Come to Think of It......Who is Teaching and Who is Learning????

If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. ~Ignacio Estrada

Really, isn’t this so true — quite often we to teach and guide our children in the direction of our vision which is colored by our lenses… By doing,it is possible the we can  fail to see the child’s potential – Open up – Remove the lenses and understand the child’s talent…. Each child is a genius in his or her own way…. Recognize and harness those talents……

What Would I Assess??? Hmmmm......

As an educator, I'm fully aware of the importance of having the ability to obtain and apply the knowledge being presented. However there are times that I feel the education system has become totally obsessed with measuring the results of standardized test. Are the children in my classroom learning???? How can we be sure???? What is the measuring stick we're grading them against??? Is it fair??? Question after unanswered question. As we should already know, given time and effort, you can find research supporting the positive and the negative of any concern (not that all the sources would be reliable). What are we doing?

During an internship I had over 8 years ago, I had the pleasure of experiencing an environment where children were not formally assessed, however were encouraged to explore in a teacher guided/child centered atmosphere. I must admit, I initially was a skeptic because I was a produce of being taught a lesson and then having my results measures through taking a test. Since this was how it had been done for generations, then it must be right!!!! (not really). When I just couldn't take it anymore, I had to ask the question....how do you know if what we are doing is even working? (Oh by the way, this was the same lead teacher I mentioned previously in my post on "Positive Change Can Come With Time"). With the same caring smile, she began to explain (teach me) that by simply asking the children questions and paying attention to their responses and peer conversations, we would know if they had retained the knowledge through experience or if we (the teachers) needed to take another approach. What about the schedule??? How would we make sure we met the time lines???  Once again there she was, to the rescue.....the children are our indicators, they set the pace on how quickly they learn as well as what they learn. And with that tranquil smile, she shared with me this simple phrase.....It all will work out in the end.

And it did. No one transitioned out without mysteriously learning how to write their names, knowing colors, letter, different kind of sharks and what their diet consist of, what is in outer space, what causes a boat the float and not sink, so on and so on. It happened without standardized test and comparing performances of one child against another. They all learned without being stressed out or made to feel less than unique and I learned the true meaning of education and never forgot.

From an International Perspective:

Again, I'm not saying that assessments are not important, however there are various ways children can be/are assessed instead of teachers focusing on teaching the test, then the children taking the test. Internationally, various countries also conduct assessments on performance of the children in their country. I have attached the link to the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) http://acei.org/programs-events/global-guidelines.html  This is a helpful resource that provides information on recommended global guidelines to education.

ACEI was established as the International Kindergarten Union (IKU) in 1892, by educators concerned with the professional preparation of kindergarten teachers. In 1931, the National Council of Primary Education joined with the IKU to form the Association for Childhood Education (ACE). Realizing the critical importance of advancing childhood education throughout the world, ACE added "International" to its name in 1946, becoming the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). Today, ACEI has members in many nations, country liaisons, and network groups.

Noise and Confusion

Too often as parents, we don't realize how the environment we create for children can truly shape them into the adults they will become in the future. Some of the first thoughts are the importance of food, shelter, clothing (you probably see where I am going with this) the list goes on and on. I'm not saying those things aren't extremely significant (because they are), however there are some less thought of necessities that help to make a well-rounded person.

A noisy environment consisting of yelling (directly or indirectly), loud music, and constant chatter of talking can create confusion in a child's world. I recall spending some time at the home of a relative where in comparison to what I was use to, yelling was the choice of communicating things to children. Whenever my name was called, I would instantly jump up in nervousness and run to see what I had done wrong (which was what my mind went immediately to since I automatically associated yelling with something negative). There was yelling to wake up, come to breakfast, to get in the car to go somewhere, and to go to bed (just to mention a few times) and I was always in a state of wondering if I wasn't moving fast enough or doing the wrong thing, very confusing I might say!!! My cousins (5 of them ) were always in a state on motion and transition and I was only use to moments of conversation and discovery with my grandmother who would allow me to have time to play, read, and simply think in peace and quiet. 

