Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"Each of us must come to care about everyone else's children. We must recognize that the welfare of our children is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people's children. After all, when one of our children needs life-saving surgery, someone else's child will perform it. If one of our children is harmed by violence, someone else's child will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people's children” (The Natural…,1997).

~Lilian G. Katz

“Let’s keep up the good work for the sake of the children. The best way to influence others is to do the best we can! It may very well be that what we do speaks more loudly than what we say” (Katz, 2007).

~Lilian G. Katz

“Developmentally appropriate practices are ways of teaching that vary for or adapt to the age and experience of the individual learner. So fundamentally the definition has not changed. Instead, it has been expanded to include the fact that not only do you have to consider children as individuals, but you also have to consider children as members of groups with their own cultural identities”  (Early Childhood, 2013).

~Sue Bredekamp

“If the first three years of life are deprived in terms of stimulation and interaction with warm, nurturing human beings, it's going to be real tough for the child to acquire the depth and breadth of verbal language needed to build reading abilities” (Early Childhood, 2013).

~Sue Bredekamp

“…I had a, I think, a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and to fix all the injustices that existed in the world and I wanted to do that through teaching” (Laureate, 2013).

~ Ms. Sparks

“And, I truly believe that I am not here to save the world, I’m here just to make a difference in my community I am working” (Laureate, 2013).

~Mr. Hernandez

“…I found, during the time I was in charge of that program, that working intently with children and their families was almost like earning a doctorate, because every year there was always a specific challenge, I was in charge, I had to meet it.  I had to meet it for me, I had to meet it in terms of what I was modeling for my staff and what they would be taking away and incorporating into their own personal repertoire, and also I had to meet it for the families that I worked with, I always felt I owed them that”(Laureate, 2013). 

~ Ms. Cooper

“I learned it is not all about you.  You’ve got to take your ego out of it to think about what is best for this child…” (Laureate, 2013). 

~Ms. Cooper

“Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve” (The Quote Garden, 2013).

 ~Roger Lewin

“The one real object of education is to have a man in the condition of continually asking questions” (The Quote Garden, 2013).

 ~Bishop Mandell Creighton

References

Early Childhood Today. (2013). Sue Bredekamp & Susan Neuman on Learning to Read. Retrieved from   http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/ect-interview-sue-bredekamp-susan-neuman-learning-read/

Katz, Lilian. (2007).  Early Childhood Research and Practice:  International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Lessons from My Travels. Retrieved from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v1n1/katz.html/ 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2013). The Passion for Early childhood [Webinar]. Baltimore MD: Author. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3397737_1%26url%3D

The Natural Child Project.  (1997).  Retrieved from http://www.naturalchild.org/quotes/1997.html

The Quote Garden. (2013).  Quotations about Education. Retrieved form http://www.quotegarden.com/education.html

Personal Childhood Web

People who influenced my life as a child, cared for me, and made me feel special:

Grandpa:  Bill

     My grandpa was a very large, but gentle man with a deep voice. My grandpa influenced my life by always acknowledging my presence, giving me encouraging words, taking me to fun places, and giving me choices.  Although he is no longer with us, I often think about how he strived to make good choices to benefit others. 

     His favorite quote to say:  "Be slow to answer and quick to hear."

Mother: Diana

     My mother is a very prim-and-proper lady who values hard work and excerise.  My mother influenced my life by staying home to take care of me and my siblings when we were younger.  She always made nutritious home-made meals and kept our house clean.  She was also devoted to making sure we were "spiritually sound" by making sure we spent adequate time in church and in studying the Bible.  She also wanted her children to be hard-working and independent.  As we grow older, we always had our own rooms to clean throughout the house, worked out in our garden, and learned some about our family business, which was a gas station.  My mom continues to make me feel special by continuing to teach me ways to be a good mother to my own children.


Aunt:  Kathleen

     My aunt is a hard-worker who raised successful children on her own.  My aunt influenced my life as a child by trying to take me everywhere she went and would often say I was her own child.  Even after she had her own children, she made sure we spent our own special time alone together shopping and/or going out to eat.  My aunt continues to make me feel special by calling me often to ask how I am doing and how my own children are doing.  She also comes to visit us when she is able.  My favorite memory of her is the time she took me shopping to get her daughter clothes and some school supplies.  She told me it was up to me to pick everything out for her daughter.  I chose the type of clothes I would love to wear and the type of supplies I would want to use in school.  When she dropped me home after shopping, she said, "Oh don't forget your bags."  She surprised my by buying me those items.  To this day, I still have one of the tops and skirts she bought me on that trip because I appreciated her deed so much. 

Sister: Michelle

     My sister is a very passionate person who enjoys trying new things.  She is also my older sister who often did her best to make sure I was doing what I was told and kept me out of trouble.  She would help me read books and explained words I did not understand in a way I could understand them.  She made me feel special because she took the time to guide me in what was right and wanted me to be educated.  She continues to make me feel special because she calls me almost every day to share new thoughts and to encourage me to finish my educational goal.  She is my biggest support in my decision to go back to school. 

Teacher: Mrs. Pierson

     Mrs. Pierson was a very petitie woman who had a gently disposition.  When I was in Kindergarten, she was the most wonderful teacher.  Mrs. Pierson spent a lot of one-on-one time with me to teach me specific skills, especially in reading and math.  I feel because of her efforts, I become an above average reader and was usually advanced in my math skills.  I never saw her lose her  patience with any of her students and she always had a smile on her face.  She always made me feel special in the way she always seemed eager to help me learn and take the time to listen to my ideas and answer any questions.  I often think about what she would do in some situations I am in with young children and it seems to get me through it. 

"Horton Hatches the Egg," by Dr. Suess

    On doing what you say you’ll do: “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful—one hundred percent.” Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Suess

I enjoyed this book as a child and continue to find it inspirational as an adult because of the fierce determination Horton the elephant had for completing a task.  Horton never gave up even when the challenges he faced seemed impossible for him to complete his committment.     
 He endures harsh environmental elements, is ridiculed by his friends, and is captured by hunters and forced to be in a circus.  Yet, through it all, he is committed to keeping his word and is ultimately rewarded in the end. 

Personalizing My Blog Assignment

If I had my child to raise over again
I'd build self-esteem first and the house later
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I'd do more hugging and less tugging
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I'd model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.

~Diane Loomans

 

Children are our most valuable natural resource.

~Herbert Hoover

Greetings!

Hello Everyone,

I am excited to have set up my first early childhood blog.  I look forward to personalizing my blog and uploading personal and professional information.  I am also eager to visit and learn from other blog postings.