Good Luck Everyone

Hello Everyone, I realize that some of us will not talk to each other in our next few courses. We are entering the last stages of our courses and headed into our specialization courses. I am heading into Adult Learning and I am very excited about these next few classes. I want to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to all the courses we have taken together. We are all working parents that have taken the extra step in bettering ourselves and gaining knowledge to help children and families. Good luck to you and all you want to achieve. Melissa Weaver

Adjourning

I have worked with a lot of teams in the past. Some of the groups haven’t necessarily been established as teams since the organization and development wasn’t there. I believe you have to actually have five stages of development for a team to be established in order for it to be considered a team instead of an unorganized group. “Every team goes through the five stages of team development” (Abudi, Gina, 2010, p. 1). I have been on quite a few teams and the one that I wrote about in my first discussion board was about my elected duty as an ombudsmen. That team adjourned by first losing the other committee members because of their irreconcilable differences. The new elected officials and I worked well together but I am not sure we were a team that had a connection. We met and engaged in conversations that helped us build a vision and strategies to focus on for the deployment period. I delegated duties and we established jobs for each team member. Their contributions and efforts were positive since I based their duties on their strengths. We were a successful group but when we adjourned or I should say when I decided not to take on the ombudsmen position again we easily departed. I had no hard feelings towards anyone but I was not sad or disappointed to give back my position. The adjourning stage is when the “project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions” (Abudi, Gina, 2010. P. 3). I was definitely moving in a different direction and I wished the other team members well in their vision and strategies to making the meetings a success. We all can be leaders, but if we find ourselves more frustrated and irritated with the process and organization then we need to understand that the group would be better run under another person. I do not have a passive personality and I do not tell people what they want to hear so it makes them feel better. I tell the truth and help them understand why and how we approach issues and concerns so that we can work through them as individuals. The group of spouses that I was leading did not want to be lead they wanted to be pacified. I could not do that. So adjourning the team for me was a blessing. I had made some friends and I did keep in contact with them. I did feel we accomplished a lot during my time as the team leader and ombudsmen but I was not sad to leave the position. One thing that really surprised a lot of people was that I no longer attended the meetings either. I was and still am a military spouse. However, I have not and will not ever attend a meeting that focuses on my husband’s ship or command. As the ombudsmen I wanted to help women/spouses find their strengths and to build upon them. Instead I found a group that wanted me to comfort them instead of empowering them. References Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Conflicts

I recently met with my student teachers for our weekly review. I had a few parent complaints and needed to go over those with the student teachers. It is important to communicate to our student teachers just as effectively as we do with our parents. I am the student teachers instructor but I am not the mentor teacher to all of them. I understand the importance of parent/teacher communication especially when it concerns an accident or small incident between children throughout the day. Parents need to know when their children got scratched or had a potty accident. I communicate this to my student teachers in my room, but not all mentor teachers do this. In the meeting I had a student teacher who disagreed with me about who was to tell the parents. The student teacher felt the lead teacher should do all the communication to the parents. A parent had a big concern about her child the next morning and it involved her simply not knowing that her child had a potty accident during the day. The parent paper was in the cubby and it informed the parent of the accident. The parent did not take it home because she picked her daughter up when she was outside. The parent did not stop by the room to see if she had any papers so she was unaware of her child’s accident and unaware of her wet clothes in the cubby. The student teacher did not communicate or discuss with the parent any information about the child with the parent. The student teacher felt the parent’s information about her child should come solely from the daily parent paper which was written by the lead teacher. I explained to the student teacher how important respect, reciprocal, and responsive information is between parents and teachers. We have to show respect to the parents by greeting them and by keeping them informed about their children. We should let them know that we understand how important their children are and that we take the time to talk and discuss concerns or highlights about their children with them. The student teacher felt that it was not her place to discuss information with the parents because she was not the lead teacher and it was not her place. I informed the student teacher very calmly and very nonjudgmentally without displaying irritability and frustration that we are all responsible for these children and for the information that the parents receive. When working with children it is everyone’s job to be aware and informed on the children in the classroom. I told the student teacher it was the mentor/lead teacher’s job to inform her of any information that is pertinent for the parents to know at the end of the day. I also informed her that she must greet and acknowledge the parents when they enter, drop off, or pick up their children. The job of any teacher whether a student teacher, asst. teacher, or lead teacher, is to respect, be responsive, and be reciprocal to the parents. Be aware and share information with the parents to show respect and be responsive of the information they share with you. One of the most important parts of the first teacher to leave is to relay information about the children to the next teacher in charge. We cannot provide parents information about their children unless the information is passed down to us. Communication between teachers in the same room is one of the most reciprocal forms of communication that gets forgotten. I stress and preach the passing down of information from teacher to teacher throughout the day so that everyone is informed about the children as the day progresses. Two strategies that I used was to remain clam and not to become frustrated or irritated when the student teacher did not agree with how we should handle the situations of talking to parents. The student teacher new she would have to talk to parents but only when she was a teacher in her own classroom. I informed her that she was the teacher, especially during her lead weeks. I also used the strategy to remind her of the 3R's: respect, reciprocal, and responsive. We have to respect the parents, be reciprocal to the other teachers and parents, while we are also responsive to every parent, teacher and child. If we follow the 3R's and remember to successfully implement them throughout the day then we will have communication that is more productive and positive.

Communicating with others

I feel that I was pretty fair but yet critical when I evaluated myself. I realize that I talk faster when I am talking to others in a group setting but I always keep eye contact and try to explain myself thoroughly when giving a lecture or answering questions. I scored a 37 on communication anxiety inventory and I was evaluated as a 42 and 44 by my son and co-worker. I scored a 62 for verbal aggressiveness scale and I was evaluated as a 59 and 60 by my son and co-worker. I was placed in group 1 for listening styles and my son and co-worker both scored me in group 1 too. It seems that the two individuals who evaluated me felt the same as I did about my communication anxiety, verbal aggressiveness, and listening style. My son is 17 so I expected a big difference in his evaluation of me. I was really surprised on how he placed me in group 1 for my listening styles. Group 1 is a people-oriented style and they are empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others. This style helps build relationships, and is trusting of others. I do feel this is correct of how I listen. I find that I would rather have time with others for listening and communicating to ensure that they understand and know that I value their input and ideas. An insight that I gained about my communication anxiety was that I was evaluated as being uneasy in some communication situations but I do not worry a great deal about it. The level I evaluated myself at and the level I was evaluated at was the same as my son and co-worker. I do feel comfortable talking and discussing issues and topics about early childhood and or teaching a class or mentoring others. I understand the information and have over 20 years’ experience teaching young children. I talked about talking faster in group settings so maybe this is a bit of anxiety for me at the beginning and then I work it out as I continue to talk or lecture. I am an outgoing person so I believe this helps me to feel comfortable in-front of others. Talking fast has always been an issue. An insight that I gained about my verbal aggressiveness was that I never thought of verbal aggressiveness before. I know that I critique my personal children a lot and my son even talked about that to me when he did my evaluation. He joked and said, “Yes mom you criticize me all the time and never let me finish what I am saying.” I am his mother and that is my job to make sure he remembers who he is talking to and how he is talking to me. Respect in my house is a must and I try to communicate that to my children on a daily basis through example and representation. My verbal aggressiveness evaluation said I maintain respect and consideration for others and what they have to say. I feel I do try to maintain and represent this type of moderate verbal aggression because I feel it is important to uphold others to respecting individuals for what they have to say and how they say it. Consideration for listening and not attacking others for what or how they say something is important. We are all different communicators and we each have a unique style on how we display our verbal and nonverbal communication. My professional life is greatly influenced by communication just as my personal life. We all need to realize our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to listening and communicating with others. This evaluation helped me to see where I am strong and where I am weak. When others evaluate you that provides you with a clearer understanding of how others see your communication skills and listening skills. To build communication skills we have to understand where others see our weaknesses and build upon those weaknesses to strengthen our professional and personal communication and listening skills. I personally and professionally need to work on issues that make me uneasy and make sure I completely listen to what others say before I give my opinion.

