When I think of child development, I usually reflect on all of the special moments that I have shared with children through my experience as a mother and as an educator. I have had the ability to raise a healthy, happy 3 year-old daughter and am excited that we are expecting the next addition to our family in July 2013. I also reflect on all that I have learned from the children in the two plus years that I have been working in child care centers and now as an Education Coordinator for a local Early Head Start program. I am able to see the effects that we as educators can have on children who may come from families who are struggling to make ends meet and we serve as the family's only source of stability in the child's life. The children that we serve love coming to the classroom and I love being able to be a part of their growth and development.
Mark Twain once said "the most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop" (BrainyQuote, 2001-2012). Starting at birth, children are always willing to tell the world around them about what is on their mind. If a child is hungry, they will cry to tell the parent or caregiver that it is time for them to eat. If my daughter is tired, she will tell me that she is tired and it is time to take a nap. Even their actions tell us a story. Children that are not feeling well are often clingy to their loved ones because they may believe that the special someone can make them feel better.
I just want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their valuable feedback and for reading my blog over the past few months. I am truly excited to be learning more about the field of early childhood education and sharing my learning with all of you. I am looking forward to continuing my work on this blog and reading the feedback from my followers!
Tiffany Booze
Reference:
Brainy Quote. (2001-2012). Mark twain's quote. In Children Quotes. Retrieved on December 15, 2012, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/children.html.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Testing for Intelligence
This week, we were asked how a child be assessed to test their intelligence. This is actually a rather difficult question to answer because what determines a child's intelligence? Is intelligence simply based on a child's cognitive understanding about the world that they live in or is it something much better.
I personally believe that a child's intelligence depends on their development of the whole person. A child may be cognitively intelligent, but may be struggling with emotional intelligence. If the child is struggling in emotional intelligence, this may impact their social relationships with others. Where I work at, we use an assessment tool, Teaching Strategies GOLD, which the teachers use to track the development of every child in a variety of categories, such as cognitive, socioemotional, physical, and language. By looking at the whole child, our teachers can make connections from one developmental area to the next and see if any concerns that they may have are connected to another area.
In Southeast Asia, professionals are using a variety of assessment and screening tools to test children in low-income areas for disabilities. Some of the screening tools that are being used consist of the Ten Question Screening (TQSI), Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST), and basic hearing and vision screens. Of the children that were screened, many were found to have disabilities that restricted their movement and caused poor health, which was mainly caused due to the poor living conditions that they were in. These results can provide organizations, such as the WHO, with an idea of the areas that need special attention in improving the living conditions for these children. If the living conditions are improved, there is a good chance that the percentage of disabilities may decrease.
Reference:
Krishnamurthy, V., Srinivasan, R., and Ummeed Child Development Center, Mumbai. (2011). Childhood disability screening tools: The south east asian perspective. A Review for the WHO Office of the South East Asian Region. Retrieved on December 6, 2012, from http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/NMH_CDST.pdf.
I personally believe that a child's intelligence depends on their development of the whole person. A child may be cognitively intelligent, but may be struggling with emotional intelligence. If the child is struggling in emotional intelligence, this may impact their social relationships with others. Where I work at, we use an assessment tool, Teaching Strategies GOLD, which the teachers use to track the development of every child in a variety of categories, such as cognitive, socioemotional, physical, and language. By looking at the whole child, our teachers can make connections from one developmental area to the next and see if any concerns that they may have are connected to another area.
In Southeast Asia, professionals are using a variety of assessment and screening tools to test children in low-income areas for disabilities. Some of the screening tools that are being used consist of the Ten Question Screening (TQSI), Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST), and basic hearing and vision screens. Of the children that were screened, many were found to have disabilities that restricted their movement and caused poor health, which was mainly caused due to the poor living conditions that they were in. These results can provide organizations, such as the WHO, with an idea of the areas that need special attention in improving the living conditions for these children. If the living conditions are improved, there is a good chance that the percentage of disabilities may decrease.
