important to me.  My husband is very supportive of everything that I do.  I also have a very close relationship to my mother.  She always helps me in any way that she can and is also supportive of me. 

My relationship with my mother with a very positive one.  She raised me, mostly by herself, when I was younger and growing up.  She worked very hard to raise me in the right way and teach me right from wrong.  She always put me and my needs before her own.  I feel like she is my best friend. 

My relationship with my husband is also a positive one.  We were drawn to each other from the moment we met.  We became very close and had a lot of the same interests.  We became friends first and stayed friends for a few months.  I believe this helped our relationship because we really got to know each other before we got married. 

I believe I have the best children ever.  My sons are 3 and 1.  My relionship with my oldest can be hard at times.  My son was recently diagnosed with sensory processing disorder.  We have a lot of challenges, but we continue to work through them and each day I feel our relionship grows stronger.  My youngest son is a mommy's boy.  He is attached to my hip at all times.

It is difficult to maintain a positive relationship at all times.  There are struggles and disagreements from time to time.  Each person has to figure out ways to deal with issues and work through them.  This is the only want to maintain the relationship.  Talking and trying to work things out is a must.

My husband and I have a great relationship and I feel that are partners when it comes to raising our children.  I believe that all parents should have a partnership when it comes to raising their children.  Whether they are together or not, they must be partners when it comes to their children.  This is what is best for the child.

I hope that I can be a positive influence to the families of the children that I work with.  By having so many positive relationships in my own life, I hope that I can mentor and help build stronger relationships. 

Quotes & Thanks

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher


You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones


Children make your life important. ~Erma Bombeck
Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity. ~Kay Redfield Jamison

I would also like to say thank you to all of my classmates in this course.  Thank you for responding to my blogs and sharing your opinions and ideas.  I hope we can continue to communicate through our blogs and learn from each other.  I would personally like to thank the following:

Althea Richardson       http://alirich2401.blogspot.com/
April Darringer            http://addarringer.blogspot.com/
Kisha Hawthorn           https://kshhawthorne.wordpress.com
Melanie Balakirsky      http://melaniebalakirsky.wordpress.com/
Giavanna Whooper      http://ladygiavanna.blogspot.com/
ShaKeema Solomon     http://shakeemasecsb.blogspot.com/
Roslyn Brooks              http://rozecs.blogspot.com

Testing for Intelligence

Viewing children holistically is a great way to get to know the whole child.  It is also a great way to assess children.  It allows teachers to assess so many different skills, not just the academic skills.  They are able to assess fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language development, social skills, and the environment in which they live.  What I think should be assessed is all the skills combined.  I believe through play, observations, one-on-one time with the child, and speaking with families about the child are ways that we can measure and assess a child’s social and academic achievements.  Assessing the whole child is more than just focusing on academics.  Young children learn best through play and they can comprehend more than people realize. 

Young children in Sweden are assessed through observations.  “Swedish preschools are now part of a strong culture of assessment. Young children’s development and learning is documented through tests and measurement, and is assessed using a variety of diagnostic tools”(Arpi, T., 2011).  They assess numerous skills and do not place as much importance on the academic skills as they do social skills.

References

Arpi, T.  2011.  Early pedagogical assessment of young children at preschool.  Retrieved at:  http://www.ufn.gu.se/english/News/newsdetail//early-pedagogical-assessment-of-young-children-at-preschool-.cid1040399

