Time Well Spent

I can honestly say this program has been a blessing in disguise. I have learned the importance of working as a community. I have always felt that I needed to do things on my own; when in reality I don’t know everything and that I should take the time to learn from other professionals.

I have also learned from this program the idea of staying on task. If it wasn’t for this program I don’t think I would truly know what it is like to be time oriented and organized and how important it is to stay with a routine.

Lastly I learned that I am not the only one fighting for the cause of children. There are advocates and professionals all over the world who believe that Early Childhood is the key to a better tomorrow. I am grateful to have chosen this profession with so many other great professionals.

A long term goal I have is to be a great advocate for the Early Childhood Field. I want to leave a lasting impression on the field that will eventually lead other individuals down the same path. I want the world to see that the greatest developments happen in a child’s early years.

As a farewell message I just want everyone from my colleagues to my instructors to know how much I have enjoyed learning and growing over the last year and a half. I have become a better person professionally and personally. I have learned about the advantages of leading an anti-bias classroom and how it will not only benefit myself, but the families that are involved.

If over the next 20 years anyone of my peers has a need that they think I may be of an assistance to, please feel free to email me at donsheapittman@yahoo.com and I will do everything in my power to provide you with help.

 Some quotes that made me smile.

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”
― Oscar Wilde

“When you know better you do better.”
― Maya Angelou

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
― Margaret Mead

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”
― Malcolm X

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first international organization I would like to work with is UNICEF, United Nations Children's Fund. Throughout my courses here at Walden, UNICEF has always provided useful and positive information that I have been able to apply to everyday classroom situations. At UNICEF I would like to work at one of their preschools in another country. I believe that early childhood education is the foundation for a great educational career. In order to do so I would need to have at least bachelors in early childhood education, and lots of experience working with young children.

The second international organization I would like to work with International Step by Step Association or the ISSA. The things I like about ISSA is that they not only provide resources for those seeking it, but they also offer ECD classes for those that are looking to get more knowledge under their belt. I personally would like for my COP to have the same concept; To provide resources and also the tools to learn and be self sufficient. I would apply for their office manager position in Leiden/The Netherlands. Not only do I get to live in a different part of the country, but I get to see how an ISSA office is ran by being hands on. I would of course need people skills, experience in being an office manager, a degree in a field that is relevant and some basic computer skills.

The last international organization I would like to work with is the American Red Cross. I like how the American Red Cross not only provides assist to those countries that have natural disasters, but it also provides a Health and Safety Training. This is a great tool to pass along to others, for when these disasters happen, people will know what to do in order to help others until the medical professionals come. I would like to be a Trainer in one of these Health and Safety Training classes. I am all about giving back to the community. I believe that everyone has the right to be and do better and I want to be able to provide that to them. I would need the skills of health and safety, so courses on that, I would need people’s skills, and the ability to be versatile.

 

References:

American Red Cross. (n.d). Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do/training-education

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The first national organization that appealed to me was Stomp Out Bullying. This organization appealed to me because it wasn’t just for one type of victim. It is for everyone. There is a section for adults and teenagers. It is also a nonprofit organization, which to me speaks volumes. Plus, it has celebrity participants, which also can help with publicity.

The second national organization is Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.  This program appealed to me because it not only looked to help end bullying, but they also focused on teaching children how to establish relationships with other individuals. I think that is such a great aspect to have, which is the goal not only to end one thing, but provide a way to help out in another form. Another great aspect of the program is that it is available for others to implement in their communities. I feel this is how we make the world better. Once we find something that works use it and then pass it along.

The third organization I found was Utterly Global. As I was reading through this website it provided ways to prevent bullying. Yet it showed that there isn’t just one way to do so. They provided an opportunity for each community to “create” their own prevention plan. I think this is great, because it recognizes that not every community is the same.

I would like to know what it is like to work at Stomp Out Bullying. Even though they are located in New York, I could help establish an Oklahoma branch. I have never worked for a nonprofit organization and it would be interesting to see what it feels is like to work for a cause that is all about the cause and not worrying about if people are getting checks coming in.

I would also like to experience being a superintendent of a school district. I would like to have my hands in some of the policies and programs that would truly make a difference to the children around me. I would like to have one of the deciding says.

For these positions, I would need to have leadership skills, be very driven and have a passion for what I am doing. I would need to have experience as a educator to be superintendent and maybe even some board member experience, just so I know not only the educational side, but the political side of the field.

http://www.stompoutbullying.org/contact_us.php

http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/

http://antibullyingprograms.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

The first organization is National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. This organization appealed to me because it has programs that involve prevention. I understand that situations need to be handled after the fact, but I would like to help find ways to prevent certain situations from happening in the first place.

