When I think of Research.....

Blog Assignment: When I Think of Research...
As you conclude your studies of research, take time to reflect on the experience:

• What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
• In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?
• What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
• What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?
• What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

From the first time I saw the title of this course listed in the course guide for the master's program I was dreading it. I have never enjoyed the research process and assumed it would be even worse at the elevated graduate level. After only a few weeks into the course that dread faded away. The greatest gain for me is the ability to read research and break it down into it's components. I can more readily glean information from a research article whereas previously much of the language and design was foreign and seemed convoluted. My ideas about the nature of research has changed. Previously I found many of the steps to seem unnecesary or redundant, now that I have experience creating my own similation and reading the work of other researchers I have a greater appreciation and understanding for the process. One of the major lesson that I have learned about planning and designing research is that it mimics the writing process in that it requires multiple edits and revisions to pinpoint the specific variables you wish to study and to focus your guiding questions. I was challenged with the discussion questions that kick started the new topic for the week. I found that early in the week I had a tough time wrapping my mind around a new topic and understanding it well enough to articulate a response. I found it extremely helpful to read the posts of my classmates to help me gain clarity. My perception of an early childhood professional has been modified as a result of this course. I now feel empowered to seek out research and read the results first hand rather than wait for a third party source to share the information with me free of jargon.


I would like to thank my classmates who took this journey with me. In the beginning many of us stated our concerns and fears regarding this coursework. I hope that you all found it to be a fresh way to explore and understand the research process with just the right amount of challenge. I hope that you feel the same sense of pride in having accomplished the goal of completing this course!

International Research: Australia

In this week's post I was given the opportunity to explore early childhood research internationally. I chose to find out more about Autstralia's efforts in the field. To guide my search I focused on these guiding questions:

• What are some of the current international research topics?
• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

 In Australia some of the current research topics are how to teach children sustainability practices, how to teach children positive behavior and the importance of play and the quality of play.I was very intrigued by the work being done to integrate a strong understanding of the importance of our environment and how to sustain it. I have a friend who is currently working on a masters in Australia in the field of environment protection and sustainability. Through his experiences I have learned more about the general perspective of Australians regarding the environment and the research that is being done. So, I was pleased to learn that the influence is trickling down to the children, educating them so that as they grow up sustainability practices are the norm rather than a hassle. I certainly believe the U.S. should adopt similar practices.While visiting the website I learned that the organization produces a publication that explains and summarizes recent research findings in language that is clear and free of jargon for any child care providers to read including parents and professionals. I often find that many of the latest findings in our  field remain within the field rather than being shared with the general public so that they may also make use of the new knowledge in their daily practices with children. I am pleased to see that there is a forum for new research to be shared with the general public.

Research Benefiting Children and Families

This week I was charged with responding to the following prompt:

Imagine that you possess the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field. Imagine further that you are not restricted by the reality of the present. Imagine that your study will make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and/or their families. What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be?

I would choose to study families and poverty. Previously this has not been a huge interest for me however I have always recognized the significant impact it has on families in all aspects of life for generations. I know that any research with significant findings would be beneficial to these families. While I am not sure exactly what the research would focus on I would like its findings to provide practical guidance for impoverished families. The research would give hope to families proving that the means that are available to them are enough for their children to overcome the cycle. Such means would include the ability to instill love, a sense of safety, and self-worth in their children among others. The research would even give examples of how this can be done. In time and with hard work these sensibilities could help children lift themselves at least one level higher within the income level of their community. This would lead to a new cycle of prosperity. I am not naive enough to think that just one study can do all this but I am hopeful that it can be a catalyst to a few who with hard work ,and opportunity can improve their way of life and that of their family for generations to come. The most important part in the research and quite possibly the most challenging would be to share its findings with families and to get them to believe in the study and put forth what is sure to be hard work. Great research is beneficial to no one if it is not first believed in and then implemented with fidelity. 

 

Research Simulation

 The topic I have chosen for the simulation is; How can parents help establish a strong mathematical foundation before children reach school age. I choose this topic because many parents don't realize small steps that they can take to help support mathematical concepts at a young age. Many families understand the importance of reading or just do so natural as it is a common practice to read to children. When it comes to math many wait for school and teachers to begin this process. I would also like to learn about what parents can do once their children become school age. I think a challenge to this topic will be findings articles as I tend to have some trouble thinking of key words and phrases to search for in the library database. Any suggests would be appreciated.

