Daily Supports

MY SUPPORTS

          There are a variety of factors within my daily environment that are supportive to me.  I would first have to say my three sons; Cordell, Braxton and Gage.  They keep me going and I don’t know what I would do without them in my life.  My sons and I have a good parent-child relationship.  They know that they can come to me and talk about anything, whether it’s related to school, personal or social interactions with others.  I always let tell them that there is nothing that bad that we cannot work on together in order to fix it.  I want my children to have a positive childhood so when they grow up and become adults and have children of their own; they can look back and remember some of the positive techniques I used in raising them. 

My job is another factor in my daily environment that is supportive and the children I work with.  I take my job very seriously because I work with children.  Teaching is a difficult job, but there are numerous rewards involved, especially when you have been given the opportunity to impact a young person’s life.  I enjoy working with children and look forward to all the learning experiences that they acquire.  I like to see how they grow, change and mature from year to year.  I realize that some students in my class are more challenging than others for many different reasons, and then there are those who possess particular characteristics that make my job a whole lot easier.   I enjoy them all. 

My siblings of course are a huge factor in my daily environment that is supportive.  I can go to them for help, advice, and emotional support any time.   There are eight of us and this helps out a lot.  I can get all kinds of positive advice when I need it, a shoulder to cry on or even a loan every now and then.

Another factor is my small diverse circle of close friends.  They provide emotional as well as instrumental support for me.  They help me in a variety of  ways such as reducing my stress level, pick me up when I’m feeling down, help me to realize that I do have a purpose for being here and basically just boosting my happiness.   One of the best ways to maintain positive mental health is having a strong social support system.   These are friends that I talk to on a daily basis and enjoy a night out with once a week.  They have been an inspirational part of my life for many years.

The challenge that I imagined myself having is giving one my friend’s one of my kidneys.  This would be one of the most amazing experiences of my life because I know that I would be saving one of my best friend’s life.  Within my close diverse circle of friends, believe it or not we all get along very well and we are all there for one another.  Like all friendships we have our little differences from time to time, but we always and I do mean always resolve it the same day.  I would need the support of my three sons and my close friends in order to make such an important decision such as this.   I know that my friends will be there to help me recuperate for as long as I needed them.  

Some of the potential benefits of these supports include better health, longer lives. These supports can also provide information, guidance, advice or even assistance with money for bills; they also help me feel more secure during times of uncertainty.  I would be very hard for me to function without support systems.  I say this because life is difficult, and you will need someone there to help you through these difficult times.  I would not be happy because I would have no one to talk to in times of need, sorrow, disappointments, failures, or accomplishments.  If I had no support systems, it would have a devastating impact on my life, my health and my well- being.   I thank God every day for the support systems that I have been blessed with. 

   

“MY CONNECTIONS TO PLAY”

Quotes of What Play Represented For Me in Childhood

“Children need the freedom and time to play.   Play is not a luxury.   Play is a necessity.”   Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)

“Playing should be fun!  In our great eagerness to teach our children we studiously look for ‘educational’ toys, games with built-in lessons, books with a ‘message.’  Often these ‘tools’ are less interesting and stimulating than the child’s natural curiosity and playfulness.  Play is by its very nature educational.   And it should be pleasurable. When the fun goes out of play, most often so does the learning.” ~ Joanne E. Oppenheim (child development expert, author)

Describe how people supported play when you were younger and/or the role of play in your childhood.

My mother raised eight of us.  My siblings and I were encouraged by many adults,

like my mother, my teachers, my aunts and my uncles to play together.  When we

were at home we would play games like tag, hide-n-seek, mother may I, house, or

red rover red rover.  When we played kickball or dodge ball we always argued

about the rules or taking turns when playing jump rope.   It helped us to build

relationships, solve problems, regulate our behaviors and negotiate when needed. 

My mother would always tell us to make a game out of playing.  She would remind

us that there is a learning experience in everything that we do including relieving

stress.   At home we were allowed playtime at least 3 or maybe 4 hours a day, not

consecutive hours, and at school we were allowed about an hour.  When I was a

child play was fun and exciting and I always looked forward to it, I also learned

different things in the process.  I not only learned from my siblings, but I also

learned from the children in the neighborhood. 