The second organization is PRYD, LLC. This company deals with helping child understand and learn about different behaviors they are experiences. Such as finding ways to create self esteem, learning I Can statements and understanding that it is okay to be different and unique.

The third organization is Advocates for Youth. This organization is centered on being the voice for our youth as well as helping them to find their own voices. This is a great place to find different conversation starters for today’s social issues.

I would like to become a school counselor one day just to give myself the opportunity to not only work with children, but to have the skills and resources to know how to guide them into positive goals.

I think becoming a Case Worker would be an interesting job as well. I would like to give parents the opportunity to better themselves, so that they can provide better lives for their children.

To become a counselor and or a Case Worker, I think the skills I would need would be to have a passion for children, have tools to find resources and the drive to finish what is started. The experience needed would probably be based off community I chose to work with.

Reflecting on Learning

 

My most passionate hope for the future as an early childhood professional is to be successfully. I want for every child and family that I encounter to leave my class and presence with a better sense of themselves and the world around them. I want those who I come across to have learned ways to become better people and better educated. If this only happens to one child and family, then I will have succeeded in my goals.

I am one course away from graduating and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with each and every one of my fellow Walden colleagues. This journey has been a roller coaster and what got me through a lot of the courses is realizing that we are need in our profession to help others discover their goals. Thank you everyone for allowing me to grow personally and professionally with you, and if this is my last note to you, I want you to truly know how much I appreciate all of your input, comments and believe. It has made me a better professional and person. So Thank You.

Impacts on Early Childhood Development

 

I area of the world I chose to share is West and Central Africa. I chose this region because being an African American woman professional I would like to know what it would be like to teach and learn from their point of view. One of the places on my bucket list is to travel to Africa, and when I do, I want to visit every possible school type system possible.

One of the first challenges I noticed was how the children of the region have medical issues that have been cured or handled such as polio, AIDS and everyday things such as maternity services. Another challenge is food. The lack of food to feed the families and children plays a major role in their lives.

These experiences can affect the children in many different ways. When it comes to their emotional well being, the lack of health care and food, could make them feel as though they are not good enough to be healthy if they see others eating and getting better. If their family or themselves could not find ways to live their day to day lives as “normal” as possible it could cause them to have low self-esteem or not find value in their lives.

A professional reflection I have gained is that on a professional standpoint the children of Africa are lacking in the developmental department. This development could be emotional and cognitive. As a society or even just merely in our profession not matter where the child is, we should want to figure out ways to better the child. This website influenced me to continue to reach my goals, because I have the ability to be more to just one child.

My personal reflection is that children around the world need me. I know that sounds impossible, but it is not. Who is it know if one of the students that I provide anti-bias education to won’t be the next Ghandi? The insights I gained from looking through this website is that not one country is perfect. Every country needs becoming better. The answer I look to find is what generation will it be to make the greatest contribution to the society.

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

My reaction to sexualization is like a light bulb going off. I did not realize there were separate words for the idea of sexuality. From the society we live in which makes the idea of sex such a glamour idea, it seems as though children are confusing the notion of healthy relationships with bad relationships. The notion of sexualization, which has to do with treating other people and oneself as objects of sexual desire, is becoming more common in today’s society.

One example of sexualization I overheard was early this week at school. A couple of 2^nd grade girls were discussing how sexy they were going to be for their husbands one day. It gained my attention because instead of these girls talking about what they want to be when they grow up or the latest show on Disney, they are talking about being sexy.

Another example of sexualization is looking through my personal facebook and seeing all of my friends post pictures of their 3-5 year olds, who are dressed like 20 year olds and even worse wearing make-up and fake nails like grown women.

The last example is of some guys thinking that women are only there for their sexual desire. This is best shown in bars and or clubs. Some men don’t go to find a woman of their dreams; they are looking for someone pretty and willing to have sex. This situation can be a very sad thing to watch and be victim of.

Examples like this may have negative implications on children’s sense of healthy development. Children may view themselves only on the notion of sex instead of actually viewing their self worth being and its value. Children could view today’s media as being the norm and once it’s time to have a realistic relationship they end up learning the hard way that it is not the same, which could lead to unhealthy developments.

This week’s topic helped raise my awareness that sexualization is not the same as sexuality and or sex. This clarification will help me in the long run know how to hand the different situation I may come across.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practices

The consequences that I expect to have when dealing with children and their families will be straight to the point. An –ism I anticipate encountering is sexism. For example if a group of boys don’t let a girl or two participate in their play time because they are girls, then I would have to intervene and explain why it is okay for boys and girls to play together.