Effective Communication with Different Groups

When I communicate with others at work I am more professional and adhere to my communication skills all the time. People at work and in my neighborhood are vastly different from each other. I still maintain respect and dignity at both work and home, but I have to be professional at work and at home I am more laid back and relaxed. I find myself communicating to others more openly and opinionatedly at home than at work. I work with a lot of diverse individuals and we agree to disagree respectfully with each other. We communicate in a manner that helps us to use the platinum rule. I do not feel that I communicate differently with other individuals based on their culture make up, race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and varying abilities. I do believe that I make sure to show respect and dignity to others when I communicate. We have to understand the individuals we work with just as we understand the parents of the children we take care of. We must understand the cultural differences of our co-workers to make sure that we respect them for who they are and what they believe and how they live. This is also true for my friends and my neighbors. I do not know my neighbors very well, but I communicate to them and respect their home and property as I would want them to mine. Which is the platinum rule, "do to others as they themselves would like to be treated” by Milton Bennett. I was raised to respect others for who they are not how they believed or how they looked or how their economic status was. I was raised to show respect to others and be respectful to others no matter how they did or didn’t respect me. Communicating to others and communicating to them in a respectful manner is a verbal and nonverbal communication skill that has to be taught and learned, which is different for each culture, heritage, race, and ethnicity. I try to communicate to others and try to do so in a manner that demonstrates who I am as an individual that is professional when I have to be and laid back when I can be.

Observing Communication

The show I picked to watch was not a show of my choice. My 12 year old daughter loves to watch Dance Moms and that was what I had the pleasure of not listening to at first. The character’s relationships based on the ways in which they are communicating is quite impressive in this show. The girls that actually dance in the show have very little communication with each other except when they dance. It is amazing to see how the girls understand and know the other without even talking to each other. Granted most of the show is about the mother’s and Abby. If you ever take time to watch the girls communicate to each other, especially when they dance then you noticed how they communicate. They are unable to talk while they are dancing and their dancing is how they communicate. I was impressed with how I saw the show when the volume was off. I noticed more about the girls dancing and how they were dancing then I did when the volume was on. The show does focus on the mother’s and you can always tell what they are feeling and expressing based on their nonverbal behavior. Body language is so powerful and that is what makes a reality show intense and exciting so some. When you see people become emotionally attached or detached from others it somehow makes us want to see more. It is disturbing to me I do not really like this reality show. The main part of the show should be on the children dancing, which is a beautiful representation of elegant art and dance. When you watch the show without sound and you see the anger, frustration, and sadness in the mother’s faces you begin to wonder why they are so upset. Their children are dancing, why are you mad? This question goes over and over in my mind as I watch the show without sound. The facial gestures are often of despair, the only time I see happiness is when the girls are on stage winning the dance contest. The assumptions that I made about the characters and plot based on the ways in which I interpreted the communication was right on. I saw the children dancing and enjoying themselves for the most part. One time a child started to cry in the arms of her mother and I was unsure why, but it was because she did not have a solo part. I then later on saw the girl give another girl a hug. This was because one girl received the solo and the other did not and she was wishing her good luck. The body language from the girls in the show and the nonverbal communication from the girls was pleasant and heart-warming especially when they danced. The mother’s nonverbal communication was very apparent and obvious that they were upset. What they were upset about was unknown without the sound. The nonverbal communication just let you know that they were upset and angry most of the time. I could not base an assumption on what the plot was based off of the nonverbal communication, only that it wasn’t good. If I knew the show well then I would have been able to have understood the nonverbal communication between the mothers. My daughter watches the show all the time and she described the animosity between certain mother’s and why they did not like Abby and some of the other moms. The nonverbal communication was clear and obvious; you are just unable to understand why they were so upset and angry. It is amazing to watch shows without sound. My dad does this often because he is partially deaf and he uses closed caption. He tells me that it is easier to watch TV without the sound and just to read the closed caption. He said you find out what shows are truly really good to watch. I never thought of that before and I never understood why he said that until I watched a show without sound.

A skilled Communicator

When I think of someone who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context it would be my mother. I have never heard my mother raise her voice or even say a harsh word. My mom’s particular context would be our home. When you are growing up you learn from what you experience and that home life experience is a powerful influence on how you communicate and behave towards others. My mother taught me, by her actions, that communicating in a calm mellow tone helps to sooth and relax the listener. When we become upset, anxious, or irritated we raise our voice and encourage the listener to respond in the same manner. My mother taught me that a softer voice calms others and this is so true when working with children. A quiet voice quiets the children and gets their attention. I truly model my mother’s communication skills and techniques especially with my own children and the children in my classroom. With my own children I slip from time to time; I am not as good as my mother. My mom told me that she tape recorded herself when we were younger and she didn’t like what she heard so she decided to never raise her voice again. We model and learn from our parents and I am very glad that I learned a positive communication skill from my mother.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I show respect and adhere to helping them feel comfortable and accepted in my classroom and in my program. I want the families and children to feel I am a teacher that cares about their children and their family. We are all diverse and unique individuals that come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. I want and need to make sure my materials for weekly lesson plans are diverse. I find myself using materials that are not as diverse as they should be. I need to make preparations to make sure my props and attachments for my lesson plans are diverse and meet anti-bias curriculum requirements. I really enjoyed this course and learned a great deal from all the students and Dr. Turnhill. I love taking online courses and this course is a prime example of why I like them. We are all individuals online, we don’t judge based on looks, color, size, culture, sex, etc. We are each individuals that come to the course for a purpose. This has been a great course that has taught me a great deal about myself as a professional and personally. Melissa

