Professional Thank you!

I would like to say thank you to all my colleagues who helped shape my learning world this term. The doors that have been opened to me because of the sharing of information and professionalism has been amazing and enriching. Walden students foster learning and the professional community has enriched my life. Thanks to all of you and Merry Christmas. I sincerely look forward to seeing all of you in 2012~~!!!!!

Learning from the Children

This is my favorite quote about children......

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

We can learn about life if we watch life through the eyes of a child. They are so non-judgmental and loving. They are open to new ideas and open to change. They love to learn and have a zest for life that is amazing. Let us all remember and honor childhood.


I also remember something a wonderful presentor, Dr. Jean Feldman, said in a workshop I recently attended. She said, "Let us not be so busy trying to give children what we didn't have that we forget to give them what we did." It is not the material things in life that matter. It is the love, guidance, experiences, and memories that make people happy and self-sufficient.

Merry Christmas!

Special Education in the United Kingdom

The following is an excerpt from the Department of Education in the United Kingdom
retrieved from
http://www.european-agency.org/country-information/united-kingdom-england/national-overview/identification-of-special-educational-needs

English as an additional language, giftedness and high ability are not included within the definition of special educational needs.

The Equality Act 2010, defines a disabled person as 'someone who has a physical or mental The Education Act 1996, states that a child has special educational needs ‘if he has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him’. Such provision is required when a child:

• has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his/her age; or
• has a disability which either prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided in schools, within the area of the local authority concerned, for children of his/her age; or
• is under the age of five years and is, or would be likely to fall within either of the above paragraphs when over that age, if special educational provision were not made for him/her.

impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'.

I was very surprised by the recentness of the Equality Act. That was last year! Seems like they were a little late in passing this reform. The Special Education Act was in 1996. That was only 15 years ago! The guidelines also seem very broad. Interesting!

Every Child Can Learn

My feelings about labels and Special Education are very strong. I believe that although I understand why labels are necessary in today's world, I am not sure that they are always best for children. Sometimes adults focus on the label and not on the child. We tend to focus on what we think we know about the child's disability instead of really getting to know the child for who they are. About three years ago, I had two 4 year old boys in my classroom who had been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. I recieved the "paperwork" before ever meeting either one of the boys. I read the evaluations and researched the PDD on the internet. I thought I was prepared and informed. I am educated, right? I know what is going in here! WRONG! I learned so much from those two precious boys that school year. I learned that there is alot going on in those sweet little minds and those two boys are two of the smartest little boys to ever grace my classroom doors. I learned patience and it is ok if things don't always go as planned. I learned that it is ok to let a child self soothe...we can't always fix everything immediately. I learned that a smile and eye contact are sometimes all the hugs you need. I learned that love comes in a lot of ways, shapes, and forms. I learned mutual respect goes a long way. I will never forget that year. I thought the label told the story. The label lied. Every child can learn. They may not learn at the pace that society thinks they should. They may lay down, stand up, flap their hands, and seem not to be listening. Take the time to observe and watch. They are listening the only way that they can. Be patient and be loving. Teach to the whole child. The social/emotional, the cognitive, the physical, the WHOLE child. Each part. Each piece. Be patient. Results will come. Nurture each facet of each child. I truly believe that when a relationship of trust is built in the classroom between teacher and child, great accomplishments will take place.

Poverty and African Children

Poverty in Africa is very prevelant but the effects are no different on African children than children amy where else. Poverty has causes and effects. The causes are many but in Africa, most are culturally influenced. Poverty in Africa is caused by lack of education, women who are segregated and not allowed to earn livings as men do, and cultural norms. The effects are poor treatment, lack of education, high crime rates, social exclusion, poor health conditions, and high stress home lives. Poverty creates a domino effect where almost every aspect of the family's life is affected. Over 62% of African children do not complete their education. This makes the cycle impossible to break....without education there is no way out. Statistics vary from site to site but one thing is certain.....the incidence of poverty in Africa has something in common with poverty in America and it is alarming. In both countries, the rate of children living in poverty has increased each year for the last 11 years. This is scary. In the Sudan, 90 of every 1000 children die by age 5. In Ethiopia the figure is 164 per 1000, compared with a norm of 4-6 per thousand in industrialized nations. For adults, lack of food and money means lack of health care, made even more dangerous by living conditions marked by lack of clean water and adequate sanitation.  1 out if every 3 African children suffer from starvation. This is alarming and unnecessary. THE CYCLE MUST BE BROKEN! The children are suffering.