Stress on Children's Development

There are so many different things that can place stress on a child.  Abuse is something that our country deals with on a daily basis.  I have a first-hands experience dealing with abuse.  When I was growing up, my dad was very abusive towards my mom.  Mostly, it was mental abuse but it became physical a few times.  The last three years before they finally got divorced was really bad.  They would fight all the time and my dad was really mean to my mom.  I witnessed everything.  I was 13 when they finally got divorced.  That was 16 years ago.  The violence that I witnessed put a stress on me.  I never wanted to go home from school.  I was always worried when I had friends over that my dad would do something in front of them and I never told anyone what was going on.  I wanted to disappear and pretend that it wasn't happening.  I wanted everyone to believe my life was good and that my family was wonderful.  I was affected by it though.  Even today, with my husband and children, I will catch myself snapping at times without realizing it.  At times when I am mad, I catch myself wanting to break something or throw things.  I have to remind myself to calm down and that I do not want my children going through what I went through.  It is a struggle at times.  My marriage has been affected by my childhood.  So many children experience that type of abuse and even worse than what I went through.  As a teacher, it is my job to watch for the signs of abuse and make sure the children know that they are loved.  I want them to know they can talk to me if something is going on.  I never talked to my teachers and sometimes I wish that I had talked to someone.  I want my students to know that it is not their fault and to get them help.  Abuse affects every part of their development.  I believe it is happening in every part of our country today.

Beating of children is a widely accepted and sanctioned practice in Nigeria culture. It is used as a way of instilling, discipline in a child. (CWRIN, 2001; WRM, 1998), it is therefore a usual practice in most home, and is used frequently as a mode of discipline for any offence even if it is trivial or grievous.  It is very common for the children in part of the world to experience abuse.  It is a way of life there.There are a few things that can be done to help prevent child abuse in Nigeria.  One of the things that can be done is giving women more freedom and power.  Everyone should make efforts to support family values.  Everyone effort should be made to adopt or foster these children.  These are just a few of the ways to help solve the problem of child abuse in Nigeria.

References
Children’s and women’s Right in Nigeria (2001). A wake up call. Situation Analysis (Eds). Anthony Hides. National Planning Commission Abuja & UNICEF Nigeria.
Women Right Monitor (1998) child labour; A new dimension to the Malaise. (Eds) Nwogu S. and Enwerem G.H. Journal of women justice Programme 1(13) 11-15.

Child Development and Public Health

I have chosen to write about the topic of immunizations.   From the time babies are born, parents have the options of giving them immunization shots to protect the infant and child from harmful diseases that, in the past, killed hundreds.  "Immunization protects children not only from diseases but also from serious complications, including deafness, blindness, sterility, and meningitis" (Berger, 2009).  Children have to have immunizations and be-up-to date on their shots in order to start public schools.  Immunizations has become a hot topic lately with parents blaming immunizations for causing autism and other problems in their children.  "Many parents are concerned about potential side effects of vaccinations.  For example, in recent years many parents were almared by reports that the MMR vaccine caused autism, but that hypothesis has been repeatedly disproved" (Berger, 2009).  I believe the greater risk is by not vaccinating your child.  In the United States we have the option and opportunity to protect our children from these harmful, deadly diseases and complications.

In other parts of the world, children are not as lucky.  "More than 1 million children in developing nations die each year bcause effective vaccines against AIDS, malaria, cholera, typhoid, and shigellosis are not yet ready for widespread use (Russell, 2002).  Another 2 million to 3 million die each year from diphtheria, tetanus, and measles because they have not been immunized against those diseases (Mahmoud, 2004).  100,000 children in India died in 2005 from meales alone (Dugger, 2006).  I feel very lucky to live in a country where I can protect myself and my children from these diseases.  I wish there was more we could do to offer help and aid to these developing countries.  It breaks my heart to know that so many children die each other because they are not protected from the diseases. 

References

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Dugger, C. W.  (2006).  Mothers of Nepal vanquish a killer of children.  New York times, pp. A1, A16.

Russell, M.  (2002).  South Korea: Institute helps spread use of vaccines in Asia.  Science, 295, 611-612.

