Time Well Spent



Time Well Spent

This is not the end of our schooling but the beginning.  We are now teachers that are dedicated to a positive social change in the Early Childhood field. Some of us will continue to teach children, some of us will teach adults in making a positive change and some of us will create programs for social change in the EC field.  We all have taken this journey in order to make a difference in a child's life and their multiple ways to do this.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of my colleagues and instructors for influencing and encouraging me to become more than I am.  I have ideas and want to make a change and Walden University has empowered me to make this possible.  My instructors never gave up on me when I fell behind and my colleagues always offered positive feedback and encouraged me to expand on my knowledge. 

When I began this journey of going back to school I only did it to get a better position at a local child care center that I worked at.  Now this journey has only shown me that I could make a difference just being me and not being in that position. My time at Walden has shown me . . . .

• That I finally understood what our EC curriculum is all about.  The curriculum is not just a bunch of hullabaloo but it actually has a certain outcome that gets children learning and exploring in fun ways.  Concentrating on the whole child and not just one developmental skill is the key to success for each child. PLAY is a positive way to teach the developmental stages for each child. Socialization with their peers, Emotional connection with their peers, Language interaction with their peers, Physical activity and Cognitive thinking and problem solving!   
• Positive education for teachers equals positive education for the children in their care.  Too many teachers in the ECE field have very little education and do not understand the curriculum and its purpose.  They get easily frustrated and do not know ways to positively change the atmosphere in the room.  As we continue our education we learn to make a difference in each child's life and create a positive and safe place for a child to come on a daily basis!
• Each child's culture is a part of who they are! We need to put our biases off to the side and remember to have an open mind and accept every child and their family for who they are. 
• Lastly I learned the person who I want to be! I want to make a difference in a child's life by teaching adults.  I knew that I wanted to teach but I was not doing it in the right way.  Now I know how to reach others through caring and sharing what I have learned. I have gained self esteem and knowledge in order to create a positive social change in my future endeavors.  Currently I am an Assistant Director, which allows me to work with 15 wonderful teachers who make a difference on a daily basis! Soon I hope to teach adults or work for DCFS in order to make sure the local child care centers are following the state standards.  This will also allow me to see my capstone project become an reality - to change the qualifications for ECE teachers in Illinois and then the United States.

I would like to take Thank Walden University, my instructors (Dr. Dartt) and
my colleagues for making this all possible