Thursday, March 28, 2013

Words Of Inspiration and Motivation

Discussion Week4:

Hillary Clinton:

Address teacher shortage with salary increases

We’re facing a critical teacher shortage-we’re going to have to recruit more teachers. But I agree with the NEA president that there’s not only a teacher shortage, there’s a respect shortage and a salary shortage as well. There is no way in today’s complicated, information-overdrive world that we’re going to get and keep those in the teaching profession to carry on the tradition of public education, unless [they] receive the salaries that [their] important work deserves. We’re going to have to recruit more teachers. I agree with the President’s proposal that we expand the already successful Troops to Teachers program. We should also provide loan forgiveness to new teachers committed to teaching in hard-to-serve areas. But we cannot lower the standards in this recruitment drive, and I am very much in agreement with the proposal that states be required to phase out emergency certification and improve state teacher certification systems.
Source: Remarks to NEA in Orlando, Florida Jul 5, 1999 
  
Parents are a child’s first teachers. (Jan 2008)  
 “Every child needs a champion.”
Hillary Rodham Clinton

 “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 


 Susan Bredekamp:
 -“The fact that not only do you have to consider children as individuals, but you also have to consider children as members of groups with their own cultural identities.”(2011).

 Children benefit most from teachers who have the skills, knowledge, and judgment to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them.” – NAEYC, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 (2009)

 “Children benefit most from teachers who have the skills , knowledge , and judgement to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them.”

WEEK 2:
 Louis Dermon-Sparks

"Children are not succeeding because they are not given the tools they need not because they don't have the intelligence."

“The passion was that all children were taught in an environment that truly nurtured their ability to develop and grow.
 
 “It made me feel whole, it made me feel creative. And so, it became my life long work, with early childhood education.” –Louise Derman-Sparks

Raymond Hemanadez:
 became an administrator "because I felt like I'd have a bigger impact on managing programs, to be able to shape programs, be able to look at how you design a program that's going to best benefit not only the children but also the families of the program"-

 "I know I can not save the world, I just have to make a difference in the community around me."

Renatta M. Cooper:

"You've got to take your ego out of it and think about what's best for the child."

Leticia Lara:
 “My passion has been evolving through the years, it is an ongoing process. It’s like a ripple… it grows.”

‘’When I think of the word passion and the meaning to the word passion, what comes to mind are what are my values, what are my beliefs, what are the ideas that lead me to action, what do I do so naturally that perhaps seems natural to me but may be challenging to others.’
Sandy Escobido:
    "We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better,and that’s what makes me passionate about this field."
 “When I see parents learning how to share their voice and advocate for their children is what keeps me motivated regardless of the challenges going on.”
 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Childhood Web

5 Important People Who nurtured and cared about me most when I was a child: 




This is a Picture of my mother Joyce and out of all the people that has influenced my life the most she is the most important. My mother raised me to have the utmost respect for everyone. She nurtured me into the woman that I am today by teaching me right from wrong and guiding my everyday footsteps. She always encouraged me to do my best at whatever I chose to do.  She supported my decision and always gave me feedback about any choices that I made. She always made me feel special by just using this one quote: "You can do anything that you put your mind to". She always told me that I am a smart beautiful woman and never let anyone else tell you other wise, Keep you eyes on the prize. Her strong words and support and feedback still stick with me in my personal life today and she continues to provide me with support and encouraging words.

This is a Picture of my sister Ebony and I. She is another important influence in my life. She has always been my biggest supporter. When my mother was sick she took care of me. She always talked to me whenever I just needed advice or somebody to talk to as a young child and still to this day she continues to that. At a young age she always helped me with making important decisions  She stayed on me about the importance of education. She taught me my time tables when I was little, she potty trained me, she taught me how to read and she just loved me for the person that I am. She always made me feel special. She would take me with her everywhere she went weather it was to her friends house, basketball game, dance class, recitals she even let me come stay with her while she was in college. She made me feel like I was the best sister in the world. Her guidance that she gave me to make smart decisions and to further my education is something that is still influencing in my life today.


