Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I nurse my 7 month old and will continue until he decides to stop. The bond that we have is something that I hold very close. I enjoy every minute of our time together. The benefits of breastfeeding are what made me want to be able to do it. Infants benefit so much from nursing. They receive antibodies to many illnesses from the mother. It is something I feel every mother should at least try. The first few weeks I felt like giving up but kept on because I knew how beneficial it would be for my son.

In the United States it is common for most mothers to stop breastfeeding at the age of 1. After reading many articles and websites this is not common in many other countries. Moms will breastfeed until their child is 4 or 5 years old and sometimes longer. It's not frowned upon as it is here in the states.

Birth Experience

My son, Kasen, was born on June 3 of this year. I remember thinking that he was never going to come after being in labor for 17 hours. I was terrified of having an emergency csection. I remember the process being fairly easy other than the intense pain. I tried to make it without any pain medication but did not last very long. I had read many articles about the effects of epidurals later on in life and did not want to have one. Well I ended up having an epidural but it had worn off by the time I delivered. I remember very vividly once it was time to deliver the amount of people that came into the delivery room. The doctors, nurses, and people from the NICU were overwhelming. Overall giving birth to my son is an experience I will never forget. I chose to share my own experience because I felt it was an overall good experience. 

I feel that some things during birth can impact the child. At the same time I also feel that some things happen for a reason.

I chose to read about births in Italy. In that part of the world if you want to have an epidural it has to be prebooked and they don’t have any other form of pain relief. There are many natural birthing centers. I find this very interesting. During my birth experience as soon as I said I wanted the epidural someone came. I can’t imagine having to prebook for the epidural. How would someone know when to make the appointment?

Ethics

~ We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value

and human potential of each child.

~ We shall engage in ongoing and systematic reflective inquiry and self-assessment for the

purpose of continuous improvement of professional performance and services to young children

with disabilities and their families.

~ We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with

whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture.

All three of these ethics statements stood out to me. All speak about seeing the child as a unique individual and treating them with respect no matter what. I believe very strongly in these statements. Each child needs to be treated as an individual and this should be the belief every time a child walks through your door. It shouldn't matter if he/she has special needs or even if an older sibling was the ideal student. Too many times teachers don't look at each child as an individual and have previous notions from other experiences. 

Course Resrouces EDUC 6005

Part 1: 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
  
  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.

Part 2: 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
    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.

Part 3: 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/
  

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to "How Do I...?", select "Tips for Specific Formats and Resources," and then "e-journals" to find this search interface.)

• 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
  Other Resources:
• Conscious Discipline- Based on brain research
• Book- The Whole Brain Child
• Dr. Becky Baily- developer of Conscious Discipline
  
  
  

Word of Inspiration and Motivation

~A contributor to early childhood education is Deborah Stipek. Deborah states that,

“Children from low-income families begin kindergarten, on average, at least a year behind middle-class children in basic academic skills, and most don't catch up. Entering skills are the best predictor of how well students will succeed in high school and their likelihood of dropping out.” (Stipeck, paragraph 7)
 

Knowing these statistics children from low income families should be given more opportunities to succeed. These children should also receive early intervention if needed so that they don't become another statistic.

~ Dr. Lilian Katz has many of the same beliefs as I do about early childhood education and the education young children should receive. She says that children should have experiences in a feeling of belong to a school and community as well as being intellectually engaged and challenged (Empowered by Play, 2011). I start the school year off by developing a school family within my classroom using Conscious Discipline. I work in a low income area teaching kindergarten. By building a school family and a sense of belong the children know that there is something stable in their lives and can build trust.

Resources:

Words of wisdom from dr. lilian katz. (2011, June 19). Retrieved from
 http://www.empoweredbyplay.org/2011/06/words-of-wisdom-from-dr-lilian-katz/

  Stipek, D. (2012, January 16). Deborah stipek: Transitional kindergarten has real value, don't give it up. Retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_19753698

Personal Childhood Web

Mom- I have always looked up to my mom for many reasons. She is a strong, Christian woman that I admire. My mom has been an example of what a mother, daughter, and wife should be. She has encouraged me in everything that I do. There were plenty of times that my mom most likely didn't think I should do something but encouraged me anyways. My face has faced may trials including losing a husband, a son, and winning the fight against cancer. Yet, she still perseveres. As much as you say you don't want to be like your mom or say things like your mom if usually ends up happening. For that I am grateful!

Dad- My dad passed away when I was 18. Growing up I was always a daddy's girl. My dad got me anything I wanted. His love for me showed in everything he did. He was a strong example of a loving father and husband. Any heart break or physical hurt I experienced he could make it better with his kind words and love.

Mrs. Ables- Mrs. Ables was my 1st grade teacher. She is still a teacher which says a lot  says a lot about her. Her passion and love for young children is what influenced me to become a teacher. 

A few of my favorite things

Favorite quote:
 "Children are educated by what the grown up is, and not by his talk." - Carl Jung

This quote speaks volumes to me as an educator working in a low socioeconomic area as well as a parent. Children need positive role models. It's important as an educator to be a role model to students, no matter the age. 


Favorite Children's Book:

One of my favorite children's book is The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf. This book is a simple lesson about being diverse but working together. I like to read it at the beginning of the school year to teach about being different but working together.

Favorite Drawing

I searched and found this drawing. This simple drawing depicts the simplicity of a young child. It symbolizes growth and change. Young children are like sponges and will soak in everything they are taught.