My Supports

The support one receives can mean everything to that person or child. Even if it just one thing, it can mean the world to someone on any particular day.  On a daily basis, I am very fortunate to have support from many people.

First, my husband, Chris, is my rock. Where do I start? He supports me in so many ways. He financially provides for me so I don’t have to stress about working crazy hours to pay the bills. He gives me what I need to concentrate and do my best while I am doing school work. He does simple things that show his support for me. Every day he asks me how my day was and then he listens to me when I tell him (a large majority of the time LOL) and gives me any advice I might need. This is the tip of the iceberg in how his support helps me. If he was not in my life and giving me the support that he does, I would probably not be back in school and would be living with a roommate or my parents to help pay the bills.

My parents also give me a great deal of support. They are always there when I need to talk to them. It is a good feeling knowing I can count on them for anything. They give a good deal of emotional and practical support. They have come to my house a couple times a year to help with the spring cleaning. When I need them to watch my dogs while I am of town, they are there. This type of support goes for the rest of my immediate family as well. If they were not in my life, I would not be able to have down time that need at times and the emotional support that I have come to rely on over the years.

When I think about challenges other people face that I do not, I think about how lucky I am to have my health and happiness in all areas of my life. One challenge that comes to mind is a physical disability. My grandmother suffered from chronic bronchitis and emphysema during the later years n her life. She could not exercise like she wanted to or do simple tasks like getting groceries. She relied on her oxygen tank, inhaler, and help from family. I lived with her in her last years and saw firsthand how debilitating this disease can be without support. Life would be very difficult not being able to do most of the things you want or need to do. I would need car rides to many places including doctor visits. Many types of support would be needed if I had this disease.

Each one of these people serves a unique purpose when they support me. I am grateful for the peace of mind they give me and the love that comes with it.  In childcare, children rely on their caregivers to support them in all areas of their growth and development. After reflecting on the support I have and continue to receive on a daily basis I understand how important it truly is to young children.

My Connections to Play

“The child amidst his baubles is learning the action of light, motion, gravity, muscular force….” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I like this quote because it eloquently explains how play IS learning. As a child, I played outside often. I saw many different types of trees, leaves, and animals. I also learned skills, like, climbing and picking fruit when it’s ready. When children play, they are unconsciously testing, observing, theorizing, experimenting, and finding solutions.

“Play is the highest form of research.” ~ Albert Einstein 

Other than my love for Einstein, I love this quote because it simply states how easily children learn. I think sometimes adults forget about children’s natural ability to learn. We learn best when we are not “trying” to learn to all.  We are born with an innate drive to investigate and figure things out. Play is the highest form of research because you get all the benefits from doing the research without any of the “work”.

“In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.” ~Ovid (Roman poet)

            This quote has two meanings to me. Play allows children to express their inner selves in the most natural of ways; it is freedom of expression. As a teacher and a parent, it is a wonderful way to understand a child and their behavior. This quote also explains to me how the experiences and play children have during the early years sets the foundation for who we are as adults. During play, children learn what they like and don’t like. They gain a sense of who they are over a period of time.

One essential play item of mine was my big wheel. I remember riding on it for hours up and down the street; I loved it! Something as simple as riding this toy and feeling the wind in my hair was a release for me. Sometimes when I’m having fun driving in my car I get that same feeling I did as a child on my big wheel. Now, if only I could use the same type of petal power with the same speed of my car, my wallet and I would be very happy!

I also adored my Krystal Princess dolls. I liked them so much because they were pretty, had colored hair, were sparkly, and had their own separate carriage to stroll them around. They were also a brand that had pieces you could add to the collection. I got joy from buying new princesses and adding them to my Krystal City. I loved my collection!

"Simon Says" is a game I loved playing. I also played the group version in preschool and with my cousins. This light game would light one light on the first turn that the player has to copy. On the second turn, two light would light up in sequence, again, that you had to copy. This would continue with three, four and so on.  There was something exciting and thrilling about trying to see how many times you could copy Simon as it got harder and harder. Its a great memory skills game and the best part you are having fun! 

My parents played a lot with me growing up. I remember playing video games with my parents. I still do to this day. It was and still is a good reason to get together and have down time. My mom and I would play with my dolls and cook together. I loved helping her in the kitchen and always saw this time as play time. Watching how my mom turned a bag of groceries into a delicious meal really interested me. There is a lot to cooking and I loved it. I still get that same joy when I cook as an adult. I had a lot of fun working puzzles with my dad. One activity we did that we both really enjoyed was listening and singing to music. As I played as a child, I was learning what I was interested in and what I enjoyed. It is funny; nearly all of the things that I recall having a genuine interest and good time doing as a child, I still enjoy doing today. As a child, it is awesome when you discover something that makes you happy while playing. As an adult, it is a good feeling when you are successful at something you like because of the fun practice you were able to have as a child. 

