Consequences of Learning About the International Early Childhood Education Field

Before taking this course, I wouldn't have dreamed of doing the research into other cultures to find out how they conduct their early childhood education field. Now, I would like to think that I am well-informed of some of the countries standards and traditions. The consequences that I have formulated are ones that are positive. Some of the positive consequences that I see that has the capacity to influence me personally and professionally would be the following: Knowing about other cultures has allowed me to become more culturally sensitive, I am also more empathetic to the needs of those who are impoverished and I see the value of just being informed--sometimes we are ignorant to those things around us because we are not informed.

The goal that I have made in response to the international early childhood education field is to continue in my quest to become more informed on those things dealing with education. Although the United States is a little more different in the treatment of education and children, I think that we can learn a lot from other countries. It also helps us as teachers to become more sensitive to the needs of others--so that we may see everyone that crosses our paths as human beings rather that puzzle pieces or pawns in the game of life.

"Additional Information Gained This Week"

I took a detour from my original website and decide to go a little further. I recently learned or rather, heard of, the Common Core Standards. Essentially the common core standards are an answer to each state having different tests. Now, with the common core standards, at least 45 states will be tested based on the same curriculum or standards. I am not sure if this is a good thing although it does gives a level uniformity. For students who are a part of this early childhood (k-3)curriculum, the assessment process is right around the corner. For all others, it may be years before they are introduced to it. The standards, like most assessments, don't take into consideration socio-emotional development, or motor and physical development. During a period of life where children haven't evolved or found an identity, we are placing another change/challenge before them. I have said it once and will say it again, we are raising children, not miniature grown-ups. What ever happened to allowing children to socially interact with children and having to learn through playing? If you all want to view the article, I read it on http://www.washingtonpost.com

"Further Investigations On Chosen Websites"

The Global Alliance of NAEYC is one of the outside links that had yet to explore was explored tonight. On this particular website, there is a Week of the Young Child link. The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. The 2011 Week of the Young Child is April 10-16. There was also a link entitled "Play: Where Learning Begins." This link re-enforced everything that I knew about the act of play. It states that "Play is a vital part of early childhood education and development. When children explore, experiment, and interact through play, they learn about how the world works." Some other interesting information was offered that could be beneficial to parents and teachers such as the establishment of common-core standards, and a discussion of teacher quality and quality programs.

The website that I had originally chosen was The Association for Childhood Education International. One piece of new information was their report on improving teacher training programs. It captured my interest because we need to have appropriate teacher training programs. The article talks about "providing quantified sources as a potential starting point for major form." This particular piece interested me because we need to have more programs such as this one to insure that we get the best teachers in place for the job to do the job that we need them to do.

Update On Professional Website

I have sent contact information to my chosen website and I have yet to receive a newsletter. The funny thing is, I searched that particular website and I came to another website that aroused my curiosity--the website was listed as Association for Childhood Eduation International. When I logged on, I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only does the site contain information about Africa, Asia, China, and other countries, they even had a list of events and publications offered, and extra resources for those who are interested. They have a section entitled "E-News." Each month, the E-News is updated. These things are interesting to me as an educator because I want to know what is going on in the world of early childhood education. For someone who has always taught middle school, I have no knowledge, other than what I have learned in class on early childhood education. I think by learning what actually goes on in other countries, we are more empathetic to those needs of the families there and in our own classroom. Politicians and other businesses are important to this site because the provide monies to support the educational programs and travel of individuals to other countries in support of what is needed there. Politicians also serve on the board and they do speaking engagements to promote the cause; therefore, although on the outside looking in, we might not think that they do much, it seems that they are there and their intentions are good. These programs need publicity and they also need money to fund their cause so in the end, it works out for everyone involved. The other insights that I gained from this particular website are the fact that on a personal level, I feel that it is refreshing to see people come together in support of poverty and education. I honestly believe that they are making a different. On a professional level, I am just glad that I have found a sight that is going to further my cause in making me aware of what is going on around the world.