Reference:
Krishnamurthy, V., Srinivasan, R., and Ummeed Child Development Center, Mumbai. (2011). Childhood disability screening tools: The south east asian perspective. A Review for the WHO Office of the South East Asian Region. Retrieved on December 6, 2012, from http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/NMH_CDST.pdf.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Consequenses of Stress on Children's Development
This week, we were asked to look back over our childhood and think of how any major stressors have impacted our lives. I actually found this assignment quite difficult because I realized that I have had a fairly easy life. Yes, money was tight for my family, but we still had everything that we needed. I have lived in Ohio my entire life, so I have never experienced any major natural disasters, other than an ice or wind storm here or there that has knocked out power for a few days. Yes, it was an inconvenience, but it was never a life-threatening moment and I enjoyed the peace and quiet during that time.
The one stressor that I can probably relate to is violence. My parents' marriage was very rocky throughout my childhood and got worse when I was in high school. I remember sitting in the garage on winter nights just to get away from listening to them fighting. I became depressed and very dependent on my boyfriend at the time to take that hurt away from me. I learned to suppress my feeling because my parents did not take the time to realize that their arguing had hurt me so bad. My parents got a divorce in 2006 and things are still not so great. They will rarely come together in the same room without there being tension. Today, I still struggle with sharing my feelings, even with my husband. I have built this wall around me that is very hard to get through. I feel as though I should be strong for my family, even though I am weak inside.
I was saddened to read that the rate of domestic violence is so high in South Africa. According to the World Council of Churches website, "one in four men have admitted to rape and one in twenty men have admitted to rape in the past year" (para. 1). Sadly, only about seven percent of rapes against women actually lead to conviction (para. 7). The council is working to provide awareness of this global struggle to eliminate violence, but as long as the crime continues to go unpunished, the crime will continue to be present.
Tiffany Booze
Reference:
World Council of Churches, (2011). Facts about columbia. In 40 days to end violence against women. Retrieved on November 23, 2012, from http://www.overcomingviolence.org/en/resources/campaigns/women-against-violence/week-3-colombia/colombia-facts.html.
The one stressor that I can probably relate to is violence. My parents' marriage was very rocky throughout my childhood and got worse when I was in high school. I remember sitting in the garage on winter nights just to get away from listening to them fighting. I became depressed and very dependent on my boyfriend at the time to take that hurt away from me. I learned to suppress my feeling because my parents did not take the time to realize that their arguing had hurt me so bad. My parents got a divorce in 2006 and things are still not so great. They will rarely come together in the same room without there being tension. Today, I still struggle with sharing my feelings, even with my husband. I have built this wall around me that is very hard to get through. I feel as though I should be strong for my family, even though I am weak inside.
I was saddened to read that the rate of domestic violence is so high in South Africa. According to the World Council of Churches website, "one in four men have admitted to rape and one in twenty men have admitted to rape in the past year" (para. 1). Sadly, only about seven percent of rapes against women actually lead to conviction (para. 7). The council is working to provide awareness of this global struggle to eliminate violence, but as long as the crime continues to go unpunished, the crime will continue to be present.
Tiffany Booze
Reference:
World Council of Churches, (2011). Facts about columbia. In 40 days to end violence against women. Retrieved on November 23, 2012, from http://www.overcomingviolence.org/en/resources/campaigns/women-against-violence/week-3-colombia/colombia-facts.html.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Child Development and Public Health: Immunizations
This week, I chose to focus on the issue of child immunization. There are so many rumors floating around the media recently about how immunizations can cause autism in children. However, none of these rumors have been proven to be true. Immunizations were created to help prevent the spread of life-threatening illnesses. Unfortunately, access to these immunizations is limited to families that can afford them and are most commonly administered in modern countries.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, my doctor asked me if I was planning on immunizing my daughter. Without hesitation, I responded yes. My opinion is that if these vaccinations are available and they can prevent my daughter from getting any of these life-threatening illnesses, then it was my responsibility as a parent to make sure that she was vaccinated. My brother-in-law and his wife do not share my beliefs. They have chosen not to vaccinate their daughter. It worries me because whenever my daughter is sick with a common cold or such, I make sure that she is not around her cousin because I fear that my niece may get a harsher illness. I understand that some people choose not to vaccinate their children because of religious or cultural beliefs and that is okay. However, I believe that vaccines should be made available to any parent who wants their child vaccinated, regardless of cost.