Welcoming Families from around the World

In preparing for this assignment I decided to select the country of Poland as the country of origin for this family. Working with families and children is one of the most rewarding jobs however it comes with a lot of planning and preparing. I would want to try and make this child’s transition into a new learning environment as pleasant as possible with as much familiarity as possible. The first step would be to find out where exactly where in Poland the family was from. I would want to learn a few words in Polish especially thank you, please, and the town’s name. I would also try to write these words and others in English and Polish so the parents and staff could begin to recognize them. Being as knowledgeable as I can be with this diversity is essential to helping the family feel safe and comfortable. The second step would be to have a specific orientation with the family and maybe an interpreter so that they felt more comfortable and at ease with the center and classroom setting. Families who have a hard time communicating sometimes feel they are not appreciated or their family is not important. I want to make sure the family builds a bridge with us and their child’s classroom. I want to welcome their culture and diversity into the center and help them to feel as comfortable as possible. The third step would be to familiarize myself and the other staff with specific culture and religious attributes that would show our respect and understanding for the family. I would try and have a family questionnaire filled out with a translator if possible during the orientation. As much information about the child and family would be of great benefit for the staff and teacher at the center. The communication barrier will be a tremendous obstacle to overcome and key information from the family is important. The fourth step would be to bring in pictures, words, etc. into the classroom that originate from Poland and maybe even from their small town. The internet has valuable resources when it comes to finding unique pictures and memorabilia from different parts of the world. You can even get words translated into other languages to help with identification and pronunciation accuracy. The fifth step would be to involve the family into the learning environment and center. We want the family to feel they are valued and that their children are just as special as any other child. We are here to support families and children and we need to make sure that their diversity is embraced just as any other diversity. I think these five steps will help to plan and prepare for the family. When we reach out and make an effort to identify and familiarize ourselves with other family’s culture and diversity we are helping to build that bridge that is needed for them to fit into society without losing their diversity and culture.

The personal side of bias, prejudice, and Oppression

I experienced a bias when I first started working as a teenager. I was a waitress at a local pizza joint. My family lived close by and when you live in a small town everyone knows everyone else’s business. It is hard to do anything wrong in a small town without it being the next morning’s coffee shop talk. I grew up in a low income family and we were seen as such. We did not have money like most families in the town and as a teenager it affected me more so. I did have to work hard and build my own reputation. This started off when I was working as a waitress. I had a good job and made my tips from a lot of local customers that knew me and my family. One time I had a family that refused to sit at a table when they realized I was the waitress. They went to another part of the restaurant where my good friend was waiting on those tables. She was from a more prominent family and we had grown up together. She received a big tip that evening and she shared that tip with me. The bias I received as a waitress from that family made me feel unworthy and incompetent as a waitress. I was regarded as unworthy to serve them based on who I was and who my family was. My friend told me that she wanted to share the tip with me because they were seated in my section and they were my patrons to wait on. This story represents two separate representations of who people are and the choices they make. The family chose to move and have me not wait on them and my friend chose to share a tip that she felt I should have had the opportunity to earn. I learned more from my friend that evening than I did from the family. The family was prejudice against me and showed me true bias behavior. My friend taught me that even though they were that way, she knew it was wrong. At 16 my friend showed more maturity and un-bias behavior than a couple in their 40’s. Bias isn’t age based its moral and ethically based. I learned that we can stand up for what we feel is right at any age and I want to bring that to my classroom and instill that into my own children and the children in my classroom.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

My personal experience with classism has been a lot. When I was a mom of two I was confronted with a lady whose husband made more money than my husband. Her husband also outranked my husband in the military. I found out shortly after meeting her that I was pregnant with my third child. The lady told me that I should have been more careful with getting pregnant because my husband did not make enough money to take care of three children. I was a home care provider at the time and was helping to provide income into the home. The lady did not intend to insult me with her microaggressions. She definitely demonstrated her money and made a point to define her classism with it. I took her comments personally and it really bothered me how she downgraded me and my family all because we did not have as much money as her. I never addressed her comments and never told her how she made me feel. I did not make it a point to hang out with her or to be around her. I believe if she had been cooperative rather than competitive with me then we might have been friends. I also experienced microaggessions when I first started working at Head Start. I was the only white teacher out of 8 classrooms. I was told by another teacher, “You won’t make it here, and the parents won’t accept you.” This was hard for me to understand, why was I different than them, why wouldn’t the parents accept me? I have lived in many different parts of the United States and I have experienced a lot of diversity and microaggressions. I did not realize what microaggessions were, nor did I think about the impact they could have on others. I am far more aware now after this week’s information on microaggressions. We can discriminate, use prejudice words and stereotype people unintentionally with our words. I am far more aware and knowledgeable on the impact and psychological effects of microaggressions. I know how important my communication is with others, especially the families of the children I take care of. I feel that this week’s information on micoagressions better prepares me when talking and listening to parents and children. I am far more aware of how we can discriminate, become or act prejudice and stereotype people with unintentional, verbal microaggressions.

Perspectives on Diversity

I met with quite a few colleagues this week and we discussed cultural diversity and they each had unique answers. One friend told me that her cultural diversity focused on her religion and how her life revolved around that. Another friend talked about how her cultural diversity was of the non-dominant cultural, but she her husband was a pastor in the church in her neighborhood. He was a big influence in the community and he was thinking of running for political office for his district. The views and thoughts of cultural diversity for the people I interviewed were similar to mine but yet they were different. The people I interviewed were African Americans and they saw diversity as simple and to the point. This is how it is told to me over and over. The people I interviewed did not see where there culture or diversity was any different than theirs. They have never left the state of Mississippi and they have never experienced life outside of their community. The people I interviewed were unaware of how diversity affected their children or their own lives and were content to not worry about the diversity their children were being exposed too. The ladies I interviewed were of the African American culture, but they seemed unconcerned about their children losing their cultural identity or even diversity. I was a little sad and disheartened to learn how they were not concerned about keeping their cultural and diversity alive and active in their families. I think this is a good example of how I need to make sure that I explain and demonstrate the proper professional skills and knowledge when it comes to understanding families and children’s cultural and diversity. This has influenced my thinking of other people definitions of culture and diversity by giving me a broader understanding that others are not as concerned about their own culture and diversity as others are. This is fine and it is part of their diversity. It is however sad and disappointing to know that some families are unaware of how dominant culture influences and can change the cultural identity of young individuals.

My Family Culture

I have actually been through a natural disaster when I was younger. My mom collected all our family photos and family heirlooms like wedding gifts and family bibles. I believe I would take the same items, photos that represented us and our family heritage, family bibles that told our story of marriages and provided us with a religious foundation. I would also take my children’s baby books. I would want them to see and read what was important to us about them when they were little. I would be extremely sad and disheartened to learn that I had to give up precious items that are more valuable to me than anything else. I would take my family photo album. It would represent my culture and family values. It would represent who we were and where we came from. I learned how valuable my family is too me. My family represents my culture, heritage, and diversity. I do not know what I would do without my children. They are truly a good representation of me, my family, and of my culture.

