My Supports

When I think of support I think of people who are going to be there for me ,through the good times as well as the bad times. Of course first and foremost is God. I know no matter what I may be going through he will be there .He is available to me 24/7, 365days , he will listen and advise, he will chasten me when he sees the need. Benefits of having God as my main support system is that he’s been through whatever I am going through. My other support is my sister. She has my back no matter what. She along with God  are the positive forces in my life. She will listen to me and not judge me It is very important to me to surround myself with positive people in my life. People who are going to bring out the good in me. Because after all I definitely don’t need negative people in my circle of supporters.

Without God and my sister It would be very difficult, almost impossible to exist, because they mean so much to me and I really look to them for daily support. I know that God said he would never leave nor forsake me, and my sister also tells me that she will always be there for me too, so if they were absent from my life it would be very difficult for me to go on , however because of my strong faith I am reassured that God will send me another comforter.

 
Challenges are part of life and I am a strong believer that God is not going to allow you to go through  tough times and not see you through. One of my favorite evangelist Robert Schuller always says”Tough times don’t last, tough people do” I believe that God has truly Bless me And surrounded me with such strong supports that uplift me and keeps me focus. Of course there are times that I may let some doubt in, but that’s when God picks me right up and carries me, just like in the poem about footprints. He will only allow me to go so far and when he sees I cannot go anymore, it is then that he picks me up and carries me. What an AWESOME God I serve.  My sister has also carried me through some tough times, and  with God and my sister on my side, I can’t help but come out victorious.

My Connections to Play

    I like the saying “Say I like green eggs and ham, I do Sam I am.” To me this is saying when it comes to play, don’t be afraid to try something new..a new game  or activity..take a chance, you might just like it, you never know unless you try.  I Also like the saying “Dance Like no one is watching.” To me, this sum  up play.  Children play no matter who is watching.(or not) .When I was younger,play was not only encouraged, it was supported by the adults in my life.We  actually had family night every Saturday,we played  board games ,Television and radio were turned off,which meant we had to talk to each other.Play was very important to me as a child,I  especially liked playing in the swamp all day.

     I  feel that play today is very different from when I was a young child. Children do not know how to play outside all day, play today consist of a remote control and a television set. I wish children could know how much fun they can have just playing outside without toys or anything,and if they  got thirsty, how much fun it is to drink from the water hose outside ,how much fun it is  eating lunch outside on the house step,because you’re too dirty  and were not allowed inside.  I wish children could ride their bikes without  helmets and pads and know how it feels to fall down and scrape their knees. Finally as adults I wish  we realized the importance of play and make time in oujr busy schedules  to play and remember to  take a chance and try some green eggs and ham (something  new) and  to dance like no one is watching.  

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they can foster positive outcome as well as be supportive when I maybe going through a rough time. Some people with whom I currently have a positive relationship with are my adoptive mom and my sister. My adoptive mom is a God Fearing woman that  has been an intricate part of my life since my biological mom passed away, I feel  as though I can go to her  or call her anytime ,day or night and  will listen  to me. She is a source of inspiration and  support .She is always willing to go the extra mile to support  me, whether it’s simply listening or going with me to  doctor’s  appointments  for moral support .She is truly a pillar of strength and I’m blessed to  have her in my life. My sister is my best friend .Growing up I wanted to have an older sister, so that I set up my bedroom like the sisters on the Brady Bunch and stay up late talking. Well when  I started working in daycare about eighteen years ago, I met that sister and we’ve been inseparable ever since, she’s been there for me through the darkest time in my life ,when  my mom passed and I felt like the bottom had fallen out of my world. She is truly the wind beneath my wings, because without her I could never soar as high as I have. She has inspire me in more ways than she will ever know and two years ago  when she was in intensive care fighting for her life, once again I felt the bottom of my world fallen out ,but I had to be strong for both of us. God brought her back to me and although she has some health issues, she continues to stay positive and never loses sight of what she wants out of life. She will always be my older sister, best friend, and mentor.

            Maintaining and developing relationships   takes work, commitment, honesty, respect, and trust. Over the years, I have had relationships lacking some of these factors. It is the lack of them in the past that makes me appreciate the relationships I have now, because all these factors are present. I do not see my relationship with both my adoptive mom and sister as partnership. I feel as though I can be very effective as an n early childhood professional because of my positive relationship.     

When I Think of Child Development …The legacy I want to leave is a child-care system that says no kid is going to be left alone or left unsafe. - Marian Wright Edelman

Thanks

I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all my classmates and to my instructor Dr. Embree. The last eight weeks have been fun as well as challenging. I have enjoyed our weekly discussions and especially our Blogs where we were able to learn about each other in an informal way. Best wishes to everyone as we precede in the early childhood studies. I feel Blessed to have met such wonderful and caring people who truly are advocates for all children.

Testing for intelligence

When considering the whole child, I think it is important to measure all aspects of their development, this includes social, intellectual, cognitive, and physical Children develop at different rates and not all children will do well on standardize testing. For example. When testing special needs, it is recommended that their tests be read aloud and that   they have extra time to complete it. There are some high functioning students who are required to take their math and reading assessment on the computer and a teacher assistant usually accompany them, but cannot prompt them in any way. They can read the questions but cannot prompt them in any way. I believe that by testing all developmental areas, you get a better picture of the whole child and areas that they can improve on as well as areas they excel in.

Children in the United States go through several rigorous standards and assessments. Which   starts as early as middle school? These tests include subject areas like Math, Science, Literacy, Writing, and Language Art. Large numbers of students have serious deficits in reading or mathematics by the time they enter middle school. Addressing the academic, emotional, and social needs of young adolescents is a challenge for underperforming middle schools.

Too many students enter ninth grade with serious deficits in reading or mathematics that prevent them from succeeding in advanced coursework and put them at risk of failure or dropping out.
To overcome poor performance patterns and wide achievement gaps, high schools need a coherent solution to get students back on track—quickly. The America’s Choice School Design for high schools offers a proven solution for improved results for all students.

It concerns me that the School Systems in the United States put special needs students through these assessments just so the school can get money. Testing should not be about the mighty dollar, but about learning. Special need students are hands on learners, not paper, pencil, and computers. To them these are supplies in their classrooms, not testing devices. Learning takes place in a child’s natural environment.

Reference

 http://www.americaschoice.org/rigorousstandardsandassessments