My Connections to Play!

“Childhood should be carefee, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul”. Dave Pelzer

“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere”.           Albert Einstein

(Child Making Mud-Pies) 

              When I was a child, I enjoyed making mud-pies with my sister & cousins outside!  We would make sure the dirt was packed inside of the pans perfectly and was the proper consistency to mold.  We would add grass for seasoning and set it out in the sun to cook.  We used our imaginations and pretended that we were cooking real pies that we would sale, later that day.  I remember us trying to flag “pretend” cars down, to buy our pies.  My parents, aunt and/or grandparents, would buy our mud pies and pretend along with us by saying they were yummy! J

(Child Riding Bike)

  When I was a child, I also enjoyed riding my bike!  My grandparents lived down the road, and my sister and I were allowed to ride down to their house to visit.  I would go see them every day, when I got off the school bus.  I would imagine that I was driving a car, instead of bike, and sometimes I would pretend that I was driving the school bus.  My parents would get lots of laughs when I was correcting the students on my bus.  They supported outside play and allowed us to ride our bikes, as long as we came in before dinner. 

 Play Today vs. Yesterday….My Thoughts! J

When I was growing up, play was all about imagination and it took place outside! Neighborhood children played together and everyone felt safe.  The parents didn’t have a concern about anyone kidnapping their child and the children were able to freely ride bikes up and down the streets, without helmets or knee pads!  We didn’t want to come inside to play, because that was boring to us.  We wanted to be outside where we could “make-up” our activity.  We very rarely sat around and watched a lot of television.  Today, children are the opposite.  They want to be inside and they consume their day with television and video games.  Neighborhoods aren’t as safe as they used to be.  Parents aren’t allowing their children to stay outside, until dinner.  Parents have to be concerned about keeping a close eye on their children.  We felt that playing inside was boring.  Today, many children think that playing outside is boring, when they don’t have “anything to do”!  Today’s youth, don’t know how to “imagine”!  They don’t know how to “think outside the box”, without the resources in front of them!

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they have shaped and molded me to be the person that I am. If it weren’t for the relationships that I have had, then I would be a very lost and close minded individual. Relationships can provide people with encouragement and inspire them to be better. I have several people that I currently have positive relationships with. My father and I have a positive relationship because he always encourages me to “know” that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind too! He also taught me to never let someone else be the “mc” of my life. My mother and I have a positive relationship because she always gives me spiritual knowledge and encourages me to do my best! My parents always believe in me and make me feel that I truly have it within myself to accomplish great things! I maintain a positive relationship with them, by listening to their advice, showing them respect, and spending time with them. Professionally, I have positive relationships with my grade level teachers at my school. They always encourage me to continue teaching and inspire me to try new things and think “outside the box”! I maintain a positive relationship with my colleagues, by taking their advice, believing in them, and showing respect for their opinions. I also have a positive relationship with God. When I talk to him, he always listens. Just as my family and professional relationships, God encourages me. I maintain my relationship with God by reading the bible, going to church, and obeying him. I have learned that over time, you must work really hard to maintain a positive relationship with others. Oftentimes, you have to consider how they feel and how they will accept what you are saying. The most important thing I have learned is that you have to respect people and their opinions. You may not always agree, however, you must always respect them enough to listen! My experience with relationships impacts my work as an early educator. I have to respect the students I teach and listen to what they have to say. I always have to think about how they feel before I speak! I also have to respect the parents and families I work with.

When I Think of Child Development

Quote: “Don’t try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student superior. When our students fail, we, as teachers, too, have failed.” Marva Collins *I really enjoy this quote from Marva Collins because it reminds a teacher the realness of her career! It reminds her that she is here to teach ALL children and that ALL children can be GREAT! Knowing that student success equals teacher success!

Intelligence Testing

I don’t like the idea of “testing” children on their intelligence. I believe that if we want to truly understand children and their needs, there isn’t a “test” that we can give them to show us about them. I learn about my students by spending time with them and learning how they learn and what they need from me to make their learning more successful. If a particular student in the classroom is “academically gifted”, that teacher will know…if she takes the time and “see” what this child is capable of. When seeing her capabilities, the teacher can use that knowledge to guide her instruction for that student. I do understand that we have to measure students and their growth. I just feel like it puts so much more stress on students than necessary. In Canada, students who are entering in the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 10th grades, must take the EQAO (Education Equality and Accountability Office assessment). This assessment measures reading, writing, and math skills of these students. The test results don’t affect students in 3rd or 6th grades. Students in 10th grade have to pass the literacy piece in order to continue. The teachers use the EQAO to guide the teacher’s instruction on how to further assist the student. If there was an area where large amounts of students scored poor, then the school will look at making instruction throughout the school more effective. References EQAO Testing (2009). People for Education. Retrieved from: http://www.settlement.org/sys/library_detail.asp?k=ELEMSEC_EVAL&doc_i d=1004054

Childhood Stressors

When my cousins (3 brothers) were little, they experienced poverty and violence. They were raised by their mom….my aunt because their father abused my aunt. Eventually, she left him and moved into a battered women’s home with her three boys. They grew up in public housing, on food stamps and Medicaid. The county we are from, “takes care” of women in need from domestic violence situations. The battered women’s shelter paid her apartment’s security deposit and application fee, as well as, gave her a cell phone. In Mexico, a woman dealing with domestic violence is dealt with a little differently. According to Ruiz, “the failure of authorities to deal seriously with domestic violence places Mexican women in grave danger and indeed enables their assailants, often giving the abuser a virtual license to kill without fear of legal consequences” (2001). “Organizations which have tried to promote gender equality in the Yucatan have proved ineffective against domestic violence, due to bureaucratic ineptness and the fact that most people are unaware of their existence or purpose. Despite their best efforts they’ve been unable to change Mexican cultural and social attitudes about male-female relationships” (Ruiz, 2001).