"India's Childhood Poverty"

The country that I was chose to read about was India. I didn't know much about the country therefore, I decided to take a look at the information and needless to say, I was surprised at what I found. The information found below is the information that I gathered from the article:

1. Almost half of all children (about 62 million) under the age of five are malnourished and 34% of newborns are underweight.
2. In India, there are children 16 years old and below who make up a portion of the workforce.
3. Females are seen as inferior to their male counterparts and the girl child spends majority of her day out in the workforce because education is not seen as something that is beneficial to the females in India.

These are the three things that really tugged at my heart strings because in the United States, education is one of those things that children and adults have access to but in other parts of the country, education is like a mirage. It is only a figment in the imagination of those who can't receive it. I have known about the caste system but did not know that it is still in operation. Just the idea that the workforce in India is comprised of children who aren't even old enough to have a job or a part-time job are working to support a family. In order to counteract this problem, organizations are making arrangements to reduce poverty and ensure that an education is well in the reach of a child who deserves it.

Status of Organization Joined/Newsletter

Unfortunately, I was met with disappointment. I haven't heard from the organizations that I joined last week nor has there been any interesting blogs posted under these organizations;therefore, I decided to take a new route and I signed up to receive a newsletter from the National Black Child Development Institute. The reason why this particular organization caught my attention was because there was literature about how parents can become involved within the lives of the children. As a teacher, we always want the parents to be involved although many of them are not. As a human being, I realize the importance of having parental involvment because I am a product of a broken home and know that there are a lot of things that a child can get into when there isn't anyone there to guide them.

As for the website, another key factor for me choosing this particular organization is the way that they have included many black history facts...in NOVEMBER. I am used to seeing people wait until February to include black history factual information but this site has a lot of interesting stuff about the African-American race. I was ecstatic about the website.

Professional Blog On Early Childhood Issue/Website That I Chose To Follow

When I first read the assignment, I was thrilled to be given the task because it allowed me to reach out to other professionals who were skilled in an area (early childhood professional. Since I am a newbie in the field of early childhood, I knew that these people whom I contacted would be an asset for me and to me on my journey. I am not sure if I took the right steps but the results, I believe, will prove to work out in my favor. For the website or professional organization to study, I chose the Arlington Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals. Sometimes, we look to places further from home to do research on but the truth of the matter is, there are professional organizations in neighboring states as well that are doing things totally different than what we are doing in our area. This one is in Texas. As for the steps that I took to find this particular site, I heard about it from a friend. She is a member and she recommended it to me. I email them and left my contact information. I am waiting on a response from them.

The person I decided to blog with is Laura Bornfreund. Her platform is found under the New America Foundation. The one thing that captured my attention from this site was the title of the latest blog. The title was "The State of Preschool: Comparing the U.S. to Our International Competitors." I read some of the posts that were made and it seemed to be posts that were worthy of a response. Furthermore, I began to read her credentials. She is a policy analyst for New America's Early Education Initiative. She analyzes early education (birth to grade 3) studies and policies, researches and writes original policy papers, and contributes to this blog on a regular basis but the main factor for my choosing is the fact that she used to be a fourth grade teacher. I think that teachers are the ones in a better position to say what a child needs as far as education is concerned. I am angry that sometimes people who haven't been in the classrooms are making decisions that govern education. I have set up a feed to this blog.

My step to finding Laura was powered by Google. This computer mechanism is a God-send.

my supports

I have many supports such as my family and friends. These people are important to me because I would cease to exist without them. My life is what it is because they have shown love and they have taught me how to love. I think the other supports that I have are materialistic. The two biggest materialistic supports that I have would be my cell phone and computer. I label them as supports because my cellphone is my life line to those who are miles away. Mt computer is important because it is where I complete my work for class. I am behind on my work now because my computer is down so I am submitting my work via phone.