Write a brief entry on how you feel play today is similar or different from the play in which you engaged as a child and what your hope for young is now with regard to play.

I think play today is very different from how play used to be when I was a child.  Today you rarely find groups of children outside playing together.   Children today spend less time in play and have less free time.   Many children spend less time outside playing because of safety reasons, child predators, road traffic or bullies.  As school they spend less time outside because of set schedules and rules.   Today, play in not considered to be as important as test scores on end of grade tests (EOGs).  Today I hope that professionals as well as adults realize the importance of play and how it is a necessity for young children.  Play helps children learn how to make decisions, solve problems, exert self- control, and follow rules as well as learn how to handle their emotions, including anger and fear, during play.  Play is a source of happiness and it helps children make friends and learn to get along with each other as equals.  

Include your thoughts regarding the role of play throughout your life and/or the role of play throughout childhood and adulthood.

Play is important; it brings joy, and is vital in regards to problem solving, creativity and relationships. We do no need to play every second of the day to enjoy play’s benefits.  I realize that society dismisses play for adults.  It seems as though once we reach adulthood, it’s time to get serious because between personal and professional responsibilities, there’s no time to play.  Play is very critical when it comes to development of the human brain and behavior.   Play not only brings enjoyment to the person, but creates a social atmosphere, and helps develop cognitive and physical skills.   Not to mention, helping relieve stress.  Just because we are older, doesn't mean it has to be all about work.  Sometimes, we all need to play every once in a while.

Reflecting on Building Relationships

RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

Explain why relationships/partnerships are important to you.

Relationships are important to me because they help me to better relate with others, those of the opposite gender.  It is important to cultivate new relationships and deepening existing ones.  Relationships help me to grow and expand many experiences in my life that are important; also they contribute to me having a long, healthy, and happy life.  Relationships help me to deal with stressors in my life better.  When I am going through problems, there is nothing better than the support and encouragement of a close friend to help me sort things out.   Relationships are also important because to me because they add purpose and meaning to my life and help create social interactions with people of different races, cultures and religions.  There are a variety of different kinds of relationships and they all keep us going.  Everyone needs some positive influences in their lives at some point or another and this is another reason why relationships are import to help you realize how much you matter and how important you are.

Partnerships are important to me because when you work with others you can get more accomplished and achieve goals that have been set. Partnerships are also important because they allow me to recognize strengths and weaknesses in myself and others.  In partnerships I have to be able to value trust and be able to handle constructive criticism. Partnerships provide partners with unique resources and benefits.  Relationships that develop over years of a partnership are priceless. I feel that human resources are the most vital elements of a partnership.  

Identify several people with whom you currently have positive relationships and/or partnerships.

The people who I have positive relationships/partnerships with include:

God

My Children (Cordell, Gage, Braxton)

My Assistant (Mrs. Perry)

My Pastor (Reverend Cummins)

My Children’s teachers (Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Robinson, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Williams, Mrs. Lesten, Ms. Webster) 

Describe the ways in which each relationship is positive and factors that contributed to developing and maintaining each relationship

God – God loves me and I know this.  He loves me for who I am regardless of mistakes that I have made and will still make.   God is and will always be in my life no matter what I do.  Prayer, forgiveness, helping others and worship are all factors that contributed to developing and maintaining this relationship.  

My relationship with my children is positive because I make all of the rules and they abide by them.  If there is something that they do not like, we sit down and discuss it and try to make compromises if possible.  My children realize that if rules are not followed and obeyed at home as well as school and other places that there are consequences that follow.  Factor:  Respect, obedience, trust, and honesty.

My partnership/relationship with my assistant is positive because we know what is expected of each other. We respect each other’s opinions and abide by the rules of the classroom.  If one of us will be absent, we let the other know in advance. We are also good friends and when we feel that we need to talk on a personal basis about personal things we do.  Relationships test our boundaries; therefore it is very important to know where to draw the line.  Sometimes we have to listen to our own feelings, regardless of what someone else says, if it feels bad then it is bad.  Factors:  Keeping boundaries, respect, support, shared responsibility, honesty.

