Walking on the levee is so refreshing!

Suppport

~A Note of Thanks and Support~

I want to express my deep appreciation for the help and support you have offered me throughout my recent online schooling experience. I feel very grateful to you for taking time out of your busy schedule offering me insight in the area of Early Childhood Education. I appreciate your wealth of suggestions and am looking forward to implementing many of them. It is also a delight to know there are others that are interested in forming our foundation, our future, which are our children!

Schooling with you was a great learning experience for me. I really value the knowledge and tips of wisdom you gave, and your willingness to share it with me. I credit our professor, you and our other colleagues for the success of this as well as for my own professional growth. I thank you for that.

You have truly inspired me to work with sincerity and dedication. I am looking forward to implementing all of your valuable suggestions.

Thank you once again for showing me how one can be an exemplary worker in my field and an excellent colleague. I consider you not only a colleague, but a valuable mentor.

Educationally Yours,

Clarencia Grimes

Examining Codes of Ethics

Examining Codes of Ethics

From the Division of Early Childhood (DEC)

Responsive Family Centered Practices:

-We shall respect, value, promote, and encourage the active participation of ALL families by engaging families in ways in the assessment and intervention processes.

-We shall respect families’ rights to choose or refuse early childhood special education or related services.

Enhancement of Children’s and Families’ Quality of Lives:

-We shall recognize and respect the dignity, diversity, and autonomy of the families and children we serve.

From NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

Section II

Ethical Responsibilities to Families

Ideals

1-2.1-To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.

1-2.2-To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.

1-2.6-To acknowledge families’ childrearing values and their right to make decisions for their children.

The significance of these codes of ethics to my professional life is to know that parents feel competent and realize the roles as advocates for their children. An open door policy is another wonderful characteristic for a parent to know when enrolling their child in a school so they’ll know they are welcome in their child’s learning experience at all appropriate times. As educators have to realize and know that parents also have “Parent’s Rights and Responsibilities” and when engaged in IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) or IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan) meetings, they have the right to disagree or agree to their child receiving certain services and they can simply sign off on their tracking folders when meeting with ancillary team members. These are all meaningful to me and the role I have as a teacher in a public school system and having a child of my own with special needs.

"Children learn more from what you are than what you teach."
-W.E.B. Du Bois

         

From the “Passion, Motivation and Wisdom,” John Hagel’s article “Pursuing Passion,” (2009) “passion simply means happiness.”

As stated in our Walden University Mission statement, “leaders who can inspire, influence, and impact their diverse communities by helping to meet challenges and opportunities of education worldwide, prepare leaders.”

I really appreciate Edward Zigler because he had major accomplishments in the design of Head Start. Some major ones included social and emotional development, health and social services to families. More importantly was the introduction of parent participation, which was a major determinant of a child’s growth and development.

Edouard Seguin accomplishments included creating the first school dedicated to educating the mentally challenged in 1839.

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.
-Author Unknown

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when I know there are footprints on the moon.
Paul Brandt

Personal Childhood Web

My dad/mother- My parents made sure all of my needs were met as a developing child and showed us love unconditionally in many forms.

My great grandmother- During the time when my mother was completing her masters plus 30 and my dad was working long nights for Pepsi Cola Bottling company, my  great grandmother kept my brothers and I. We were her pride and joy until her health failed her. When my mother enrolled us in daycare, my great grandmother would call there to ask if we were fed and taken care of.

My Grandmother- As little children, if one of us would get sick, my grandmother would come over and stay with us until she nursed us back to good health. She knew how important school was and did not want to see us miss a lot of days. And her home remedies worked!

My 4-H Leader- Ms. Perkins made sure we were involved in many activities being that she was an Agricultural Extension Agent with 4-H. She also made sure we were involved in character building seminars, expressed our love for what we did and made sure we were exposed to as much as possible when it came to learning experiences.

Now My Children- My children are my “push” for returning to school. I’m doing this so they’ll know I’m doing so to make things a little easier for them; as far as their needs and some desires. I feel that if they know I realize the importance of returning to school, they’ll realize how important it is for them to complete school as well and go as far as they can go educationally.

The main thing with each of the above mentioned persons is that they expressed their love, making me realize that these were and is lifelong learning experiences and compassion as a growing child. And now I still realize how important “going the extra mile” is because things aren’t getting any easier.

             

Personalizing Your Blog

Blog Assignment: Personalizing Your Blog

Quote- “The Children in our classroom are more significant than the subject matter we teach.”      *Meledee McCarty

This quote is meaningful to me because reaching children is vital. Organizational skills also come to mind because children cannot be reached unless they’re in an organized environment. I also feel this skill effects our marketing effort because parental opinions are formed by their first impressions of our programs/classrooms and second chances are rarely given.

One of my favorite children’s books is “In The Tall Tall Grass” by Denise Fleming. I chose this book because it has attainable goals and skills a teacher can teach across the board. The skills are as follow:

1.       Word families

2.       Math/sets/graphs/matching

3.       Science/ habitats/social studies/day light and night time

4.       Repetition (the caterpillar is shown on all pages and children will notice that)

5.       Literacy/rhyming words

6.       An edible experience would be “dirt cups”-crushed Oreos, vanilla pudding and gummy worms

7.       The children can act out each action word

 

 

One thing that fuels me the most about children in Early Childhood is all children can be reached, as a teacher meeting them where they are is the most important factor. Families must come to a realization in helping the teachers meet the goals necessary for their child. One thing that reminds me that a simple goal can be met extends back when I had an autistic child and the mom assured me he did not and will not talk. Well one day we were saying the pledge and he said, “and justice for all…you may be seated.” This was something that was recited on a daily basis and remained with him after months had passed. My paraprofessional and I were so excited; we called our supervisor, his ancillary teachers, the mother and our child diagnostician.