"My Connections To Play"

Two quotes that I feel connects to the theory of play

"Children's games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play."

"There are children playing in the street who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they have modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago."

(Play Item #1)

(Play Item #2

I think that I should probably explain my two play items.  For the most part, the bike or the automobile in item #1 is something that would interest me because it represents freedom.  As a child, the places that I could go are limited because after all, I am a child, but many children like to ride bikes because they like the idea of moving and going.  The wind is at their back and their imagination is running wild--a moment such as this one is priceless.  In item #2, the puppies are something that I would like because they represent that unconditional friendship.  The relationship that we have with our animals are almost the same as the one that we have with our family.  Animals are family and they are very forgiven.  They don't judge nor do they criticize.  Children need that in their lives--no judging and no criticizing, they need to know that they can be themselves.

When I was a child, I had too many responsibilities.  We were a family of nine and everyone had to take care of someone. We played but our play time was not filled with computers and electronic devices.  We had slinkies and we had board games but for the most part, we made up games to play outside.  We never wanted to be in the house; our fun was outside playing in the dirt and grime.  In today's society, a child has just about every toy within their fingertips.  Many children don't go outside and adults spend so much money on computer games and these games keep the children confined to the house.  Then, there are those children who are active and who love to go outside.  I think that people value play; I think that our perception as to what play is has changed.

I personally believe that play is a necessity for children who are becoming social and who are trying to form an identity.  I think that adults need to accept that children are imaginative and creative and they need an outlet.

Relationship Reflection

Over a period of time, I have acquired many relationships but the most important relationships in my life right now would be those I have established with my family and friends.  The relationships that I have with these people are important to me because it was through these people that I was able to find myself.  I have had a few setbacks that at one point made me a pessimistic person--a person who had a very dim outlook on life.  These people help me to overcome the obstacles I was facing...

Before meeting my best friend, Lakeshia Jenkins, I also had a few trust issues.  She has taught me how to trust and give people a fair chance.  In order to make the two relationships I have mentioned healthy and strong, I try to make myself available to my family and friends.  By doing this, the relationships thrive.  Without these relationships, life would be boring and dull and I probably wouldn't know how to trust or love others. 

My relationship with my family and friends are also important to the work that I do within my classroom.  I have established relationships with my students and their family because I do believe that if we form a partnership with the students and the parents, then the students are going to be more likely to succeed because they have support from the teachers and their parents.  Overall, I can see the benefits of forming a partnership with my immediate family and friends  and with my students and the parents.  I want my students to be the best that they can be and in return, I give them the best that I am.

QUOTE ABOUT CHILDREN/LETTER OF THANKS TO CLASS MATES

The quote that I particularly like states the following:
"You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have for instance."  --Franklin P. Jones

I placed this quote on my blog because it is the truth.  Children teach us a lot and patience is one of those things that I have learn by being a teacher.  Before teaching, I had no patience.  I had a quick temper and I was very sarcastic about everything to everybody.  Then, I started teaching and realized that I had to change my way of thinking because the last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt a child's feelings.

In reference to patience and my classmates within this particular class, I would just like to say thank you.  Thank you to those people who may this class easy for me just by answering my questions if I had problems.  You will surely be missed.  Take care and have a great experience within this program.

Assessing Intelligence

The mind is so complex to the point that I am not sure what I would assess or test.  There are so many things that has to be taken into consideration because for the most part, the person performing the test may not be adequately certified.   Also, when it comes to students who are Spanish or of a different culture, we have to determine if the test is one that these children are capable of taking so that we won't be discriminating  against any children.  Furthermore, not all children are good test takers.  I am a good test taker but if I passed the test, does that mean that I am superior to my counterpart who failed the test because he isn't a good test taker? 

Sam Dillon from the New York Times published an article years ago and the focus was on how Americans fared with foreign countries on standardized testing.  The results of that article determined that countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan outscored Americans in math and science. 
A fellow reporter tried to justify this by saying that "Kids don't  start school at the same age in different countries."