When I think of Research

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? This course truly taught me how hard a research project is and how in-depth the development is. The steps and detail that is necessary to ensure the validity and worthiness of the research study is of the upmost importance just as the safety and security of the children. A big insight I gained from taking this course is the understanding of a research project. I knew very little about the process and now I am knowledgeable and I feel I understand the meanings and definitions of the designs and details necessary for a credible research study. In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? My ideas about the nature of doing a research changed a little. I feel unsure and scared when I think of doing a research project. With research as a whole I feel it is vital to truly understanding how children grow and develop. New research allows us to have new concepts and curriculum for teachers to use to ensure we help all children develop and grow. Research helps us understand what works and what doesn’t work; we need research to grow as a society. What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? Planning is one of the biggest parts of a research study. Without planning you have not thought out your process or your reasoning for the research. Designing a research study is hard; it is one of the hardest parts for me to wrap my mind around. I feel both quantitative and qualitative are effective means for a research design but I also feel that the mixed method design is a good way to combine both designs for a more balanced research study. Conducting a research study in the early childhood field should concentrate heavily on the safety and security of the children. The study needs to be ethically balanced and that children are seen as individuals in a study not objects or subjects. One of the most important parts of conducting a research project is to ensure the consent form is informative and ethically equal to all families willing to participate. What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? For me one of the biggest challenges was understanding what I was reading. It got a big confusing for me to distinguish the designs and why each one was important and for what they were designed to research. I had to read and reread the text and articles to ensure I truly understood why the designs were used and what details were involved or needed for the designs. Independent and dependent variables are backwards and that will always be a section of the research process that I will second guess myself on. This course was the hardest course so far for me in terms of understanding what I was learning. What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course? I did not realize how much research I actually did in my classroom. My observations and analysis of those observations along with the interviews I do with the children and parents are all details necessary for research. The way I collect data to complete my assessment tools in the classroom are all parts of a research project. I understand how all that data collection from a variety of sources is necessary to ensure the validity of a research study. I use that same means to prove the validity of my assessment on each child in my room. Awesome!!!!!! I never had connected the two by way of research. This class opened my eyes more on why it is so necessary to have all that data collection on the children.

Early Childhood in Australia

What are some of the current international research topics? The website I choose to discuss is called http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.; which is like our NAEYC here in the United States. One of the topics or links this website offers is a research in practice series. For me this is a wonderful way to keep up to date on new ideas and topics that have been researched and put into a series so I can pick and choose which one I want to learn more about. “The Research in Practice Series is a practical, easy-to-read resource, offering effective new approaches for those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children” (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/). The website lets you subscribe to the series and it also lets you search through the catalog to find the right research topic. The research in practice series is a great resource that offers amazing ideas and hands-on activities that help early childhood educators understand the information they are reading. What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website? I know that NAEYC is a national organization and I was unaware that there were other organizations that represent children in a national aspect as does Early Childhood Australia. The website offers so much for teachers and parents. The newsletter, Voice, and the magazine Every Child offer new resources and up to date information about children and their development. One of the key points to me was the Supporting Best Practice link that offers an array of topics “Emotional foundations for learning, Everyday learning and play, Feelings and behaviors, Learning about babies and toddlers, Learning about children 3 to 9 years, Learning and Teaching, and Children's rights”(http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.). They all represent great topics that give a lot of information in a manner that helps teachers bring those topics into the classroom. What other noteworthy information did you find on this website? One of the links on this webpage is the Position Statements for the website. In the United States and for NAEYC we have position statements but this position statement caught my eye. “ECA position statement: A statement of regret and commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families” (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org). This information is crucial to seeing and understanding how all children and families are important in the world today. References: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research on Children and Families

Research has a lot of impact on my own children. In the past five years Psychologists have done a lot of research on the effects of this war on military children. My husband has been in the Navy for 16 years and he has been on more than 9 deployments in that time. He has been to Afghanistan and Iraq and has lost some dear friends and fellow sailors. My family has had to move every three years and that alone is hard, picking up and starting over again and again. When my oldest son was 10 he started having severe stomach issues, couldn't keep food down, and would have stomach aches all the time. We had tried no dairy and limited his foods to simple and plain, it still didn't work. We took him to the doctor, did blood work and everything was fine. As a military wife I frequent military websites for families and spouses that give us up-to-date information on issues and trends that affect us as a family. I came across a new article on the military one-source website that talked about stress on military children. The article was like a book written about my son. I had tried every avenue to help my son, but I didn't realize the emotional toll it took on my oldest. He never complained, he is very outgoing, and he always readjusted to the moves with ease and grace. He was the first one to make friends and the first one to venture out into the new neighborhood. I found out from this website and from the article that sometimes military children feel severe anxiety when their parents have to go off to war. My husband had been in Iraq right before we moved to Mississippi and then he left for Afghanistan after we moved to Mississippi. My son’s fear that his dad would not come home; he would have to take on the responsibility of being the man of the house weighed very heavily on his heart and mind. We had talked to our oldest, Garrett, before each deployment and assured him that even if dad did not come home he would still be a kid and have the right to play sports and go to college. We stressed to all our children that they would need to make sure they continued on with their school work and completed their chores. I was not new to deployments and I am a very strong motivated woman and I made sure we always followed our daily routines and schedules even if their dad wasn't here. These deployments were different though, they were to a war zone and my oldest was old enough now to understand what that really meant. The research expressed how the stress and anxiety of the unknown; their dad dying and or coming back without his arms or legs built up inside of the children. The fear of the unknown is what they were worrying about. The news and internet is constantly reminding us how war is taking a toll on our service men and women and that is where our children get their information on how life will be when their dad or mom returns. If that research had not been conducted on military children and families then my son would have gone undiagnosed and he would still be suffering from severe anxiety and that might even lead to depression. I took my oldest to the doctor with the article. The doctor talked to Garrett and he started counseling that focused on issues that he cannot control. The psychologist and his pediatrician both agreed that Garrett would benefit from taking a small dosage of medication to help him relax and be less stressed. Garrett was in counseling for a year and he still takes his medication. My son is doing exceptionally well and he is a very driven individual that works with young military children at the base youth center and he is on his High School basketball team, is on his JROTC leadership/academic team, is in advanced classes at his high school, and is PT Captain of his JROTC, and was just promoted to Staff Sargent for his JROTC. My son wants to go to West Point after high school; we hope his dreams come true. The research that was done and the article that was written had positive results that helped my son and I am sure more military children all over the world. About a year after Garrett had been diagnosed I had a friend who had a son the same age as Garrett. She was discussing all the issues her son was having and it strongly resembled Garrett's issues. Her son was soon diagnosed with sever anxiety and she was so grateful for the information I provided and the article. The article and the research data was a starting point for my son's pediatrician and psychologist. I am so glad that the research was done and the risks definitely outweighed the results. "The greater the benefit to be gained from a piece of research, the more risks are acceptable" (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraji-Blatchford, 2010, p. 78). The children that were researched did not have to be poked with a needle but they did have to ask the children some in-depth questions that brought up strong emotions and in some cases a lot of anger. Military families are all different we all come from different parts of the world and we are all come from diverse backgrounds. My mom told me that I am a very involved mother and I am constantly evaluating them and myself. She told me that some mother's might have misunderstood Garrett's symptoms as not wanting to go to school, being lazy and being defiant. That got me to thinking even more about how a military lifestyle truly does affect children. I started being a stronger advocate for military children and started working with a Child Psychologist at the Fleet and Family Service center on base. We speak and talk about the stress military children face and I give an account of what I have gone through with my children. My son has shown an interest in going to some of the meetings for the military families and talking about the anxiety issues he faces. References Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Learning Through Play