Poverty and It's Effects

As an edcuator in an income based program, I can see first hand how stressful living in poverty can be. Life is tough but when you don't have the means to put food on the table or find reliable childcare so you can hold a job, it seems unbearable at times. Although I have never experienced true povery for myself, I do work with families who live their daily lives with the bare, bare minimum. The children sometimes suffer simply because of the stress that being poor brings. I will never, ever forget my first true dealing with a child who lived in poverty. I was teaching a unit in my classroom on Community Helpers and I arranged a trip to see several places in town. The stops included the veterinarian's office, the post office, the fire station, the hospital, and a stop at the greocery store that included a tour of a truck being unloaded and the bakery. The second stop was the grocery store. A little boy in my class was absolutly amazed at the grocery store......you see, at 5 years old, he had never been there before. His parents lived in poverty. They had no vehicle. Mommy had to hitch a ride to "town" to go shop and since she was riding with someone else, there was no room to bring children. I will never forget how I felt when I realized the whole story about his lack of this experience. It was the first time I had ever thought about anything like that. In 2008, we "chose" a daughter who had been in foster care and living in extreme poverty with her biological family. When she came to live with us, there were so many experiences she had never had. She had never been inside of a mall, a Pizza Hut, a clothing specialty store, or ordered any food item EVER from a menu. She was 13 years old. The instances of how poverty affected her life are still part of our lives today. We deal with situations and instances where she is not clear on how things work because of the lack of exposure simply due to the lack of adequate financial means. Poverty affects school life, home life, social life, and all other aspects of life. Self esteem for the family as a whole suffers and the lack of self worth is most often evident in children at a very young age. Poverty causes stress that affects the whole family as well.  I truly am not sure what the answer is to combat this horrible social crisis but we must comtinue to try to break the cycle of poverty and save the children.

Breastfeeeding

Breastfeeding is the most wonderful experience! I nursed both of my girls for many months. My oldest I nursed for 13 months and the youngest for 9 months. Both of my girls stayed healthy as infants and this benefit lasted well into their childhoods. Neither one ever experienced ear infections, colds, or other common ailments for most children. I recieved great support from my husband and family. Public support was, for the most part, positive. I only recall one instance that had negative feelings attached to it. I was in the dentist office nursing discreetly in the waiting room. The receptionist from the office came over to me and politely said, "Ma'am, there is the restroom" as she pointed to the bathroom door. I asked her if she ate her lunch if the restroom. She looked rather stunned and said ,"No". I giggled and replied, "Well, neither does she". She quickly left to share that information with her co-workers. Needless to say, we finished nursing in the waiting room without much more attention.

Nursing is natural! It is easy (after the first two weeks) and it is FREE! In today's expensive society, that seems like enough benefit for me! The benefits of nursing also include babies who are nursed usually suffer fewer sicknesses and stronger immune systems than their non-nursed counterparts.

I looked at breastfeeding in several different regions of the world. In countries like Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana, nursing is encouraged and the normal practice for feeding infants. In Ghana if you do not nurse your baby then people assume that it is not really your baby. Public opinion is supportive in all three of these countries and all across Africa.

In the UK. breastfeeding is frowned upon in most regions. Only 3% of women in the UK nurse beyond 5 months. This is a very shocking fact! There are support groups for women in the UK who choose to nurse. One of the organizations that encourages breastfeeding in the UK and around the world is UNICEF. The website for breastfeeding facts and support is http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/About-Baby-Friendly/Breastfeeding-in-the-UK/UK-Breastfeeding-rates/
I hope you find this link to be helpful.

Nursing my girls was the most normal and natural thing for me. I cannot imagine feeding my babies any other way. It was not necessarily the easiest choice in the beginning but I am confident it was the best choice for the health of my daughters.