There are too many factors involved when it comes to taking a test.  We will never know why the findings were that Asian communities fared better than Americans on standardized tests.  The matter is too complex. I honestly believed that testing is one of the reasons why so many American teachers are leaving the profession.

source: http://www.nytimes/2007/

"Stressors On Children In Korea"

I read an article that discussed how stressful children were in Korea.  The article brought up the notion that these children were stressed because the parents and government are more focused on education rather than children being children and having fun.  In the article, it stated that "The average child attends not only regular school but private after school academies."  As a child, I can't fathom the idea of going to school and then leaving to be shuffled off to another school.  The article mentions that going to school at 11 p.m. has been deemed illegal, yet the children must attend.  As adults, we tend to think that a child's life is happy and filled with excitement all the time but we see that this is not true.  Some children have taken on the same responsibility as adults and no one asked them how they felt about it; the responsibilities were just thrown on them.  The article continued to expound upon the cruelty inflicted upon this nation's children by saying that "Psychologists blame this culture for all manner of ills, from poor social skills to the nation's unacceptably high rate of youth suicide, which is now the leading cause of death among those aged 15-24."

After reading this, I think about what I have always heard over the years as a teenager.  People say that Asian children are extremely smart.  I don't doubt that they are but the article helped me to realize that these young children are being pushed too far in order to compete in today's society.  I am all for getting an education but I think that this is harsh and a bit extreme.



Refer to this website to read further: http://www.economist.com/

"My Stressor As A Child"

From the list presented on the course home page, the stressor that I can most identify with would be chaos.  Many people probably looked at that list and thought that the stressor that causes the most problems would be the one that is most mentioned by individuals but the fact of the matter is that stress can be caused by the smallest thing.  I didn't have a utopian type of household.  It was a battle field everyday but it had some problems.  Chaos within the home can cause a child to become a negative individual and in my case, it caused me to become a passive aggressive person.  I would never confront my problems or face my fears.  I held everything in all the time and within any given moment, I would explode.

I dealt with chaotic situations by ignoring them or trying to ignore them by putting on my head phones and listening to my music.  While at home, I sometimes would build me a fort and read a book--try to envision myself as the character so that I could escape.  As an adult, I don't like to argue and have been called antisocial.  I like to socialize but I find myself not wanting to be around dramatic people.  I try to control my world by eliminating any type of negativity.  So far, it has worked out for me.

Malnutrition in Africa

I went to a website that contained interesting facts about the lack of food and nutrition in Africa.  Below are some of the facts found:

1. Over 20% of post birth maternal deaths in Africa are due to iron-deficiency anemia.
2. In sub-Saharan Africa, every third child is underweight while two out of five are stunted in growth.
3. In 2006, about 9.7 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday.
4. Africa and Asia are the two regions that also suffer from the highest rates of hunger and malnutrtion.

The article also stated that "Globally, over 2 billion people have fallen victim to malnutrition."

In my opinion, that is too much.  As Americans, I know that we have to start looking out for each other regardless of the color of our skin or other differences that we may have with each other.  I have no answers nor do I know where to begin as far as combating the problem but I do know for certain that doing nothing is not benefitting anyone at the present time.

My Insight on Malnutrition

Malnutrition and starvation are topics that many people do not want to discuss because of the seriousness of it and may be because of the guilt that some may feel that they are indirectly affecting those who are malnourished.  I can't say that I know the pains of being malnourished because I have never been placed within that situation but I am empathetic to the needs of those children who are malnourished.  Within my blog, I am going to add information about other countries and their bout with starvation but for right now, I would like to voice my opinion about the malnourished children that we see right here in the United States--in cities in which we live.  It hurts me to throw out food knowing that someone else can eat it.  Even now, I give my leftovers away to friends and people in the community who may be hungry.  Often times, our kids feed off of the things that they see us doing.  Being a teacher, I have seen children throw food in the trash while other children were asking for it.  I think that ,we as people, need to be more conscious of our actions and try to make better decisions when it comes to the feeding of people who actually need it.