International Lessons

      Learning about the international early childhood field has allowed me to widen my concept of the field. Previously I had only thought of the field in terms of my immediate community and country. I also realized that there are opportunities for me and my peers to learn from initiatives abroad and to bring them to to my own community. Finally, the opportunity to communicate with other educators from around the world is not something I considered but would afford me the opportunity to learn of different approaches as well as share my own experiences. A goal I have for the field is to see one culture learning from another and trying out successful approaches. I have heard of many other countries' success stories and wondered why the U.S. doesn't try tout he same approach to combat the same or similar challenges. 

Education Based Initiatives Around the World

       While exploringg UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational,Scientific, and Cultural Organization) “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/),I came across a few interesting initiatives. The first is a teacher forum occurring in Thailand. The goal of the forum is to raise awareness and interest in the teaching profession and help it become a profession that is desired again.The idea is to connect teachers from around the world to give young adults who are considering the field an opportunity to talk with current teachers, learn about new approaches to teaching and create an open line of communication among educators around the world. The event is titled,The Powerhouse of Education: Teachers for the Future We Want.
         The next initiative the I read about was supporting the education of women and girls.Poverty, geographical isolation,disability, early marriage and pregnancy are some of the obstacles that prevent women around the world from receiving an education equal to their male counterparts. UNESCO has made many efforts to end inequality and support the education of women and children through support of global education policies and laws, help countries develop education systems as well as teacher preparation which includes gender sensitivity training, help countries address gender based violence, and gender discrimination in textbooks.
         The final initiative that I learned about is UNESCO's commitment to teachers." Teachers are the single most influencial and powerful for for equity,access and and quality in education"- Irina Bokova, Director- General of UNESCO. The organization works to protect the rights of teachers and to increase the number of qualified teachers in the field world wide to ensure that all children have access to quality education. According to the organization at least 2 million new teaching positions will need to be filled around the world to ensure that children in the primary grades have access to education by 2015.

Teachers are the single most influential and powerful force for equity, access and quality in education”, says Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/teachers#sthash.I3fKRVYy.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

Among the obstacles in the way of women’s and girls’ ability to exercise their right to participate in, complete and benefit from education are poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women.  - See more at: http://en.unesco.org/themes/women-and-girls-education#sthash.mV449DZi.dpuf

A Closer Look at the National Black Child Institute and its Resources

    This week I explored the National Black Child Institute further and discover quite a few things. While looking at the resources and links I found where the organization has provided a rubric designed by the Flamboyan Foundation for family and engagement based on teacher's beliefs and actions. The rubric includes such points as "the teacher values and respects families and sees them as important partners in supporting student learning.", "The teacher sees engaging all families as part of his or her core role and responsibility and works to continuously increase his or her effectiveness." and "the teacher builds relationships with families and students and invites their engagement" (Flamboyan Foundation 2011). It is also worth mentioning that the NBCI's website has its resources organized into categories of issues and trends such as health, policy and advocacy,early care and education, family engagement, literacy and child welfare. Another unique and interesting link is to a parent advocacy training for parents of children with learning disabilities. The resource is focused on educating parents on the importance of advocating for their child and how to do so.
       The NBCI has a few articles and resources that relate to trends that we have studied in recent weeks. I was however particularly drawn to an article regarding inequality due to a federal loophole in that allows governments to allocate less money to children of color. "the law explicitly requires districts to exclude teacher salary differentials tied to experience when determining comparability compliance. This is a major exclusion because experience is a chief driver of teachers’ salaries. This misleading process leads to a misleading result—districts think they are providing equal spending on high-need schools and low-need schools, even though they aren’t. This problem has been frequently called the comparability loophole" (Spatig-Amerikaner, 2012). Essentially what is occurring is that teachers working in areas with a student population of greater need ( generally children of color) make less money than their counterparts. This is often in due to less experience as most who teach in these areas are new to the field and therefore make less money. As these teachers gain more experience they move on to positions with better salaries that are generally outside of the district with the greatest need. Essentially, districts who serve large populations of children of color employ teachers who they can pay less. Without competitive salaries the only teachers these districts can employ are those who are new and in desperate need of a job. The loophole comes in to play because districts are required to report how much money is spent per child,however this report did not require the inclusion of teacher's salaries. This means that the amount of money spent on students looked more comparable across districts. When teacher salary is considered a "purchased resource" and therefore added to the equation the disparities become very apparent.
        I didn't have any new insights while viewing the website however I was reminded of the importance of the health of children and education. Often we get caught up in theory,policy, curriculum and instruction delivery and forget how important health is to education. If a child is ill they are not capable of learning at their full potential if they even make it into school. The NBCI has links to articles on children's health including obesity and insecurities.

