Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"When we strengthen families, we ultimately strengthen the community.  Our goal is that parents everywhere work with supportive providers, feel confident in their parenting role, and form strong, resilient attachments with their children.  To help achieve this, providers must be responsive to parents, knowledgeable about child development, and eager to see every parent succeed."
                                                                                               T. Berry Brazelton, MD.

"Curriculum is not delivered.  Milk is delivered.  Curriculum should help children make deeper and fuller understanding of their own experiences."
                                                                                               Dr. Lilian Katz

Louise Derman-Sparks a Professor at Pacific Oak College, CA., says her "passion is to make sure all children are taught in environments that truly nurture their ability to grow and develop to their fullest ability."

                                                         Personal Childhood Web

I chose this picture to talk about those certain people who are a huge part of my success in life.  This is one of my favorite pictures that was taken on my wedding day seven years ago.  When I think of the two most influential people in my life, I think of my mom and dad.  My mom was my biggest supporter as a child.  She had my sister and I involved in everything we ever showed interest in.  She was the mother who made sure I had the latest toys, the news clothes, and never went without even though she wore the same sneakers for years.  She always put my needs before hers and was always happy to do so.  My mom taught me how to work hard, want more, and chase my dreams. She taught me how to love by showing me everyday.  Not a day went by that I didn't hear her say "I love you."  Even to this day we talk almost everyday on the phone and we always end our conversations with those three words.

My dad has always been and still is a huge part of my life.  He was the man in my life growing up that always was there for me when I needed a hug.  He was the dad who held me when I was sick and watched Scooby Doo and Gilligan's Island with me.  Whenever I  needed reassured about anything he was the one who could make me feel good again.  He took my sister and I everywhere.  Our family vacations where always with my mom and dad camping.  I have so many memories with my dad on camping trips.  He taught me the importance of a sense of humor and to find happiness in whatever I do.

My sister has always been someone who I always looked up to.  She is my one and only big sister and she means the world to me.  We are as opposite as sisters can be but that doesn't change the fact that I looked to her as being that big sister that I wanted to be like.  In our early years of childhood we were like best friends.  We played together, laughed together, and shared secrets together.  I'm not even sure to this day she knows how much of an influence she had on my life.  I looked up to her in basketball, so I played.  I looked up to her when she went to college, so I went.  I looked up to her when she became a teacher, so I became a teacher.  She was my guiding grace and helped me realize my potential.

My grandmother was always important to me because she cared and loved me.  She would make a fuss over each one of her grandchildren.  She would catch a bus from her apartment to my house when I was at home sick.  She would make me toast and sit with me all day until my parents came home.  She loved spending time with my sister and I and always made us laugh.  She taught me the importance of family and that there is nothing better than loving one another.

The next two people I want to talk about that were not in my childhood as I was growing up but are certainly in my life now are my fist son and my husband, who are in the picture as well.  Even though my son has not influenced my life as a child, he most defiantly has since he entered this world.  Not only was my sister a big influence on me going to college but my son Nathan really helped me make my decision also.  At the age of seven months he made me realize that I needed to do something greater for the both of us.  I knew it was than that I had to go to college and make something of myself to be able to educate and support not only me but my son.  He has always been the one to make me want to do better.  He was always why I pushed myself a little hard because it wouldn't me just me that I would be letting down.  Lastly, my husband is a huge supporter of me and always giving me confidence when I am lacking it.  He is the one who is there to pick me up when I feel like I'm falling.  He is my best friend and the person who I live to love along with my children.  He makes me feel good about myself and never lets me down.  I am lucky to have a man like him support me through all my endeavors in life.     

My favorite children's book that I just finished reading to my third grade class is Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  This story is important for me to read to my class because it truly shows what  friendship is and the importance of having a friend. As I read this book to my class, we talk about each character and how they are being a friend.  We also discussed our emotions we were feeling and how it would make us feel if we were in the same situations.  I read this story during Read Across America week and in conclusion we had a door decorating contest and the following pictures show our door decorated to represent the book Charlotte's Web.  The students each made a web using glue and glitter.  We listed words that describe a true friend and they glued a word in the middle of their webs just like Charlotte did when she was thinking of Wilbur.

Rules, carefully understood and firmly enforced, "are our proof to the child that we care that he learns to become responsible, a care that he interprets as love..." William Glasser

I took a class last summer titled Schools Without Failure and the professor quoted and referred to William Glasser quite often.  There are many more of his quotes that really meant a lot to me but this one stuck with me because I am a teacher and a mother and I feel it applies to both.  I really feel that this is a reminder to teachers and parents that fighting the battle of teaching responsibility is one worth fighting for, no matter how resistant some children might be.  It is those children who resist the most, that will greatly benefit from rules and structure and will eventually love you back for investing your time in them.  We all have had students who in the past were "the problem child"  who really pushed the limit in following your rules. We spent the entire year feeling like we couldn't make a connection with them or that they just hated everything about us including our rules.  But then it pays off because as the students enter the school for the first time after summer vacations "the problem child" sees you and greets you with a smile and a hug. That's the moment when you know all along that child appreciated everything you did for them including those rules he/she had a hard time following.  

The first two pictures are my twelve year old son's preschool diploma and his hand prints when he was four.  These pictures are special to me because it reminds me of how wonderfully bright he was at such a young age. It also reminds me how impressionable we are on our children and that we are their first teachers.

The last two pictures are of my middle son who is five years of age and ready to graduate kindergarten.  These pictures are of  his preschool diploma and hand print. This was a joyful moment for me to watch his excitement as he was handed his certificate. My children's hand prints are very important to me because not only are they cute but they remind me of their growth and their potential in the years that follow.  

I'm making my first attempt at blogging for my Early Childhood class.  My blog will continue to be a work in progress.