                                                                               
                                                                                 
                                                                     
As adults now, I have noticed that some of my cousins that have chosen to have children also yell to gain immediate responses from them. Though we have discussed how they were made to feel as children when they were yelled at, the cycle continues nevertheless. I do have one cousin who has made the choice not to have children, and when asked why, the response was because he doesn't want to mess them up. The cousin I'm speaking of has a very calm demeanor and is wonderful and patience with children as he has spent countless moments babysitting and hanging out with my 2 when they were young. I have gotten numerous compliments from him about what a wonderful mother I am and how proud he is of me:) I totally respect his decision not to have children and often wonder if his childhood has a great deal to do with his choice.

In my research of the African culture and whether yelling is a common practice in communicating with children, I found various links to information on African-American families and yelling, however not much on yelling as a practice in the case of African culture. I only discovered a direction correlation with yelling at children with disabilities in Africa due to the negative stigma of family shame and disgrace of having a disabled individual in the family.

If you are interested in reading further, here is the link to more information. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED533575.pdf        

Great Beginnings.....Prenatal Care

So many times, we think of how important it is to start teaching children as soon as they are born. What about the care they need from us before birth. There are so many critical developmental moments during a woman's pregnancy that can cause a child to miss the mark if a mother is not careful. Is it fair to measure, assess, and have the same expectations for all children when they don't have the same in-utero care to give them a equal start?  

There is a helpful website (Womenshealth.gov) where information about the importance of prenatal care, how often you should visit your doctor or clinic, what you should expect during a routine prenatal visit, and how to get free or reduced prenatal care in this country, is provided. This website is sponsored by the Office of Women's Health by the Department of Health and Human Services. 

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/prenatal-care.html 

South African Antenatal Care: 

http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/policy/2011/guidelines_a.pdf

I continuously educate expectant mothers in my program on the importance of early and consistent prenatal care throughout their entire pregnancy for a better chance of a healthy baby.

The Miracle of Child Birth

My Experience....

It took 29 hours for me to give birth to my first child which was due to my determination not to have the dreaded.....C-Section. That has now been over 22 years ago and I can still remember the bright lights, white walls, and the delivery room being too cold. My nurses seemed to know exactly what I needed, so they didn't bother to even ask me how I was doing. Talk about a need for sensitivity training in appropriate bedside manners. I thought over and over again, my goodness... my mom did this 3 times, SERIOUSLY!!!! After giving birth, I recall being too tired to even left my head up to see my baby though I wanted to (it's called labor for a reason). Following what they called recovery, I was placed in a semi-private room (which I will forever be grateful for) with a woman who had previous experience in what I was learning as I go. A nurse quickly rolled my baby in the room and then left. Everything seemed fine until the sounds of what began as soft cries started. Oh no... I thought. As I tried to gather my strength to care for my child, I realized that I was still numb from the waist down and unable to adequately move. I began to quietly cry in frustration, when my neighbor came over with a smile and asked if she could help me. I could only nod with relief because at this point I needed so much help I was overwhelmed with relief by her offer. She gently placed my child in my arms, adjusted my bed, and asked if I was better now. She encouraged me to be patience with myself, that I would not have all the answers overnight. My neighbor was discharged the next morning and even though I didn't know her long.....she made a lasting impression on me with her kindness and I was able to enjoy the bonding experience with my baby. 

My first birthing experience did have its high points in comparison to what goes on in South Africa. It has been a common practice for nurses there to pinch, slap, and ignore calls for help from women in labor. Imagine being release from the hospital without painkillers or antibiotics after having a C-Section. Yikes, that just screams infection waiting to happen in my opinion. Having such a negative experience can cause resentment and even worst a high mortality rate leaving babies with no mothers or an alternative person to bond with. I have only mention a few misdoings, however here is a link if you are interested in reading what goes on further http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232413.php

If you were wondering, I did do my research and therefore had a much better experience with the birth of my second child. As I always say, you do better when you know better:)   

What Governs Us??? Code of Ethics in Early Childhood Education

Here are 3 Ideals from the NAEYC's Code of Ethics that appeal to me the most. (Ideals reflect the aspirations of practitioners)

Ethical Responsibilities to Children:
     1.9 To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to the support services needed to be successful.

• There are often times that even with the best intentions, those that are trying to help children forget to recognize the moment when additional assistance is necessary. 