Resources

National Black Child Institute Resources page
http://www.nbcdi.org/resources-page/from-our-partners

Unequal Education article by Spatig-Amerikaner
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2012/08/22/29002/unequal-education/

Global Initiatives in Children's Development

        Harvard University's Global Children's Initiative is working to learn more about the mental health of children in different parts of the world facing various challenges. The organization will look at the  mental health services in Shanghai,China, develop and evaluate strategies to prevent mental illness in children as a result of HIV/AIDS in their family and community in Rwanda, and Explore the maltreatment and mental health outcomes for children in the Caribbean.Another project the Initiavie is working on is in Brazil. Their goal is to use science to help guide political decision in support of large investments in children and families.In Santiago, Chile a collaborative project called Un Buen Comienzo which means "good beginnings" is working to imporve early childhood education. This is beingi done through teacher education programs. What makes this project unique is that is is designed with critical health issues in mind to improve school attendance as well as encourage families to become a part of the education process.

Sharing Web Resources cont...

The National Black Child Institute which is the organization that  am following is relevant to my professional development as it provides resources for me to use with the children and families that work with as well as ones to pass on to them for their own use. The website produced a publication entitled " Being Black is Not a Risk Factor" this article may be controversial but it's goal is to shift the focus of how black children are viewed in this country as being a population that is in need of help an support to one that focuses on the positives in these children's lives and the overall state of black children in the U.S. The website is currently promoting it's 44th annual conference. This conference like many others will require sponsorship,donations and promotions by many businesses and corporations. Without their support the organization's conference would not be nearly as successful meaning that their information and resources would not reach s many families and children. Viewing the website from a different perspective than an educator allowed me to see the importance of business and economists and their roles within early childhood education including funding, and outreach.

An International Look at Childhood Poverty: Namibia (week 3 assignment)

I have learned about Poverty in Namibia. Poverty in Namibia is similar to poverty in other places in the world in that is passed from one generation to the next, can be influenced positively through education of those in poverty and those not in poverty."Poverty has long term impacts on children, especially if poverty starts at an early age or persists over several years. These impacts include a higher risk of low birth weight and child mortality, stunting, and poor education outcomes." (UNICEF,2009) . One of the big take away lessons for me is what poverty includes. It is not just limited to income, poverty also refers to access to basic needs such as water,sanitation and goods. The report that I read found that monies given to Namibian organizations that support children and families in poverty through grants are having a successful impact. These grants have "beneficial effects that go far beyond simply assisting children to grow up in households with more money: it would improve child development,health and mental well-being, education and later also labor market prospects, and these benefits would be shared by a next generation"( UNICEF,2009). Poverty is an issue of cycle. It is caused and perpetuated by cycles that roll through generation after generation. However this report shares the idea that poverty can also be mitigated through cycles. Cycles of education, health, resources passed on from generation to generation. It is important for organizations such as those in Namibia acquire the resources to maintain their work so that they may create a cycle of change in the lives of children and their families living in poverty.

References

UNICEF( 2009). Child Poverty in Namibia,a child centered analysis of the NHIES 2009/10. Retrieved September 20,2014

Sharing Web Resouces on Changing Demographics and Diversity

       I am following the organization National  Black Child Development Institute. The organization is focused on educating and informing community stakeholders in trends and issues that influence the lives of black children and their families. The organizations also works to provide the unique resources that black children and families need. These resources include those related to health,welfare and child development.