My Childbirth Experience

My experience giving birth to my second son felt like a roller coaster ride.  There was not a dull moment during the entire thing.  My due date was September 11.  It was August and I had already tried to go into labor twice.  The second time the doctors stopped the labor and sent me home on full bedrest.  Two days later, on August 12, my water broke.  It was 5:30pm.  My husband was at work 45 minutes away.  Our hospital was 90 minutes away.  My husband rushed home and around 6:30 we headed for the hospital.  On the drive to the hospital the contractions started and I thought I was dying.  When I had my first son I had an epidural before the contractions got too bad.  I had not felt much with him.  But this time I was feeling it and all I could think about was getting to the hospital and getting an epidural.  I was also scared before I knew from an ultrasound earlier that week that my baby was already over 8lbs.  My doctor had decided that I would have a C-Section with this baby.  I was very scared about that since my other son had been born vaginally.  We got to the hospital around 8pm.  I could barely walk and in tears from the pain.  The nurse got me settled in a bed and checked me.  I was dialated to a 6.  I couldn't believe I had dialated that quickly.  I asked again for an epidural.  I was told as soon as they got me upstairs to the labor and delivery floor I could have some pain medicine.  On the ride up the elevator I felt the need to push and the nurse told me there was no way I could be ready to push.  I was only at a 6.  When we got into a room I demanded that they check me again.  They did and I was at a 9.  This was all within 15 minutes.  I knew then that I wouldn't be getting an epidural and I was even more scared.  I do not like pain.  I had gotten an epidural with my 1st son when I got dialated to a 4.  I knew this would not be good.  There was no time for an epidural, no time for a C-Section, and I was about to have a big baby.  It was happening so fast I didn't have time to think much about it.  My doctor happened to be at the hospital on call and he rushed in.  I don't remember a lot about the events of having him because it all happened so fast.  I do remember the pain.  It was awful but I knew that I had to do it.  I remember several nurses coming in waiting and I was told that since my baby was premature that he would probably have to go to the NICU after he was born.  During the delivery, my son got stuck in the birth canal and the cord was wrapped around his neck.  My doctor had to jerk and pull to get him out.  When he came out, he was not crying and he was blue and bruised from head to toe.  My husband and my mother was in the room and they both later told me that they thought he was dead.  I don't rememer much about it other than my baby wasn't crying.  It didn't sink in at first that the baby wasn't placed on my belly immediately or that my husband didn't cut the cord.  I remember asking is he ok and all my husband and mom would tell me was that they were working on him.  They got my son breathing and soon he cried softly.  They put him next to me briefly so I could see him, then he was rushed away to the NICU.  He was born at 9:22pm and weighed 9lbs, 2oz, and 21 inches long.  All of this happened in four hours.  I am still uncertain if he was truely premature or if my due date was wrong.  He spent two weeks in the NICU.  He just recently turned 1 and is still doing great.  I picked to write about my son's birth because it was an experience that I will never forget.  I never dreamed that I would have a baby, let alone a 9lber, without any drugs.  I still worry about my son's development because he had problems when was born.  He is thriving and meeting all of the developmental goals so I think he will be ok.

I have decided to compare my childbirth experience to the women in Central Africa.  In developed countries 99% of women receive prenatal care and are attended by skilled health personnel during labor. In Burundi only 25% of births are attended by skilled health personnel. In Rwanda only 10% of mothers receive adequate prenatal care and only 31% give birth with a skilled attendant (Vanderlaan, J., 2011).  Most of these women in these countries will not deliver in a hospital setting, but will have their babies naturally at home.  I made it to the hospital (barely) with mine but, like these woman, I did not have any pain medication.  Natural childbirth is a way of life for these women.  It was not something that I chose for myself, but I am glad that it happened.  I have the experience of knowing what women in other parts of the world go through.  I have a new respect for these women.