Ethical Responsibilities to Families:
     2.5 To respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs.

• This addresses the need to not convert but respect all families related to their values and all they entail. 

Ethical Responsibilities to Community and Society:
     4.6 To promote knowledge and understanding of young children and their needs. To work toward greater societal acknowledgement of children's rights and greater social acceptance of responsibility for the well-being of children.

• Children and the elderly have the least rights regarding the needs for equal treatment in this and other countries. I believe this is due to their inability (in the minds of some people) to effectively contribute to society.   

Here are 3 Practices from the Division for Early Childhood for the Council of Exceptional Children that appeal to me the most.

II. Professional Development and Preparation:

# 4. We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services. 

• It's extremely important to support newcomers to the profession. In the beginning of my career I quickly realized that having the knowledge and applying it are two very different things. Having a mentor can ease some of the guess work involved in trying to figure things out.

III. Responsive Family Centered Practices:

 # 2. We shall provide services and supports to children and families in a fair and equitable manner while respecting families' culture, race, language, socioeconomic status, marital status, and sexual orientation.

• I am thrilled to see the addition of sexual orientation due to the evolving world we live in and the various modern family units we serve. This particular practice will help to keep the importance of professionals remaining objective in the field.

IV. Ethical and Evidence Based Practices:

#1. We shall rely upon evidence based research and interventions to inform our practice with children and families in our care.

• As reporters of the news learn early in their career, you must always consider the source of your information. The same holds true regarding research and interventions. 

Helpful Resources

When you are faced with challenging moments and unsure on how to move forward with a resolution, below is some light at the end of the tunnel:)

The links below are resources that I find very helpful in ECE.

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=411

http://www.collabforchildren.org/

http://www.nationalcac.org/


Here are resources that were shared with me.

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8.  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://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf

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 media segment 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/

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/

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/

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

What Motivates Educating Our Youth

Dr. Edward Zigler

Dr. Edward Zigler, often called "the father of Head Start," is a Yale psychologist known for his groundbreaking research in child development. In 1964, Zigler was one of a panel of experts enlisted by the White House to come up with a program to help low-income kids. Thus was born a summer pilot project called Head Start. Thirty-seven years later, Head Start's preschools have served more than twenty million low-income children and their families, providing education, nutrition, and health care services to two generations of young Americans, and managing to survive a steady retreat from almost every other arena in the war on poverty.

Q: Do you find it's much worse for children under the more conservative administrations than it is with the liberals?
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.

Link to interview- http://progressive.org/node/1546

Marian Wright Edelman

         "If you as parents cut corners, your children will too. If you lie, they will too. If you spend all your money on yourselves and tithe no portion of it for charities, colleges, churches, synagogues, and civic causes, your children won't either. And if parents snicker at racial and gender jokes, another generation will pass on the poison adults still have not had the courage to snuff out".

     "There's ignorance in people who just don't know that we have a national child emergency. And there are a lot of people who are conveniently ignorant--they don't want to know.

Renatte Cooper (Program Specialist, Office of Childcare in LA County)

     "It's not all about you. You got to take your ego out of it and think about what's best for this child".

Raymond Hernandez (Executive Director, School of Early Childhood Education)

     "My passion comes from wanting to make a difference. I'm not here to save the world, I'm here just to make a difference in the community I'm working".   

         

         

My Personal Childhood Web

There are 5 people that I have chosen to focus on for my personal childhood web.

• My Mother 
• My Maternal Grandmother
• Roy Davis (Father Figure)
• My Cousin Marcus 
• Mrs. Deaver (Head Start Director) 

My Mother- A very dedicated, hard working professional woman. I recall watching her getting ready for work many mornings, makeup-hair- and no ensemble was completed until she added her heels as a finishing touch. To support me, my mother went to work in good and bad health. I was her motivation. I remember whenever I was afraid to try something new, she would say  "Always Remember…Nothing Beats a Failure but a Try!

                                                                                                                                                                       

My Maternal Grandmother- The foundation of the family. Without her nurturing ways, nutritious meals, warm place to stay, and availability- I probably would have grown up without a big yard to play in and had a key on a string around my neck. Instead, I was able to have a hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a 3 bedroom one story brick house. She was my constant solace because I knew when I came home from school, it (the house) and she would be there. That fueled the need for me to create the same feeling for my children.

