When I think of Child Development

Everyone needs to feel loved and cherished.

It is important to remember that every child can learn, that we all have varying abilities, and that if our methods are not working, we need to change the method to fit the child's needs. The child does not need to change to fit our needs.

This quote is important to keep in mind because as we know, every child needs to feel that someone cares, and as early childhood educators, we can be that someone.

 

Testing for Intelligence?

This week we have been challenged to answer the question: What is the most effective way to measure children’s abilities? I believe the answer to this question does not rest in a single method, but in a combination of methods in order to best measure each child’s knowledge and abilities. Most school systems in the United States rely on the results of standardized tests to measure student achievement. But how many children (and even adults) excel with the standard pencil and paper exam? Or even newer, computer based exams with question after question being asked? Tests like these should only be one component of measuring student achievement. They should not be the end-all, be-all measure we rely on. As we know, people learn in a variety of ways. Some people are visual learners, others auditory, others kinesthetic, and so on. People excel in different subjects. So why are we only testing children one way? It is my opinion that children’s knowledge and abilities need to be tested through teacher observations, student demonstrations or presentations and samples of completed work collected over a period of time, in addition to the occasional standardized test.  This will create a more comprehensive view of the student’s abilities, and highlight areas in need of improvement for reteaching.

                Children’s knowledge should not be measured by one test on one day in their life. Many factors influence children’s achievement on such standardized tests. If the child is hungry, tired, ill, or emotionally distraught due to a personal event, the test results will be skewed and will not be a true representation of what the child knows or can do.

                As part of my research this week, I sought to find out more about how children are assessed in another part of the world. For this assignment, I chose Argentina, a country dear to my heart because my husband was born there, and attended school there until age thirteen. I researched how children are educated there today, compared to what he remembers.  According to my research, children in Argentina are assessed by teacher made tests and observations. Standardized testing for reading comprehension is done in grades three, six, nine and twelve. Other than that, standardized tests are not used except for admission to universities.  When talking to my husband, he remembers attending school in the morning, wearing a uniform, and learning subjects similar to those taught here in the US. He recalls taking written tests, both open and closed book, making posters, and doing presentations in front of the class. Combining these methods presents a much larger picture of the student’s knowledge than each method alone.

 I am concerned with the weight the results of standardized testing is having on our children today. Children are pressured to perform well on these tests, and are often “taught to the test”, at the expense of learning other things. I am concerned that we as a society are putting too much stress on these tests and not looking at children’s achievements as a whole. Children should be assessed as a whole person, not just one test on one day. It is my hope that more educators will stand up and say “This is wrong. We should assess children’s achievement using a variety of methods, not just one.”

http://www.countryreports.org/country/Argentina/kidslife.htm

http://www.iadb.org/res/laresnetwork/projects/pr294finaldraft.pdf

Consequences of Stress on Child Development

Our world today has many different events and situations that exert undue stress on our children. Often, children's needs regarding dealing with these stressors are not met, resulting in long term and even permanent negative effects on their lives.
Someone very close to me experienced the stress of living in a country that was under military rule while he was a child. When the trucks or buses carrying soldiers arrived in his hometown, he would run to the highest floor of his house, close the shutters, and peek out, afraid of what would happen. He lived in Argentina during a time of political unrest and military control. One day, soldiers arrived, herded him, his mother, sister, and baby brother into a corner at gunpoint. They arrested his father and took him away. For months, his family did not know where his father was or even if he was still alive. After a long time, they were finally allowed limited contact with him in the detention center, until finally, his father was released. He was one of the lucky ones. The family relocated to the United States shortly thereafter, in an effort to provide a safer, more stable environment for the children and a better life for the family in general. To this day, he believes in having the tools necessary to protect one's home and family from harm, including but not limited to arming oneself. He is a strong supporter of our right to bear arms.
Children throughout the world are exposed to war, and are dramatically affected by it. In the words of Graça Machel, former First lady of Mozambique and South Africa: "War violates every right of a child – the right to life, the right to be with family and community, the right to health, the right to the development of the personality and the right to be nurtured and protected." (http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/children/) As adults we need to recognize and understand how our actions impact the lives of the world's most precious resource: our children. While much has been done in an effort to address the needs of children affected by war and military conflicts, there is much more to be done. It further demonstrates that we all need to advocate for peaceful resolutions to conflicts, and avoid war that impacts all of us.