Personal Birthing Experiences

The birthing experience I chose to share is that of my first born child. I was 29 years old and extremely excited! I had always wanted to be a mom. Because I had a very complicated pregnancy, I was followed closely by a group of specialists in addition to my own obsetrician. The result of a routine blood test early in my pregnancy indicated that it was a possibility that our child may be born with a genetic defect such as Down's Syndrome or other chromosome related abnormality. My husband and I chose to follow up with amniocentesis so that if there was a problem, we could have the best doctors on hand to care for our newborn child. The results of the further testing indicated that the probability of an abnormality was very low. We rocked on through the pregnancy with a few more complictions like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. I was monitored closely by the doctors and my husband! A few days before my actual due date of November 11, 1995 my doctor ordered one final ultrasound to check the weight of the baby. It was in this ultrasound that a tumor growing inside my precious unborn daughter was evident. The tumor seemed to be on her ovary but the doctors could not tell if it was connected to her kidneys or gall bladder because of the position she was in. The decision was to do a C-section the following day!! WOW! Was I in shock. I really never thought about a C-section. My thoughts of birth were always of breathing and concentrating on my body and my baby. My husband and I had gone to Lamaze classes and I had made the personal decision not to have any drugs administered to me in labor. This news came as a shock and I had not much time to prepare myself. I had exactly 18 hours until the time I was scheduled to be there for surgery and I still had some last minute prepping to do for the arrival!!
     My husband took me to the hospital an hour away at 4 a.m. the next morning ,November 8,1995. Everything went as scheduled. The only glitch was finding scrubs large enough to fit my football player sized husband in! They had to get real cloth scrubs from a doctor's personal closet in the hospital to fit Scott! The doctor waited patiently for him to get in the delivery room...As soon as Scott arrived by my side, the doctor began describing each move he made to us....the "small bikini cut" turned out to be much larger than I expected but that is another blog post!! :) A few minutes later I heard the cries of my precious 9lb. 8oz. baby girl!! She was perfect in every way to this mommy! She was not born with any genetic defect and the tumor they saw was an ovarion cyst that was a response to my strong hormones during pregnancy. We followed up diligently with specialists and the cyst dissapated in its own by the time she was 2 months old. I recovered nicely and went on to have another precious child 4 years later via C-section.
     On Tuesday, Karsen McCall Kreps will be 16 years old. I will never forget how she entered this world on that cold, sunny November morning. She is beautiful, smart, funny and everything a mother would want her daughter to be. The birth was not what I was expecting but life is like that sometimes. Many people asked me if I felt cheated out of a "real" birthing experience....I just laugh and say that surgery is very real. I experienced much discomfort after the surgery but it was worth every ounce of pain. I never felt any less of a woman or a mom because of the way she was delivered. I am thankful that medical advances allow us to catch potential traumatic situations before they happen and thankful for the care we recieved throughout my difficult pregnancy!

I read about birthing experiences in several other countries. The one that was interesting to me was the experiences of the mothers in Taiwan. The experiences are similar to that of American women but the women from Taiwan are encouraged to stay in the hospital for up to 10 days or so! The Taiwanese women also have 6-8 weeks that are paid from their jobs to recouperate and heal from their birthing experience. The research I read said that Taiwan values their pregnant women and the status of the woman changes when she becomes pregnant. She becomes very important and the family caters to all of her needs especially nutrition and health needs. They pamper pregnant women and new mothers. I like that idea!! It is hard to be a new mom both physically and emotionally for some women. I like the fact that a government recognizes that! USA take note!!

Professional Thank YOU!

To all my colleagues and peers who have supported me in this first leg of my professional journey with Walden University---THANK YOU! I could not have gotten started without your support and I appreciate each one of you! Best of luck in your educational journey! I sincerely hope we cross paths again!
Remember each day to make a true difference in someone's life. <3

Professional Insight

My first term as a student in the Walden University online learning community has been one of the most rewarding personal and professional experiences of my life. I have learned things about the profession that I am so passionate about and I have learned things about myself. The value of self-reflection, the self direction and motivation necessary for success as an online learner, making friends in "cyberspace" and learning about many enlightening professional resources are just a few of the experiences that have enriched my life in unimaginable ways....I can only dream about what the future holds. Learning has taken on a whole new meaning for me. Thanks to all of my peers, colleagues, and those profesionals at Walden University who are helping me along the way!

Ideals from NAEYC.....These ideals are solid reasons to TEACH!

Ideal #1

—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings

that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and

physical development and that respect their dignity

and their contributions.

This ideal is the most important one to me. If I cannot provide a safe and healthy environment that nurtures the WHOLE child then I am not providing the BEST education possible to the children entrusted to me. I must maintain a place where not only they are safe but they FEEL safe. Meeting and exceeding this ideal ensures an excellent quality education will be delivered. I must provide a setting that ensures that the social and emotional, cognitive, and pyhsical needs of the child are met in a developmentally appropriate manner.



Ideal #2

---To be familiar with the knowledge base of early

childhood care and education and to stay informed

through continuing education and training.

To be good at anything in life, you must first know the details of the area you wish to excel in. You can hardly be an effective early childhood educator if you do not know much about young children and how they develop. The field of early childhood is an everchanging parade of new information. Emerging research and exciting new findings about the importance of our great profession are changing the way the world views early childhood education. Staying up on the latest research and staying informed on policy changes, as well as changes in ways we find what works and what doesn't, is critical to the success of our programs.




Ideal #3

—To recognize and respect the unique qualities,

abilities, and potential of each child.