I feel that play these days involves a little bit less outdoor activities. I think this is because technology has had great improvements in the past twenty years. It has been like a drug for children and teenagers. With these improvements, you can get information faster and easier. Who wouldn't want that? Well, like everything, technology use should be used in moderation. The problem comes when you don't even out physical play with video or internet play.  Video games and internet usage can be educational and offers many wonderful benefits when done in the right way.  Also I think kids are playing less and less board games. This too is because they can be played on the computer or phone. This takes away that valuable face-to-face time that you get with board games. The more we can socialize in person and communicate in our physical form the more we learn how to communicate and make friends; things I feel that have a limited means to achieve.  

Relationship Reflection

            This week is about the importance of supportive relationships and partnerships. I have learned a lot about the worth of creating these strong partnerships with families and parents of the children I teach. Everyone has something to gain when the parents, teachers and caregivers involved in a child’s life come together for the whole child. It involves working towards the same goals and seeing eye-to-eye. In this blog post, I will share some of the most important relationships currently in my life.

            The relationship I will start with is the one with my husband, Chris. We just celebrated our one year anniversary on October 11^th. He is the only person I have ever imagined spending my whole life with. We challenge each other all the time and grow as a couple with each day and with each spat. It hasn’t been a piece of cake developing a good working partnership but we have a good one and we are still learning. We have known each other for five years. He has taught me how to be more giving, thoughtful and a better person in general.  We get each other and more importantly, we respect each other. We try our best to listen to each other and understand the gray area of give and take. One of the hardest challenges for us throughout our five years of knowing each other is communicating effectively. We have learned a lot and made many strides towards this skill but we will always be improving. A marriage takes patience, understanding, and openness. I love my partnership with him and I look forward to learning much more with him!

            Secondly, the relationship I have with my Mom, Susan, is a very special one. She is my best friend and understands me to a “T”. I can go to her about anything and I know she will help me through it and teach me something about life in the process. She has given me unconditional love and support which I am truly grateful for. I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful relationship with the only woman whom I call Mom. Because of her, I am a confident, secure and responsible woman. She has been a great example for me by practicing what she preaches and giving me wonderful advice; habits and traits that I will carry on to my children. I can’t thank her enough for all she has done and continues to do. We have a strong bond and partnership that works well.

            My dad is also my best friend and I am his only child. I know I can count on him to be there when I need him or when I need an ear to talk to. We have a strong, stable relationship because of his commitment to my happiness and growth. When I think back to my childhood with him, the first thing I think of is how often we played games together. That was one our favorite activities to do together whether it was playing outside or playing chess and doing puzzles. He taught me how to have fun, laugh and stay young for as long as I can. That is something that has always stuck with me and stays in the back of my mind as I "grow". At the same time, he also never let me get out of line. He made sure I knew how to follow rules and stay in check. He set appropriate boundaries for me and showed me that actions have consequences. He has been a great example of how a great man is suppose to be and continues to do so. Not to mention he his hilarious and makes me laugh all the time. I am forever thankful for my dad's continued guidance, love, sense of humor and support.

            I am also very grateful for the relationship with my stepmother, Laura pictured above. She has treated and loved me like a daughter from the beginning. She and my Dad married 14 years ago. I was her maid of honor. There have been times where I did not know what I was going to do without her. She knows that when she needs me, I will be there for her and vice versa. We understand each other and truly care about each others concerns and well-being. We relate to each other in our love for animals. We have a string relationship built on trust and honesty. I’m very grateful for her.

            Last but not least is my pitbull/boxer mix, Baby. I rescued her 6 years ago when she was 4 months old. She had a couple of problems from a spider bite she got as a puppy. I took care of her bite and made her fat, healthy, and happy. She is very loyal and smart! She stays close to me and loves to cuddle. She has a sharp mind and loves to learn tricks. I feel safe with her around. I’m very grateful for her friendship and protection. She is my sweet Baby.

           

             I definitely take what I learn in my personal life into my work life and vice versa. When I learn a new way to be a better partner and contributor, I carry that new knowledge with me everywhere. This week, I have learned more in depth about the importance and value of developing positive and supportive partnerships. I look forward to seeing this mew knowledge in action as I interact with children and their families. Although it can be hard at times, I will try harder at planning classroom activities where parents can be involved in the classroom. The topic of introspect, partnerships, and relationships is good knowledge for early childhood and in life.

Child education quotes

I have thoroughly enjoyed this early child development class and am very excited to continue to learn and grow in this Master's program. I look forward to continue to connect with all of you through your wonderful blogs and future classes. Here are some quotes I find inspiring and insightful.