Breastfeeding

This week’s post will focus on one of the public health measures that impacts children’s development worldwide. One area of concern that would improve the health of many of our children on a global scale is breastfeeding. It wasn’t until I took a class that addressed both the benefits of breastfeeding and gave new moms some practical advice on how to accomplish this as a new mother. My course this semester at Walden has also added some new insight as to how important breastfeeding is to the health of our world’s children. Breastfeeding is especially important to me because, as a first time mother to a young son, I realized that it is the best choice for me, my son, and our planet. Breastfeeding benefits everyone.

One benefit of breastfeeding, which has many facets, is the health benefit for the infant. According to the World Health Organization website, breastfeeding benefits infants by offering them protection from infections: gastrointestinal infections, respiratory infections, and ear infections to name a few. Breastfeeding provides optimal complete nutrition for infants from birth through six months of age, and can provide half or more of a child’s nutritional needs from six to twelve months. As the child grows older, breastmilk can continue to provide a third of a child’s nutritional needs between ages one and two. The World Health Organization goes on to say that “globally in 2012, 162 million children under five were estimated to be stunted and almost 100 million had low weight for height, mostly as a consequence of poor feeding and repeated infections” (www.who.int). Many of these problems could be prevented with more mothers breastfeeding their children. Another staggering statistic the World Health Organization cites that 220,000 children’s lives could be saved every year if optimal breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding practices were followed. Other health benefits for infants are protection from childhood cancers, protection from obesity, lowered risk of the infant developing asthma or allergies, enhancement of vaccine effectiveness, and facilitation of proper dental and jaw development. The list goes on and on.

Breastfeeding also benefits the mother in many ways as well. Mothers will benefit from a decreased risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers, and a faster recovery from childbirth. Breastfeeding mothers also enjoy a unique bond with their infant knowing they are providing for the infant’s nutritional needs and delighting in knowing they are helping their baby grow. On a financial note, breastfeeding can save families money because it is free; there is no additional equipment to buy! Even if you decide to express breast milk using a pump, the investment in a breast pump (usually about $250, now covered by many insurance plans) is inexpensive compared to the cost of formula (about $1500 a year per child, sometimes more).

On an environmental note, breastfeeding has positive environmental impacts as well. Because breast milk is produced on demand, there is no packaging to throw away that will end up in our landfills. We would also reduce greenhouse gases because we would reduce the amount of cow’s milk needed for formula as well as save in fuel and shipping costs, thereby saving money and helping our environment!

If you need more reasons to breastfeed, check out http://notmilk.com/101.html. It gives one hundred and one reasons that support breastfeeding. I support breastfeeding for all of these reasons, and if every child in the world was breastfeeding, our children would reap the benefits worldwide.

References

http://notmilk.com/101.html

http://www.who.int

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52687/

Childbirth in your life and around the world

My personal experience with childbirth is a traumatic one. I will share the events surrounding the birth of my son. I chose this experience because it is fresh in my mind, and it also gives me hope, since my baby had a traumatic entrance into the world, and now he is a healthy, happy child.

 I arrive at my obstetrician’s office for my 38 week appointment on a Tuesday afternoon. My ankles, legs, and face are swollen; I can only fit into 2 pairs of shoes because of the extensive swelling. My blood pressure is checked, and it is high. My doctor advises me to stop working. I convince her to allow me to work a half day the following day, so I can say goodbye to my students; she reluctantly agrees, and writes me a doctor’s note. She informs me that it is unlikely my baby will be born this week.