This ideal is the "individual"component of the picture. While it is important to learn new information and enhance professionalism and to create safe and healthy environments, it is of the utmost importance to value each child as an individual and to respect and celebrate his or her individual differences. Every child can learn!! It is our responsibility to reach and teach each and every one that we are lucky enough to have put in our path. Respect must be earned and created.....abilities recognized and potential maximized. These are important words to live and teach by. Take them to heart.

My Favorite Professional Resources

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/
This website offers a great variety of wonderful information. I use this one often. It has links to state liscensing requirements for each state. It also has links to Head Start Outcomes for each domain and activities to address them. This is one of the most helpful websites I use....It sparks my own thoughts for activities. I LOVE IT!!

LAECA: Louisiana Early Childhood Association

laeca.org

This is Louisiana's Early Childhood Association official website. They have an upcoming convention that I will be attending. I get to do a Make and Take with Dr. Jean!! YAY! I am so excited! There is great information on this website. I am a member of LAECA and use their resources frequently.

“I've continued to recognize the power individuals have to change virtually anything and everything in their lives in an instant. I've learned that the resources we need to turn our dreams into reality are within us, merely waiting for the day when we decide to wake up and claim our birthright.”

Anthony Robbins I like this quote because if we do not utilize our internal resources and tap into what we have to offer others as educators, we cannot achieve true success. Resources are only useful if we use them. Let us be our first and most valuable resource.

Professional Resources---Open your MIND!

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://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
  
  
• 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://main.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://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    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

"The Passion for Early Childhood"

"I see adults finding their voice as a result of their work.....the passion to create a safer, more just world for all kids is there."~Louise Derman-Sparks

This quote speaks to me because I have learned so much about myself since I became a teacher. With each milestone in my life, I became a different teacher and person. My personal encounters....they all made me learn something about myself , however, the day to day learning experiences I have with my students has changed me more than anything. My passion grows stronger and stronger each day with each encounter I have with the children. Seeing the kids learn drives my passion and fuels my soul....

".....and having people offer me opportunities and opening doors for me as I've gotten older. It's my turn to be able to create opportunities for parents and children to have those opportunities prestented also..... I wanted to keep doing more..... There is more to life than just what is in their neighborhood."~Raymond Hernandez, M.S. Ed.

Dr. Hernandez's remarks were the most poignant to me. He seems to have a passion for helping others because of  the people who helped him. Giving back is important to him. It is important to me as well. He seems like the kind of director that all programs need....a director who still has passion and wants to share it with families, children, and staff.

Quotes from the True Pioneer of Early Childhood

" I mean that few people fully appreciate the immensity of trying to really get a child who lives in poverty ready for school. The idea that you can do it in a year of Head Start or a year or two of preschool is just not realistic. Poverty is worse today than it was back in 1965, when I started out. These kids are growing up in the midst of neighborhoods where poverty is intense and you have to have an intensive effort to conquer that, to overcome it and get children ready for school. That's why you have to have home visits and support for families, starting at birth. This isn't pie in the sky. It's realistic. And the goal of all this is clear. It's Goal One of the Educate America Act, that every child will arrive in school ready to learn."-Dr. Edward Zigler


" Kids do better, frankly [when the economy is strong]. Jobs make great years for kids. The best children's program I know of is the Earned Income Tax Credit. Get kids out of poverty. Poverty is devastating.
I'm really not a partisan political person. I remember when I was in Washington they kept trying to get me to say whether I was a Republican or a Democrat. I just said, my politics are children. That's all I know anything about."-Dr. Edward Zigler

Dr. Zigler is a true hero in the field of Early Childhood.  What an amazing man and inspiration to educators all over the world! Love him!! His comments about poverty cut me to the bone. Poverty is the sharp edge of a sword cutting society in two. We need a solution and we need it for the children.....

Personal Childhood Web

My Grandmother "MeMe" ~ She has been the most influential person in my life. My parents divorced when I was 6 years old and we came to Louisiana to live near my grandparents. My MeMe was the definition of a true Southern Belle. She taught me about manners, respect for my self and others, and to never settle for anything for less than I deserve. She always had a smile and she never had so much as a hair out of place. She was my best friend, my confidante. She taught me that there are some people who say they love you and some people who act like it and that I should always HONOR the ones who act like it. She went to heaven on March 31, 2011. I miss her so much and my heart will never be the same.