A study was performed in India that reviewed the vaccination records of children who were hospitalized. Of the children surveyed, most of the children were considered either partially vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. The children who were not vaccinated made up the largest amount of the children who were present at the hospital. Parents in India said that they did not vaccinate their children because they were either unaware of the availability of the vaccines, claimed the vaccines had side-effects, or did not believe that the vaccines worked at all. It is our responsility to educated these individuals about the availability of vaccinations and the importance of administering them to all children.
Tiffany
Source:
Kumar, D., Aggarwal, A., & Gomber, S. (2010). Immunization status of children admitted to a tertiary-care hospital of north india: Reasons for partial immunization or non-immunization. Journal Of Health, Population, & Nutrition, 28(3), 300-304.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, my doctor asked me if I was planning on immunizing my daughter. Without hesitation, I responded yes. My opinion is that if these vaccinations are available and they can prevent my daughter from getting any of these life-threatening illnesses, then it was my responsibility as a parent to make sure that she was vaccinated. My brother-in-law and his wife do not share my beliefs. They have chosen not to vaccinate their daughter. It worries me because whenever my daughter is sick with a common cold or such, I make sure that she is not around her cousin because I fear that my niece may get a harsher illness. I understand that some people choose not to vaccinate their children because of religious or cultural beliefs and that is okay. However, I believe that vaccines should be made available to any parent who wants their child vaccinated, regardless of cost.
A study was performed in India that reviewed the vaccination records of children who were hospitalized. Of the children surveyed, most of the children were considered either partially vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. The children who were not vaccinated made up the largest amount of the children who were present at the hospital. Parents in India said that they did not vaccinate their children because they were either unaware of the availability of the vaccines, claimed the vaccines had side-effects, or did not believe that the vaccines worked at all. It is our responsility to educated these individuals about the availability of vaccinations and the importance of administering them to all children.
Tiffany
Source:
Kumar, D., Aggarwal, A., & Gomber, S. (2010). Immunization status of children admitted to a tertiary-care hospital of north india: Reasons for partial immunization or non-immunization. Journal Of Health, Population, & Nutrition, 28(3), 300-304.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Personal Birth Experience
The birth experience that I want to describe is my own when I was pregnant with my daughter, Madelynn, who is now 3 years old. Wow, time flies by! I had been having contractions all week, but they usually stopped by the middle of the day. On Friday, my husband and I decided that we were going to go to the state fair. I had been having contractions in the morning, but didn't think anything of it, giving the experience throughout the week. Well, after walking around the fair ground, I realized that the contractions were not going away and were getting stronger. We went home and after trying to sleep through them, I told my husband that we better get to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 1:00 am Saturday morning and my doctor agreed that I was in active labor. We had originally planned on inducing labor on Monday (3 days later), but my body had something else in mind. I received some medicine to allow me to get about 2 hours of sleep, but I woke up again around 7:00 am with the contractions getting stronger. I requested an epidural for pain, but being the kind person that I was, I allowed the anesthesiologist to tend to a patient in surgery before treating me (HUGE MISTAKE). My doctor came in around 8:30 am, broke my water and started me on pitocin. The contractions rapidly got stronger and I quickly regretted being so kind to the person in surgery. I received my epidural around 11:00 am, which allowed me to relax enough for my daughter to drop the rest of the way down. At 12:44 pm, after a lot of pushing and tearing, my daughter came into this world at 9 lbs 2 oz and 20.25 inches long. I was completely exhausted, but overjoyed by the birth of our new baby girl. I was very impressed by the service that I received at the hospital. The staff was very professional, but compassionate. My doctor did an excellent job talking me through the birthing experience and recovery.
My birthing experience could be considered rather calm and organized compared to the birthing experiences described in the paper written by Kathryn Geurts. She spent some time living in Ghana, studying the birthing practices and wrote detailed accounts of two birthng experiences. Ghana is a rural area in Africa where the mortality rate of infants and mothers is considered high. Due to the mortality rates, there is a push for institutionalized births where the process can be monitored by trained professionals. Unfortunately, most women who live in Ghana cannot afford professional care and prefer to have the birth of their children at home where they can use their own traditional medicines and practices.
