End of EDCU 6005-7 Foundation: Early Childhood Studies

The beginning of this journey to my Master has been very enlightening. I have enjoyed the support, encouragement, positive criticism and resources provided from Walden and fellow colleagues.  I truly believe that I have made an excellent choice by choosing Walden.  It is great to have access to so many educators with the same goal in mind of becoming qualified early childhood educators. I wish you all well in your journey. Talk to you in the next course

These Codes of Ethics from the NAEYC and DEC that I have chosen to display is meaningful to me because respecting my children and parents is a personal goal that helps me to accomplish excellent communication with them. Ensuring that I am providing a safe environment for my students to learn in is also a goal that I will continually enforce. And communication breaks boundaries and bridges healthy professional relationships with parents and agencies that provide services for my students.

I-1.3 - To recognize and respect the unique qualities,

abilities, and potential of each child.

P-1.1 - Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall

not participate in practices that are emotionally

damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading,

dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to

children. This principle has precedence over all

others in this Code.

I-2.4 - To listen to familes, acknowedge and build upon 

their strengths and competencies, and learn from

families as we support them in their task of nurturing

children.

P-2.5 - We shall make every effort to communicate

effectively with all families in a language that they

understand. We shall use community resources for

translation and interpretation when we do not have

sufficient resources in our own programs.

Growing Your Collection of Resources

In my years of teaching, I never paid much attention to the enormous amount of resources that I used. Every source available directed me to another possible source to help me and the families I serve. We must share these resources with our families. We have to make education and resources the passport to opportunities for our children.

Quotes:
Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.
George Washington Carver

Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand.
Native American Saying

The fruit of liberal education is not learning, but the capacity and desire to learn, not knowledge, but power.
Charles W. Eliot

All of us have to recognize that we owe our children more than we have been giving them.
Hillary Clinton

Resources:

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

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

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

Early Childhood Resource and Training center.  http://www.ecrc1.org/

Early Childhood - Improving Students Performance - Teachers-ED.gov http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/edpicks.jhtml

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

“I wanted to be a teacher because I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and fix all the injustices that existed in the world. Ant O wanted to do that through teaching.” Louise Derman-Sparks

“We must return to the principle that if we give ordinary people equal opportunity, quality education and a fair shot at the American dream, they will do extraordinary things.” —PRESIDENT CLINTON, January 25, 1994

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure."  Emma Goldman, author                       

Personal Childhood Web

Mary & Jimmie Ray

Because of life’s unexpected circumstances at the age of eight, my younger brother and I was blessed to move in with our fraternal grandparents Jimmy and Mary (AKA Madear) Ray. My grandparents worked as a team to help keep a strong connection with our mother during her sickness. They made sure we understood the importance of keeping families together. They were hard workers. My grandfather worked at the post office, paper delivery, Air Force Reserves, shined shoes and cut yards for the elders in our neighborhood. Mt grandmother was a RN. She was taught old home remedies by her mother and she took the time to teach me those same home remedies. Not to mention she practiced them on me, so I know they work.  Madear believed and taught me to trust and depend on God to help me make my own path in life and that together the family should work like a village to help each other.

Emma Jones

Emma Jones is my material Grandmother. She stopped working and took care of my mother during her sickness. She worked with my other grandparents to make sure that all the gaps of not having our parent’s active in our life were filled. Grandma Emma did not have a lot of money but she showered me with love and nurture. She and I spent time in her garden getting our hands dirty and talking about all the things I could accomplish if I pursued a higher education. She shared how she married and started a family at the age of thirteen. She never finished school, three young children and her husband killed in the war so she had to take hard working common jobs to provide for her children. Now I understand why education was so important to her.

What gratification it is to nurture a child then observe the promising outcome of a successful adult male or female because you cared just enough to make difference in their life. My grandparents gave me that opportunity and I want to continue to broaden that legacy.

Mrs. Elrod

Ms. Elrod was a teacher at my junior high school. She noticed that I would isolate myself as often as possible in our sewing class. She observed my abilities to catch on to techniques and sewing terms. She began to ask me to tutor other girls that were a little behind. I loved it. She showed that she was interested in me as a person. I was able to share with her about my mother something I did not do. And she held me. I could feel her sincerity in her arms and her tears on my forehead. She invited me to come and talk to her anytime I needed it. And when I did feel like talking, we sewed together.

A Very Hungry Caterpillar

I love the determination of this little caterpillar.

I can literally see my journey to education in the caterpillar’s travel of exploration. Just like the caterpillar after hatching from the egg, I have had a hunger to consume as much possible to become a better educator. This hunger has developed to be a passion driven with determination to more qualified to teach. In life, I have eaten not all but just what I needed before going to the next level. After years of munching through varies trainings, continual education and devoted time with the children, I have revolved to be a teacher that loves what I am doing every day.  But the twist is that I have no need to go into a cocoon, I want the classrooms that I teach in to become a cocoon for the children I serve. I want to be able to give them all that they need and at the end of the year there will be bright beautiful butterflies everywhere. In hopes of making a change in the world with their beauty.