Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

As of today I am finding it a challenge to locate two professionals that is willing to communicate on a weekly basis. I thought it would be easy, seeing the fact that I have family in other countries. I have been sending out emails and posting on Facebook to see if I could find someone who might know someone, but it is not looking good. Two of the emails was sent out to individuals on the resource page, and still got no responses. I have two co-workers who are from another country and are willing to call around for me within the week to see if they know someone. It is looking like I might have to do alternate assignment. Either way I am going to learn from this course and my classmates.

                                                             

The process of selecting the early childhood organization was easy, but I took my time to see all of my choices. I knew that I want to work with children of all ages, but I have a special interest in the students that is about age 4 and 5. The reason for that is because for the past 3 years that is the age group that I have worked with. I also wanted to learn more about the advancement in the field as they occur. With that is mind the website of the National Head Start Association was decided on. The website contained information about upcoming conferences, a radio network, programs that is available, research, and many need to know information about the head start program.  Another great thing is that the website contained a newsletter, which was also something else that I was interested in.

If any of my classmates has any helpful hints on how to make communication with professionals please feel free to let me know, I am open to any suggestions.

My Supports

Support is something that is extremely important in the growth of a child or individual. I have so much support in my environment that it encourages me to do better. Family is my number one support (mother, husband, and children). Family lifts you up when I am down and encourages me to do better. For example, my education they allow time for me to study and complete my homework without stress. Without them around I might not have the need or want to follow my goals. Another factor in my daily environment that is supportive to me is technology. My husband in particular helps with physical support to me. He is always willing to lend a helping hand to lift anything or sow love. Technology allows me to reach the outside world when I am sick, complete my education, talk to my family, and the list goes on and on. Without technology it would be hard to communicate with my professors, love ones, or even finding events around the city to take my family to.

There are always challenges in life. As much support as my family is to me, challenges always comes along. For example, we might not have the same views with each other, which could make it hard to reach a clear understanding. The same with technology, when someone hits a pole or the electricity goes out, so does it. Computers, television, phones, blenders are just dome of the things that is a form of technology that I use on a daily basis to accomplish my goals. A short list can be supportive. For example, a list of what needs to be picked up from the store, whether it is clothes or food. That way when I go to the store I wouldn’t overspend. The challenge with hat is that the list could get lost or destroyed and I am back to square one.

My Connections to Play

Quotes that summarize what play represented to me in childhood:

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning. Diane Ackerman

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.  Fred Rogers

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

                                             Ball

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Jump Rope

Video Games

When I was younger I grew up in Trinidad so I didn’t attend school until I was in elementary. The only time we had for play was during recess time for thirty min. a day. We had no activity that involved play in the classroom. In the classroom the focus was books. Play time was not allowed much when I was a child, but I see how beneficial the role of play is through my children and my students. For me, play is more accepted and encouraged today, than when I grew up. Children are required to have a certain amount of play time a day. Most of the time, that is when their personality comes into effect and blossom. They learn a lot from their peers like communication or language skills for example.

As an adult I truly believe that play so still important, no matter what the age of the individual. Just because we are adults we still have skills we could still expand on our everyday skills. Play is a way to interact and be social. We learn from each other no matter what age the individual is. For me play can be a group of adults going out for lunch or going bowling with each other. I have always been a social butterfly and I believe I learned from every individual I came in contact with.

I have two boys and I know much of their learning comes through play. For example, my three year old communication skills (speaking, etc.) expanded when he went to school and was around other children. Play is very much encouraged in our household

Relationship Reflection

” “love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with”-

                              a quote from http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Relationship_Status/

Relationship/partnership is important to me for a number of reasons. Relationships can keep an individual grounded, meaning it could bring out the best in them. No day is perfect nor is anyone, so it is good to have someone or some people that is there to lend a helping hand. If the relationship is a positive one,  then they would bring the best out of you.


                                                                                              My grandmother and my uncle Ian, in Trinidad!!

I try to keep positive influential people in my life, as well as my children. My mother, Jillian Tucker, and grandmother, Lonia Textus, is at the top of that list. So much wisdom and guidance came from them throughout my life. When I was going down the wrong path, they were always there to bring me back to realization. My husband, Andre Chisolm, is also an individual that I have a positive relationship with. He is a great father as well as great companion.  The last indiviudal that I will discuss is my uncle Ian, he is also my son's godfather. He helped raise me, when my mother needed the help. He gave up his life and moved back to Trinidad to take care of his mother, my grandmother. I never once seen him get mad or get worried, he always tells me that all things could be changed, so don't dwell on it. I live by that! No one situation stays the same, and you have to be ready for the unexpected, becasue thats what makes you stronger.