By Thursday I have been keeping my feet up for the last few days, with minimal change in the swelling. I am restless and uncomfortable. I begin feeling some contractions during the afternoon, but attribute them to Braxton-Hicks contractions, which I have been feeling regularly the last few weeks.  Around 7 pm I notice they are becoming more intense and seem to be evenly spaced. I consult the clock, and sure enough, they are. When they reach about 10 minutes apart, I call my obstetrician for advice. She advises me to come to the hospital. My membranes rupture shortly before I leave and I notice they are heavily meconium stained. This is a very bad sign.  Throughout the next few hours, the usual labor pains increase. I had been adamant about delivering my baby without using any painkillers (especially an epidural- being numb freaks me out) and what do I end up with? You guessed it- an epidural. My son is exhibiting signs of being in serious distress, and as a result I am not allowed out of bed. His heart rate begins to drop, and the obstetrician decides that she has seen enough. She is concerned for the well being of my baby, and strongly advises me to consent to an immediate cesarean section.  I do, and my son is born at 3:59 AM on Friday morning. There are no cries for what seems like an eternity. His initial APGAR score is a 1. I am terrified. He is whisked off to the NICU, I am only allowed to see him for a few seconds. The doctors there are able to get him breathing, and his five-minute APGAR rises to a respectable 7.  We are informed that he will need to spend at least a week in the NICU, on intravenous antibiotics, due to his inhalation of stool. They will be keeping him under observation to make sure there are no more issues. There is also concern because his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice, and they are worried about how long he may have been without oxygen. This new mom is incredibly afraid right now. My fears are slightly calmed when I am finally allowed to see him, and he is beautiful! What a little miracle. Then, he scares us even more at 24 hours old, when he has a seizure, and another at 48 hours old. He is put on anti-convulsive medication, and a week later, seizure-free, and having finished his antibiotics, he is allowed to come home. Thankfully, today, at just under 5 months old, he is healthy, growing well, and is being weaned off his medication, as his doctors feel he no longer needs it. His scans were clear, and we will see what the future holds. I credit my obstetrician for saving his life and possibly mine. I feel that without the cesarean section, one or both of us may not be here today.

From this experience, I believe that the circumstances surrounding a birth can have significant impact on child development.  We believe my son’s response to the oxygen deprivation and distress he experienced coming into this world was exhibited by the seizures he had shortly after birth. There are no physical abnormalities on the scans, nor were there any abnormalities on the brain wave test that was administered. This experience delayed some of the mother-child bonding that takes place after birth, since I was not permitted to hold him for about 3 days after he was born. While I could touch and talk to him, it was definitely not the same. Breastfeeding was also delayed because of this. We have also noticed some increased muscle tone, especially in his arms, which is being monitored by his doctors. Overall, we have not seen any developmental problems yet, and do not anticipate any. Hopefully, his long term development will not be affected by his birth experience.

After doing some research into how births happen outside of the United States as part of an assignment for my course at Walden University, I learned that many countries have vastly different approaches to the event of childbirth. Take Germany, for instance; a country I chose because of family ties there, both ancestral and current. In Germany, women see midwives, not obstetricians, for their prenatal care. Midwives are so highly respected and regarded in Germany that they must be present at every birth- it’s the law. Doctors are optional, and called in only if there is a complication. One German practice that I find appealing is that women who work full time are secure in their position from the time they tell their employer they’re expecting. They cannot be fired, and their position awaits them when and if they decide to return to work. Women are permitted to stop working six weeks prior to their due date and are barred from returning to work for eight weeks after giving birth, all with full pay! This is a wonderful way to develop the mother-child bond and ensure that breast feeding is well established, and that mother and child have recovered well from the birth. Mothers are also permitted to take up to three years of unpaid leave (with jobs guaranteed). I also support Germany’s practice of keeping a list of accepted names that parents must adhere to when naming their child. Their reasoning for this is to act in the child’s best interests, by preventing potential ridicule of the child for an incredibly unusual name. If parents choose a name not on the list, they must give a compelling reason for an exception, and exceptions are granted on a case by case basis. While I am not usually one that likes being told what to do, I feel that in the United States, there has been an increase in parents choosing names for their children that set them up for ridicule.