Play is one of the most important parts of a child's life. Children learn through play and build relationships with other peers during play. According to Scales, et al., (1991) play is "that absorbing activity in which healthy young children participate with enthusiasm and abandon" (p. 15). I have worked with young children for over 20 years and I love to watch the play that was taking place, not just do an observation on the children playing but see how they were learning through the play they were engaged in. Children learn to play at a young age and as they grow older and grow developmentally then their play grows with them. The stages of play help teachers and parents see their children develop from just dumping out the blocks to then using the blocks to build castles and roads. Play is how a child learns; by doing, by engaging in conversations with other peers, by building upon knowledge they already have and from working with other children. Play helps set the foundation for our young children and it helps them problem solve, socially engage with others, and to appreciate and be proud of their accomplishments. I am a strong advocate for play and I voice my opinions and advocate for play when others (teachers I work with) feel that children can't learn through play. I picked this topic, learning through play, so I could build upon it for training for other teachers and parents to demonstrate the importance of play and why we must let the children play in the learning environment instead of mandating they sit at tables. The chart we use in class helps to break down the information and it helps to organize ones thoughts and ideas for their research. The chart also helps keep information organized and in-line for the topic. We are able to build our sub-topics and ideas for research by using and finding credible and informative resources and information. The chart is a tool that helps us to build our research in a manner that is productive and sustainable. I find the chart difficult to complete at times, I question my own words when describing and adding information to the chart. It is a tool for personal use and it should have information that is necessary to have for research, I just second guess my choices of words and topics to implement into it. Reference Scales, B,; Almy, M.; Nicolopulou, A.; & Ervin-Tripp, S. (1991). Defending play in the lives of children. In B. Scales; M. Almy; A. Nicolopulou ; & S. Ervin-Tripp (Eds.). Play and the social context of development in early care and education, (pp. 15-31). New York: TEachers' College, Columbia University.

Learning all over the world

Hello all As we end our journey with this course it brings me to discuss all the valuable information we researched and found with the different issues and trends around the world. I investigated a variety of websites that provided so much information about the early childhood field, especially about building the professional skills of early childhood teachers overseas. I think about myself, and how at 37 I am just now finished with my BS and in the upward climb of my masters. I went back to school to become more knowledgeable in the field of early childhood and to learn how to educate adults in this field. How awesome would it be to be one of those teachers that got to go overseas and teach other adults how to work and educate young children? I had a professor during my junior year at UC and she lived by Dubai and her job as a western teacher was to help educate and demonstrate to the teachers in that country the importance of learning through play and how socializing is a vital part to learning. My husband has been to that part of the country so I knew a bit about where she was at. She was my teacher for my Student Teaching and we had to have conferences via the web (skype) to go over my videos, activity plans, and overall teaching which she was able to view from the video. She mesmerized me with her knowledge and understanding of how to communicate and talk to young children. We also discussed a lot about what her work there involved and how responsive the teachers were to western teachers educating them. I could not get ahold of this professor to be able and see how well her time overseas was, but she truly loved her job and enjoyed being there. Gas was also only 89 cents. HELLO!!!! My consequences to using international websites, resources, and podcasts are: see how other early childhood teachers handle current issues and trends, to see how the early childhood field is or isn't valued overseas, and I truly understand how we all overseas and in the United States need to build our professional skills to work with young children. We are not baby sitters; we are educators that help develop the minds and bodies of young children. I enjoyed this class and I am honored to have Dr. Johnna Darragh be the instructor for this course. Your interviews for other courses are tools that are extremely helpful in understanding the early childhood field. Melissa

3 important skills

One of the biggest parts in the early childhood field is research and finding out how children develop and what aspects of the development is important for our children and for their future. On the webpage it talks about “What three important three most important skills a child should learn?” This is a valuable concept that really made me think about the skills that are necessary for children to be a productive asset to society. On the webpage, UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education, it discussed these skills and how they show the children’s value and moral make up. The first skill was “They need to learn about culture” (Sabeer, 2013). The author states how it is like glue that keeps us all together. If children learn about their culture and heritage then they have a better understanding of who they are and where they came from. Second was children need to have “values and respect” (Sabeer, 2013). I feel is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Values and respect is first learned at home and starts with “our families are the first teachers in our lives” (Sabeer, 2013). We have to teach our children how to respect and learn to have values in order for them to adhere to them. The third skill is “we should know our past so we can improve our future” (Sabeer, 2013). Wow what a statement, this is a truly valuable tool that helps us see and understand the world we live in and our place in the world. Children find themselves lost at time and having to live up to others expectations. Helping children to understand their culture comes from home as do values and respect. Parents need to understand the importance of being their children’s first teachers and setting that critical foundation for them. We teach our children how to live and this website shows us how research has proven it. Urvashi Sahni describes one of the skills necessary for our children to have is to be thinking critically about who they are and how they relate to their world around them. She also talks about how children need to be problem solvers and focus on peace, and equity. This is an important issue and concern for early childhood educators. We know that we want the children to bring the outside world into the classroom and we provide the experiences and learning opportunities for them to learn about the outside world within the classroom. We focus on activities that help them better understand the world around them. She also talks about being problem solvers. One of the biggest challenges in a classroom is to help children learn to solve issues or problems on their own. We have to ask open ended questions and provide the opportunity for them to problem solve so they can develop that skills. Otherwise we have a lot of children who tattle tale and become overly aggressive and feel others should do for them. We have to help the children learn to be productive citizens of society by enhancing these skills so our children learn to become adults who have values show respect, know their heritage and care about other people and the world around them. Reference (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/),