       In the NBCDI's most recent publication is short piece on preparation for returning to school this fall. In the short article the author mentions the influence of reading on supporting children through the first days to separation from loved ones. Included is the added enthusiasm when children have when they read books with characters that reflect them and their lives. This caught my attention because it reaffirmed the work I did last year in my own classroom to bring books with African American characters into my classroom. I sought out donations and was able to raise money to purchase almost 100 books that depicted African American children ad the main characters outside of just discussing their cultural background. It is important that all children see all children depicted in typical fiction stories. For my project this year I will seek out books depicting children of Hispanic and Asian descent. This also connects with the topic this week of changing demographics and diversity. As the diversity changes in our schools it is important that their environment and resources change to reflect who the children are that we teach.

 

 

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

 For this ongoing assignment I will be listening to podcasts.This week I listened to a podcast on the World Forum Radio (accessible through Itunes). In the podcast I learned about Susan Lyons and the Innovative Teacher Project.

Susan Lyon started the innovative teacher project to connect educators and schools interested in the Reggio Emilio approach to education in the Bay Area of California. she began the project in 1994 which has participants from public and private schools. The Innovative Teacher Project supports the early childhood community as it brought an innovative approach to teaching young children from Italy to California. The Reggio Emilia  philosophy originated in Reggio Emilia,Italy after WWII when parents began collaborative initiatives to educate young children. Susan began the podcast discussing how she came to be so interested in the minds of young children She describes an encounter with a first grade boy who was struggling to read the word "city". She described how the young child tried over and over to read the word and asked many times for her to just tell him the word. Ultimately she gave in and read the word "city" aloud to him. He turned to her and said "that is such a little word for such  big place". That profound statement encourage Susan to learn more about children and how they learn.


For this course I have chosen to follow the work of the organization National Black Child Development Institute.As I looked through the list of various organizations to choose from I noticed that I was familiar with and had used quite a few of the organizations before in prior coursework or in my professional work. I decided that I wanted to study an organization that I wasn't familiar with as the goal of this assignment is to expand our resources. I selected the NBCDI because I have not heard of a organization within early childhood devoted to supporting black children specifically. I also learned that the organization's home base is local for me as it is situated in Washington D.C. I  thought learning more about and potentially connecting with members of the NBCDI will support my career goal of leaving the classroom and focusing my work on supporting families by educating parents in child development with specific attention paid to black and Hispanic families.

My Supports

        There are several  factors within my daily life that are supportive including my friends,family, and colleagues. My friends and family are supportive in various ways. I consider my family my silent supporters. While I don't call on them daily or even weekly I know that my family is there rooting me on and supporting me. While my family isn't one to verbalize love and support often they show it through actions which is most meaningful to me. Whether it is helping me with a school task, helping me get to school when my vehicle isn't available or helping me talk through something that is bothering me so that I can come to a conclusion or decision. My friends are my relief from life's challenges. I can count on them to listen to a problem I have and know when to take it seriously and give sound advice or when to turn my "problem" into a joke and help me laugh at my situation. Even when there is not a specific problem I know that when I am with them I will laugh and have a good time. They are just as reliable and dependable as my family. They have shown up to graduations, award ceremonies and to lend a hand in my classroom. The final group are my colleagues. It is no secret (or is it?) that teaching is a challenging and relentless job. I am so thankful to have and currently work with colleagues who are so supportive. I know that I can ask very few things of my grade level teammates that would receive a negative response. They have gone out of their way to help me in my personal, professional and collegiate life. My teammates have even put themselves in a vulnerable position with administration in order to assure that I was not mistakenly penalized. These women have a unique place in my life as they are among a small group of people who truly understand what my daily work life is like and therefore do their best to offer laughs, teasing and smiles to help brighten my day and keep it going in a positive direction. 
        

           The benefits of these supports is monumental. I have a slight idea of what it is like to live without these supports. When I left for college I was separated from all of my friends and family and had a hard time making friends, adjusting to a different type of workload and managing my emotions and handling it all. Fortunately, I did have access to tons of technology including a web cam which was a great support in feeling connected to me loved ones however this did not occur on a daily basis. The support of these three groups include their ability to help me keep reality in check, find the positive in every situation and give me the opportunity to talk through events which is personally beneficial to helping me handle a situation. If these supports were gone the most significant change to my life would be a loss of positivity in my life. I would have a very hard time laughing through the pain or finding the silver lining. 
         