                                 My lovely mother with my youngest son, I am who I am because of her!

My husband with our oldest son! (not sure how to turn the picture around, sorry)

All relationships could have challenges in developing and maintaining them. Over time I have learned that some information has to stay to yourself.  At time’s I might not always agree with the beliefs or customs of the other individual, but it not worth fighting over.  Keep an open mind is something else I have learned to do over time. Even though it is something I never did before, don’t mean that it is the wrong way or unacceptable. My way is not always right.

My experiences with relationships will impact as I further myself as an early childhood professional. Patience and understanding is two qualities that were gained from the individuals that I currently have a relationship with. Children are all different and time has to be taken with them. They all come from different cultures, religion, and income bracket.   So the fact that I have an understanding that I will have to adapt to each child and the way I teach my children is not the only way will take me a long way.

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Final Week

A famous quote that I love about children is:

"I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!" David Vitter

This quote is so true to me, and dear to my heart. If educators and parents are supportive of the children and guide them they would go far in life. Children need to feel loved and want someone to believe in them and help them succeed. All children have potential to succeed.

I always tell my students and children that they could become anything they dream of becoming. The sky is the limit!

Holistically....The impact on kids

At all ages and grades students are tested for various reasons. Some testing is to see if the child is prepared to advance to the next grade, if the child understands the materials, if the student needs special one on one help, and etc. I believe that testing is a good thing if assessed the correct way and for a good reason. The school system has to assess students, and parents and guardians should understand that, the problem comes from over usage of it.

According to worhnetweb.princton.edu, holistically means emphasizing the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole. I think the child as a whole should be assessed. The reason I think that is because every individual have a weak spot, and should not be punished for it. For example, I am quick and fast in math, but slow in reading. Should I be placed in a special need reading class because my 3^rd grade assessment was low? What if my 2^nd grade test was normal? My point is that children should be assessed as a whole, and not parts. For example, I use to have a student that was smart and capable of completing his work. He went to public school, and they are trying to place him in a special needs class for the wrong reasons. He was assessed and has behavior problems. Yea, we know he has behavior problems, but is placing him in a special needs class the way to go because he was assessed and his teacher said so. I had this student before he went to public school) for 2 years and his work was well, and I was able to control his behavior. I think it could be overused.

Children in the UK get assessed in somewhat the same way as they do in the US. The teacher assesses them in the classroom, during particular age groups. They also use 3 National curriculum levels that assist them. They aim to make sure that everything is balanced in the classroom. The systems are similar to how our educators do things, which could have its perks.

Children do need to be assessed, but it is a thing called over-measured. The child should be looked and assessed as a whole and not in parts.

Consequences of Stress

Although there are many common stressors, I would like to focus on diseases. A few years ago when I was completing my Undergraduate degree in healthcare, I learned a lot about different stressors and how it affects children. One of the courses that I had to take was centered on AIDs prevention. I attended a seminar called AIDS 101, it was one of the best experiences that I could have had. I met a sibling that explained how they were born with the illness, and their mom died when they was young from complications from the disease. They elaborate on how their childhood was. They had doctor’s appointments every week, hard to keep friends (when they find out they have AIDs they get scared), always sick, play no sports, missed a lot of days of school (the brother dropped out), etc. I could imagine how their childhood was, because it’s a lot for a child to handle.

AIDS is a major problem in other countries, a bigger problem than the United States. Africa has most of infected people living in sub-Saharan Africa.  It is a number of reasons why the disease can spread so fast. The poverty level, economic status, or lack of knowledge could all be factors on why this particular disease could be affecting so many people in Africa. Children also have to stay in the hospital longer than any other patients.

AS a child growing up in Trinidad, AIDs is a huge problem. On the radio station, boards, schools, etc., they discuss the prevention and the importance of being educated about the disease. The children whose parents the disease spend a lot of time with other family members and friends, because their parents was sick a lot and weak a lot. My aunt is a nurse at the hospital and she came home crying many nights because of the death of child from the disease.