Words of Inspiration and Motivation

 

 

“Home is a child's first and most important classroom." -Hillary Rodham Clinton, It Takes a Village

 

 “First, we parents have to back up school authority and quit making excuses for our kids when they misbehave.” - Hillary Rodham Clinton, It Takes a Village

 

 "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, some 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 secured for all other people's children." - Lilian Katz

"Experts generally agree that taking all opportunties to read books and other material aloud to children is the best preparation for their learning to read. The pleasures of being read to are far more likely to strengthen a child's desire to learn to read than are repetitions of sounds, alphabet drills, and deciphering uninteresting word". Lilian Katz

 

 "It is not all about you, you have to take your ego out and see what is best for the child." -Renatta M. Cooper 

"I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world and to fix all the injustices that existed in the world."-Louise Derman Sparks

Personal Childhood Web

Mom- My mom was my primary caregiver when I was a young child and many things that I learned came from my time spent with her. She always had high expectations of my brothers and I, but she made sure that she taught how to reach these expectations. My younger brother has many different health related problems. He was born when I was 4 years old. My mom had to take on a whole new role when he was born, because I was not in school yet, my mom had to find alternative care for me at different times because she needed to be at the hospital with my younger brother or she needed to take him to different appointments. I see a lot of strength in my mom and I want to be a strong role model for children that I work with. My mom was always a rock for my little brother and she taught him how to be brave. I want to be this inspiration to young children as well.

Grandma- My grandmother was always the rock that held my extended family together. She was a primary caregiver in my life when my mother was not able to care for me. Her house became a second home and I spent quite a bit of time there. My grandmother was a very strong women who was always giving. I think she taught me to be a caring person, even when others do not treat you very nicely. My grandma was a really good cook and she was always teaching me how to cook something new. It's funny the things you remember once someone is gone. One April 13th of this year, it will have been 10 years since she passed away. I'll never forget how her house smelled like Downy fabric softener and how sweet her hugs were  and the sound of her voice. I always knew that I could trust her and that my words were safe when shared with her. I miss her every day. I hope that pass on the same sort of memories to children I work with. That they will always know I love them. I want them to know that it is inevitable that they will be hurt at different times in life, but you must keep on living and loving just the same.

 Nathan- My younger brother had a huge impact in my life.Watching him go through so many things inspired me to want to help other children going through difficult health related issues. My brother and I always had a good relationship and after I decided that I wanted to work with young children my interested started growing to wanting to specifically support young children in the hospital. I think growing up with him and seeing him overcome a lot of difficulties has made me realize the things that are important in life.

Miss Hooper- Miss Hooper was my second grade teacher. She is one of the reasons I became interested in working with children at all. She was calm and patient and left a very lasting impression on me. School has always been a struggle for me, but I remember second grade being a time of learning through fun projects. Because it took me a longer time to complete assignments I would sometimes turn them in partially completed because I was embarrassed that everyone finished before me. Miss Hooper came up with encouraging ways for me to complete the assignments at my own pace without being embarrassed. I think one reason why Miss Hooper had such a strong impact on me is because she was truly able to see the unique individuality of each of her students. She valued each of us for who we are and what we contributed to the classroom. It is this view of children that I hope that always have in my own work with children. I want to make each child feel valued no matter what the circumstances.

Lizzy- Lizzy was my babysitter from a very young age. She another reason why I have a desire to work with young children. She was such a fun lively babysitter and I remember her being very patient with my two brothers and me. I started babysitting when I was 13 and my love for working with young children has only grown. I think I cherish and appreciate the care I received from Lizzy and I want to instill this in the children that I work with.

About me!

• A current photograph of yourself or one of you as a young child:

This is a photo taken at Christmas of me with my nephew.

• A quote about children, childhood, families, early childhood, etc. that is especially meaningful to you:
  I had a professor while I was working on my Associates Degree who told us to "never ask how smart a child is, but to always ask how a child is smart". This has stuck with me throughout my professional and educational careers. This quote is important to me because it takes into account the individuality of each child and reminds you appreciates the efforts and characteristics that each child brings to the table.
  
  
  
  

  • The title of a children's book you love and what you love about it:
    
    
    It is hard to choose just one children's book that is my favorite, but one that I always really enjoyed as a child was The Big Green Pocketbook by Candace Ransom. I think this book was always one of my favorites because it was a book that my grandma had at her house. I still read it to children I babysit and to my nephew and second cousin sometimes. I think the book is still special to me because my grandmother passed away when I was 13. When I read the book now, it brings back memories of climbing into my grandmother's lap and hearing her voice read it to me. 
    
    
    • A story about a child that touched your heart:
      
      
      During my student teaching experience to complete me Associate's Degree, I had the privilege of completing the field experience at an inclusion program that serviced, children with special needs, head start children and typically developing peers. Synching the interaction between these children was an amazing experience! It taught me so many valuable lessons about life as well. I was in a classroom with 3-4 year olds. I will never forget the one day when a little boy defended one of his peers with cerebral palsy. Some of the children were commenting on how slow Mario, who has cerebral palsy, was talking during story time. Another little boy, Noah, who was enrolled as a typically developing peer, quickly spoke up and said, "Sometimes people talk different. Sometimes they Are just different. It doesn't mean we have to talk about it. We can listen to what he has to say if we turn our listening ears up." This warmed my heart for a few reasons. First of all, it was wonderful to see a child coming to the defense of another child. It was also important to me to see how Noah understood the concept of everyone being different and yet it still being important for the children to hear one another out and work together. It was also really cool for me to see the benefits of inclusion at work! 
      
      
      
      
      • An image of a child's drawing, and why you chose it:
        This is a picture a little girl I babysit painted of her and me. I always loved this picture because she put a lot of though into and was so proud to present it to me.e she painted it when she was about   3 . I started watching her when she was 20 months old and I still babysit  her to this day. She is 8 years old now and we have a very close bond. The picture is still special to me, simply because she made it and seeing how proud  she was of it. 
        
        
        
        
        Anything else that fuels your passion for the early childhood field:
          
        I think one thing that fuels my passion for working with young children is that at heart, I'm really just a big kid. I love learning with young children and seeing the world through their young innocent eyes. Everything is new to them, they see things with wonder and amazement. I was told once that a child's mind is like a forest that you need to make a path through. If you only go through the forest once there will be a small path but it will eventually become overgrown and the path cannot be found anymore. Instead, the path should be walked continuously, so that a well defined, clear pathway is created. In the same way, teaching young child is something that requires repetition and patience. If a concept or activity is only shared with a child once, yes the path is walked, but it is not reinforced and will not be a well defined path. This is honestly one of the most important concepts I've learned about early childhood development and I want to share it with others as well.