For this assignment I chose to imagine the challenge of being a young child of parents who recently immigrated to the country. This is a first person narrative from the perspective of a second grade boy.

            Spanish is my first language but I have learned English well enough to make friends and participate in school when I feel confident. My father understands a lot of English but still has some trouble speaking it. My mother does not speak or understand English. I wish that I got to see my dad more. He works many hours and when he gets home he is really tired and usually goes right to bed. He doesn't have time to play with me anymore. Many times I have a really hard time doing my homework. Sometimes I'm not sure what I am supposed to do and my mom can't help me. It makes me so frustrated when I want to do my work but I can't. If my dad was home he might be able to help but he isn't. Sometimes I go to my friend's house who lives in my apartment building and get his help, if he understands the assignment. 
           I'm glad that I at least have him to go and ask for help. Sometimes we can figure it out together other times we wish Mrs. Hernandez could come home with us. She's really good at helping kids understand the stuff we learn in school. My mom really likes her to because she speaks Spanish and helps my mom understand school stuff. The only bad thing is when I get in trouble at school and Mrs. Hernandez can explain what happened to my mom. On those days it's better that my mom can't speak English and my teacher can't tell her what I did.
          I remember last year when I was really having trouble in school and at home. During a conference my mom talked with Mrs. Hernandez about my behavior at home. They talked about how since they were seeing similar behavior at home and school and that it was getting in the way of my learning that I should take some tests. Mrs. Hernandez helped my mom find a doctor to take me to. We found out that I have ADHD which gives me lots of energy and makes it hard to focus on directions or my work. The doctor gave me some medicine and suggestions to help me in school. Ever since then I don't get in trouble that much and math and reading are a lot easier. My mom is much happier too since she isn't always yelling at me which makes me feel better too. 
         I'm really happy that Mrs. Hernandez is at my school because she has helped me a lot. She tells me that I am smart and a good kid. She always smiles at me and makes me feel like I have to do my best to make her happy and proud of me. If Mrs. Hernandez wasn't at my school I would probably still get in a lot of trouble all the time. I wouldn't be as smart since I can pay attention better in school now, and I probably wouldn't have as many friends since I always got in trouble and my mom wouldn't be so happy or able to understand and tell my teacher things.

My connections to Play

Here are two quotes that represent play in my childhood

 

 

Play was first and foremost supported by my parents. When I think back on my childhood I primarily think of home life and of playing with my sisters. MY parents taught us structure and responsibility with age appropriate chores however the majority of our time was spent playing. I recall my mom often saying in frustration when we were bothering her as children tend to do "Y'all just need to go outside and play!" She understood that all of our energy needed to be redirected into a positive and productive manner and play was that forum. My parents also understood the importance of play when ti occurs outdoors. We were often encourage to take our play outside. We were given dedicated play spaces in our home including the basement and backyard. Both were large open spaces that allowed for easy movement, creativity, and big messes! In my childhood play was an outlet for energy,creativity, development of mental and social skills and was fun.

Important play equipment from my childhood:

Play often looks different today than it did in my childhood for a couple of reasons. The first is that my generation was on of the first to have general accessibility to gaming consoles. While children enjoyed playing them from time to time they also found great pleasure in joining their friends outside for a game of hid and go seek or tag. In many cases today children will prefer to staff indoors and play a video game alone or with a friend than go outside and play wit ha large group of friends. The next significant difference is the type of play that child engage in. Play is much more supervised by adults this interferes with play in a couple of ways. The first is that children have to wait for the adult to coordinate play time weather that means a trip to the local park or coordinating with another parent for a play date. This limits the amount of play, when it occurs and the type of play. Next, when play is supervised, adults directly or indirectly interfere with the choices children make. If an adult is present a child make take fewer risks that would have helped to develop social, physical or cognitive skills. Children are more likely to run to the adults for help to solve any problems including conflict with peers rather than find a way to work through the issue and adults rarely give child the opportunity to do this on their own. Finally, when adults are supervising or coordinating play events inherently a child's selection of who to play with is influenced. If the parents of two children enjoy each others company they are more likely to provide more opportunities for those particular children to get together. There are fewer opportunities for child to go out to play and meet up with other children in the neighborhood and make social decisions independently from a larger selection of play mates.