My Grandfather "BigDaddy"~ The rock. The strongest, gentlest, most caring man I have ever known. He treated my grandmother like a queen and he treated us like we were the most important people in the world. His 3 grandaughters were his world. He worked to provide cars, clothes, and educations to my 2 sisters and me. He always talked to us about the value of hard work and dedication to your dreams. He is a man of God and when he was able to prayed for us diligently. He just turned 98 this past Wednesday. He knows who I am most days but all days he knows I am someone he loves. The most important thing he taught me was to care for others. Do not hesitiate to feed, clothe, love, and reach out to your fellow man. He taught me ways to be smart about helping others but he always said we are not to judge their needs. If someone needs help, you simply help them. My grandfather, my Big Daddy, is the man I knew I could trust no matter what!

My Mother~My mother did not get the chance to be the mother she always dreamed of being....she was left without a choice to go to work to support us. She always dreamed of being a stay at home mom but that did not work out. She was very nurturing and loving. I remember her singing to us and reading to us. She was never too busy to let us help her in the kitchen or anything else she was doing. My mother believed in hugging and rocking us and the healing power of touch. She always scratched my back and rubbed my feet! Those were the days :) I had a free massage therapist and did not appreciate it like I would now! I will always feel like Mom got the short end of the stick when raising us. She worked and my grandparents got to spend alot of time with us. I think we had the best of both worlds!! My mom is talented and creative. She encouraged us to use our creative talents and let us explore our world. Mom also encouraged us to be our own person. I remember she let me color my hair (Cyndi Lauper stage of life), dress creatively, and explore creative ways to manipulate my world.  My mom also made us appreciate nature and instilled in us a tremendous respect for the environment. Her talents are many but being a loving, stable force in my life is her strongest talent.

Selena~my Grandmother's Housekeeper~What a woman she is! I love Selena with all my heart. She showed me the value of working hard and being true. She was true to my grandparents, true to her own children, true to us (her 2nd family) and true to herself. She raised 4 children while working 40 hours a week for my grandparents. She was in abusive situation and instead of staying for the financial secutiry, she chose to take care of her well being. I remember wondering how anyone could hit her or hurt her. Her gentle loving hands and her even gentler sweet, enduring spirit.  She treated my grandmother with such love and respect. I learned so many lessons from her on love, mutual respect, prejudice, and life from her. Selena opened my eyes to the treatment of others based on the color of their skin. I remember her stories about how others sometimes treated her children and the love and determination in her eyes about how it would all be okay......Selena taught me tolerance and understanding. How people don't stray far from what they are taught unless they open their minds. She taught me that you can go anywhere in a book and to heaven in the bible. She taught me that education is what opens doors and hard hearts are what closes them.

Mr. and Mrs. Kaiama~my lifelong bestfriend's mother~What in influence they had in my life! This was the place I could go to see a family in action! They treated me like I was "one of them". They still to this day call me their "hauli girl". They showed me how families cooperate and work together to get things accomplished. They showed me that families support and nurture one another. Laughter is the best medicine for ANYTHING that ails you and home remedies for bo-bo's work. Life lessons that can never be replaced were found in that little house in the big pasture. I recall a feeling of unconditional love. I knew that no matter what, they would still love me and be on my side. They cheered me from the sidelines when my own parents could not be there. The one lesson I know I got from them is to never, ever quit. Keep going until you finish whatever it is you started because you started it for a reason. That reason must be important to you in some way so validate it by finishing what you started. They taught me that when you love someone, you never, ever give up on them. Never. I am still a big part of their life and they are a big part of mine. I cherish the memories we have-the absolute best of my childhood were with them.


A little side note...writing this blog made me laugh and cry. It really made me think and reflect on who were the 5 most influential people in my childhood. There were many more along the way...Ms.Davis, my 7th grade science teacher, Mr. Waldrop, my 6th grade Social Studies teacher, Coach Foshee, Mrs. Lenahan, Mrs. Taylor and countless other educators who touched my life. Thanks to those who believed in me.....

My favorite quote about parenting and children....they ALL matter!

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself. ~Joyce Maynard

Where the Passion Came From...

My little sister had a baby when she was a Senior in high school. I had never loved a human being so much in my life as I did that little red haired baby girl that my sister gave birth to that cold Februaru day. My sister, niece, and I got a house together and I decided to find ways to make her life the best it could be. This is where my journey into Early Childhood edudation began back in 1989.....All the things I read were related to educating the young minds of babies and children. I could not get enough of this information. I started taking college classes and 22 years later, I graduated with my Bachelor's degree. I took classes on and off for 22 years. I got married and had 3 children in the process. My passion grows stronger each day......

Newbie!

This is my first post as a blogger. I created this blog as a part of my life's newest journey. I am now a student in a Master's Program at Walden University. This is a completely new experience for me to be a part of an online learning community. I am looking forward to this part of my life and seeing what direction the future holds.