My personal birthing experience: I have 2 daughters….7 and 4 years old! When I gave birth to my 7 year old, things were so “unknowing”! I can remember all the pain that I went through and the DRUGS(epidural) that I was given to speed things up and it actually slowed things down. After laboring for about 12 hours, my doctor told me that I wouldn’t be able to push my daughter out, that I would have to have c-section, because she wasn’t coming down anymore. At that point, I was tired and ready to get her OUT! She was delivered with a c-section and I walked out the hospital 3 days later with my daughter. Three years later, I was able to “schedule” my delivery date…..show up at the hospital…have my daughter….walked out 2 days later! No pain….so much easier! But, I am thankful for all the pain I went through to have 2 of the most precious, healthy daughters ever! My thoughts on child development is that pregnant women need prenatal care. It was so important for me to hear the heart beat and see my daughters on the ultrasound. I was diagnosed with hypertension, before my second pregnancy, so I was constantly having to get test done and her heart rate checked. I was taken out of work, two months before my delivery date, to ensure that I didn’t delivery early. Having that prenatal care, I was able to have a doctor make sure that my daughter would be healthy and she was developing properly. Chinese Birth Experience According to Leah Brown, pregnant woman from China, are told lots of things to “protect” their unborn child. They should watch the foods that they eat, making sure they are cut or mashed properly, if not then their child will have a careless disposition. Chinese women are forbidden from having sex or attend funerals, during the pregnancy. I was really interested to see all the different things that the women weren’t able to do and their reasoning behind it. There was to be no construction in the house, because it could make her have a miscarriage. One of the things that I liked was the mother of the expectant mother, bought the child’s entire layette. Surprisingly there weren’t any similarities in births in the US. After the birth, the woman is given a month of “healing” time and in some households, the husband is to stay away. The women don’t have to do chores during this time! The baby isn’t named under after he is born and in most cases they are given “many” names. References: Brown, Leah M.Childbirth Traditions Around the World: China. Retrieved from:http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/childbirth- traditions-china_70703-page-2 .September 7, 2012.

Codes of Ethics Discussion

When examining NAEYC’s code of ethics, the ones that are most meaningful to me are: (1) Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn, (2) Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues, and (3) Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family.(2005) These are significant in my professional life because as a teacher it is very important to have “prior knowledge” on child development. You have to understand the audience that you are teaching. If you don’t have any knowledge about children and how they learn best, then you’re wasting their time, as well as yours. With that understanding of children, you must also understand the relationships and beliefs of their family. For me, it allows me to better serve the children, when I know about their family. When I am doing an activity and we talk about families, I remember those students’ who have single mothers or fathers in another country/state. Knowing this information, makes me aware that I need to provide that child with a variation of this activity so they don’t feel left out. It may also mean that you don’t even do the activity. DEC’s code of ethics, the ones most meaningful to me are: (1) We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value and human potential of each child, (2)We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services, (3)We shall respect, value, promote, and encourage the active participation of ALL families by engaging families in meaningful ways in the assessment and intervention process. (2009). For me, DEC’s ethics are so significant to my professional life because I do believe that support should be given to new teachers to help them understand the field and be a helping hand in their success. Most importantly, I believe that, as professionals, we need to respect children and families. We must “show” them that they are a valuable part of our classrooms. I truly believe that once a parent feels a teacher values their thoughts and respects them, they will begin to trust and feel like they are part of the team! References: The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved August 11, 2012, from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201260_04/MS_MECS/EDUC_6005/Week%207/Resources/Resources/embedded/dec_codeofethics.pdf NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved August 10, 2012, from https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201260_04/MS_ MECS/EDUC_6005/Week%207/Resources/Resources/embedded/naeyc_co deofethicspdf.pdf

Bill Clinton: -The law directs that 60% of new money appropriated to Head Start will go to improving quality in the program that prepares children from low-income families to start school. Previous rules directed 75% of any new Head Start money toward adding more children. About 800,000 children now receive benefits from the preschool program, which is newly authorized for $35 billion over five years. -Head Starts grant budget exceeded the one billion dollars, and the number of children assisted is a little more than nine million (2003). In September of 1995, under the Bill Clinton administration, the first Early Head Start grants are given and in October of 1998, Head Start was reauthorized to expand to full-day and full-year services.

Lilian Katz: -"As you consider whether to move a child into formal academic training, remember that we want our children to do more than just learn how to read and write; we want them to learn in such a way that they become lifelong readers and writers. If we push our children to start learning these skills too far ahead of their own spontaneous interest and their capacity, we may sacrifice the long-range goal of having them enjoy such pursuits."

"The best way to improve the American workforce in the 21st century is to invest in early childhood education, to ensure that even the most disadvantaged children have the opportunity to succeed along side their more advantaged peers"

~ James Heckman (Nobel Laureate in Economics)

 

 

Do you agree or disagree with James Heckman's thoughts?