The role of play was crucial in my childhood and really helped to prepare my for adolescence and adulthood. I learned how to get along and how to politely decline interacting with someone who I wasn't interested in engaging socially with. I learned my personal limits as well as athletic skills. My confidence and self esteem were supported by play. All of this experiences, skills, and social emotional awareness are called upon daily while navigating adult relationships and interactions in my person and professional life.

Relationship Reflection

  Relationships are important to me because they are one of the major ways that I connect to the world around me. My relationships with others have helped my to better understand myself for better or worse and given me the opportunity to grow and develop. They have taught me about the various aspects of life; public and private, work and personal.

I have three categories of relationships including family, friends, and coworkers. These three areas sum up the major aspects of my life and influence it on a daily basis.

I made my first and most important relationships with my family

 My family includes my two sisters, mother, and father. The relationship I have with my parents is great. My relationship with them has taught/shown me what a marriage can be and how a family can be raised successfully. They have shown me through their parenting how to respect children by listening and discussing as well as how to define and reiterate boundaries and their importance. My sisters were my first friends. With them and by watching them we explored the world together putting to use and testing out what we learned at home. As my peers I was able to discuss topics with them from similar points of view based on age and experience. However, as different people with different personalities and slightly different perspectives I was learned how to defend and question my ideas and challenge others in a safe environment.

Friends for 16 years!

 My relationship with my friends is a very unique one. I say this because I have a group of friends who I've known since the third grade. As the years went by the strength of our friendship ebbed and waved with the many changes in our lives and distance apart but we've always come back together and been a support system for one another. The second group of friends I met in high school. These relationships blossomed and strengthen during, between, and after classes.I consider myself extremely lucky because these two groups melted into one large group with everyone getting along,supporting one another, and most importantly having fun together.

A small sampling of my mega size group of friends and close acquaintances

                                 

The last group of relationships are the ones I have made with coworkers. I have been teaching for three years and been in two schools and I have worked with some truly amazing,talented, intelligent and patient people. I want to especially highlight the group of women who I taught with my first year. It was an extremely challenging year for many reasons with the additional hardship that it happened to be my first. I depended on those women many,many times to stay late with me to accomplish a task, to run ideas by, to vent our grievances,  and most importantly to do what they could to keep a smile on my face and a good laugh in my belly just to get through the day.

Again, just a sampling of the people who helped me survive!

                           
While we have all gone our separate ways and occasionally link back up again, I know we shared a unique experience and couldn't have asked for a better group to go through it all with. I learned more in that year that I have in the two since.

My friends are living in 4 different countries and 3 states,

Relationships are a part of the human experience that enrich the lives we live in one way or another. Each person connects with many other people in many unique ways with each person's own perspective and role within the relationship. Because the relationships and individuals are so unique in personality, desires, and perspectives challenges often arise. With these challenges comes opportunities to examine yourself and the relationship and the choices you make. Most recently I have been experiencing the challenge that many people do at my age. With all of my friends having graduated college and many in the beginning,middle or final stages of a graduate or doctoral I am finding that our career desires have spread us out all over the world. The current challenge I face is finding ways to maintain our friendships especially amid a challenging work schedule. I have experienced this on a smaller scale in college when we all went to schools in different states, however I always knew the next holiday or break that I would see them and until then there were various forms of technology to help us stay connected. Now that our schedules don't line up quite so neatly especially when you add in various time zones our friendship is going to take a lot more work to maintain.

My relationships past, and present significantly impact the work I do with children and their families. I have been exposed to many cultures from friends,classmates and my education at home and school from a young age that helps me to reserve bias and have an open mind and approach to working with families with similar traditions and ideals as well as those with very different ones. The relationships have given me unique insight to help me quickly identify where a misunderstanding is occurring and to work through it with dialogue. My past and present relationships have helped my to cultivate new relationships with the families of the children I work with witch has supported their growth exponentially.