My relationship with my pastor is very good.  I have been a member his ministry for 8 years.  He invites members of his congregation to visit and talk when needed.  Our pastor treats everyone the same and there are no picks.  I was his grandson’s teacher and he used to drop him off at school and pick him up sometimes, this is how I became a member of his congregation.  Many pastors feel that having close friendships with their church members will bring about jealously and may divide the church, but this is not the case here.  Here there are also boundaries that are set. 

Factors:  Forgiveness, respect, trust, honesty.

My relationships with my children’s teachers are strictly professional.  I give input on what they need assistance with and they give me feedback on how I can help them at home.  If there are problems with them acting up in class, she will let me know and I will discipline them appropriately.  We work together to ensure that they receive all the help that is needed in order for them to learn, develop and grow in order to reach their full potential.  I feel that when parents and teachers work together regarding the child, it helps them to progress better.  Factors:  Trust, support, honesty, respect.

Describe insights regarding challenges to developing and maintaining relationships that you have learned from your experience over time.

One of the biggest challenges to developing and maintaining relationships that I have learned from my experiences is that sometimes you may not always agree on everything and your opinions are not always valued.  When one or the other is not truthful it sometimes becomes hard to gain the trust back that you once had.  All relationships are different and sometimes when you have basic friendships with some people, others may feel that you treat them differently when some of your other friends are around.  It just the relationships are different.  When the children have differences it could also interfere or disrupt the relationship between the adults.  I believe that some relationships take more work than others because you feel that it is worth having and saving. 

What do you see as special characteristics of these relationships that make some, if any, partnerships?

Honesty and accountability - when you are able to communicate openly and truthfully, admitting when you are wrong and they are right, admitting mistakes, and accepting responsibility for one’s self. 

Respect – listening to one another and valuing their opinion, being able to give and take constructive criticism, whether positive or negative, attempts to respect and understand and affirm the other’s emotions.

Trust and support – supporting one another in regards to their goals in life, and respecting one another’s right to their own opinions, feelings, activities and interest and friends.  Valuing them as an individual. 

Shared responsibility – making decisions together, no matter how big or small, distributing work in ways that are fair.

Negotiation – being able to compromise, seek solutions to conflicts, accepting change when necessary. 

Commitment – it takes two committed people in order to have a good relationship/partnership and you have to take the good with the bad.

How might your experiences with relationships/partnerships, including your ability to be an active, reflective contributor, impact your work as an effective early childhood professional?

I have had many different types of relationships throughout my life.  They have helped me to realize who I am and the kind of person that I turned out to be.  My experiences will enable me to help young children who I come in contact with regardless of who they are or where they come from.  All children are special in their own unique way and I want them to remember me as someone who made an impact on their lives.  I want to show them how special and important they are regardless of what other people may tell them.  I must teach them many things in the process of their development and relationships are one of the most important things.  I want children to always remember me and say “yes I remember Mrs. Campbell, she was, and will always be my favorite teacher.” 

When I Think of Child Development

When I Think of Child Development

Pausing to listen to an airplane in the sky, stooping to watch a ladybug on a plant, sitting on a rock to watch the waves crash over the quayside-children have their own agendas and timescales.  As they find out more about their world and their place in it; they work hard not to let adults hurry them.  We need to hear their voices.

Cathy Nutbrown

I chose this quote basically because young children are naturally curious and naturally motivated to learn all about the hows and whys of the world.  They should be provided with stimulating environments that allow them opportunities for supportive social interaction where they can play.  When children play, they are able to explore, evaluate and learn.  Toys should also be used to encourage young children to explore their physical world and to play with others.  We have to also remember that children will be watching us and others around them. They will in turn learn from the actions and choices they observe.  Parents, teachers, and caregivers should engage in play with young children that involves different outcomes.

Hello Carlos

It has been a pleasure sharing information with you throughout this class.  It is good to get ideas and point of views from others regarding early childhood.  Each and every person has their own opinion about how children should be raised in order to progress, learn, and grow.  I value your opinion because I can gain a better understanding of what young children need in all developmental domains.  By using different approaches to learning it enables us to better help the child.  The early years of a child's life are very important for his or her health and development.   Parents, health professionals, educators, and others can work together as partners to help children grow up to reach their full potential.  Healthy development means that children of all abilities, including those with special health care needs, are able to grow up where their social, emotional and educational needs are met.  Having a safe and loving home and spending time with family―playing, singing, reading, and talking―are very important. Proper nutrition, exercise, and rest also can make a big difference.  I appreciate all of your input in these areas and I know that this will be of help to me in the future.  I wish you the best of luck in furthering your education. 