 

Information obtained from:

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/

End of First Course

As I finish the last week of my first course at Walden University, I am breathing a huge sigh of relief! I feel that I have truly worked very diligently at completing this course and can't believe that eight weeks are over already. Thank you to all of my classmates for all of their persistence in attaining this important goal, for all of their valuable insights, ideas, and additional resources. This has truly been a memorable experience. I wish all of you the best of luck in your continuing studies and hope we share more courses in the future!

Examining Codes of Ethics

I have taken some time this week examining the NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics, and have noted some similarities between them. Here I have taken three of the ideals within each one and discussed how each is meaningful to me professionally.

DEC Code # 1
We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value and human potential of each child.
NAEYC Ideal I. 1.3. (Ethical Responsibilities to children)
To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities and potential of each child.

These ideals are meaningful to me professionally because I feel that regardless of where a child is developmentally, we need to take the time to appreciate that child for who he or she is and what he or she is capable of at this time. Using each child's strengths, we can then begin to address his or her challenges. It is also important to recognize that within every child there is a potential to succeed. It is our role as educators to figure out how to help that child reach his or her full potential. Some children may need unconventional methods of teaching in order to fulfill their potential. We also need to remember that every child is an individual, with their own experiences, values, and personality; and know how to encourage every child. While helping children reach developmental benchmarks is important, it is also important to enjoy the moment with every child.

DEC Code #4
We shall serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families and for the professionals who serve them by supporting both policy and programmatic decisions that enhance the quality of their lives.
NAEYC Ideal I 1.9 (Ethical Responsibilities to Children)
To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to the support services needed to be successful.

These ideals are professionally meaningful to me because of the unique population of children that have become my passion to work with. I am passionate working with preschool age children, but am even more passionate working with special needs children in early childhood. I believe that advocating for children, their families, and the professionals that serve them is especially important so that everyone can have the necessary tools to help these children succeed. Having access to the services is the first step in ensuring that these children receive the support they need, while supporting policy and programmatic decisions to enhance their quality of life is especially important, because often parents of special needs children are faced with difficulties on how to provide the best quality of life for their child.

DEC Code # 2
We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families and of those with whom we work.
NAEYC Ideal I 2.2 (Ethical Responsibilities to Families)
To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.

These ideals are especially meaningful to me professionally because I believe it is the strong relationships we forge with children, families, and our colleagues that form the foundation for success. We have seen evidence of this in many of our course readings, that by sharing information and fostering mutual respect among colleagues, children and families, we create a team that is committed to ensuring the success of all of our children.

Links to this week's resources:

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf
 The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.dec-sped.org/

Additional Resources of Interest

I have found these resources to be helpful regarding special topics in early childhood education.

Friedman, Susan. (2010) Male Voices in Early Childhood Education. YC:Young Children. 65(3). 41-45.

Huffman, Cynthia. (2006). Supportive Care for Infants and Toddlers with Special Health Needs. YC: Young Children. 61(4). 1-8.

Kaczmarek, Louise A. (2006). A Team Approach: Supporting Families of Children With Disabilities in Inclusive Programs. YC: Young Children.61(1). 1-10.

Magruder, Elizabeth S., Hayslip, Whitcomb W., Espinosa, Linda M., & Matera, Carola. (2013). Many Languages, One Teacher: Supporting Language and Literacy Development for Preschool Dual Language Learners. 68(1). 8-15.

Mickel, Julie & Griffin, Jayne. (2007). Inclusion and Disability Awareness Training for Educators. YC: Young Children.62(4). 1-9.

Course Resources

This week I have posted the course resources we have used thus far.
Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/

 Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Journals of Interest

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Additional Resources

• Article: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children develop in an environment of relationships (Working Paper No. 1). Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp1/
• Book Excerpt: Keenan, T., & Evans, S. (2009). Theories of development. In An introduction to child development (pp. 35-43). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Article: Garris Christian, L. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. Young Children, 61(1), 12-20.
• Article: Woodhead, M. (2005). Early childhood development: A question of rights. International Journal of Early Childhood, 37(3), 79-98.
• Article: Hagel, J. (2009, November). Pursuing passion. Message posted to http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2009/11/pursuing-passion.html
• Article: Rosengren, C. (2010, February 4). Does having passion for your work even matter? U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/04/does-passion-for-work-even-matter

Inspirational Quotes

This week I have added some quotes from experts in the early childhood field- quotes that inspire me and motivate me to keep working, no matter how challenging things may get. I hope they are as inspirational and motivating to you as they are to me.