                        

Roy Davis- (My Firefighting Father Figure)- There were times my mother had to work 7 days a week, over 8 hours a day. Roy (her long time boyfriend who worked for the Houston Fire Dept.) would take and pick me up from school, help me with my homework, and keep me safe in his company. He was that first person who tried to teach me how to drive so I wouldn't have to only be depended on others to take me places when I grew up.  

                   

                                                                                                

My Cousin Marcus- I’m the oldest of 3 children and there are 8 yrs between me and my first sibling. My youngest brother and I share a 14 year age difference, so the closest thing I ever had to an older sibling is my cousin/brother Marcus who is 3 years older than me. During our time together in elementary and middle school, he would protect me and give me guidance in right and wrong. Marcus was my voice of reasoning during the confusing times of peer pressure. I always valued his opinion and we are still very close today.

                                                                   

Mrs. Deaver- (My Childhood Head Start Director) - the person who orchestrated an environment for children to learn, be healthy and safe, in compliance with regulations, supporting her staff needs, while having a smile on her face and looking like someone out of a high fashion magazine. Always set your standards high- who know those words would come to mean so much to me.      

One Of My Favorite Children's Book...."A Classic"

The simple love of a child....can make things truly come to life:)

Remember to "Thank" a Teacher!!!!

Positive Change Can Come With Time

Just as children at times, we find ourselves wanting immediate gratification. Whenever I find myself impatient, I'm reminded of the progress a child who started in my toddler 2's classroom made with time, support, and patience.

 It's been over ten years ago, but I will never forget him, he was my first child with special needs. It was during my internship that I met "Ryan" (not his actual name of course) and he presented every challenge a teacher could imagine. A runner, a bitter, a hitter, and more. "Ryan" was born prematurely and had a number of surgeries before reaching the age of 2. He was barely verbal and very aggressive with others, I believe out of his frustration in trying to communicate and not being understood. With the luxury of having 3 teachers in the room, we would all rotate in giving him one on one attention throughout the day. Week after week, incident after incident, I remember my seasoned lead teacher saying throughout the day as a reassurance...."It'll come with time". We were trained to be patient, to use positive redirection and the true beauty in this Piagetian Constructivist environment was that the children were guided in telling each other how their actions, such as hitting, made the other feel. As you can imagine, there were many moments that "Ryan" heard from his friends, "I don't like it when you push me down, it makes me feel bad and I want you to stop", "Ryan" would say "OK" and then walk or run away. When I would leave for the day, I would find myself wondering what would become of "Ryan", how would his experience in life be once he graduated from Kindergarten at the Lab School? Would there be others out there who would show him the patience and care we did? I wasn't so sure.

The end of my internship had come and it was time to say goodbye to my mentors, both the staff and the children that I had learned so much from. It was there I learned the different between having the knowledge and applying it. Without that experience, I would still be lost (but that's another story). I graduated and life happens as it does until I got an invitation to visit the Lab School for a Kindergarten celebration. Yes, my toddlers were about to go to first grade. I was so excited. I wondered what their personalities had become over the years. On the day of my visit, at first glance, I remember thinking..Man they sure have gotten tall. They were all there, smiling and talking and laughing. Just having fun. And then, I saw him..."Ryan". I didn't recognize him because he blended right in talking (clear as a bell), laughing, and singing. I cried at that moment. I was so overjoyed. I later had a conversation with my much respected lead teacher who caught me up on the progress of all the children over the years I missed. When she got to "Ryan", I reminded her how she would always encourage him by say "It'll come with time" and she was right. With that smile of wisdom, she told me that wasn't for him, that was for you. She explained that she knew I would, as she did when she first started teaching, worry about him more than the others because of his challenges. My mentor could see what I had not yet developed the vision for, she could see what would come to be with time, support, and most of all patience. That experience changed my life and I am grateful for it and them everyday:)

Today I have created my first blog and submitted my first entry. I am excited about having the opportunity to share my experiences as well as read about what's going on with others in the same field as me. I am amazed and grateful on how technology has opened doors to allow people to communicate no matter what the distance is between.....AMAZING!!!!