As the youngest of 3 kids and the only girl, my brothers never let me use being a girl as an excuse. They coached me in softball and basketball, and they always told me that I was the best. And when I would try and use being a girl as an excuse to be lazy and not finish my workouts or drills, they would tell me that I could do anything that a boy can do and maybe even better.

So when it comes to consequences for the children and families in our environment when it deals with sexism, the consequence will be to have the child do a book report, on the opposite sex showing the role that sex plays in society. For the families of the children who enter the environment with misconceptions, I would simply just ask them to put themselves in the other sexes’ shoe and evaluate the problem or issue in that manner.

As a female in a profession that is majority female, it is great to see male professionals teaching and providing great role models for young boys. It is an encouraging experience, and I am glad to be a part of it.

 

Observing Communication

There is this little at my school that is in his first year of preschool. He is somewhat of a trouble maker and his preschool teacher doesn’t know how to handle him. So just about every day he is being sent out of the classroom. One of my colleagues though has learned how to calm him down and get him to do as his teacher ask of him. I have noticed that Ms. Shockey doesn’t get mad at Michael; she tries to do more comforting. Ms. Shockey always starts the conversation by asking him what the problem was and asks him how he handled it. She then proceeds to tell him that if he wants to attend school like his big brother, that he is going to have to learn how to listen to his teacher. My favorite thing to do when Ms. Shockey is having these conversations with Michael are how calm and quiet. She never threatens him or seem to make him feel embarrassed. She just talks to him, which seems to reach him better, then when his teacher constantly yells at him.

I think the communication between Ms. Shockey and Michael is very effective. It is almost like he knows that she is there to help him and not get him into further trouble. She has opened up her arms and ears to him and told him at anytime he needs a hug or just to talk to come and find her.

Just from the way Michael acts when he sees or converses with Ms. Shockey, I know that she has made a positive influence on him. I think even though Michael’s teacher doesn’t show a caring side with him, he knows that Ms. Shockey does. She may have even provided a strong beginning in his career in school. It seems as though he now knows that not every teacher is mean and shows affection. He knows that there are nice, friendly and affectionate teachers in the building.  

The interaction that I see constantly between Ms. Shockey and Michael remind me that some children may need more than just education when they walk through your doors. They may also need extra special attention which could consist of hugs, smiles and maybe even hand holding.  I take the observation from these two and keep it fresh on my “useful information” list I have.

This week I have learned that my passion for early childhood truly is more than the lesson plans. I know this because seeing a child scarf down 2 bananas and 2 milks because they didn’t receive dinner the night before really makes me sad and strive to help these kind of children in any way possible. Even if helping children mean coming out of my personal pocket to provide a “snack closet” in my classroom. I want to be able to positively affect every child I encounter in some way of fashion. I will listen to children not only with my ears, but with my heart as well. I will do everything in my power to be a positive outlet for the many different students I will come across.

Creating Affirming Environments

    In my own Family Child Care Home, I would be mindful of the type of things I want the children to learn and how they learn everything. I would do a theme such as a jungle theme where monkeys, snakes and such would be everywhere to promote a different type of thinking or environment where learning may take place. I would like for there to be tables which have crayon boxes of all colors on them so that each child can choose what color they prefer. In the center of the room would be the desk or most commonly used learning positions. I would also have a carpet which would allow children to join together to have meetings and conversations.

    The walls would be full of inspirational posters and helpful reminders, and there would be posters that contained daily helpful hints. Those posters would include the multiplication tables, or the Pronoun chart, and comprehension tools. I would make sure to provide a location for a library. Where I would include books of all genres with many different cultures represented.

    I would be sure to provide a curriculum that has themes of self-discovery, family and community (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  I want the children to draw pictures of themselves and what they want to be and of what their family at home look like and to explain them. I would also like for them to draw their favorite place to go outside and what are some things they would find there. I would be sure to explain to the class as a whole that a family can look like anything not just a mommy and daddy and such. I want to make sure every child is comfortable with expressing themselves.

    I have created my environment by reading through the suggestions of the reading materials and realizing that even your classroom presentation can show your biases. I have an idea of what I would want my classroom to look like from the colleagues I work with it. Some of my colleagues’ classrooms are not very inviting with not much on the walls and then there are those that just seem so warming and welcoming. That is the kind of classroom I want to have.

