The assignment for this week was to post a few quotes. I love quotes. People say the most amazing things & they never really know the effect they may have on others. The few quotes I am going to share are all related to children. A few are from major contributors from the early childhood field and others are from current early childhood professionals who are passionate about what they do. These quotes all spoke to me, I hope they do the same for you.
"Children are like tiny flowers; they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers." ~ Friedrich Froebel (the "father" of Kindergarten)
"The mind grows by self revelation. In play the child ascertains what he can do, discovers his possibilities of will and thought by exerting his power spontaneously. In work he follows a task prescribed for him by another, and doesn't reveal his own proclivities and inclinations; but another's. In play he reveals his own original power." ~ Friedrich Froebel (the "father" of Kindergarten)
"Part of being who you are has to do with feeling your feelings, which means you'll have a wide range of emotions -- not just constant sunshiny happiness." (Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Child, Family, & Community: Family-Centered Early Care & Education)
"I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference. ... You know for me, that one little sparkly will make a difference for me throughout the whole day." ~ Raymond Hernandez MS Ed, Executive Director, School of Early Childhood Education, University of Southern California
"...I learned it's not all about you. You got to take your ego out of it and think about what's best for this child." ~ Renatta M. Cooper, Program Specialist, Office of Child Care, LA County Chief Administrative Office
Children need love. They need to be cared for. They need the time to play in order to discover the world for themselves.
I may not be able to help all of the children I come in contact with, but if I'm able to help one, I would be happy. It's not about me though. It's always about the children. They are the future. They are our future.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
My Personal Childhood Web
This assignment was a difficult one for me to complete (which is probably why I waited until the last minute). Majority of my childhood is unfortunately blocked out of my memory. It's all jumbled so I remember only bits & pieces, & honestly that's frustrating. I'm currently in the process of trying to work the memories out but again...it's a process. But, here goes my childhood web...
Diann (Mommy...that's what I call her)
*I love my mother. She's been an influential person in my life. She was a single mother, raising my brother & I until I was 10. While raising us, she worked full time, & attended law school. I applaud her efforts. We never wanted for anything. She was always able to make a way. My weekdays were spent with her & some of the weekends. She was good at tough love...lol. As an adult, my mother is one of my closest friends. I talk to her every morning on my way to work. She may not always understand me but she tries. She is my momma, & I wouldn't trade her for the world!!
Granny, Auntie, & Alma
*These three women have probably had the most influence on my life. When I was a baby, my mom was introduced to Granny & Auntie by a college friend. They fell in love with me & from that day on they have been family. My maternal grandparents lived in New Jersey, so they were the closest things to grandparents I had in the area. I spent most summers & weekends at Granny & Auntie's house. They taught me everything I know about sports. They helped me appreciate school & learning. With them, I learned what it meant to apply myself. They pushed me very hard but I never doubted that they loved me. Granny & Auntie have been best friends since the 1950's. They met in the Air Force. Alma met them a few years later. They have all been close ever since. Although they aren't blood, I definitely consider them family. With them I always felt safe. I currently live with Granny (91 yrs old) & Auntie (turned 80 this week). Granny gets up most mornings around 6am & rides her bike & does her exercises. Auntie does a lot of work around the house. I tell them all the time that I want to be like them when I grow up. They are truly such amazing women. And to this day, I still feel safe.
Jeffery (Daddy)
*Jeffery is actually my stepfather, but he is the only father figure I know so I call him Daddy. I am Daddy's little girl. Him & my mother were married when I was 10. They are still happily married. He taught me more about sports & how to be competitive. We had lots of fun with him growing up. After my parents were married, we took family trips every summer, he always took us (me, my brother Alexx, & my stepbrother Terrence) to parks & rec centers. My childhood memories with him are all sport related...lol. He has always, & still is, my #1 fan.
Alexx
*Alexx is my brother. He is 4 1/2 years younger than me. We have been through so much together. We were the best of friends growing up because we were all we had. I looked out for him. He had a lot of anger inside. So we eventually grew apart. In my eyes, he was my mom's favorite. I'm sure she will deny that but that's how it felt. He was in trouble a lot as a child, teenager, & even as an adult. Some of it was difficult to watch & deal with but I never stopped loving him & he knows it. Today, I am proud to say that my brother is a different man. He has turned his life around & I couldn't be prouder of him. Prayer truly changes things!!
