My Supports

            There are times in life where different aspects and situations are going to take place and everyone will receive some type of support. Support comes in multiple forms such as emotional, spiritual, financial, mental, and physical. Most individuals can personal talk about financial support that they have received but there are not many people that discuss the other support that they receive from family, friends, and sometimes strangers. Out of all my years of living and experiencing different opportunities I have received all of the different types of support that can be offered. If I had to sit down and decide who has been my biggest supporters throughout my life it would be my family. I get support as a mom, wife, daughter, grand-daughter, niece, professional, friend, and associate. Having a support team gives me that extra push that I need to succeed. As humans, we can get overwhelmed and consider quitting or giving up on what we are trying to achieve because of the multiple obstacles that come one after the other so the support team makes all the hard work visible and worth completing. A support team is just like having your own life cheerleaders that shows you why you should continue to go the extra mile. My support team has stood by my side and cheered me on for sports, grades, jobs, degrees, motherhood, marriage, and they continue to cheer me on. To the point that even when I may sit down and the thought of quitting crosses my mind one of my supporters would call and say the most inspiring phrase they can think of and the thought of quitting disappears.

            I am preparing myself to take a major exam and my cheerleaders (support team) has been right by my side and talking with me on future plans. I have talked about this exam for a while and I always find one way to not take this exam but my prolonging is coming to an end. My cheerleaders were the only reason I would give the extra push when I felt like giving up until I had my son. My son is my overall reason for everything now. My hard work shows him that no matter what he decides to do in life he can achieve whatever goal he puts his mind to. My motivation to succeed is the fact that I am creating a legacy for my son to carry on and there is no better feeling than for your child or children to tell you that they are proud of your accomplishments. I have heard people say that they do not need anyone to succeed but I have learned over the years that everyone needs somebody even if it is just one person being alone in this world has not proven to be the key to success. When I sit down and consider something that would be a great loss for me I feel that not being able to be a positive inspiration to others would affect me. I enjoy reaching, teaching, and touching the lives of others, whether they are children or adults. Sometimes we touch people lives that we know nothing about just because they are watching us as an example. Being an inspiration is important because we will not always know who we are reaching with our actions or messages but it is a great feeling for the individuals that come to us and thank us for a job well done. I personally appreciate the thanks because those individuals have no idea of how many times I have considered giving up on that specific project not knowing that I was being an inspiration to them.

Childhood Connections to Play

Quote #1: “I’m a 90s kid. I miss being able to watch good TV shows. I miss Hey Arnold, Doug, Rocket Power, & Recess. I miss Full House and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I miss the Mighty Ducks and Lion King. I miss Catdog and the Wild Thornberry’s. I miss waking up early to watch cartoons. But most of all, I miss the simplicity. 90s > present – nothing personal” (pinterest.com)

Quote #2: “When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them they didn’t understand life. (zombieplace.com)

Essential Play Items:

               

 

 

            In my opinion play is an essential part of life. Parent and teacher interaction is what influences the learning experience. My parents played with me all the time and that helped me to interact with other people. The playing activities should consist of things that appear every day in life. Learning through play helps them learn counting, shapes, colors, and so on. My mom has always played with me. When she was cooking or cleaning she would allow me to help her so that I could learn the different ingredients that she used for cooking and the different smells and texture of the cleaning items. When my friends would come over I would play cook and clean sharing the information shared with me. When I would pretend to play school my dad would be the student and I was the teacher. Play helps a child expand their imagination and helps them learn and develop. As a child my learning and playing experience was great.

            Children today do not get the imagination building time by playing like I did as a child. They have all these video games, social media, and other technology that occupies their minds. I do not believe that technology is a problem but our children are going to be developing slow because they lack imagination. Using the internet is the way they find new ways to do anything. A child’s imagination is a gateway to their future and it helps them plan out their career for later in life.

            I feel that people can play just for fun or playing with a purpose. Playing is a development and learning tool for children. As adults we still play but we play with a mission in our minds. We are the people that the children look up to and we need to watch what we do.