 

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

What I Have Learned

My hope that I have for children and families that come from a diverse background, is to create several learning environments to where they feel as though they are at the utmost importance no matter what their circumstance. I want to give everyone that I come across the motivation to be a better person in all aspects of live.

I would like to set a goal for the early childhood field to put aside each and every bias the professionals may come across and be better people, and educators for children and families to look up to. We as professionals set the standard for expectations and how can we expect others to succeed if we ourselves are not successful.

I want to say thank you to all of my colleagues here at Walden and at my Elementary. Being that I am so young in this profession, I truly can say I am learning a lot day by day. I wouldn’t change anything about my experiences. Thank you all for helping me grow into a more aware professional. This journey will soon come to an end for me, yet the everyday experiences will remain near and dear to me. Again thank you.

Creative Art

All the social issues children come across. As professionals we must learn to look past our biases and create learning environments that will help support their not so normal lives.

We must become the professionals that will encourage healthy families that may all look different as well as classrooms that will look different as well. Most importantly always remember early childhood education is the foundation to a child’s healthy beginning.

We Don't Say Those Words in Class

I am the youngest of 3 children and over the past years I have spent a lot of time with my nieces and nephews. I remember one day as we were at the mall hanging out, we were in the food court when a older woman was feeding what looked to be her son, but he was in his 20s or so. He had some type of mental retardation. My 7 year old nephew who is more of the curious type, asked me out loud as we were walking by the mother and son what was wrong with him and why was she feeding him. As I pulled him by his arm quickly and continued to move, I told him I would explain it to him at a different time.

The lesson I hoped to teach him at that moment is to recognize different things happening, but not speak about it to their face and be rude. When we talked about the situation later, he had a lot of questions. I answered them all as best as possible, and then I asked him about different things he has been noticing. As we talked about it all, I started informing him about why it is polite not to stare, point or talk about others that may be different.

As an anti-bias educator, I would explain it to my class the same. I would give them the opportunity to express and ask about previous encounters with differences they have seen. Then after I answer all of their questions as best as possible, I would then begin to explain why it is best and most polite not to point, and stare at those with differences.

Seeing Diversity

 

Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families?

I feel as though times have changed tremendously in the last 30 years. So some things that were not acceptable in the library section is now and should be acceptable. The world of same-sex partners is not something that can be hidden. So instead of hiding the information and things that can come to light as an education system I think we should not necessarily push the books into children hands, but allow them to have the option of reading if they feel free. It’s almost of the times of the Civil Rights movement, a lot of people did not like the idea of integrated schools but it was inevitable. So instead of being ignorant we must educate ourselves.

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms as insults by child to child or by an adult to a child. Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children?

I have heard on the playgrounds Fourth grade boys teasing a fourth grade for the way she dressed. They were saying she was a “tom boy” because she always wore long shirts and boy shorts and basketball shoes. The teasing of the boys hurt the little girls feelings, and you could tell in the weeks to follow that she was trying to look more like a girl. These comments had influenced the little girl to be more self conscious about her appearance. So therefore she tried to change her appearance. No telling if the teasing of these little boys will be a long lasting influence on her image or just a temporary affect.

A Bond Like No Other

Oh my, I can’t believe it is already time to tell you guys thanks. This program is just flying by and I feel as though I am growing tremendously. I want to thank each and every one of you, who has taken the time to comment on my blogs and discussions. It is so helpful to know that there is a group of people out there that share the same goals and aspirations as me. I could not have asked for a better group of people to grow with. I think the best part about this class ending is knowing that as I have grown, you have grown as well.  I want to wish everyone a fantastic and blessed journey as you continue through it. Never look back and never ever give up. We have been given the opportunity to be a part of some of the most magnificent and amazing creatures on this planet, children. Keep striving.

Adjourning Teamwork

The group that I am thinking of that made the hardest to say good-bye is the 5^th grade class that left school for the last time on the last day. Our group was special because I got the opportunity to grow with the 5^th graders and they got the opportunity to see where hard work pays off. I do believe that high performing groups are the hardest to leave. Once someone achieves so much and gets the opportunity to experience it with someone else it means a lot more.

What I thought was really special and unique for the 5^th graders were that it was a tradition for the 5^th graders to be sent off by the rest of the school. Each other grade lined the hall way to create a pathway for the 5^th graders. Then the 5^th graders got to walk the halls for the last time with music playing and everyone cheering. It was an amazing experience to watch and I could only imagine what it felt like to participate in it. Once the 5^th graders passed by me, all I could do was think about the times we spent preparing for the statewide test and just learning about our history and everyday life.