Hello Laure
It has been a great experience being introduced to a web of information regarding young children throughout this educational journey.  I have learned many different things that I will be able to take with me while teaching young children.  I have learned about many different areas including different types of technology tools that will enable me to increase my own knowledge of how to teach children better.  I think that it is very important for young children to begin their development process in an environment in which they can prosper, learn, grow, play, and have fun all at the same time.  I value our opinions tremendously and will look forward to incorporating this very knowledgeable information within my classroom environment.  I wish you the best of luck on your journey while continuing your education. 

Testing for Intelligence

 

                                                      Testing for Intelligence

Progressive educators are concerned with helping children become not only good learners but also good people.  Assessment allow teachers and parent  to get an idea of where children are socially, and academically and allow them to be placed in classes where they can reach their full potential.  When considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically, we should consider a child’s physical health.    A child’s physical well-being plays a major role in a child’s ability to learn.   In order for a child to become and remain physically healthy, they require the basics such as food, shelter, sleep, exercise, immunizations, and a healthy living environment.   Children should be encouraged to play and interact with other children.  Children should be praised and encouraged because when they receive attention, it builds their self-confidence and self-esteem.  A child’s physical well-being is actually a cornerstone for all components of school readiness.  Children’s physical well-being frames their learning to opportunities and will either expand them or limit them.  A child’s physical well-being can also affect the ability actively engage physically in the intended or unintended learning opportunities.  Many other parts of the world are much like ours.  In Jerusalem children are assessed at the end of key stages.  Schools in Jerusalem use standardized test just as we do in the United States.  At the end of stage 1 they will be assessed by their teacher, end of stage 2 they will be assessed through national tests, end of state 3 will assessed by their teacher in all subjects, and the end of stage 4 is their actual overall results which are published at they complete 11^th grade.  Not all children do well in standardized testing environments, therefore observations and work samples should be done in order to make sure that students are placed in appropriate classes. 

 

 

 

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

The Effects of Hunger on Children

My family and I did not experience it personally, but when we were younger our

neighbors who lived directly beside us experienced hunger.  My siblings and I

were very young but we were all in school.   Our neighbors had two children a boy

and a girl.  The parents worked but the bills were high and they rarely had enough

to buy food.  There were eight of us, not including my mother.  My mother would

always invite them over to eat, but they parents never can, they would always send

the children. When they entered middle school their father died, which made it

extra hard for their mother.  I felt sorry for them when we went to school because

they would eat leftovers off of the plates that food was left on.  Although they went

through many obstacles, hunger and the death of their father, they did well in

school.  Their mother found out how to get assistance with food and her rent.  This

 really helped them out a lot.  When we graduated from high school, so did they. 

They did not let this obstacle get in their way.  We still live in the town in which

we grew up and they both are doing very well. 

 

Africa

When we look at or read human rights documents, the right to food is one thing

that is mentioned consistently.  There are about 840 million people worldwide who

are malnourished, and the highest percentage of these people live in Africa. 

Africa’s current food crisis in long term and has been building up for decades.  The

hunger problem is basically caused by poverty.  The food production gap results

from deterioration in food production because of the stead increase in the

population.   When children are faced with hunger on a daily basis, it can be

detrimental to their biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial development.  Children

will not be able to learn and achieve their full potential and have  lower academic

achievement.   The impact of child hunger is more far reaching than one might

anticipate.  Hungry children are sick more often and are more likely to suffer

physical, emotional, and developmental impairment.  It can cause speech and

language development problems, their brains do not develop properly, insecure

attachments, etc. 