References
Vanderlaan, J.  2011.  Birth in Central Africa.  Retrieved on September 7, 2012 from http://www.birthingnaturally.net/christian/africa/index.html

Thanks

I want to thank all of my classmates for all of their support and encouragement.  I am truely blessed to be a part of this community and feel like I have made some great friends along the way.  You guys have supported me with the class discussions and with the blogs.  You each mean a lot to me and I wish everyone luck with their future classes and careers.  I hope we all stay connected through our blogs and continue to support each other.  It is sad that this class is over, but I hope we will share other classes together.  I will continue my blog so please feel free to share any information you feel will be helpful and I hope that you will continue to read my blog.  Thank you to all of you and good luck!

Code of Ethics

One of the  ideals contained in the NAEYC that is meaningful to me is ethical responsibilites to families.  We must work closely with the families in order to give the child the best education possible.  Teachers and families must work together in cooperation for the benefit of the child.  One of the things I want to accomplish in this field is:

—To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve. (naeyc 2005).

Another thing important to me is ethical responsibilites to children.  Our paramount responsibility is to provide care and education in settings that are safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive for each child. We are committed to supporting children’s development and learning; respecting individual differences; and helping children learn to live, play, and work cooperatively. (naeyc, 2005). 

—To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

I also want to help children and families with the transition into a program or moving into a new program.  Sometimes children can have a difficult time with transitions.  I want to make it smooth for everyone involved. 

----To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next.

References

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
 

Resources

I have created a page with lots of resources from my class on early childhood education.  Additionally, I have added 3 websites at the end that are filled with more resources for educators and parents.  I will post all the resources here as well.

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

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

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/

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

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/

3 Additional Resources that I have found:

http://www.hcesc.org/resources/Pages/EarlyChildhoodEducation.aspx

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/resources.htm

http://www2.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/resources.html

Inspirational Quotes

Here are some inspirational quotes from different individuals involved with early childhood education:

"The highest stake of all is our ability to help children realize their full potential."
~~Samuel J. Meisels

“Most everyone knows that young children need to be challenged academically, and they need to be exposed to literacy, letters and sounds, and literature at an early age—(however) we really need to have an emphasis on all areas of development (cognitive, social and emotional skills).” 

~~Samuel J. Meisels

“Part of being who you are has to do with feeling your feelings, which means you'll have a wide range of emotions--not just constant sunshiny happiness.”
~~Janet Gonzalez-Mena

"The moment I decided to follow instead of lead, I discovered the joys of becoming part of a small child's world."
~~Janet Gonzalez-Mena

" I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world and to fix all the injustices that existed in the world." "So the passion to create a safer, more just world for all kids is there and suppose will be there until I die and maybe even after."
~~Louise Derman-Sparks

"I think first and foremost my passion comes from a lot of it is intrinsic motivation that I have for the work that I do. Every day, I go to work and look forward to it because I know the services that I'm providing for children it's to their benefit." I want the children to know "That there is more to life than just what's in their neighborhood."
~~Raymond Hernandez

"Having people offer me opportunities and opening doors for me where I feel like now, as I've gotten older, it's my turn to be able to create opportunities for parents and their children"
~~Raymond Hernandez

"We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better."
~~Sandy Escobido

"It's not all about you, You have to take your ego out of it, and think about what's best for the child."
~~Renatta M. Cooper

"When I think about passion as a person I also embrace who I am; who I am as a woman, as a Latina leader, and what my family has taught me. It creates a foundation for my passion."
~~Leticia Lara

Personal Childhood Web

Growing up, I had several people that loved and supported me. They always encouraged me and wanted the best for me. The five people that I am including in my personal childhood web are my mom, my grandmother, my aunt, my stepdad, and my best friend. Without them, I am not sure where I would be today.



I will start off with my mom. My mom is the most supportive person I know. She is one of my best friends. I am an only child and my mom did everything she could to make sure I was happy. She always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. When I was sick, she took care of me. She always encouraged me to do my best in school and always went to school functions and parent-teacher conferences. As a teenager, she refused to let me go out and do what everyone else was doing. She taught me right from wrong. To this day, she is still teaching and inspiring me. I respect her and hope that I am as good of a mother to my children as she is to me.