"I think the biggest thing a parent can give a child today is resilience- helping them see they have the inner resources to overcome whatever they have to."
                                                                                   - T. Berry Brazelton

"As professionals in early childhood we have the opportunity to shape a child's life for the better."

                                                                                   - Sandy Escobido

"I'm not here to save the world. I'm just here to make a difference in the community that I'm working."
                                                                                   - Raymond Hernandez

"Take your ego out of it and think about what's best for this child."
                                                                                  - Renatta M. Cooper

"You learn more from your mistakes than you do from your successes."
                                                                                  - T. Berry Brazelton

"They key to success is to engage the parents. If you haven't engaged the parents, if you don't get the parents into the program, you've failed. Our argument is to start with the parents, focus on the parents, and empower the parents with resources..."
                                                                                  - Art Rolnick

Personal Childhood Web

This week in class we have been talking about young children and how they develop in an environment of relationships. We have discussed how strongly positive relationships affect a child's life. This space in my blog is dedicated to the people who I feel nurtured and cared about me as a child, and helped me develop into the strong, determined woman I am today. While this list is certainly not exhaustive, it's a good start.


One person who strongly influenced me as a child and continues to influence me today is my mother. My mother is a strong, determined person who does not let the trials and tribulations of life get in the way of her goals. She always had time for me, and even took me to work with her when necessary. I had a special spot to play in her office. She helped me develop my love of reading by taking me to story time at the library every week and helping me pick out books to check out. She patiently read and reread them to me, as often as I asked her to. While we certainly had our differences of opinion, especially during my teenage years, because of the strong bond we forged while I was a young child, I consider her not only my mother, but a friend today. I am also told that I am a lot like her, and I think it’s great because she is also one of the warmest, caring people I know.

Another strong influence on my childhood was my late grandmother, Mimi. Although she passed away when I was a mere 5 years old, some of my earliest and fondest memories are of the time I spent with her. She, along with my mother, was one of the strongest influences in fostering my love of reading. Mimi would spend hours reading to me. I remember asking her to read and reread books constantly, and she would just laugh and keep reading! It is because of her that I am an avid reader with a diverse taste in reading material. Although our time together was short, I think about her every day and hope to instill the same love of reading in my children and later my grandchildren as she did in me.

A third strong influence on me as a child is my Aunt Meta. Although she is not blood related, I have known her my entire life, and spent at least half of my childhood at her house. She is like a second mom to me, and is known as Oma (German for Grandma) to my son. She is the one who taught me everything I know about animals, as well as how to sew. She even had to learn a whole new vocabulary because of me. I asked so many questions about the animals on the farm, she had to learn the proper terminology for things so that she could teach me the right names for everything. She had the patience to answer my incessant questions about every animal and aspect of raising them. She also was someone I could go to when I had a problem and needed someone to talk to. With her I always felt loved and cared for. She is still important to me today because she is still someone I can go to with a problem. She still helps me with sewing. I truly value every minute I get to spend with her.

A child I will never forget....

Earlier in my blog I posted about one of my favorite children's books, Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper; and the student who led me to read it. Now I will share more about the child who taught me that no matter what challenges you face, where there's a will, there's always a way.