Zero To Three/President's budget Plan for Early Childcare

The website I decided to use was Zero to Three. I have used this website a lot for references and I subscribed to the newsletter at the beginning of this class. I just received my first newsletter and I was surprised that it was full of offers to buy merchandise in the form of CD’s, books, subscribe to the Zero to Three Journals, two sided slide chart, earn your CEU’s for your CDA. The website also offered current resources for the month, but you also had to buy it to read it. The website let you search the catalog, visit the bookstore, and see digital downloads; these are also for purchasing I do know that the Zero to Three Website is nonprofit and offering these resources for purchase goes to help fund and keep the website and Journals up to date. The newsletter does let you connect to the website by one click and that allows you to access all the current information and recent articles. I was really impressed in the newsletter when it showed Little Kids Big Questions section where it also offered new CEU credits to renew one’s CDA. I was just recently asked if I knew where you could get CEU’s without having to go to one of those classes on Saturday or at night. This is a good opportunity for busy teachers and staff to renew their CEU’s on their own time, but it does cost money, $40.00 per podcast and one CEU credit. The website has a new addition to it that was posted on April 10, 2013. This addition was in regards to President Obama’s budget plan for early education. “The President’s Plan for Early Education for All Americans is the roadmap for the early learning components of the budget released today. The budget includes $1.4 billion to expand the comprehensive supports offered to the most vulnerable families through Early Head Start – which for almost 20 years has proven it improves both child and parental outcomes. The plan would provide $200 million in 2014 specifically to create more high-quality child care options for babies and toddlers with working parents, using Early Head Start’s quality benchmarks, expertise, and resources. Looking ahead, the budget proposal provides for $7 billion over 10 years to ensure young children and families have access to high-quality child care” (Zero to Three, 2013). This is a great addition to this week’s issue and trends, affordability, accessibility, and availability. The plan is to make sure that babies and toddlers have accessibility to affordable childcare that is high-quality. Zero to Three website is making this available to everyone on their website and you can even download the whole press release from the website too. Equity and excellence is importance in the Early Childhood field and the website Zero to Three brought awareness to President Obama’s budget plan for early education and this is about equity and excellence. It has finally been realized that investing in all of our children in the early years is important and this budget has set aside funds for low income families to receive high quality care for children ages birth to 2. This plan includes home visiting which is a big part of being equal in regards to quality child care. “The President’s plan also extends and expands home visiting -- which has been warmly embraced by states, communities, and parents -- to reach more families where they live, with information, guidance, and encouragement. The budget proposal released today allocates $15 billion of funding over 10 years to invest in this effort. “Babies don’t come with an instruction manual, and every parent can benefit from reliable information about early learning and a helping hand,” says Melmed. “The President’s plan helps parents utilize what science and evidence-based practice has to offer in order to give babies, toddlers, and young children the best start in life” (Zero to Three, 2013). “The President’s plan builds on what we know works: start early with consistent, high-quality, evidence-based supports that match what parents need and help parents nurture the early development of their babies and toddlers” (Zero to Three, 2013). Reference Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families http://www.zerotothree.org

TJ Skalaski/Podcast and Global Children's Initiative

One of the best ways to learn something new or to gain information is by listening to someone else explain or tell a story in regards to that particular information. This can be an issue or concern; brings more meaning or a better understanding when someone else provides a statement of how they are dealing with the issue or concern. I watch the podcast this week that was from TJ Skalski, a principal from Mother Earth's Children's Charter School. Her school is in Canada and it is the only indigenous charter school in all of Canada. Ms TJ Skalski discusses how she grew up living between two worlds. TJ Skalski is from the First Nation community in Alberta, Canada, and regained her BillC31 rights back federally but not in her community. TJ discusses how she grew-up living between two worlds: First Nation community and the outside world in Canada. TJ received an education and was drawn back to her First Nation community because she believed in reinvesting in the children from the First Nation community. TJ really wants to re-instill the culture and language of the First Nation back into these children. TJ Skalaski also discusses how the children feel trapped, worthless, frightened and scared. TJ Skalaski feels she can reach the children from her own experiences and help them to understand how to believe in themselves and their First Nation Community culture and language. I did email TJ Skalaski but I have not received a response yet. I also researched the website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/ and found it to be a full of information and resources. “The Global Children’s Initiative has begun to build a portfolio of activities in three domains: • early childhood development; • child mental health; and • Children in crisis and conflict situations” (Global Children’s Initiative). The Global Children’s Initiative has designated personnel working around the world to “facilitate continuing cross-disciplinary collaboration; design and implement new projects; and engage additional faculty, students, and collaborators” (Global Children’s Initiative). The Global Children’s Initiative focuses on issues and trends that affect each certain region of the world. It works to help the children and educate the parents and community on how to improve early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. In Africa the “Zambian Ministry of Education, the Examination Council of Zambia, UNICEF, the University of Zambia, and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University launched Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) in 2009, a collaborative effort to measure the effects of an ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children’s development in Zambia” (Global Children’s Initiative). The studies and work of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University works to help all children around the world with their particular issues and conflicts. In Un Buen Comienzo, they started the “A Good Start” which works with early childhood teachers to build their professional and educational skills. I actually had a professor from the University of Cincinnati that worked overseas in Dubi. She was part of a group of Western Teachers that were contracted with the school systems in Dubi to educate Early Childhood teachers on how to teach children through play instead of worksheets. It was more complicated than that I am sure, but she was there to help educate the ECE in how to teach the whole child not just their academic skills. I feel this is what is meant by the Global Children’s Initiative. They work to help educate and train others in the field of early childhood development and education so they are more prepared to educate young children about issues and concerns in their region of the world. It is also to bring awareness to issues and trends in other parts of the world. “The Center’s commitment to global work represents both an acknowledgement of moral responsibility to meet the needs of all children and a critical investment in the roots of economic productivity, positive health outcomes, and strong civil society in all nations, from the poorest to the most affluent. One essential, cross-cutting aspect of the Center’s approach is its commitment to work collaboratively across disciplines and institutions, drawing together the best and most creative expertise available to achieve the Initiative’s goals” (Global Children’s Initiative). References Retrieved from: Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/) World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

Zero to Three/Information for Early Childhood Development

The Zero to Three website offers a series of podcasts called Little Kids, Big Questions. These are a “series of 12 podcasts that translates the research of early childhood development into parenting practices that mothers, fathers and other caregivers can tailor to the needs of their own child and family” (Zero to Three). The series are easily downloaded to your computer and they are great teaching tools for anyone to use. I did not find any ideas/statements/resources, on the website that I found controversial but I did find the information in the new Zero to Three Journal, Media and Technology in the lives of infants and toddlers. As educators, parents, and caregivers we all know how technology and media has overtaken our lives in some aspects. I know that in my classroom, the children have access to computers to help build their cognitive skills and enhance their overall development. The new journal is focused on helping us understand how to use technology and media in a progressive way to enhance our children’s development with effective managing by parents and teachers. The Zero to The Zero to Three website has numerous articles that support the understandings of economists, neuroscientists, and politicians with their research and findings that show how they all impact the early childhood field. Zero to Three is such an important and respected organization that law makers often look towards them when seeking research information on early childhood development. “The Zero to Three Policy Center is a highly respected nonpartisan resource for federal and state leaders seeking research-based child development information as they craft policies affecting the lives of young children, particularly those who are disadvantaged” (Zero to Three). The website uses its research information from various researches and studies to help change the way we see early childhood development and to enhance our knowledge as teachers, parents, and caregivers. “The Policy Center promotes positive policy change by using evidence from science, research and practice” (Zero to Three). The whole website is full of valuable information and resources that help us better understand early childhood development. I really feel the new journal that is out about media and technology is a big asset to me as a parent and teacher. I want to be familiar with how to implement and use those resources to help my own children and the ones in my classroom