The Babysitter
*She is the reason I want to work with children. She was probably the WORST child care provider ever. However, as a child, I didn't know how to express that. As one of her oldest children, I changed diapers & took care of the younger children. Her child care was in her apartment. She took care of approx. 10+ children & had 4 children of her own. She didn't have a husband. She was lazy & she constantly lied to the parents. For her, it was about the money. In the summer she would kick the older children out around 7/8am & tell us to go play. We annoyed her & her teenagers whenever we came looking for water or had to go to the bathroom. Just an overall negative experience. No supervision. No learning. Just sleep, eat, play. I didn't share any of this with my mother until we moved & no longer had to attend. I was afraid I would get in trouble. The mind of a child is very fragile. She is my model of what NOT to do when it comes to raising & caring for children.
These people are just a glimpse of those individuals who have helped shaped the woman I am today. Some negative & some positive experiences/influences but they all played their parts. I thank God for who I am today & who I will become. He guides me & I pray that I am becoming who He wants me to be.
Diann (Mommy...that's what I call her)
*I love my mother. She's been an influential person in my life. She was a single mother, raising my brother & I until I was 10. While raising us, she worked full time, & attended law school. I applaud her efforts. We never wanted for anything. She was always able to make a way. My weekdays were spent with her & some of the weekends. She was good at tough love...lol. As an adult, my mother is one of my closest friends. I talk to her every morning on my way to work. She may not always understand me but she tries. She is my momma, & I wouldn't trade her for the world!!
Granny, Auntie, & Alma
*These three women have probably had the most influence on my life. When I was a baby, my mom was introduced to Granny & Auntie by a college friend. They fell in love with me & from that day on they have been family. My maternal grandparents lived in New Jersey, so they were the closest things to grandparents I had in the area. I spent most summers & weekends at Granny & Auntie's house. They taught me everything I know about sports. They helped me appreciate school & learning. With them, I learned what it meant to apply myself. They pushed me very hard but I never doubted that they loved me. Granny & Auntie have been best friends since the 1950's. They met in the Air Force. Alma met them a few years later. They have all been close ever since. Although they aren't blood, I definitely consider them family. With them I always felt safe. I currently live with Granny (91 yrs old) & Auntie (turned 80 this week). Granny gets up most mornings around 6am & rides her bike & does her exercises. Auntie does a lot of work around the house. I tell them all the time that I want to be like them when I grow up. They are truly such amazing women. And to this day, I still feel safe.
Jeffery (Daddy)
*Jeffery is actually my stepfather, but he is the only father figure I know so I call him Daddy. I am Daddy's little girl. Him & my mother were married when I was 10. They are still happily married. He taught me more about sports & how to be competitive. We had lots of fun with him growing up. After my parents were married, we took family trips every summer, he always took us (me, my brother Alexx, & my stepbrother Terrence) to parks & rec centers. My childhood memories with him are all sport related...lol. He has always, & still is, my #1 fan.
Alexx
*Alexx is my brother. He is 4 1/2 years younger than me. We have been through so much together. We were the best of friends growing up because we were all we had. I looked out for him. He had a lot of anger inside. So we eventually grew apart. In my eyes, he was my mom's favorite. I'm sure she will deny that but that's how it felt. He was in trouble a lot as a child, teenager, & even as an adult. Some of it was difficult to watch & deal with but I never stopped loving him & he knows it. Today, I am proud to say that my brother is a different man. He has turned his life around & I couldn't be prouder of him. Prayer truly changes things!!