When it comes to adjourning from my colleagues I become sad and happy. I am sad because for the last year I have learned and grew with some amazing people from all over the world. I feel as though I can have a place to go where at least someone understands what I am going through. I almost don’t know where I will go once we graduate to find colleagues and peers like I have today. Yet I know I will be extremely happy because we have all accomplished something that many people will never have the opportunity to do. We will have set goals for ourselves and will have reached them.

I feel as though adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it is a way to see where workings towards your goals have led you. For my 5^th graders we worked 2 semesters on preparing for the state test. When we received our grades from the practice test we had seen that our hard work had paid off. Yet this wasn’t the last step, and I had explained to them that it was time for the next group of teachers to lead them further. So adjourning is just another phase of reaching your goals in my eyes.

Work Conflicts

There is a conflict in my office that is an ongoing problem. At the drug and alcohol rehab center I work at, I am in charge of running and controlling the UA program. Here in the last few months our bill has risen and is causing a problem financially. So in order to help with this problem, I have started enforcing some rules that I have not been doing in the past. Well I am only a part time worker at the center, so when I am not there to enforce the rules, it seems as the counselors and other full time employees don’t care about the rules that have been put into effect. So for the last few mandatory weekly meetings I have brought to everyone attention the issues we are having. I have then asked to help me sole the problems, by coming up with ideas they think will help or even different compromises we can make in order to help bring down the cost of UAs.  So of course some of the main “complaints” my colleagues have had is that it’s not their job to worry about the rules and that they have their own job descriptions to worry about. So I have brought to their attention that because of the lack of “extra” money coming in we are not currently receiving bonuses, luncheons and things of that nature. Once I brought that to their attention, the idea of helping and compromise became the main topic at hand.

So the strategies that I used were providing evidence that with a high UA bill meant less money for the office to enjoy more things and then I was able to get them to the point to where they were more willing to compromise.

Communication Tests

At first I was unsure of what to expect of these tests. Once I did the first test, communication anxiety I was thinking “oh its one of these tests”, you know the ones that ask you the same question but 3 different times and 3 different ways. While I was doing these test, my cousin who is also a coworker was doing the test for me at the same time. We received our results about the same time. It was crazy because pretty much everything that I scored on my own, my cousin scored the same thing. It is didn’t surprise me at all. She knows me and I am very comfortable and relaxed around her. So for her to have the same results were normal to me. The second person I had take the test is my boyfriend of a few months. It was more interesting to read his results. Just by his results you can tell that I am still holding back some of my “realness” from him. I think that is normal as well for a relationship that is this new. I really learned about how much I hold back from people till I am truly comfortable with them. I feel this is a good and bad thing, but something I don’t look forward to changing.

Different Culture Communication

I think for sure I communicate differently depending on the person I am talking with. For example I am a 25 year old Black woman, and I have a wide range or colleagues at the elementary I work at. Yet I know that I “carry” myself differently when I speak to my colleague that is a 28 year old Caucasian woman who has been married to a Black man and currently dating a Black man compared to an older Caucasian woman. I knowingly approach each of these ladies differently. I speak in a different manner and if there is a conversation that I am having I use different examples or speech pattern when it comes to who I am talking to. Since the younger woman is someone I communicate with outside the school, usually my communication with her is more casual. I think as a professional though, you have to be able to relate and communicate to different cultures. It allows you to learn and understand who you are talking to in any situation.

Character Communication

This assignment was actually really interesting. I couldn’t figure out what show I wanted to see. All of my favorite shows just seem so animated. I recently became interested in Glee and all of the pretty music. So I wondered what the show would “look” like with out the music.

The characters in the show expressed the same interest as they did with music and sound. They all made eye contact and you knew the ones that didn’t were mad at each other but that only lasted a few minutes. The emotion that Finn and Rachel have for each other is expressed all of their faces. Even when Rachel sang a love ballet to Finn, the cast in the background portrayed just by their actions and expressions how much the two cared for each other.

The feelings and expressions they seemed to be experiencing are happy yet confused. You can tell by the way Rachel and Finn look at each other and the way Finn grabs her that he cares yet it seems that every other encounter with each other they have looks of anguish on their faces.

When I turned the sound back on of course I was right about my assumption. Although in this episode the two lovebirds were discussing marriage and what a happy thing it can be, there were still moments of “what ifs”. This played a major role in their communication skills and their actual and true feelings for one another.

I do believe my assumptions would have been correct if this had been a show that I had watched a little more. It had all the hand holding, smiling, tears, and hugging of any other show that was revolved young love. Maybe the emotions are true and do relate to real life communications.