I met Jasmine* on the first day of school in 2011. I was to be her special education aide, the person assigned to accompany her everywhere throughout the school. I was terrified to work with a student who I was told couldn’t walk, talk, or communicate through any conventional means. She was unable to control her arms or legs, and used a wheelchair for mobility. What I learned over the next year and a half was that she, much like Melody, was brilliant. Through trial and error we (her teachers and therapists), found ways to communicate with her, to teach her, and for her to teach us. We also learned ways for her classmates to do the same. We learned that we could post pictures, and later words, on a communication board and how to follow her gaze (one of the few muscles she had good control of) so that she could express her wants and needs. This translated to academics by allowing us to have her answer multiple choice questions by providing up to four answer choices, reading her a question, and following her gaze to her chosen answer. We learned to allow her time to read her choices before and after giving the question, and that she would hold her gaze on her chosen answer for a period of time to let us know the answer she chose. Later we were given access to one of the most amazing pieces of technology available today, an eye gaze computer called a Tobii. She learned, over a period of months, and continues to learn, to use this computer for both general communication (it talks!) and academic pursuits. Over time, she developed friendships with her classmates, as they began to learn that she was just like them. She may look different on the outside, but on the inside, was the same as any third grader! Over the year and a half that I had the honor and pleasure of working with her, I learned that she was truly a hard worker, an exceptional learner, and that she had a great sense of humor! Unfortunately, she changed schools midway through the school year, and while I have no idea where she is now or how she is doing, I truly hope she is doing as wonderfully or better now than she was while she was a student of mine. This is a student that showed me that anyone can learn, it’s just a matter of how things are presented, and how things are adapted, that truly make a difference. Thank you Jasmine, for making me a better teacher and a better person. I miss you every day and hope more people see you and other children with disabilities for who they are and help each and every one of them reach for the stars! (now I need a box of tissues! J)

 

*not her real name, name changed to protect privacy

Favorite Books

I have two children's books that have significance to my philosophy and feelings regarding children and education. 

The first children's book that I love is The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss.

I love this book because the sneetches learn that no matter what they look like on the outside, they are all the same on the inside. More people need to learn this lesson. If we all kept this in mind, the world would be a much better place.

The second children's book that I love is written for children slightly outside of the early childhood range, but after reading it, I felt that its message was very important. The title of the book is Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper. This book is a realistic fiction story, written from the perspective of Melody, a brilliant child living with the many challenges of cerebral palsy. I read this book as a way to help understand the perspective of a student I had the honor and pleasure of working with, a young lady who shared many of Melody's challenges. Both Melody and the young lady I worked with persevered through these challenges, making great social, emotional, and academic leaps once her classmates and teachers understood her. I recommend this book to anyone who is a teacher, or wants to become a teacher, students who share their classroom with other students with similar challenges, and anyone with a passion for education or special education. This story changed the way I viewed my student!

Introductions

A teacher that is always learning

            My name is Celeste Guinazu and I am from a small town in Connecticut. Professionally, I have been involved in Early Childhood Education since my sophomore year of college. I started working in the before and after school care program of a local preschool, and from then on I was hooked into preschool! I earned my bachelors degree in Child study from Saint Joseph College (West Hartford, CT; now known as the University of Saint Joseph) in 2002. I have taught preschool, infants, toddlers, and kindergarten. I have also been an assistant director and later a director of a child care center. I had the opportunity to teach the extended school year program for Special Education preschoolers in my school district twice, and there I found a true passion! I truly believe in UNICEF’s children’s bill of rights, and while I support all of the articles in the bill of rights, Article 23 is one that truly speaks to me:  “Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support,…, so that they can live full and independent lives.”  Our mission as early childhood professionals is to provide that special care and support, beginning as early as possible, so that all children can enjoy a full and independent life. It has become my mission to educate all the children in my classroom, not just the “typical” ones, to develop the skills necessary to fulfill that goal. I believe that part of our job as educators is to teach ourselves how to get out of the mindset that just because a child has a disability, that he or she cannot learn everything typical children can learn. All children can learn, it is just the way they learn that may be different.  As a teacher, I pride myself in being a warm, caring teacher that students know they can come to with a problem, as well as patient and kind. However this does not mean that I am a pushover when it comes to handling difficult situations. Over the years I have learned to manage a classroom that emanates both caring and clear expectations. This was and still is a challenge for me, as every child is different and the dynamics of every class is different. It is something that is constantly a work in progress. As a result of constantly trying to become a better teacher, I am always on the lookout for additional lectures, workshops, and courses to further my professional development. I created this blog as part of my courses at Walden University. This is going to be a very exciting learning experience!