 

Assessments for children

Assessments should be made and given to benefit children. They should be tailored to a specific purpose and should be reliable, valid, and fair for that purpose. When assessing children, one should address the full range of early learning and development, including physical well-being and motor development; social and emotional development; approaches toward learning; language development; and cognition and general knowledge. When I was a Head Start teacher, every nine weeks we had to assess each child holistically using a ten page form. The information we got from this assessment was used to help us pin pint areas where the child was weak and strong. We would share this with the parents and they worked with us to help their child. In the three year old classroom, play was a big component of my curriculum. Through play, I could observe when a child was having difficulty; whether it was physically or socially. My interactions with that child and my curriculum were aimed at improving their weaknesses. With older children, I think it is important to understand that some of them find paper and pencil tasks intimidating therefore at a high risk of failing. This is causes an incorrect measurement of their skills. Their skills need to be assessed in a familiar context. Children need to feel comfortable while they are being assessed for actual skill measurement.

           

           While researching assessment in other countries, I found Finland’s approach to educational assessment to be the most interesting. In Finland, children start school when they are seven years old and may go to preschool before if the parents choose to. They are graduated from school by the ninth grade and can continue grades 10-12 if they choose to. While in school, assessments follow these principles:

 • Assessment of study skills, working skills and behavior should be individual, truthful and versatile

• Feedback should support the development of self-knowledge and motivation of the pupil

 • Learning-to-learn, learning to set goals for own learning, studying and working at school have been understood to be key competencies for life-long learning

• According to the legislation (Act for comprehensive education 628/1998) assessment is considered to be a tool to counsel and support studying and learning, and to develop the pupil's self-evaluation skills;

• Student assessment is divided into two phases:

1. Evaluation during the studies is based on the goals and framework defined by the curriculum guidelines and school's syllabus. Assessment is focused on the learning and development process of an individual pupil.

2. The second phase deals with the school leaving certificate (final school report) which should be nationally comparable and the pupils should be equally treated. The orders dealing with the school leaving certificate are connected with the joint application system. The pupils apply for a study place in the second stage of secondary education (either upper secondary general or vocational education) through the joint application system.

The key priorities for student assessment are:

1. Student assessment should contribute to the socialization process and the individual development of the pupil. Development has a broad connotation here, it includes cognitive development, development of learning skills and social/ emotional development

2. Student assessment should contribute to the development of a pupil’s study, learning and working skills (self-regulation skills).

3. Student assessment should contribute to the development of general skills and knowledge.

4. Student assessment supports pupils in obtaining a study place after compulsory education.

The principles and goals of the assessments in the schools of Finland support each child’s individual development and growth. Towards the end of the article, it explains how teachers help the students and gives a detailed explanation of their teaching methods. I like the methods and approaches!

Here is the article: http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/34260381.pdf

The poverty issue in Japan

Poverty is an issue that will not go away. In some part of the world there will always be someone or a group of people that are hungry and/or without basics on a regular basis. One country I want to talk about that has a growing number of poverty stricken citizens is Japan. Japan has the third largest economy so one would not think it has a poverty problem, yet it does. The rate of poverty on this country has grown over the years. In October 2009, Japan's Labor Ministry released a report which stated that almost one in six Japanese, which would be 20 million people, lived in poverty, in 2007. Another study showed that 1 out of 3 Japanese women in the age group of 20-64, and those who live alone, were living in poverty.  The poverty rate is increasing at a rate of 1.3% and not much is clear as to why the rate is growing. 

The Impact good mental health in parents has on child development

Not having good mental as a parent or in the family in general can have lasting effects on the development of a child. Infants need a good secure attachment with their caregivers for good emotional devleopment to occur. With a secure attachment, infants learn about emotions and how to regulate them. It effects them mentally and physically. When an infant's caregiver is emotionally unstable or is mentally unstable, the infant picks up on this and in turn he/she's development is stunted. They may not grow as fast as other healthy infants and they will grow to be anxious toddlers.  Infants cannot be spoiled with too much love. They need lots of love and attention for healthy cognitive growth that they will use later to learn in preschool and grade school. In my career Inhave seen the effects depression has on children. The children did not want to play and explore. Some did not want to eat. Children thrive on consistency and routine.

Okinawa Island, Japan is considered the healthiest place in the world. There are over 450 citizens over the age of 100. A healthy mind and a healthy body are huge contributors of this. Most of their residents eat only fruit and veggies and stay active. Good habits like these are passed to their children. Eating healthy with a diet rich in fruits and veggies has been shown to boost one's mood and keep depressive states away. Some studies have suggested that just he smell of a banana boosts one's mood. This is also true of exercise. I just think these findings are interesting and may keep us from taking pills which I believe are over prescribed.

Makin sure everyone in the family is me tally healthy gives children a great chance at being happy, healthy children and adults. The family is one unit when one is effected, all are effected.