Births in Rural Ethiopia

I read an article that detailed how the women in Ethiopia gave birth.  The information found is as follows:

"Most women in Ethiopia deliver at home.  Only 7% of Ethiopian women are assisted by a skilled birth attendant during childbirth and they have a 1 in 27 lifetime risk of dying in childbirth."  After reading this, it made me think about all of the complaining that we do in our everyday life and here we have women who can't even enjoy a moment that has been described as a special moment.

The article also went on to say the following:
"Many of them have obsteric fistula which is a hole that forms between a woman's rectum and vagina as a result of complicated or prolonged childbirth without appropriate obstetric care."

My experience with my sister was nothing compared to what these women have gone through.  For the most part, a clean facility was available to my sister and me.  Also, we had caring doctors.  I can not fathom the pain that these women must be experiencing or have experienced.  My heart goes out to them.

http://www.intrahealth.org

My Birthing Experience (EDUC 6160)

I don't have any children of my own but I was fortunate enough to watch my neice being born.  I was seventeen at the time and I really wasn't prepared for the birth of my neice.  I was young and immature and knew nothing about childbirth but I went in anyway because my sister had no one else.  Her husband was at work and my mother was out of town.  Needless to say, I also went in because I thought that it was my duty to take on that type of responsibility because after all, not only was she my sister, she was my best friend.  I heard the screaming and the doctor yelling push but after I saw the head coming, I fainted.  My experience was short as well as funny.  We laugh about it right now.  I am still happy that I got a chance to share in something that was important to her.  The whole experience soon became important to me as well because it is one of those things that few people get a chance to experience.  I am glad that I was able to get a glimps of something that I have yet to experience.

Thank You

Before starting Walden, I didn't know what a blog was nor did I know how to implement one.  I am glad that I found out so that I may connect with you.  I am kind of sad that this program is ending but I hope to continue blogging and chatting with you all in future classes.

NAEYC AND DEC CODE OF ETHICS

NAEYC CODE OF ETHICS

• Appreciating childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle:  In this particular code of ethics, it relates to me personally and professionally because I understand that as an individual that life begins within those primary stages and no one person develops within the same time frame.  We all have a beginning and that beginning has many changes and stages of growth that we experience but through it all, those stages of development and those experiences is what help shape us into the people that we are to become.
• Basing our work with children on knowledge of child development:  As a new person entering into unknown territory, I think that researching children within their early stages of development is going to help me to understand them. 
• Respecting the dignity, worth and uniqueness of each individual: As individuals, it is apparent that we are all different.  We don't react to things the same, nor are we going to agree on every topic that comes up.  We have to remain respectful of race, gender, sexual orientation and anything else that makes us different because after all, we have to work together and live together....we have to coexist in a world that is culturally diverse.

DIVISION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CODE OF ETHICS

• We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services:  In each field of study, there should be a partnership among the staff to ensure that new individuals are going to be briefed on every aspect of the job.  In order to do the job effectively, these people will have to know and understand how to do the job.  As a professional, I think that collaboration on a job helps to build teamwork and forms successful partnerships.
• We shall continually be aware of issues challenging the field of early childhood special education and advocate for changes in laws, regulations and policies leading to improved outcomes and services for young children with disabilities and their families:  In order to be aware, I feel that professionals should keep up with the laws that govern the field of early childhood education.  Being misinformed could put us in violation of the law.  Also, being informed makes us better able to serve the children and their families.  Originally, I thought that advocating took a lot of time and energy but I have since learned that just by being vocal about a subject that I am passionate about is a form of advocating.  Advocating for families benefit all involved because it brings forth awareness of problems in and around a particular area.
• We shall provide services and supports to children and families in a fair and equitable manner while respecting families' race, culture, language, socioeconomic status, marital status, and sexual orientation: When dealing with chiuldrend and families, one has to be mindful that regardless of who these people are, we have to be prepared to work with them.  After all, as professionals, sometimes, we have to place ourselves in their position and treat these individuals according to how we want to be treated.