CHIP and Poverty in Mongolia

I have been unsuccessful with trying to make contact with Early Childhood Professionals overseas and I am on the road to the alternative assignment. I did not get to watch a podcast this week, but will start up with that next week. I was able to explore the website, http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/ and found it astounding how poverty affects everyone in some manner. Children do feel the brunt of poverty and we are not securing their future. If we do not fully understand or acknowledge the existence of poverty then we are just letting our communities, families and children down. Poverty affects children in many different ways: lack of immunizations which can cause disease and maybe death, malnutrition can hinder development and “in early childhood, for example, can lead to life-long learning difficulties and poor health” (www.childhoodpoverty.org). Poverty takes away opportunities for children and it can have a lasting effect on how they live and see their life. As a society we develop resources, referralls, and fund programs to help educate, find jobs, homes, and social services for families and children. We need to realize that advocating now for families and children helps us as a society and helps us become a strong and better nation. The website addresses issues that need to be addressed in order for us to fully understand and help families and children in poverty. “Over 600 million children world-wide live in absolute poverty - an estimated 1 in 4. In many countries, rates are much higher with over 60 percent of children living in households with incomes below international poverty lines” (www.childhoodpoverty.org). We need to understand the causes of childhood poverty and how we can stop the cycles and educate our communities and governments on how to develop strategies to tackle poverty. As a society we need to realize the economic and social factors what affect us all at the many levels of government and community. As a society we also need to use our voice and educate ourselves on the issues and policies that are in place so we can advocate and stand up for the rights of children. The website really makes us aware and shows us the effects and challenges of poverty. By 2015, we can and should cut poverty in half, which is the mission of the CHIPS website. Becoming aware about poverty and how it affects our families and children helps us to use our voices and encourage policy makers to develop effective policies to help our children and families in poverty. Children need according to CHIP: basic services, economic security, and supportive policy for child wellbeing. Mongolia is the country I choose to research from the CHIP website. Mongolia subsided from the rules and controlling ties during the 1990 with former USSR. Mongolia became independent and soon struggled with economic means and funding for their country which diminished family’s incomes and stability. Families were soon in poverty and still struggle to this day to emerge economically. A lot of families in Mongolia live in rural parts of the country and struggle for clean water, health services, education, and a stable means of income. A lot of families moved to urban areas which increased the number of people for those cities and created more hardships for the communities. Families in Mongolia are herders and move around with their herds, this makes it hard for children to receive an education and the children are soon finding jobs or taking care of their siblings. Mongolia is struggling to take care of their citizens. “A particular concern is that the state is failing to support many of those children and their families who are suffering most. As life for families becomes increasingly difficult, many children have more responsibilities” (CHIPS). Mongolia is struggling to reduce their level of poverty for families and for children. The economic gap between families benefitting from the market economy and those who are not is large. This is a true reflection of how the country needs to work to close that gap and help all families and children. Reference Website: Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/)

Zero To Three/How they help military families

The name of the organization that I selected is Zero to Three, http://www.zerotothree.org/. I have used this website on many occasions for research projects and for personal knowledge on early childhood behavior & development, maltreatment, and care & education. I have used the military project section of the zero to three website to gain new ideas and concepts on how to assist children and families before, during, and after deployment. I am a military spouse and I have three children who are very familiar with deployments and all the anxiety and frustration that come with them. I also have used the Little Kids, Big Questions modules for papers and for training sessions at work. The website is full of valuable information, tools, materials and resources that help parents, educators, early childhood professionals, and grandparents assist their children with their developmental growth and struggles along the way. The website is user friendly and you are able to buy books, cds, download digital resources, and read a wide variety of resources to help you in understanding and learning about your child’s growth and development. The area of the current issue that caught my eye was the military project section. This is an ideal resource for military personnel, parents, caregivers, grandparents, and anyone wanting knowledge on the issues that military children face on a daily basis. Sparrow is a book that helps young children understand and learn to cope with the harsh realities of deployments and injuries. This is one of the wonderful resources you can find on the Zero to Three website. “Sparrow is a book designed to support a young child whose parent/caregiver has been injured, physically or emotionally, while on deployment. The book explores core, universal themes relating to loss, healing, hope, resilience, and, ultimately, the power of parent-child love and connectedness in helping young children and their families cope with challenging events and circumstances” (Zero to Three, 2012).

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Hello all, I have tried to contact a lot of other professionals in the field of Early Childhood from the web address we were given: Yvonne Dionne, Juan Sanchez, Ruzanna Tsarukyan, Dr. Betty Chan Po-King, Jane Lin, and Gerda Sul Qendra Hap pcs Hapi. I have not chosen wisely. I emailed 6 different professionals overseas and I received returned emails letting me know that their emails were no longer valid. I work for the department of defense and I know that I can contact Child Development Centers on the military bases overseas. I have received permission from Dr. Darragh to use the DOD centers overseas and I will be able to find emails and information once I go back to work on Monday. Thanks for everyone’s patience with this matter. I am hoping that the directors of the Child Development Centers on military installations overseas will be able to provide a lot of good information on issues and challenges they see while working with Military children living overseas. I did pick a wonderful website to subscribe to. I chose the Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. I have used this website a lot, especially with the Military Family Project section of it. This organization supports military families and has used several bases for programs and learning opportunities in support of the children and families who serve. I love this website and have accessed numerous articles that give detailed information about how to help families and children before deployment, during and after deployment. There are numerous articles, books, pamphlets, training modules, and outreach tools to help children and families that serve this great country. I have used this website and its articles for research papers, trainings I have given, and for updating my own knowledge on helping the military children I take care of. Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families http://www.zerotothree.org/ (May have to use http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/ ) (Newsletters: http://zttcfn.pub30.convio.net/child-development/from-baby-to-big-kid/ and http://capwiz.com/zerotothree/mlm/signup/ )

My Supports

My daily environment consists of my home life and my work. I have several supportive people in my life at home. My husband is a big supporter in my life. He understands the time my work takes and the time my school takes. He adds additional support to our home and to the necessary tasks that need attention. My husband’s job keeps him away and deployed a lot. This brings my children into part of my support system. They are older now and give me support with the housework and smaller tasks that can sometimes bring frustration for me, since my time is limited. My work has a lot of supportive factors to it. The children are a big support for me. Their hugs, words, and smiles bring me the support of why I love my job and why I go to work. I have co-workers that understand and support me in going to school. I have support at work for curriculum planning, parent conferences, and training. I use these supports at work to help me be an efficient teacher and planner. I am a big planner and define my day around what I have planned for it. I use the supports I have at home and at school to plan for my day and for my evening. I know that without my support at home I would never complete the tasks I have on a daily and weekly basis. I know that the children in my room provide me with immense support. The smiles I see on their faces and the silly songs we sing support my goals in school and at work. Their support is a constant reminder of how important my job is and how important my school is. We always need positive initiative and reasons to continue with our work and in my case my education too. I could not be as efficient in my classroom or with my school if I did not have the support of my family, co-workers, and children. I recently have been going to the doctor a lot and have some medical concerns that could be a big challenge for me in the future. When I think of something that might challenge my support systems at work and at home my health comes to mind. If I get sick then I will need more support at home and my work support might be gone, since I would not be able to work anymore. This would have a great impact on my whole support system as a whole. I would not be able to work possibly and in turn would rely on my husband for total financial support. My children would have to give up a lot since my money supports their extracurricular activities. I would not be able to take them to and from practice or school so I would rely on my husband again for support even more. I would have a lot of frustration and anxiety if this medical challenge became a reality. I would lose something that was precious to me (job & children) and would be gaining a challenging medical condition that might last a while. I would rely so much more on my children and my husband if this challenge became a reality. I do not have any other family close by besides my husband and children. Most of my friends are from work or live a good distance away. I would not have any additional support, and I would feel so sad because I was unable to provide the support that I use to give to my family. I think that would be my hardest challenge. I am mom, teacher, caregiver, cook, chauffeur, maid, Laundromat, and good listener to four other people in my home. I would not be able to provide support myself to my family and that would be my biggest challenge of all.