 

Child Development and Public Health

Nutrition/malnutrition

Nutrition plays a very important role in the development of a young child.  The

foods that they eat provides the energy that their bodies need to function.  Many

times I see young mothers only giving their little children junk food, which

is not good for them all the time.   Whether or not children are well-nourished

during their first years of life can have a profound effect on their health status, as

well as their ability to learn, communicate, think analytically, socialize effectively

and adapt to new environments and people.  Good nutrition is the first line of

defense against numerous childhood diseases, which can leave their mark on a

child for life.  In regards to cognitive development, when there is not enough

food, the body has to make a decision about what to do with the food that is

available, which means survival comes first and growth comes second. 

Malnutrition at an early age leads to reduced physical and mental development

during childhood.  Even if children get enough to eat, they will become

malnourished  if the food they eat does not provide the proper amounts of

nutrients, vitamins and minerals to meet the daily nutritional requirements.     

When children are undernourished, this affects school performance.

South Asia

South Asia has experienced high economic growth during the last decade. South Asia, however, still has both the highest rates and the largest numbers of undernourished children in the world.   Poverty is often the underlying cause of child malnutrition.  The high economic growth experienced by South Asian countries has not made an impact on the nutritional status of South Asian children.  Over a third of adult women in South Asia are underweight.  South Asia’s undernourishment problem has many factors, including the following: Low birth weight, infant and young child feeding practices, poor household hygiene, and status of women in society.  South Asia suffers from high rates of child malnutrition and has made little progress in the past 20 years.   I do not know what can be done to help these poor children, because basically it stems from the eating habits of the parents. 

In the future I will research ways in which I can help young children to become more aware of their eating habits in order to help them to develop at normal levels.  I will send brochures home that will educate the parents as well.  I will also focus on this topic in parent meetings.  

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

When I was in my late twenties, I experienced the birth of my best friend’s first child.  She wanted me to be there.  It was so exciting and scary at the same time.  I watched a tiny human being enter the world in such a miraculous way.  My friend carried her son for the entire 9 months without any problems or complications before, during, or after the birth.  During her pregnancy she took her prenatal vitamins, exercised regularly, and kept all of her doctor’s appointments.  He son was very healthy and weighed 7lbs and 13 ounces.  She eventually had five more sons.  The thing that sticks in my mind the most when I heard the first sounds coming from this tiny being and I chose this example because it was an experience that I will never forget. 

I think that God gives each of us children for specific reasons.  In order for a child to be healthy and develop well after being born, you have to take care of yourself and do the right things.  You should reframe from activities that will increase the risks of a child having developmental problems, such as drinking, smoking, doing drugs, etc.   Although sometimes you can take care of yourself and the child may still have problems due to a variety of reasons. 

Births in Africa are somewhat different from those in the United States.  Skilled attendance by midwives at all births is considered to be the single most critical intervention for ensuring safe motherhood, because it hastens the timely delivery of emergency obstetric and newborn care when life-threatening complications arise.  Most births in Africa are performed at home.  Just before the birth, the midwife prepares and ingredient for application to the child’s umbilical cord.  These ingredients consists of ash, sugar, an egg-shaped poisonous fruit called Umtuma, and grass from the roof of the mother’s hut.  The ingredients are all mixed together and applied to the umbilical cord and it falls off within three days.  The mother remains in the hut for approximately 7 days before she can resume her normal activities.  Both United States and African births are performed by skilled medical persons.  Some of the differences are in the United States most births are performed in a hospital and we put alcohol on the umbilical cord to stop infection.  The cord usually falls off in three days; this is also true for African women.   In the United States if you are doing ok you can go home in 2 to three days but African women have to remain in their hut for   approximately 7 days.  You have to be extra careful in foreign countries because there are many serious diseases that women can catch if they do not take care of themselves, especially involving the drinking water.   

A Note of Support and Thanks

Hello Classmates

I have learned a lot this semester and have gained a better understanding of what it really means to support young children.   I have learned much valuable information from everyone and hope that they have learned something from me also.  When you work with young children you learn to appreciate the value of helping them to learn grow and prosper.  Children are our future and we should help them in all ways that we know how.  When professionals work together it gives them the opportunity to get new and fresh ideas that will increase their knowledge regarding young children.  I wish you all the best of luck in your educational journey.  This class has helped me to grow as a professional and as a person.  I know that we all can make a different in the life of young children all around the world.