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Workshop/geurts.html
Tiffany
Reference:
Geurts, K. (1998). Well-being and birth in rural ghana: local realities and global mandates. University of Pennsylvania-African Studies Center. Retrieved on October 31, 2012, from http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Workshop/geurts.html.
My birthing experience could be considered rather calm and organized compared to the birthing experiences described in the paper written by Kathryn Geurts. She spent some time living in Ghana, studying the birthing practices and wrote detailed accounts of two birthng experiences. Ghana is a rural area in Africa where the mortality rate of infants and mothers is considered high. Due to the mortality rates, there is a push for institutionalized births where the process can be monitored by trained professionals. Unfortunately, most women who live in Ghana cannot afford professional care and prefer to have the birth of their children at home where they can use their own traditional medicines and practices.
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Workshop/geurts.html
Tiffany
Reference:
Geurts, K. (1998). Well-being and birth in rural ghana: local realities and global mandates. University of Pennsylvania-African Studies Center. Retrieved on October 31, 2012, from http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Workshop/geurts.html.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Early Childhood Ethical Codes
Early childhood professionals have a responsibility to follow ethical codes of conduct both in the classroom and in the community. Listed below are some of the codes of ethics from NAEYC and DEC that I find particularly important and the relevance they have in my professional career as an early childhood educator.
References:
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 of Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/
- To recognize and respect unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child. (NAEYC)
- Every child is truly unique in their learning abilities. Some children are visual learners, where they learn best with seeing pictures and other visual representations. Other children learn best through hands-on activities, where they are able to learn through exploration or play. There are many different learning styles and each child learns at their own pace. That is why one-on-one interactions with each child in the classroom is so important. Group teaching can be beneficial for social experiences, but working with children individually will help make sure that students are receiving the attention and instruction that they need to support their growth in learning.
- To work through education, research, and advocacy toward a society in which all young children have access to high-quality early care and education programs. (NAEYC)
- Our children are the future of the world that we live in. Unfortunately, the child care centers in the United States are mediocre at best. There are programs, such as Head Start, that offer high-quality early educational services to select children, but that leaves the majority of the children in the United States with low-quality care. We as early childhood professionals need to push for more government and private funding to provide high-quality education to ALL children across the United States. If we want our children to be successful in life, we need to provide our children with a strong education-based foundation that fosters the natural development of children.
- We shall respect, value, promote, and encourage the active participation of ALL families by engaging families in meaningful ways in the assessment and intervention processes. (DEC)
- Early childhood educators serve as mentors of children for the families that we serve. Educators need to partner with family members to ensure that each child receives the best possible education based off of the child's individual abilities and needs. Assessments and curriculum used in the classroom need to reflect each child's needs and abilities and should be discussed regularly with the families to ensure that proper instruction is taking place. Families place their trust in educators to educate their children, but often do so without the knowledge of exactly what is taking place in the classroom. Educators need to encourage regular family participation so that families can continue the learning process in their own homes.
References:
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 of Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
EDUC 6005 Course Resources
This page contains a variety of resources for all early childhood educators. This list is by no means comprehensive and will be revised as see fit. I hope that you will find these resources useful and if you have any recommendations to be added to list, please let me know.
Position Statements and Influencial Practices:
Selected Early Childhood Organizations:
Please note that this list is not comprehensive. Please see your local or university library for their complete listing.
News Articles about Early Childhood Education:
Tiffany Booze
Position Statements and Influencial 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://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
- Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
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.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.
Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being:
- World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
- World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP's mission.
- Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/
Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.
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/main/about.cfm - 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//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home - 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.preknow.org/ - Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/ - The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/
Please note that this list is not comprehensive. Please see your local or university library for their complete listing.
- 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
News Articles about Early Childhood Education:
- Benbow, C. (2012, September 12). Quality pre-k is more than just academic content. The Tennessean. Retrieved from http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120913/COLUMNIST0129/309130039/Quality-Pre-K-more-than-just-academic-content?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1.
- Hefling, K. (2012, January 12). Growth in prekindergarten slowed in recession. FoxNews.com. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/17/expansion-in-pre-k-programs-curtailed-in-recession/.
- Kirp, D.L. (2005, July 31). All my children. NYTimes.com. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/education/edlife/kirp31.html?ref=educationpreschool&_r=0.