The Babysitter
*She is the reason I want to work with children. She was probably the WORST child care provider ever. However, as a child, I didn't know how to express that. As one of her oldest children, I changed diapers & took care of the younger children. Her child care was in her apartment. She took care of approx. 10+ children & had 4 children of her own. She didn't have a husband. She was lazy & she constantly lied to the parents. For her, it was about the money. In the summer she would kick the older children out around 7/8am & tell us to go play. We annoyed her & her teenagers whenever we came looking for water or had to go to the bathroom. Just an overall negative experience. No supervision. No learning. Just sleep, eat, play. I didn't share any of this with my mother until we moved & no longer had to attend. I was afraid I would get in trouble. The mind of a child is very fragile. She is my model of what NOT to do when it comes to raising & caring for children.
These people are just a glimpse of those individuals who have helped shaped the woman I am today. Some negative & some positive experiences/influences but they all played their parts. I thank God for who I am today & who I will become. He guides me & I pray that I am becoming who He wants me to be.
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| My mom, Alexx, & I...Thanksgiving 2010 |
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| My Granny & I @ Medieval Times a couple of weeks ago |
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| Mom, Daddy, Granny, & our Pastor @ Granny's 90th birthday party...Dec. 2009 |
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| Auntie & I @ Granny's 90th birthday party |
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| Momma, Alexx, & I...ages unknown |
Saturday, March 12, 2011
"The Little Engine That Could"
How many remember this classic childhood favorite? This book teaches children a very important lesson that will stick with them the rest of their lives...believing in yourself. This was one of my favorite books as a child!! Sometimes we all feel like we can't do something and so we ask for help. But what if there is no one to help you? Do you just give up? This book tells children to persevere. To keep pushing, believing that you can. Believing in yourself is an invaluable lesson for any child to learn. They end up growing believing that they can, even when others tell them they can't. They have a positive attitude when faced with life's challenges. They believe that there are possibilities in what others may think is an impossible situation. They believe they can and they do. It's amazing.
So, when you are faced with an obstacle that may seem like it will hinder your growth...remember that little engine that needed to get over the mountain. Your problem/challenge/obstacle (whatever you choose to call it) is that mountain. Believe you can and you will get over it.
(A children's book with an important lesson that is valuable to children and adults of all ages. A true classic.)
Children need love in order to grow!
Another assignment for this week was to find quotes related to children that were meaningful to us. One quote I found was
Every child needs love. They may behave badly but they still need love. In some cases, those children are the ones that need love the most. As a teacher, I have students that don't know what unconditional love feels like. They come from broken homes, abusive situations, and who knows what else. Sometimes, the love and care I show them is all they get for the day. Without love, children will grow up searching and lost. Trying to satisfy a feeling that they are unable to explain. Children need to know that people care. They need to be nurtured and loved, encouraged and guided.
The love can be in the form of listening, understanding, words, actions, and even through discipline. Take the time to invest in children. They are our future and they need our love to grow.
Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it. ~Harold Hulbert (not sure who he is)
Every child needs love. They may behave badly but they still need love. In some cases, those children are the ones that need love the most. As a teacher, I have students that don't know what unconditional love feels like. They come from broken homes, abusive situations, and who knows what else. Sometimes, the love and care I show them is all they get for the day. Without love, children will grow up searching and lost. Trying to satisfy a feeling that they are unable to explain. Children need to know that people care. They need to be nurtured and loved, encouraged and guided.
The love can be in the form of listening, understanding, words, actions, and even through discipline. Take the time to invest in children. They are our future and they need our love to grow.
Physical growth
This week, we are assigned to post a picture of ourselves as a young child. Well this is me at about age 2 I believe. These pics are just a glimpse into my physical growth.
A little bit older in this pic.
At about age 4.
So, I skipped more than a few years. This is me in 5th grade. I decided to take my glasses off for this school photo. This is also 1 of 2 school pics that I didn't smile. This was the first time I was afraid show my teeth ( I didn't get braces until 7th grade, but I loved to smile). Sunday, March 6, 2011
My first blog...yay!!
So this is my first blog. I never thought of myself as the "blogger type" but everything happens for a reason. So here I am. This blog was created as a requirement for my grad class. So there will be posts related to that as well as growth over all. I believe we are growing all day, every day. Whether it is physical, mental, or spirtual, we are growing. Growth, just like progress, should be celebrated no matter how small. A victory is a victory. I will try to blog at least once a week on my growth. Until then, be Blessed & continue to be a Blessing!
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