My Connections to Play

I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. We were a working farm and of course that meant we all had chores, animals, and responsibilities that built independence and cooperation. We lived out in the country and I grew up with 2 other sisters. My parents had a small apple orchard that included a few cherry trees. As children, my sisters and I spent a lot of time in that orchard. My mom use to go garage sale shopping (love it still) and would buy used pots and pants, utensils, and odds and ends that helped us form a small little kitchen and home under those tress. I remember spending hours outside making mud pies, scooping up old apples and smooshing them with rocks in those pots and pans. We used to pretend to bake, cook, and eat all those wonderful mud pies and scrumptious apple treats. It is wonderful to think about it and when I am able to get with my two sisters we talk about all that fun we had in those trees. My mom even found some old furniture and it seemed more like a play house within those trees. The play that occurred between my sisters and I was encouraged by our parents.

Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn. O. Fred Donaldson Contemporary American martial arts master We were imitating our mother because she would cook, make homemade apple sauce from all those apples and would let us help her all the time. My mother always encouraged use to be involved in learning experiences and activities that would build our knowledge and understanding of how a farm worked and how we could better ourselves, even at a young age. We were always planting in the garden which showed us how plants grew and how we were able to get food from the ground. We use to plant new potatoes and I remember hating to go out and pick them out of the ground when it was time. I also remember having to pick green beans, ugh, that was the worst. However this was made a lot more fun with my parent help. After all of us planting the garden we got to have a cook out and a bon fire, which meant smores. The play that occurred at my house was really an imitation of what my parents did for a living. I lived 10 miles out of town and no one lived less than 5 miles from us. We only played with each other and that play was usually outside, once and a while we got to stay inside. We didn’t have tv, well an antenna that gave us one channel, but no cartoons or game systems. I grew up with very little material items, but with a lot of love, compassion, and ongoing play with my two sisters.

The play I had was not with toys or with material objects it was with the great outdoors; trees, mud, cooking utensils, pots and pans, and my sisters were my companions. We climbed trees, baked mud pies, and even made planting new potatoes fun and part of a learning experience at the same time. I am very sad that my children don’t get to experience growing up like I did, but that cannot be helped. I do include them in cooking experiences and when they were really little we made sugar cookies all the time, we usually had a cookie party to do this with friends. When I look back at my childhood I am so proud and so fortunate. During my childhood I didn’t realize how valuable that time was for me as a child.

Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child. Joan Almon Contemporary American educator Play for children now days really depends on where they live and what their family values. I know that my older sister lives on a fish hatchery in Missouri and she has a garden, her girls play outside all the time and make mud pies with their mom. However I know that the children I take care of daily usually do not get to have any outside time with their parents. The most outside time they have is at school. Spending ten hours a day at daycare does not allow for much play at home. I feel that some of the most precious play is done outside. This play brings in so many learning experiences that can form around physical activities to learning about the environment. Outside time is a valuable part of play and so many children don’t get to play outside due to where they live, safety issues, lack of supervision, and lazy parents. The television and video games have hindered our children and as parents we allow this. The play is a vital part of how children learn about their world and how they fit into it.

Relationship Reflection

Relationship's are vital for me as a mother, wife, daughter, teacher, and friend. I have found that my friends become my family. I grew up in rural Oklahoma and married my high school sweetheart. I went to college for two years and then my husband and I got pregnant with our first son. My husband joined the Navy and we have been moving ever since. We literally moved every three years, so family was usually not close by. I am so grateful that I am a very outgoing person and make friends very easily. I passed this very much needed trait onto my children. Establishing these friendship relationships is essential when you have to move all the time and you can't rely on family to be there or to help out when issues arise.

My family is very important to me and I know that the relationships that I have with my parents and with my sisters is what made me into the outgoing, independent, strong willed, and strong minded women that I am. I believe the independence that my parents instilled in me is what gave me the confidence and outgoing personality that is much needed when you are a military spouse. I have spent almost half of the 18 years of my marriage without my husband but with my children. My husband has been on 7 deployments which lasted from 6 months to 12 months. It is a challenging life style that takes a strong commitment and dedication from both parties. The relationship that my husband and I have with each other is what has given me the courage and motivation to go back to school. I completed by associates and bachelors in the last three years and I never even touched foot on the campus. I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with my bachelors in Early Childhood Education last June and I worked full-time. I have three children that seem to be in every extracurricular activitiy there is in school and in the community. The friendships that I have made in all the states we have lived in is what is so unique about our military life. I have friends all over the world, and they have all become part of my family at one time or another. I feel that we all have friends, but for me those friends are like sisters, brothers, aunts, and even part time mothers. When you aren't able to go over and get a hug from your mother after a bad day or get to see your parents on Christmas morning it can take a toll on your emotions and feelings. I have a strong foundation with my parnets and I love yahoo messenger, texting, and emails. But it is never the same as face to face connection. That relationship with my parents and siblings is strong, it has to be when you don't get to see them for years at a time. I feel that strong foundation that my family instilled in me gave me the courage and will power to believe in myself and in my own opinions and thoughts. The characteristics from my positive relationship with my parents and with my husband is what has enabled me to form partnersihps with co-workers and other military spouses. Those characteristics that my parents instilled in me I have tried to instill in my own children. I want them to know and understand how important friendships are. I want them to have a strong foundation for who they are and know that as their parent I will always be there to support and guide. Relationships set the foundation for who we are. Think about what it would be like to move 2,000 miles away with a newborn baby and your husband had to go back to the ship that was in another state, 600 miles away. That was me at the age of 20, we moved to Washington state and my husband had to go back to California. I was left with a new baby, no job, no friends, and lived so far away from my parents. I relied on my outgoing relationship skills to pick myself up and become the woman that I am today. I feel that the foundation my parents set for me is how I was able to endure the military lifestyle. I now work for military families and I know how hard that life can be. I work hard to build partnerships and relationships with the families in my classroom. I know and understand how hard the military life can be and how tramatic those deployments are on children. I try to make that connection with my families and with the children to help instill some positive relationship building skills my parents set in me. I want to help set that foundation in the children that come trough my classroom. I want to help them learn to be independent, problem solve on their own, and learn how to be kind to others. Valuable skills that will help them be successful in life. Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments