When I Reflect about My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

As a educator, parent and teacher, I wanted  to be a part of the world that wanted  to help young children.  I want to be a part of the society that helps others become a much bigger part of the picture. Because of that, I need the expertise of my collegial, professional learning community. Each and every one of us has something to contribute to the early childhood system. The online community has been a great support, the online feedback from professor provided me with the opportunity to grown and see where improvement was needed.

During this online experience, I learned about feedback, support and cooperation which as needed to be successful and to meet the needs of the group. All my of online colleagues supported me the feedback and encouragement. The professor was timely and helpful and answered all questions. Everyone was treated with respect, and everyone's opinion was a part of the learning community. Another thing that stood out to me was how efficient the professor answered your concerns or comments to your.

Professional Collaboration is a great resource, I have gained resources and people that I can collaborate with after the online course is complete. This course was a great experience as well as a learning tool. I look forward to the next journey. My goal is to use the knowledge gained in this course in my advocacy and outreach work in Head Start.

My Early Childhood System

Scenario

I am an African American mother of one with a child with Down syndrome who currently live her mother and is entering into my senior year of college. I live in a community where every knows everyone.  I receive food stamps and TANF for my child. I have trying to get the father of the child to be a part of his life since he was born. The father of my child did not want to be a part of his life once he found out that the child had a disability. I have been researching Down Syndrome and want to find out as much as possible about the disease as I can so that I am knowledge about my child and how to help my child. My Aunt has been asking me to move to her hometown where there is a lot support for children like my child.

I decided to move about a month ago to Tennessee, I had no idea how much support and encouragement we would receive from family, friends, and the larger community of other parents with kids with Down syndrome, as well as from dedicated and caring therapists, teachers, and medical professionals.

What is Your Ideal Family Support System?

Health

My support system consists of many doctors, therapist, clinics and outreach services that provides comprehensive care for children with Down Syndrome. My Health services includes my child having doctors who really is compassion, knowledgeable about to provide the best quality of care for my child. My support system would help me to understand that reach from the National Down Syndrome Society provides checklists for doctors' visits and other resources for medical intervention and support. But learning the facts about Down syndrome also involves understanding the social and emotional reality that most people with Down syndrome enjoy their lives, and that most families raising children with Down syndrome report positive benefits from their child's. I would have Health services that would connect me to other parents who have children with the needs as my children where we can connect and learn together. My child would be providing with speech and language service, physical therapist, and occupational therapy.

Early Learning and Development

My support system helps me as early as possible with early intervention, education, and support services through a program that is called First Steps.  My program will help me with encourage and support to me that will enable her to learn with her peers. My program will help me child with feeding and dressing themselves, and teach her skills for playing and interacting with other children by providing her with a therapist.

Family Leadership and Support

My Child will enroll in the local Head Start program who assist me in finding resources for my child. My Head Start will assist me in becoming an advocate for my child. I am assigned a Family Advocate who assist me understand my role as and parent in the program. Other program and organization in the community are Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennesse.

The Political will to improve Early Childhood Systems

THE POLITICAL WILL TO IMPROVE EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEMS

The blog assignment for this week concentrates on the political will to improve early childhood systems.  We were asked to share one or more strategies we have discovered as we worked on the assignments during this course, and particularly this past week, that are currently being used by advocates or organizations to influence the political will toward improving early childhood systems in order to foster the well-being of young children and their families.  We were also asked to share our thoughts on what part of this work appeals to us the most and why?

What I found while researching as well as applying my own experience in the field was that one of the most important focuses in the early childhood field, in my opinion, is the need of a system designed to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality of early and school-age care programs (Neugebauer, 2009, p. 66), as well as finding quality and affordable child care. Individuals have diverse abilities and these abilities account for a substantial portion of the variation across individuals in socioeconomic success. These gaps across children from different socioeconomic groups emerge before their formal education begins (Heckman, 2008, p. 307).

In the last twenty-two plus years, there have been a lot of changes to the licensing processes in the state of Mississippi as well as what is now being expected from licensed providers. One of the processes for improvement being explored and designed in my area is the quality rating and improvement systems standards (QRIS) (Neugebauer, 2009, p. 66).  To say being involved in this process is frustrating is an understatement.  I have been involved in the QRIS rating system over the last three years as well as the UPK grant since 2009.  During the course of working with the QRIS system I have been called a glorified babysitter who is uneducated and has no knowledge of how to match standards with goals, etc…  Suffice it to say this was not a good experience for the person who made these statements.  I do not throw my educational background in the mix when dealing with different agencies but did so this one time.  It was my pleasure to point out how “uneducated” I definitely was not (both book learning and experience).  This issue made it up to two supervisors over this woman.

Then it is time for the legal and political systems come into play. We need the political system to intervene and assist in passing legislation in order for the quality of the early care our children receive from unrelated individuals to continue growing. We need the legal system in order to pass the new regulations and put them into effect.  It would just be wonderful if those who are making these regulations and passing the legislation had any experience working day-to-day in the early childhood field.  I have offered over the years to open my child care to anyone who would like to come and spend a day or a few days seeing how it is run.  So far there have been no takers on the offer.  In order to make changes, we need to use strategies such as methods of how to use our voices, invest in our work, and join networks.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  It takes many, many voices to advocate for change – but what a difference these voices can make.

The work that appeals to me the most is definitely the advocacy portion.  I love to do research and use my voice in order to make a difference.  Advocating is an ongoing process that keeps evolving as each new situation occurs.  Knowing my nature, this is a challenge I gladly will take on.

References

Heckman, J. J. (2008). Role of income and family influence on child outcomes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, pp. 307-323. doi:10.1196/annals.1425.031

 Neugebauer, R. (2009). Quality rating and improvement systems. Exchange (01648527), (188), 66-68.

 

Parent, Family and Community Engagement

Why involvement opportunities for parents and family members benefit young children, families, and the early childhood field

Parent, Family and Community Engagement is a very important system in Head Start. The Parent and Families Stories enlightened me to understand the importance of the role of the parent in Head Start. The stories came from all facets, they were intriguing, uplifting and powerful to read as a parent and teacher.  The stories were truthful, heartfelt and honest. Head Start relies on parental engagement in the classroom environment. Over the past ten years of working with head start, I have learned that family and community engagement is key to increasing student achievement and their readiness for college, career and life. Head Start focus on partnering with parents, educators, local businesses, churches, community organizations, elected officials, city departments strengthens the connections between the program and the community. From the stories, I learned that parents knew about the resources that Head Start provided for both the children and parents. After reading the Parent and Families stories on ECKLC, I am just convinced that success happens in Head Start classroom when families, students and educators work together in a holistic approach as each focus on the child’s academic, social, and emotional needs.

The value that hearing such stories has for early childhood professionals, for the public, and for policymakers and government officials

The stories of the parents, families and community gives parents the ease of knowing that their invested in supporting their child’s learning efforts, which makes teaches as myself and others feel that there is an extended team that is willing to work with to help students reach their goals. Stories like the ones on ECKLC need to be told to teachers which gives them an extra boost and incentive to keep doing the great job that they are doing. The stories were real life situations that others parents can read and understand from first hand. I am thankful to work in Head Start and every day, I hear similar stories of the tools, resources and education that Head Start has provided to them.  Am glad that I can be a part of a community that works together to help the children of tomorrow become lifelong learner.

Resources

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC), part of the Office of Head Start. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/pfs.

Quality Early Childhood Care

I hope that the public begin to understand the importance of high quality early childhood education over the next five year. The demand for early childhood care and education programs continues to increase not only in response to the growing demand for out-of-home child care but also in recognition of the critical importance of educational experiences during the early years. Several decades of research clearly demonstrate that high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs produce short- and long-term positive effects on children's cognitive and social development. Despite the benefits of early education, our nation has lagged in making sure high-quality programs are available for our youngest kids, in my opinion.  Early childhood programs have the potential for producing positive and lasting effects on children, but this potential will not be achieved unless more attention is paid to ensuring that all programs meet the highest standards of quality. As the number and type of early childhood programs increase, the need increases for a shared vision and agreed-upon standards of professional practice.

Making this vision of excellence a reality will require a commitment from and a partnership among the federal, state, and local government. I believe that if programs and the government has clearly defined standards for program quality and personnel, with input from the early childhood professionals, families, and communities, with ongoing planning and evaluation processes, to ensure positive educational, health, and social outcomes for children. I believe that it will be only through collaborating with early childhood colleagues and combining the force of our sciences that we will successfully influence policy makers to foster the kind of holistic health we envision for all children.

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy?

Part 1: Why did you choose this specialization?

Every since I was a very small child I always wanted to be a teacher and I always wanted to work with small children. At a very young age I become a mother and I enrolled my child in Head Start and that is where my passion for children and families resonated. Someone helped me to understand the importance of parental engagement and why it is important to a child development. Early Childhood Education is the most important education that a child can get because it set the foundation for later life skills. I am a firm believe that Brain development is most rapid in the early years of life. When the quality of stimulation, support and nurturance is deficient, child development is seriously affected.

Part 2: Why are advocates essential in the early childhood field?

Many children do not reach their full human potential because of their families’ income status, geographic location, ethnicity, disability, religion or sexual orientation. They do not receive adequate nutrition, care and opportunities to learn. These children and their families can be helped. It is their right to develop as well as to survive. Good nutrition and health and consistent loving care and encouragement to learn in the early years of life help children to do better at school, be healthier, have higher earnings and participate more in society. This is especially important for children in poverty. A good foundation in the early years makes a difference through adulthood and even gives the next generation a better start. Educated and healthy people participate in, and contribute to, the financial and social wealth of their societies. Early Childhood Advocates focus on the whole family and that is key to children receiving everything they need to succeed in life.

Part 3: What do you hope to I  learn about public policy and advocacy?

At this point, I hope to learn how can I effectively help parents to help their children to succeed. I also want to learn about as many resource that are available to help parents and children. I want to learn about other educators who are currently working in Early Childhood and what are they doing in their community to help with public policy and advocacy.

Reflecting on My Learnng

Passion matters in that it motivates and inspires the teachers. Passion is a motivational factor that affects teacher performance. It drives the teachers for a better student accomplishment. Passionate teachers create an effective learning environment and increase learning potential of students. Passion leads to creativity; therefore, passionate teachers have the ability to think and produce new notions in an easy way. One of my hopes is that all teachers become passionate teachers who are committed and dedicated to their schools and a good education achievement is an outcome of this commitment and dedication.  Now that we are at the end of this course. This course has allowed me to become an anti-bias teachers who provides an engaging and motivating classroom to all students.

Look back, I have learned very rich knowledge   between our classmates. Finally, I would like to thank all of you for the good ideas and inputs discussed in the class and the blog. I really have learned much from there as well. I have become more confident and goal-oriented. My organizational skills have improved greatly. I am looking forward to the rest of my college experience, and to the working world beyond.

When I Reflect About My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

In my opinion, one of my most valuable experiences at Walden University has been becoming a part of a collaborative group of learners and professionals. I have learned so much from my colleauges throughout my courses. Here are 3 that I feel have been vital in fostering my professional growth and development:

1. The online community has been incredibly valuable. When I first begin my studies at Walden, I was skeptical about an online community versus a typical classroom. What I have found is that folks are more thoughful in an online community and responses are well thought out and not so “off the cuff”.
2. Support! Each and every one of my colleauges and professors have been extremely supportive. If a clarifying question is asked, it is in a thoughtful, respectful way. Each assignment we complete takes a great deal of work, thought, time and passion, and my colleagues and professors understand the value in that.
3. I have gained a deeper understanding of he importance of professional collaboration. My interactions on the discussion boards and blogs have greatly influenced my interactions and collaboration in my career. I am more thoughful and understanding, and truly feel I have become a better listener.

My goal for utilizing this collegial, professional community as an early childhood advocate is to is to maintain contact with as many of the intelligent, diverse folks I have connected with throughout my studies at Walden. It has been through this community that I have gained such valuable insights, and have gained a great deal of compassion. I am certain that compassion will serve me well throughout my career in the early childhood field.

Impact on Early Emotional Development

In seeking more information about the various challenges that children in other countries are facing, I chose to look further into the countries in East Asia and the Pacific.  I chose this area because I wanted to become more aware of the various challenges that children in those countries experience and to see the ways in which UNICEF is working to help.

The children in this area are facing serious challenges to their health, which impacts their entire well being.  One such challenge is the lack of access to sanitary water due to the climate shift change.  Due to the type of environment found in this area, it is a struggle to provide water in enough amounts that is safe because of the flood prone lands (UNICEF, 2016).  This challenge impacts children because of the body's natural need for water, along with the impact of disease that a lack of proper sanitation can cause.  The largest killer for children under the age of five is diarrhea and pneumonia, both of which are impacted by the water supply (UNICEF, 2016).

Another challenge for children in this area are the recent cyclones that hit the area of Fiji in February.  This natural disaster causes great challenges for families and children, and can impact the overall development of a child.  They can lose their homes, their families, and their source of education for an undetermined length of time; the emotional and physical toll of this challenge can leave it's mark for many years to come (UNICEF, 2016).

Personally, I found myself drawn into the various press releases detailing the ways in which challenges are impacting these children daily.  It was difficult to read of the challenges, and my heart as a person-mother, daughter, educator-felt for the situations.  Finding more information about the ways in which UNICEF strides to help in various ways, it was intriguing to see the infrastructures that are in place for challenges that exist to children.  Seeking ways I can be an effective member to helping the challenges children in my own area face, it seems that they pale in comparison to the many challenges children face in other countries. 

References:

UNICEF. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/eapro/media_25286.html

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

There are many typed of ‘isms a educator or anyone can face in their everyday life. I would imagine that if I were to experience any of these -isms,  I would feel very hurt and self- conscious. Experiencing -isms is something that hurts the person and can shake up their world and life in an instant. It can be carried around like extra luggage and not go away for a while.
When I first came to Mississippi, I had experienced racism from a fellow teacher. They had never seen a person of color and immediately thought because I am darker skinned and I was a  African American. She began to treat me in a very negative way from accusing me of stealing, to judging me go around telling other that they should be cautious of me because I was “black”. She was always watching me and making me feel very uncomfortable in the workplace. Because of this experience, I realized that my behavior with the children began to change. Instead of being proud of who I was, I was constantly questioning myself and defending myself. I made it a point to tell the children I was not black. I was becoming very defensive when the children would ask about me and about where I came from. I began question myself and began to take my frustration out on the children and I was not as pleasant as I could have been.

This is just one experience. There are many other -isms that people face in a daily base. There can be many consequences  of dealing with these -isms and working with children and the families. For children, they may be able to notice that you are acting differently and becoming more easily agitated. While the educator is working, they may begin to treat certain children differently based on the -ism that was being thrown at them. Also, the educator would not be as focused on the child and situations that may arise may be overlooked because of distracting thoughts. Finally, children may feed off of the energy you give and begin to act out ” when a teacher acts out of unexamined internalized privilege or internalized oppression, that teacher runs the risk of of unintentionally undermining children’s development” (Derman- Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.25).
When it comes to the families, I would anticipate me taking out my frustration on them. I feel this would happen especially if one of the families reminds me of the “person” or “situation” that made me experience this type of -ism. This is not something I would want to happen, but unintentionally it may happen. Another anticipation would be that I may say something out of anger or frustration that may hurt family or person. I know myself, and I do this when I am angry with my husband. When I am frustrated or angry, I do not really think before I speak. So, sometimes I say things that are hurtful because I am hurt. I know this is not right, but it does happen.

I think that educators are only human and we may one day be the victims of an -ism. I feel that it is important for us to learn ways to deal with this or have someone we can confide in to talk to. We as educators need to work on becoming comfortable with who we are and where we come from. This is no easy task. Everyday, we are surrounded by media and by what society deems as acceptable and not acceptable. Thinking about these feelings that I would have, makes me really think about the children and families who experience this everyday. It makes me realize that they find ways to cope and sometimes that is not easy. This is why we are here, to make that moment, that feeling, and that sadness, even if for only a moment, fade away. We wan to protect out families and have them realize that when they are around us, they are safe and their children are not going to be criticized or judged.

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Observing Communication

 

For this assignment I observed one of my students and his mom in the  head start setting. I like watching her interactions with him because she has such a calm tone even when he acts out at times. I watched as she walked him to his cubby and asked him "can you show me your cubby, which one is your name?" when he showed his mom he responded by saying, "mom this is my cubby and this a picture that I drew of me playing in the block center." I watched as she kneeled down to him and gave him a hug as she smiled. I admire the way she asks him questions and talks to him every time she walks him in the classroom and when she picks him up and asks him about his day. Before the mom leaves the classroom she asks him does he want to eat breakfast with his classmates, the child says, "no I'm not hungry." his mom says, "that's okay tell your teachers what you ate before you came to school." the student responds by saying, "I ate oatmeal." The child always smiles and tells him mom "I love you." From these observations the child feels acknowledged and has self-worth that his responses are appreciated and no one has to speak for him.

           I admire this parent and her child because through all of my four years working at this preschool I haven't seen a parent take the time to talk to their child the way this mom does. Even though she has to go to work she doesn't rush him or tell him she will talk to him when she picks him up because she doesn't have the time. I have observed several parents ask their children questions and answer the questions for them before the child has a chance to respond and the child looks confused. When working with children I have learned that children like to speak for themselves because most of the time they are excited to share with you what they did at a birthday party, what they had for dinner, what their favorite show is, and what songs they like to sing. When I observe children play in my classroom I notice that most of them like the same television show and they sing the songs from the show which lets me know their similarities. The students use their imagination by building props with blocks in the block center for imaginative play. During this time their communication is great because they listen to what they other one has to say.

               In the media segment, Lisa Kolbeck mentions, how she observes children when they are using their play mind by being imaginative. Lisa Kolbeck also asks the children questions which helps them to build a rich vocabulary and think critically or creatively (Laureate Education, 2011).
I agree that as teachers and parents we have to allow children to be themselves and not assume what they are going to say or do. It's important not to speak for children because they need to feel acknowledged. When children feel as if they are not valued they may not be as receptive or open to others. The article and the media segment gave me ideas on how to be more strategic with my students by continuously asking them questions and allowing them to us their imaginations. I will also continue to observe interactions with children and adults in the preschool setting and in other places because you never know what you can learn by the new things you see.

 Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Communicating with young children. Baltimore, MD

Creating Affirming Environments

“An environment rich in anti-bias materials invites exploration and discovery and supports children’s play and conversations in both emergent and planned activities” (Derman-Sparks, & Olsen Edwards, 2010).

In my Family Child Care Home, the setting would be inviting and welcoming.

My ideal early childhood setting would be a learning place that embraces multiculturalism. Children are exposed to diverse cultures in their daily base and different kinds of learning activities in regard to the curriculum.

In the classroom
A bulletin board will be used as the gallery for displaying family pictures as well as children’s exciting moments from home to school. Another small bulletin board will be used as for parent-teacher information and communication.
The classroom will be divided into several area, and it is also be used for nap time area. These areas will be: circle time area, reading area, dramatic corner, science area, art work/academic area.
Circle time area, students will have morning and afternoon circle time, storytelling/ whole class learning activities. Students learn to sing songs in English and Chinese, engage in discussions related to the learning unite of inquiry, as well as participate in whole class activities.
Reading area, sofa and cushions are placed in this area to make it look cozy and comfortable. Children can choose books in different languages, stories happened in different countries, or represent different cultures.
Dramatic corner, different types of dressings are provided, such like Doctor’s coat, workman’s uniform, Princess’s dressing, and chef’s uniform. There are toys related to culture difference, such like baby dolls in different color of skin, or props represent for different culture. Children are able to establish their social relationship with their peers, and build the social skills of communication and conflict solving.
Science area, children are encouraged to explore their inquiries by observing and using scientific materials. In this area, children learn how to cooperate and collaborate through working on same discovery activities.
Art/ academic area, different kinds of drawing tools are provided for children to create their own artworks. Besides the artworks/ academic works related to the curriculum, children are free to express themselves through drawing and painting, as well as doing some cutting and pasting. Their art work will be also displayed in the classroom so that they are encouraging to talk about their ideas, identities, cultures, and anything that they are interested.
There will be another small room used as the dining area. We serve food from different regions and cultures, so that teachers will talk about culture difference with children during the dinner time.
In my class, we have our show and tell activity, so that children sometimes bring in their favorite toys which also represent their family cultures. We learned different simple languages from each other through conversations, and we also celebrate international day that embrace all nations and cultures that my class student stand for. In addition, parents are invited to attend our class activities and parent workshops. There will be parent class representative who is responsible for liaising the whole class parents and teacher so that good partnership will be established to affirm a positive learning community. “Relationships with children and families, the child’s environment and curriculum all help to create an anti-bias environment” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children