- Lee, R.C. (2012, September 4). Figures show struggle worsening for single mothers. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Figures-show-struggle-worsening-for-single-mothers-3839758.php.
- Rasicot, J. (2012, September 21). Report: School districts lack critical data on early education. Education Week. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/09/school_districts_and_communities_across.html.
Tiffany Booze
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Words of Inspiration and Motivation
This page consists of motivating quotes from a variety of respectful early childhood professionals. Throughout my study of the early childhood field, I will be adding more quotes to this page, so please feel free to revisit this post for more inspiration.
"The legacy I want to leave is a child-care system that says no kid is going to be left alone or left unsafe."
Marian Wright Edelman
"Being considerate of others will take you and your children further in life than any college or professional degree."
Marian Wright Edelman
"Parents have become so convinced educators know what is best for children that they forget that they themselves are really the experts."
Marian Wright Edelman
"Probably the most important single determinant of a child's growth is the behavior of the parents."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
"If you can get that mother involved and maker her a better socializer and teacher to her own children, that benefit will accrue to the younger children."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
"I'm not sure that its moral to segregate children along socioeconomic lines. I'm not sure it meets John Dewey's notion of educating children to live in a democracy. If you put kids from all social classes together, they get the benefits of learning about one another. And research now indicates that poor children's education accomplishments are greater when they are in classes with middle-class children than when they are in classes only with other poor children."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
"Conception, not birth, is when development starts. The Early Head Start findings demonstrated that when mothers are pregnant, they're extremely interested in information and instruction. After laying that foundation, we also need to have a good, solid, high-quality preschool program for 3s and 4s. And when they get to school at age 5, don't quit. You have to have a program that goes up to 3rd grade. That's a turning point in children's lives and their school performance. If children are behind then, their chances of ever catching up are next to nil."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
Tiffany Booze
"The legacy I want to leave is a child-care system that says no kid is going to be left alone or left unsafe."
Marian Wright Edelman
"Being considerate of others will take you and your children further in life than any college or professional degree."
Marian Wright Edelman
"Parents have become so convinced educators know what is best for children that they forget that they themselves are really the experts."
Marian Wright Edelman
"Probably the most important single determinant of a child's growth is the behavior of the parents."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
"If you can get that mother involved and maker her a better socializer and teacher to her own children, that benefit will accrue to the younger children."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
"I'm not sure that its moral to segregate children along socioeconomic lines. I'm not sure it meets John Dewey's notion of educating children to live in a democracy. If you put kids from all social classes together, they get the benefits of learning about one another. And research now indicates that poor children's education accomplishments are greater when they are in classes with middle-class children than when they are in classes only with other poor children."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
"Conception, not birth, is when development starts. The Early Head Start findings demonstrated that when mothers are pregnant, they're extremely interested in information and instruction. After laying that foundation, we also need to have a good, solid, high-quality preschool program for 3s and 4s. And when they get to school at age 5, don't quit. You have to have a program that goes up to 3rd grade. That's a turning point in children's lives and their school performance. If children are behind then, their chances of ever catching up are next to nil."
Edward Zigler, Ph.D.
Tiffany Booze
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Personal Childhood Web
There were several people who have mentored and raised me throughout my childhood and have contributed to the person that I have become today. Listed below are a few of those important people in my life and description of how they are related to me and the impact that they have had in my life. I hope that by reading this post you will be able to learn a little more about my background and see where my personality comes from.
Tiffany Booze
- My mother, Lynn, has always been a strong role model for me. Up until the birth of my younger sister, she was a stay at home mother. She was always there to provide the love and support that my siblings and I needed. She was the one who helped us with homework whenever we needed it and she was always in the stands for all of our sporting events. I can only think of one basketball game (I was a cheerleader) that she missed and it was because she was ill. She regretted it terribly, but I reminded her that she has been there for me whenever I have needed her. When she did start working again, she started teaching preschool. As I entered college and decided to pursue education for a career, she simply told me to follow my heart and do what I was passionate about. She is still my biggest fan!
- My father, Vaughn, has always been the main breadwinner of the family. Even when my mother started working full-time when I was in elementary school, my father continued to work two jobs to make sure that the bills were paid and we had everything that we needed. My father would attend my sporting events when he could, but most of the time he was working whenever I had a game or competition. My parents divorced when I was in my Sophomore year of college and that is when I actually became closer to my dad. We started a yearly ritual where we would have a father-daughter outing when just the two of us would go out and explore something new. I cherished that one-on-one time with my father because I rarely had it growing up. Now that I am married, my father gives my family space, but is always there for me whenever I need him. He loves my daughter dearly and she looks up to him with love and respect.
- My maternal grandmother, Eileen, was such a loving and caring person. Whenever we went to grandma's house, it was her house that we went to. She was the person who introduced me to God and I loved attending church with her when I stayed the night at her house on a weekend. I felt so special sitting in the pew next to her during the service and she would always share her Certs mints with me. My grandma's house always felt like a refuge where I could turn to whenever I needed someone to listen. I lived with her for a while when I attended Ohio State and it was one of the best decisions I could have made. During my stay with her, her dementia began to develop and she was always repeating herself. As crazy as it was to listen to the same stories again and again, I loved those moments sitting at the kitchen table with her. Her dementia took a turn for the worse literally the day that my daughter was born and I always joke saying that my grandmother checked out because she knew that she couldn't handle my daughter, but I know deep down that my grandmother loved each and every moment that she was able to spend with my daughter, even though she didn't know who she was. My grandmother passed away this past December and I miss her dearly. Whenever I am feeling down, my mind always wanders to the moments that I shared with her and I can feel her presence with me.
- My paternal grandmother, Frances, is a very strong, loving woman. She was always a homemaker who did all of the cooking and cleaning around the home. For the longest time, I thought that she was soft spoken until recently. She always followed my grandfather's orders and did not do otherwise. She has outlived two of her children and her husband. She is definitely a person who is set in her ways and does not like a change in routine. When my grandfather passed away (by his own hand), she found the note, called the people that she needed to call, and then proceeded to make herself breakfast. She sat at the table and ate while everyone was working around her. She is 98 and living in an nursing home now, but she is still very independent. She refuses to be late to church or a meal and don't even think about pulling her out of Bingo for a visit. She is never afraid to tell me that she doesn't like how I have let the curl go out of my hair or let me know that I've gained weight. That's what I love about her. She notices the details in life and doesn't let life get in her way. I see a lot of her in myself. I am a perfectionist and very determined. Once I set a goal, I do everything that I can to make sure that I reach that goal to the fullest potential. Simply meeting the goal isn't good enough. I have to do my best work at all times.
- My brother, Steven, is my older sibling. Growing up, he had a lot of behavioral issues and I learned what not to do by watching him. However, he was always the big brother that I needed him to be. He has always been very protective of my and he let me know if he didn't like somebody that I was dating. I was able to turn to him for advice when I entered high school. When I entered high school, he and I became more like friends. He is very independent and goal-oriented like I am. He is also a very loving father to my nephew. There have been times when he has turned to me for advice, which in turn showed me that I have gained his respect as an adult. As I continue to pursue my education career, he asks me questions about school and expresses interest in my life. He may be my big brother, but he has become one of my best friends.
Here is a picture of my maternal Grandmother, Eileen, during one of my visits to the nursing home after her dementia set in. My mother, Lynn, is also pictured holding my daughter.
Here is a picture of my paternal Grandmother, Frances, at her 98th birthday party just last month. My husband, daughter, and I are also pictured here.
This is a picture of my mother, Lynn, holding my daughter one week after she was born.
This is a picture of my brother, Steven, holding my nephew during a family gathering.
Here is a picture of my father, Vaughn, and I when we attended my sister's high school graduation.
Tiffany Booze
Monday, September 10, 2012
My Favorite Children's Book
My favorite children's book of all time is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. My husband was the one who introduced me to this book and I am so glad that he did. It was his favorite book growing up and it is now my favorite book to read to our 3 year old daughter. Madelynn loves sitting on my lap and rocking to the story. I also love how I can completely relate to the mother in the story. There are definitely times where my daughter or students are "driving me crazy" or making me want to "sell them to the zoo" (Munsch, 2010). But at the end of the day, my love for them continues to grow and erases all of the negative moments away. This story catches the true love that a parent has for their children and I hope that I can pass this love on to all of the children in my life.
Tiffany Booze
Resources:
Munsch, R. (2010). Love you forever. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc.
Quotations about Early Childhood Education
Included below are some of my favorite quotations about Early Childhood Education and Teaching. I hope that you are able to find a few that you can relate to or that encourage you to think more deeply about interactions with young children.
All of these quotations ring true in my classroom. With Stacia Tauscher's quote, I have to admit that there are times when I am teaching that I forget that I am working with children. Each child is a unique individual that is actively learning in the present. I may be focused about what I want them to learn and how they will demonstrate that they have learned these skills, but I know that I need to step back and focus on what my students have already accomplished and praise them for that. With Dr. Ginnot's quote, children are very observant and will pick up on anything that they see or hear, whether it is good or bad. Unfortunately, bad experiences can quickly erase any good experiences that a student has had, so a teacher needs to make sure that positive praise and teaching occurs all of the time. Sydney Harris made a great analogy to education. Many students who have grown up in disadvantaged homes enter school thinking that their future is dim. A great teacher can help these students understand that they can do whatever they set their heart to do and then provide these students and their families with resources to help these students succeed.
Tiffany Booze
Resources:
Success Degrees, Inc., (2012). Inspirational quotes & quotations on early childhood education for teachers. Retrieved from Success Degrees website: http://www.successdegrees.com/inspirationalquotesaboutearlychildhoodeducationandteaching.html
"We worry about what a child will become, yet we forget that he is someone today."
-Stacia Tauscher
"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression." - Dr. Hiam Ginnot
"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." -Sydney J. Harris
All of these quotations ring true in my classroom. With Stacia Tauscher's quote, I have to admit that there are times when I am teaching that I forget that I am working with children. Each child is a unique individual that is actively learning in the present. I may be focused about what I want them to learn and how they will demonstrate that they have learned these skills, but I know that I need to step back and focus on what my students have already accomplished and praise them for that. With Dr. Ginnot's quote, children are very observant and will pick up on anything that they see or hear, whether it is good or bad. Unfortunately, bad experiences can quickly erase any good experiences that a student has had, so a teacher needs to make sure that positive praise and teaching occurs all of the time. Sydney Harris made a great analogy to education. Many students who have grown up in disadvantaged homes enter school thinking that their future is dim. A great teacher can help these students understand that they can do whatever they set their heart to do and then provide these students and their families with resources to help these students succeed.
Tiffany Booze
Resources:
Success Degrees, Inc., (2012). Inspirational quotes & quotations on early childhood education for teachers. Retrieved from Success Degrees website: http://www.successdegrees.com/inspirationalquotesaboutearlychildhoodeducationandteaching.html
Personal Portrait
Every year, my child care center brings in a professional photographer to have pictures taken for all of the staff and students. For some families at our school, these are the only professional pictures taken of their children every year. Here is my staff picture for this 2011-2012 school year, which was taken in May of 2012.
Tiffany Booze
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Students Learn, I Learn...Repeat!
One thing that I have learned as a teacher in a child care center is that students can do an endless amount of learning. The more that I show them or expose them to, the greater the chances that my students will pick up on the lessons that I want them to learn. However, I have also learned that I am a student in my own classroom. I am constantly amazed at how well my students pick up on things or how they do not like an activity that I thought they would absolutely love. As a teacher, I have learned that I need to be an "open book". I need to be able to show my students that they can also possess a love for learning, but understand that my love for learning and their love can be completely different.
As a student at Walden University, I am forced to step back and view the classroom from the perspective of my students. I have to absorb what I am interested in and simply listen to what I may not be. However, as an adult, I know how to filter my interests and change them so that all of the information that is presented to my in my degree program can be applied to my career as an early childhood educator and administrator. I have always joked that I would love to be a lifelong student, but in reality, I already am!
Tiffany Booze
As a student at Walden University, I am forced to step back and view the classroom from the perspective of my students. I have to absorb what I am interested in and simply listen to what I may not be. However, as an adult, I know how to filter my interests and change them so that all of the information that is presented to my in my degree program can be applied to my career as an early childhood educator and administrator. I have always joked that I would love to be a lifelong student, but in reality, I already am!
Tiffany Booze
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