Reflecting on Building Relationships

            What is a relationship? In my opinion, it is a bond between two or more people. There are multiple types of relationships. Relationships can be with family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. My first positive relationship is with my parents. My mom and dad are my path layers to wherever my future leads me. I would be totally lost without this relationship because my parents believe in me when I do not believe in myself. My son is my heartbeat and every breath I take. He taught me what real love is because you never know how to love until you give birth to another life. Everything I do surrounds my son. Children are a gift from God. My spiritual relationship with God is another positive relationship that I have. I am nowhere near perfect and I do not pretend to be but to know that the good Lord loves me and walks with me regardless is a sign of relief all on its own. I know that everyone has their own religious beliefs and I feel to each its own belief. Between God and my family the relationships are powerful and beneficial to what makes me an influential person. I am a leader with goals and ambition. I standup for what I believe in because if I don’t then I would be a follower for what someone else believe in. My communication skills help me build bonds with other people. My parents raised me as an individual that meets no strangers. I carry the same friendly attitude with everyone because I act by example. I do things with my son like my parents did with me. I want him to learn to build positive relationships like my parents taught me. My friends and co-workers are another group of people that I have a positive relationship with. We work together and we separate our work life and hang out together on our personal time. We keep our work life and personal life separate and this helps us function and enjoy the lives we live. When we hang out we bring our children with us to teach them that everyone needs at least one other dependable person in their lives. Relationships are important because it shows children how to be positive and helps them build their social skills and communication skills.

When I Think o Child Development

 

            This picture represents the different developments that children will go through. All of them will go through these stages but with different experiences. I have learned that all children develop the same way and their living environment is a source as to what makes these development levels different. We all know that family dynamics makes a difference but most people do not understand that things that children hear and see can affect a lot of their developments as well as the physical experiences. Their emotions are just as living changing as adult’s experience. I will continue to accept the advancement of knowledge and continue to be a positive role model to the children I meet because they need people they can trust.



 

 

This diagram is visual proof of the different elements needed for child development. All of these elements are put together to assist with the way our children develop and succeed in life. Parents are the first everything for their child so they set the stepping stones to the child’s developmental beginning. After those stones are set they begin to learn from everything and everyone they come into contact with. Then the educational resources for all the people born to be a blessing to children are made available. There are even educational resources for parents because we can never learn too much.

 

 

Testing for Intelligence

            How is your child’s fate picked through the eyes of the government and the state? These are questions that many parents do not think about but research the purpose of a standardized test. A prime example would be the state tests that are currently keeping so many children from graduating or moving forward to the next grade. If they miss the recommended score even by a few points they are held back no matter what they grades looked like throughout the school year. I have seen honor roll students that do not pass the state test and are held back. I can see how this could frustrate a student especially seniors that thought they were going to graduate. The state tests are one reason that some students say that they quit and refuse to go back because they feel that they have worked hard all these years for them to get to the end and be withheld because of the state tests. I have heard students ask what the purpose of going to sit in classrooms and take tests if none of that counts at the end of everything. I feel bad for some of the students because everyone is not a good test taker but that does not mean that they do not know the information. I have also seen some students that did horrible throughout the school year and pasted the state tests with flying colors.

            When conducting research I saw that in England they have a test that is considered a nationalized test that replaces the standard pencil and paper tests. This test is used as the children curriculum and is to help them learn as well as to contribute to their development. I just personally do not see how testing children determines their level in life. I can see and understand how it helps learn the learning patterns of the individual children because every child is different. This means that everyone has a different lifestyle and learning style. Children should only be tested to see what working level they are on so that the teacher can know exactly how to help them. I feel like the statement of letting children is children have completely been thrown out of the door.

References

Rotberg, I. (2006). Assessment Around the World. NCLB: Taking Stock, Looking Forward    Pages 58-63. Volume 64 | Number 3

My Family Culture

1. Miniature Chest

            I would take this chest because it is small and contains memories of my son. I was born sick and have experienced problems all my life. I was told that I would never have children. I was 7 ½ months pregnant when I found out about my son. I was told that I was a high risk pregnancy that could cost my life or my baby’s life. We had a perfect natural child birth and so I placed small memorable items in a miniature chest. The items in the chest are my son’s first pair of shoes, his first letterman’s jacket, his Christen outfit, and his ultrasound DVD.

2. Electronics

            I would take electronics like my phone and tablet so that I can do some research on the area and the culture that we will be residing at. I would also want to have my electronics to access any information necessary to be used as an enhancement to my son’s knowledge level. The new living area may have a different education level from what my son is used to so I would do whatever it took to get him on the right level.

3. Jewelry

            I would take the jewelry that my grandmother handed down to me because it has been handed down the generation line. I would take it so that if I am blessed with a daughter, granddaughter, or daughter-in-law then I could hand it down also. I would take it because it is important to my family’s history and what we represent.

            Upon arrival, if I was told that I could only keep one of my three items I would be heart broken. I would not care about having to give up the electronics but I would not be able to choose between the miniature chest and the jewelry. Both of those items are near and dear to me so having to choose between the two would break my heart. I know that no one could cherish my items like I do because they do not know what each item represents. This exercise has showed me how important certain items are to me. You never know how important something is unless it is being taken away from you.