My grandmother would keep me while my mom worked. When I was little, I loved going to her house. Being an only child, and the youngest grandchild by nine years, I was pretty spoiled by my grandmother. My granny would teach me how to make pies and let me help her. We would go for walks and she would teach me about the past. She always showed me how much she loved and cared about me. She made me feel special. She was there for me when my parents went through a divorce. As my grandmother has gotten older, she has developed alzheimer's disease. As of this moment she still remembers me, but I know the day is coming when she will not recognize me. I just hope that I can be there for her when that times comes like she was there for me when I was younger.






My Grandmother, My Mom, and Me







Another person that I am including in my web is my Aunt Shirley. She is my mom's older sister. She always encouraged me to be independant. Everyone in my family says I should have been her child instead of my mom's because I act more like her than my mom. She and I have a lot of the same beliefs and personality. She is a fighter and always fought for me. She helped raise me. She taught me right from wrong and took me to church. She enouraged me to continue servering the Lord as a I grew and became a teenager, and still continues to encourage me. She is a wonderful person and I am so glad she is in my life.

My stepdad came into my life when I was 13. He loved my mom and I so much. He did not have to be a dad to me, but he became the best dad. He would help me in any way that I needed him to. He did not ask any questions. He became a better dad than my biological father. I knew he cared about me and wanted the best for me. He always made me feel special. I was never left out of anything. I consider him my dad and my children call him their grandpa. He treats them like they were his own. They can do no wrong in his eyes. I respect him and his influence has made me a better person.















Amy is my best friend. She and I have been friends since 3rd grade. We really became close in 7th grade. We would spend every weekend at each other's houses and she has been like a sister to me. I can tell her anything and I know she will encourage me, help me, guide me, and just be there for me. Whenever I am feeling depressed or troubled, I can go to her and she will listen. She makes me feel special because she listens and is always there when I need her. She influenced me to make a career out of teaching. It was her passion and it became my passion too. She and I have a lot of fun memories together. We always went on vacations together. It was great seeing the country with my best friend. She and I are still best friends and she continues to influence and encourage me. She is still there whenever I need a friend. I know she always will be.

Some of my favorite Quotes

Here are some of my favorite quotes about children and teaching children.

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."- Stacia Tauscher

"Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand."- Chinese proverb

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.- Henry Adams

My favorite Children's Book

I have so many favorite children's books that I love to read to my children and my students.  I am obsessed with Harry Potter, however I don't really consider Harry Potter a children's book anymore.  It is too dark for young children in my opinion.  One of my other personal favorites that I always read to my students is "The Big Orange Splot" by Daniel Manus Pinkwater.  This is the story about a man that lives on a street where all the houses are the same.  One day a seagull flies over and drops a bucket of orange paint on Mr. Plumbeans's house.  So his house isn't like the others anymore.  Mr. Plumbean decides that he wants to be different and he paints his house and soon all his neighbors change their homes too.  It is a really good story with a great meaning.  I always tell my students that they can be like Mr. Plumbean.  They do not have to be like everyone else.  They can be different and that it is ok.  I think "The Big Orange Splot" is a wonderful children's story.

Child's Drawing

This drawing was done by my son, Hunter.  He is three and we have been practicing on drawing a person for a few months now.  This is the first time he was able to draw a picture without any help of himself, his daddy, little brother, and me.  It is very special to me because my son has worked very hard on learning to do this and he was finally able to do it.  He was very proud of his success.

A picture of Misty

Here is a picture of me.

I am excited to be creating a blog to connect to other educational professionals in early childhood studies. I feel this is a great opportunity to learn so much from each other as we all have different experiences with children in and out of the classroom. Each person plays a vitual role in their developement. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I do believe that. Parents and teachers must work together to have a positive influence on the child. I am excited to hear what others have to say and learn from them and hope they can learn something from me as well.