Welcome to my life's experience!

Friday, March 9, 2012

I don't have any childhood pictures of myself (sad I know). This is my favorite picture though. It's of me and my husband on our wedding day. :-) Not exactly current (it's six years old) but a good one!

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My Supports

These factors are so important to me. They are all my solid support and I would not have accomplished all that I have without them.

My Husband & Son-My Husband and Son are supports within my environment because they are my constant. They support me no matter what and it is because of them I strive to achieve more. When times are tough they are there to put life in prospective.

My co-workers- I say my co-workers but really it is more like team, mentors, and fellow parents. Bluntly I would have nothing without this group of amazing practitioners. They are the reason my early childhood center has been so successful. Their knowledge and determination supports me to always do my best so I can support them in return. We learn from each other and strive towards completing the same goals.

My Students- I am always learning from my students. While it is true that I am the teacher there are many many times where I believe they have taught me more than I have taught them. Their innocence and curiosity keeps me motivated to keep current on teaching strategies to implement in the classroom. I truly want to provide each of them a chance to success. Their support within my environment may not seem significant but a little love and a smile/hug goes a long way!

My Challenge:

I always imagined what would happen if I lost the ability to speak. A lot in life is impacted by the words we say. How would I convey direction to my staff? How would I let me son know I love him without being able to say so? How would I communicate to my students?

In terms of support I think I would need a good amount of it. From my husband and son I would need a plethora of support. I would need help in terms of speaking to my son’s teacher and the doctors. I would need motivational support to encourage me to keep striving on a path of success. Emotionally, I would definitely need their support. We would have to give more hugs, more smiles, more time together so I could continue to show my love for them since I wouldn’t be able to say it. I would also need my husband to help me take care of our business aspects that require verbal communication.

From my co-workers I would need a lot of assistance. I would rely on them to help me communicate with families and even with children. I still believe there is a lot I would be able to do, especially with the children. I think not being able to speak would make me learn very quickly to become a better listener. I would be able to observe more but direct less…maybe not such a bad idea.

From my students I believe the support I would need comes just from their ability to be accepting no matter what. Children do not judge. They take you for who you are. In a mental capacity I think that would mean a lot to me. (Although, on a side note, I can see myself being completely frustrated by the fact that I could not speak to them.)

Relationship Reflection

There are many individuals that I hold very important relationships with (besides my family of course!). These colleagues have helped me to grow personally and professionally throughout the years.

Yahaira Perez Russo- I met Yahaira about 5 years ago now. Since our meeting she has been a crucial team member at the center I am currently a director of. Her love and passion for the children and the field in general is a constant motivator for me to always push to do my best. Her philosophy is that "All the money in the world will not buy you happiness but a smile on a child will make you rich." I can always count on her to be there for the children and I know she will always go the extra mile for a child. Attributes such as these can be hard to find. She is definitely someone I look up to.

Shelly Feller- Shelly is a mentor of mine. She has helped me through some tough situations and has guided me on how to set perimeters with time. I value Shelly because she is extremely honest. She will never hesitate to express how she truly feels which is a huge asset to have. She never says "your wrong" but rather expresses how a decision or action was not effective and how we can change it for the better. We have a common goal of wanting to bring all centers in our area together. We have also been working hard to bring awareness to the need of early intervention.

Bear & Blitz- These two furry critters are dogs that belong to the center but reside at home with me, my son, and my husband. It's funny how you are able to see true unconditional love from an animal. They don't judge, they have no biases, they do not see disability. These are attributes that we should express more towards others (in terms of working with children especially). I love watching them with the children in my classroom. They get so excited and the children do as well. It's great therapy for everyone!

The biggest insight I have gained over the years from my relationships is that you truly have to care. It is not something you can take lightly or fake. We all get busy but it doesn't take much to ask how someone's day was or to even send an email if need be. To be honest, I think the biggest lessons have come from my dogs, Blitz & Bear, no matter what they stand by me and have never judged. The biggest lesson any of us should learn is that we all make mistakes. It is within our imperfections that we find the perfection.

Resources for the Early Childhood Professional

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

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/

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/index.cfm

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/