I have learned so much from
this program about the early childhood program as a whole, children and the way
they learn, the many influences that effect children and families, me and my
ideas and biases. One thing I learned
from this program early on was how important play is to children. This is their main pathway to learning, but
what I find so interesting is how play and exploration is being taken out of
the school settings. A second lesson
that I learned was the devastating effects that poverty has on children. I had previously believed that it would be
better to experience poverty as a younger child than as an older child because
they would not know any better or even remember. What I learned was that it is the opposite. The effects of poverty are worse on young
children due to lack of proper healthcare and malnutrition. This causes learning delays and problems
later in school. It is never easy to live
in poverty. A third thing that I have
learned from this program is that we all have biases that we are aware and
unaware of. This is nothing to be
ashamed of but something that we must be aware of and possibly work on
releasing.
The long-term goal that I have
set for myself is to help children understand that we are all different and
that it is ok because we all bring something different to the circle. I want to help children fight the urge to
hurt others through their words and actions.
I want to teach them and show them compassion.
It seems like it should have
been a longer journey, but having great colleagues and knowledgeable professors
has made the journey easier. There were
many times when we bared our souls in the discussion boards and we knew that it
was safe because we could trust that our secrets were safe with each other. We supported each other through tough times as
well as the good times. Without the
support and feedback from my colleagues through this course I am not sure I
would have done as well as I did. I say
thank you to each and every one of you.
Remember we are all WILDFLOWERS.
WILDFLOWERS
Without
our differences our world would be bland
Individuals
need to be able to shine no matter what
Learn
to accept each other’s culture, beliefs, and languages
Differently
abled doesn’t mean they can’t
Follow
your heart
Level the playing field with education
Open
the mind to acceptance
Willingness
to learn about others
Ears
open to listen for clues and hurt hearts
Respect
Strong
enough to stand up for others rights
Leslie, I loved the poem.
ReplyDeleteAs, I have told other colleagues it has been a great pleasure going on this journey with you. It hasn't been easy but it has been a great learning experience. Good luck in your future endeavor.
Tonetta Bogard- Marion
Leslie,
ReplyDeleteI have worked with children who were impoverished and homeless. You are on point when you said you learned that the younger children suffer more. That is the reason, we do what we do to try to make the time they spend with us as enriching as possible.
Leslie, I wish you every success in the future. Look for my name as a presenter at a NAEYC conference! That's on my bucket list.