These two Wonderful people are my Grandmother and my Grandfather they have spoiled me a lot over the years and still do till this day. As a a child they took care of me by keeping me, clothing, me, feeding me, supporting me financially  all the normal things that grand parents do. Both My Grandmother and my Grandfather supported me in everything I did as a child they came to my all my sport events, academic events, choral events, band and graduations. They helped my stay on a great spiritual track by always taking me to church and they taught me the importance of keeping God first in everything that I do. My Grandparents always made me feel special just by always being at my events and supporting me and of coarse by spoiling me and getting me just about anything that I wanted. There guidance of me spiritual continues to remain as an important aspect in my life; there kind words, and the support that they gave me help me to continue to strive and be the best that I can be at life.

This Guy right her is Lester Wilder. He has always been a friend to the family and when I got to high school he was my basketball coach. This guy was like a father figure to me, he was there just as much if not more than my real dad. At a young age and throughout my life he has always been the one that gave me a lot of tough love. As a child I use to get real upset if I didn't get something on the first try he would always be the one to say "Don't ever give up with ya Knuckle Head self." That was his way of showing me love, but at the same time teaching me how to not give up at anything in life and to continue to try, try again. He just knew how to keep me straight. He always made me feel like I was his own daughter. he would take me out with him just to have dinner and spend time with me. As I got older those outings turned into conversations about me and what I was thinking about doing with my, talk about any problems that  I had or it was just to spend time. His words still stick with me today, I always try my best at what I do and if I do not get it the fist time, I just try it again. He continues to be a great support system and great person to talk to till this day.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

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These three images are from out of a total of eighteen children. They are actually cards that they made for me but I did not post the entire card because it has their pictures and names. These pictures mean the world to me. They were given to me on my last day of Student Teaching. I was student teaching in a NC- PRE-K Classroom at Sheep Harney Elementary School in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and on my last day the entire class had prepared a big going away/ congratulations basket for and in it was these cards. Each one of my students made their own card with different sayings in them such as: I love you Miss. Harris or I'm going to Miss you and they drew a picture for me, tried to write there actual name and the message. When I received these it touched my heart so much and this really let me know that I was doing the right thing by going into the teaching field. I really felt like I really had made a relationship with these children and a difference in their lives. Starting form the left this is a picture of me and the student, next the student drew a picture of me and last  it a picture of both the student and I and a flower. These pictures are the reason why I love being in the Early childhood field. Knowing that I made a positive Impact in their lives just brings me to tears.

My Favorite Childhood Book



The Three little Pigs has to be one of my favorite Childhood stories in the world. I love this book so much because I would make my mother read this to me every night before I went to bed when I was little. To me this is a great story to get children children's attention and to use in a Dramatic Play area. I just like the fact that it talks about these three pigs trying to build a house out of different materials and basically seeing who would have the strongest house; which house could the wolf not blow down. This story was just one that always calmed me down and kept my attention when I was growing up.

Quotes that Speak to Me!

Dr. Seuss, author
"A person's a person, no matter how small."

“If we want to invest in the prosperity of our nation, we must invest in the education of our children so that their talents may be fully employed.” – President Bill Clinton

“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” Quotes by Maria Montessori

Children are our most natural resource. Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them. Lady Bird Johnson, Former U.S. First Lady

 
Nelson Mandela quotes

 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Hello,

My name is Chawanda Harris and I am just now getting a start in the Early Childhood field. I recently graduate from Elizabeth City State University with a BS in Birth-Kindergarten Education. I also obtained my Teaching license in the area of Birth-Kindergarten in the state of North Carolina. I just began working through Bright Horizons at a center called A Child's Place in Greenville, NC. I am a Teacher in the Toddler 3 classroom. Each Day is full of smiles and is a day to remember. I have always loved working with children and I am excited to share with you my experience and Knowledge as I grow as an early childhood educator.