Additional Resources

1. http://www.earlychildhood.org/
2. www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood
3. http://www.preschooleducation.com/

course resources

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/59896/CRS-CW-5089852/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
  
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
  
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
  
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

Part 2: Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
  • World Forum Foundation
    http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
    
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP’s mission. 
    
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/about/
    Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week’s Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
  
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
  
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
  
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
     

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to “How Do I...?”, select “Tips for Specific Formats and Resources,” and then “e-journals” to find this search interface.)

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

 

Picture That I Like

I like this picture because it appears to be a picture of children of different nationalities.  I like it because I am interested in different cultures and I want to be culturally sensitive to those in my classroom and surrounding environments.

Favorite Childhood Book

My Favorite Childhood Book

My favorite childhood book was Curious George.  I enjoyed this book because it told a story of a cute, little monkey and his adventures.  I loved it as a child because it was an escape for me—I was able to put myself in this book and go on a journey of my own.

Favorite Quote Pertaining to Children

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet, we forget that he is someone today." 
By:  Stacia Tauscher

Personal Childhood Web by Elizabeth Turner

There are five people in my life that influence my childhood tremendously.  Below, you will find those five people and a description of what each one did and how their influences still impact my life.


"Mother"

My mother, although not perfect, was someone who showed me that being a woman was an honor and we should be treated as queens--not doormats or submissive human beings placed in a position of servittude.  She was the first true example that I had of what type of woman I wanted to become.  She continues to influence me today because she is still providing words of wisdom to me and my siblings.  I love her for that.

"Father"

My father was not and is not the type of man who wears his heart on his sleeve and I am not even sure if I have ever heard him say those three words that every child wants to hear which is I love you.  I can't recall hearing it but I knew that he did because he showed me everyday.  He influences me to be an expressive, creative, and outspoken person.  As a teacher and as an aunt (I have no children), I never miss a chance to say I love you and I never miss a moment to let my students know that I care.  I love him what he did for me and he is an inspiration and will continue to be an inspiration.

"Siblings"

I was fortunate to be one of those individuals to be brought up in a big family.  I have seven sisters and one brother. Each of my siblings have been instrumental in some type of way.  We have had our share of fights at some point but they have influenced me to be empathetic and sympathetic to the needs of all people.  They have taught me compassion and these are things that I carry with me throughout my day.  I am always thinking of other people feelings.  These are things that no textbook could ever teach and I try to incorporate these things in my teaching.

"Teachers"

I have met some very good teachers.  For the most part, my 6th grade English teacher inspired me to be an English teacher.  She and I spent a lot of time together and she was the first person aside from my parents to tell me that I can be anything and do anything I want to do in life.  Throughout college, I met some very good professors who continued to inspire me.  One in particular name was Dr. Susan Allen Ford.  This woman made it to work at 7:15 every morning for an 8:00 class.  I made it there at 7:00 just to be in her presence. While teaching, she would ask questions but she would never tell us that our answer was wrong; she just gave us a different perspective--a different way of looking at things.  I think of her often when I am in the classroom teaching and asking my own students critical thinking questions.

"Friends"

Over the years, I have made quite a few friends, but none of them were like Lakesha Jenkins.  She and I met when we were 9th grade and have managed to continue our friendship.  She is the one person that I know that I can call on for anything and she always have kind words for me.  She is a positive individual and will not allow anyone's negative energy to interfere with what she has going on.  Now, she and I are on our "spiritual trip," and if this journey is like the one that we have already been on, I am looking forward to the traveling experience.