6162 Week 4

This week I explored the Challenging Behaviors section on ZeroToThree.org. This section aids in my professional development because I am working at a childcare center for the summer until school starts back, I have a three year old at home, and in the future I want to own a child care center. Some of the challenging behaviors outlined are sleeping behaviors, aggression, and inconsolable crying. When I think of challenging behaviors, I think that children are testing to see their boundaries, how far they can push the adult, and figuring out their emotions. Zero To Three suggest that challenging behaviors are all apart of a child's social and emotional development. Most parents at the center where I work complain about their children not cooperating and simply not following directions. The website has a section on how to get children to cooperate, they break each behavior down into a section instead of grouping it together.  Zero To Three states, "Toddlers are realizing that they are separate individuals from their parents and caregivers. This means that they are driven to assert themselves, to communicate their likes and dislikes, and to act independently (as much as they can!). Toddlers are also developing the language skills that help them express their ideas, wants, and needs. Policy makers support early childhood education by maintaining a standard for health, nutrition, and the four developmental domains. Policy makers want to ensure that children are cared for holistically and this website has a section for each main topic that policy makers look for in quality education. 

Week 3 6162

I have received confirmation from one UNICEF contact that confirms that emails are being received and that I am contacting the right agency. I am awaiting responses that give more information about what the agency is doing in their specific part of the world with children and families. I in turn had to do the alternative assignment for this week which was explore http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/) and give feedback on what was learned through website exploration. This website addresses childhood poverty and policies that are currently in place to aid with the poverty level. One policy that I found to be interesting is the population reduction policy that calls for fertility to be controlled. This policy is shown to be effective where fertility levels are high and country wide poverty is present in high levels. While this policy may be effective, it is not the most effective which is why family planning and counseling should be in place. This website addresses poverty by way of the families and communities. Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre also allows for readers to see what research is being conducted nationally and internationally; the results may or may not be given. The website called childhood poverty a crisis because poverty can be passed down from generation to generation. Poverty during early childhood years can strip a child from opportunities that they may never be able to regain; such a s learning opportunities and experiences gained through discovery. The main key point that I agreed with most is that we must deepen our understanding of the main cause of childhood poverty and poverty cycles and increase knowledge of effective strategies to take them in different context. 

Sharing Resources

The website I chose was Zerotothree.org. The focus of this website is for newborns up to the age of three, they focus on making sure the foundations for learning are built strong. While zerotothree.org is meant to aid children's learning, the content is meant for professionals and parents that interact with the children on a daily basis and that deal with their learning outcomes. The baby brain map was the most interesting article that I found on the website. It is difficult to study the brain of an infant or toddler but x-rays and new age technology are allowing us more into the mind of our newborns, infants, and toddlers.

6162 Getting Ready

For part 1 of this assignment, I have chosen to reach out using the UNICEF website, I sent emails to representatives in China and Northern Africa. I sent my emails on Thursday and have yet to get a response, if I do not receive a response by Thursday of this week, I will move towards the alternate assignment. I look forward to their response because I think that it will be beneficial to establish contact with professionals abroad.

For part two I chose Zero to Three because I used that website quite a few times during previous classes. I find it to be beneficial if you are consistent, once you establish contact with a representative, keep it going.

My Supports

In my daily routine, my husband and coworkers serve as my main supports. I depend on my husband to pick up my daughter before daycare closes. I also depend on him to sometimes run errands, cook dinner, and perform household chores such as taking out the trash, washing cars, mopping, and cleaning the kitchen. Without my husband I would have to adjust my schedule and drop extracurricular activities so that I could pick my daughter up and perform all household chores. My husband is also responsible for his portion of our bills so without him I would have to get a second job somehow to make my money stretch. The benefit of having this support is greatly emotional and physical. My husband is a great asset to me and we work smoothly as a team, his love and support also helps me to maintain school, my career, and other activities that enjoy. He is always encouraging me and cheering me on to the finish line and without him I would be motivating myself which is difficult.
My coworkers provide great support to me because as a first year teacher I need them to help me plan lessons, do necessary paperwork, and help me make it through the day. When I first started I had no idea what I would be doing even the first day of school. My coworkers were there to give me handouts, activities, and other simple first day materials for my students. My coworkers provide a relief for me when I am having a bad day with my students, administration, or other colleagues. We often vent to each other and give advice where it is needed. Without my coworkers I would feel like I am alone, I would often feel lost at work and feel like I need to find someone to help me. When I am having a problem I would have to hold it in until I got home to talk to someone which could make me a worse day. The benefit of my coworkers support is the overall professional growth as well as the reduced stress. I know that they are always there to help me and provide guidance and direction for when I get lost.
If I were faced with the challenge of getting into a doctorate program I would want the emotional support of my family, the physical support of my husband and coworkers, and the practical support of my professors. I would need each of these supports so I could focus on the goal, get direction and guidance towards the goal, and so that I could prepare myself for what the goal entails. It would be hard to overcome this challenge if any one of these supports were missing. I need my family to encourage me and be my "cheerleaders" when I feel like giving up, I need my husband to help me maintain our household so I could dedicate time to my studies, my coworkers could help me move towards my professional goals by editing papers and post, and making sure that I stay 100% at my current job while working towards another degree, and my professors would of course be there to answer questions and guide me towards an appropriate doctorates degree. Every support that exist in my life is necessary and needed and it would be very difficult for me to function without them.

My Connections To Play

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.

-Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

-Kay Redfield Jamison
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry

 

When I was a child, it was safe to go outside with other neighborhood kids and walk around, go to the park, the creek, ride bikes, play tag, run around, and play in the streets. I grew up in the country and it was perfectly normal to be outside playing; someone was always "keeping an eye" on us. My grandparents allowed us to stay out as long as we wanted, we only had one rule, and that was be inside before dark. My family supported my play by allowing me to explore my environment. I was not confined to my yard or backyard, I could actually walk the neighborhood, go to the park, and I preferred to do so over watching TV. Play taught me to be aware of my surroundings, how to share, how to entertain myself, how to maintain relationships, and how to be creative.

Play today is very different, people are not as trustworthy as they were back then. There are a lot more instances of kidnapping, rape, abuse, and molestation. You really cannot let your kids go outside without your supervision, and they can not go too far away from home. With the advancement of technology, children have a since of security in their home, watching tv, playing video games, and snacking. It is really not safe to allow your children to wonder the neighborhood. Play has to be very contained now and limited to few hours, inside a gate, under supervision, etc. Many children do not like the heat, the outdoors, or anything dealing with nature; and it is very unfortunate. Seditary lifestyles aid in increased obesity rates and laziness.

My hope is that parents will engage in play with their children, venture out with them, explore and teach them to enjoy their surroundings instead of being afraid. Relationships are fostered through play; children learn how to build, maintain, and mediate in relationships. Play allows children to use and explore depths of their imagination and become engaged in imaginary play; they learn how to be self sufficient and reliant. Play enables children to learn so much and its unfortunate that children now do not have the freedom to explore and be comfortable in their environment. Play into adulthood allows us to teach our children and other children how to play, explore, use their imagination, etc. By teaching others we are revisiting the area and stimulating our creativity. If we continue to use play into adulthood we will never lose that creative spark.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I value people as individuals and I strongly believe that all people have something different to offer. I place the highest value on my familial relationships; I try to maintain a strong connection with my family, even those that are a distance away. Technology has definitely made it easier to stay in touch with my family; facebook, twitter, Instagram, face time, and email are the forms of communication that I use heavily. I can post pictures, comments, and view them as well during my convenience. It is important to stay in touch with my family and to know what is going on because we are family and we should be able to rely on each other and feel that sense of belonging.

Friendships and acquaintances are also important to me because friends can sometimes be closer to you than family. Strong friendships allow you to go through difficult times and not feel alone, they fill the void of not having family near by, and friends are great stress relievers. Friendships present opportunities to open up and allow yourself to express emotions and feelings. Friends teach us some of life's most important lessons; and they are awesome to have around. Acquaintances are similar to friends but we do not allow them to get as close to us because we not see them as often, or we may not feel able to trust them. Acquaintances can be coworkers, people we see often in places such as doctors offices, grocery stores, family/friends functions, etc. In the 21st century with all the present competition, it is all about who you know, not what you know. The more people you build rapport with, the better; you never know who you will need in a lifetime.

The main relationship that I have right now is with my husband. We are newly weds and we had been together 5 years before we go married. We met in high school and had typical high school drama between ourselves. After 3 years we decided to have our daughter Lilly and of course a baby brought on stress to me as a college student, and him as a man in the workforce. We had to work hard to maintain and build our communication skills as well as develop our relationship. My husband and I decided to sit down one day and have a conversation and I remember feeling like I could tell him what I needed to say without feeling like he would dislike me afterwards. My relationship with my husband taught me to say exactly how I felt and not let it stay bottled up because it only gets worse. It showed me that if people respect you and truly value you, they will respect your opinion and listen openly to what you have to say. My husband and I have created a partnership, we discuss everything amongst each other and view each others point of view objectively to make sure we make the right decisions. Our communication is the best it has ever been because we have established respect, openness, honesty, and true commitment.

My relationship with my mother is also important to me since she serves as my main support and cheerleader. She and I do not always get along because she is very protective and wants the best for me. Although I did not always see it that way, once I allowed myself to see things from her point of view, I realized that she was not trying to make my life miserable, she just wanted me to make the right choices. My relationship with my mother showed me that just because she thinks I am making the wrong decision, does not necessarily mean that I am. We had to learn to agree to disagree; we never had an "I told you so" moment because we respect each other. As I was growing up and becoming independent, my mother struggled because I am the baby of my family. She wanted to be involved with my daughter and make key decisions and be involved with those decisions. I had to make my mother understand that I was capable of making wise choices and that I would consult her when I needed her. This relationship is important to me because she cares for me and I need my mother, but sometimes she oversteps her bounds and I must take a step back and let her know how I feel. I learned how to be sensitive to others needs while making sure that my point is stated.

I have a good relationship with my colleagues and administration but it could be better. I often feel intimidated by them because I am new but I am slowly asserting myself. In meetings I have thoughts, ideas, comments, and concerns and I usually do not speak up because I do not want to disturb the "order". These relationships are not beneficial but they are necessary. I have to make sure that I can work comfortably and have support for when I need help. I plan to build upon these relationships by engaging in one on one conversation, attending extra professional development sessions, and participating in clubs to build upon relationships with teacher advisors. This situation has shown me that it is important to build upon relationships while being yourself; you may be in an uncomfortable predicament and people will not always be so open to you, but you have to put forth effort. If we can recognize our biases then we can work through our differences.

Challenges come when we are close minded, others are close minded and we refuse to view others point of view. We often have prejudices and biases  that govern how we act and react to people; if we are open and objective to our feelings and place them aside, relationships would come easy and would not seem like such a hassle or chore. In my career as an early childhood professional, my experience with relationships can help me remain open to new ideas, help me place a value on relationships, and allow me to know what it is like to be secluded.