My hopes and dreams

I have a hope that teachers learn to treat all children to same as it relate to having diverse backgrounds. I hope that one day there will be classrooms that are not non-bias. I want all children to learn based on what they know and not who they know and where they come from. I also want all educator to become passionate about early children and have a desire to help all children.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice would be for all early childhood professionals, families and adults to understand and accept differences, promote cultural awareness and promote equity which in turn will help children achieve a positive sense of themselves and of others. Our role as parents, adults, family members and early childhood professionals is to protect and value all children in their settings, foster empathy and provide accurate information about differences to enable children to think critically about and challenge bias. Diversity and equality issues affect everyone, so we must support all children in their development and be positive role models by speaking against injustice, and as we do this -we are teaching them to stand up against discrimination, bias, and racial prejudice which will encourage them to treat others with respect, kindness and love. 

I have truly enjoyed this course and my perspectives on diversity has grown tremendously and I am now more aware and knowledgeable of the affects in my community.

Start Seeing Diversity

The following pictures helps me  to understand what I have learned in this course. I learned about biases and how they can affect our life. Diversity and how important to realize that differences and similiaries makes us who we are. And understanding that we can sometimes have those biases that we are not even aware of.

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

I think that teachers can  gain knowledge, change attitudes, and develop skills to work effectively with children with "differences ?" Unfortunately, "quick-fix" answers do not exist; however, educators can take deliberate steps toward accepting others and their differences. Knowledge can be gained through reading and attending workshops that teach about culture and language. Attitudes can be changed by thoughtfully considering stereotypes and misconception of their culture. Ultimately, however, a change in attitudes requires firsthand contact with people individually or in small groups. Skills can be developed through books. Books play an important role in helping children learn about how difference is not a bad thing.

While at the Grand Buffet recently, my son starred really hard at a lady who was dwarf and he used a word that my mom would have hit me in the lip for and I did just that. Parents should discuss what is acceptable behavior and what is not in public or private places with their children. We need to teach children what words to use and what words can hurt others feelings.

Teaching about Diversity is important: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

As teachers, parents and the community we must be able to understand that we are all different and that is a good things. Diversity provides a lesson for each of us to be okay with and open to those things that set us apart race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical and mental ability, language and understanding and accepting of people for who they are. We must be able to accept that the world is not a " one size fit all type of world". We are different in one way or another that's what make the world a melting pot of different kinds of people that we must get to know, love and respect.

As adults we should not allow children to be call names other than their own. We are advocates for children and should help others realize we were born with names and  homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo is not allowed to be said to a child or an adult. Although children are not born with prejudice but at an very young age children are able to mimic things that they experience, see and hear in their home.



Schools should be the barrier of knowledge for children to be able to read about situations in their home such as different types of families. First,  schools should realize not all homes are same. Schools should be able to help students read about their family and how to deal with certain situations in the home. I am agreement with schools providing book that depict the different families in the community whether its two dads or two mothers. Schools should want to provide those books that explore, celebrate and inform us about human diversity including learning disabilities, physical disabilities, single parent families, interracial families, same sex parents, aging,  and death. The classroom environment should be a support system for children away from home.  

Life is Precious

My  name is Arthurine Williams, I am a cancer surviver, but over the last couple of months, I have been living with my breast cancer out of remission. I have prayed about this situation, but I will not let cancer defeat me. I chose to continue school and that is want I am going to do. I love Education, my daughter is a teacher and someday, I hope to be able to show her my degree. I live each day as a stepping stone. I am currently the Education Coordinator with the local Head Start Program, I hope that this course helps to be the best Educator possible, I look forward to this course and the learning that is ahead of me.