Words of Inspriration & Motivation

"Television viewing and video games are often a substitute for the fantasy playing and peer interactions of the past."
-Deborah J. Leong Ph.D                                         
Scaffolding Self-Directed Learning in the Primary Grades

"The challenge for early childhood educators at all levels is to ensure that our practices reflect this current knowledge while also staying true to our principles and core values - a challenge but also an opportunity."
- Susan Bredekamp Ph.D 
Staying True to our Principles

"Good teachers acknowledge and encourage children's efforts, model and demonstrate, create challenges and support children in extending their capabilities, and provide specific directions and instruction."
- Susan Bredekamp Ph.D
 Staying True to our Principles

"We as professionals in the Early Childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better, and so that's what makes me passionate about this field."
- Sandy Escobido
                                                                                                    
"You got to take your ego out of it and thing about what's best for this child."
- Renatta M. Cooper

"Today my passion as a professional really is to bring my ideas in action, into changing policy, into practice, and influencing research."
- Leticia Lara LCSW
                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                

Personal Childhood Web

If you are looking for my My Personal Childhood Web...
It is located on the right side of this page above my childhood picture. Click on Ginny's Childhood Web and it will open. It has been up for several days but I thought maybe some people that view my blog for a class might miss it.  I hope you enjoy!
My technology skills were challenged in creating this web but I did enjoy it.  These people really have touched my life in many ways.  There are also many others from my church family who I did not mention. I didn't mention them because I couldn't decide on just one or two.  Someone posted the quote "it takes a village to raise a child" well these are only 5 people from a very large village where I was loved and nurtured.

He Touched Me

I work with children how are living in environments where unfortunately guns are a part of their everyday lives.
I saw two boys playing in House Keeping one day with electric drills from the Tools center.  Of course it's ok if they fix something on the house but it's not ok to peek through the kitchen window and pretend to shoot at your classmates.
Well, knowing this is reality for this one boy I took him and the other aside to discuss the incident.

Teacher: What were you doing? Were you playing like you had a gun? And do we play like that?
Student: Quiet at first.  The boys said yes, and said no we are not suppose to play like that.
Teacher: Do you know what happens when you shoot someone? Have you seen someone with a gun?
Student: Very quiet now.  They bleed, they get hurt.  My uncle brought one over, and my dad has one.
Teacher: Neither boy said the person would die.  Well, die isn't a vocabulary word widely used around young children.  Yet this is reality.
We discussed how they might die and we discussed what would happen to that person that shot them.  They would go to prison.   They would both be missed by their mom's or family because they would  not live at their home anymore.
This brought it home to these boys thinking about how there mom would feel if they weren't at home.  Also, how they would feel if they never got to see that person that cares about them, feeds them, loves them.  We talked about how the person who was shot's family would feel.
We also discussed as we had previously what to do if we see someone who wants to play with a gun. 

You have to make it reality for kids even though they are kids.  I had a friend ask don't you think it was a little harsh to say they might die. I said no because that's reality.  TV sugar coats it we have to make it real before they do and are faced with it.

Well, he touched me. You never know if what you say will sink in you only hope.
Student to student.

Boy1 who was in previous discussion: 

Mrs. Ginny says we don't play with guns. Do you know what happens if you shoot someone.
Boy2: Puts gun down.
Boy1: continues to explain in his own words.

We don't always over hear or see where we've helped a child but in this case I was able to.  I hold this story close to my heart because I grew up with gunfire outside my window at night in an inner city. I hope in this child's life and others it will make a difference. 

Children's Books x2

 "The Crayon Box That Talked" by Shane DeRolf

I first learned of this story when completing a project for a teaching diversity class as an undergrad student.  It wasn't until I started teaching that I found it as a book.  My classroom theme was crayons at the time so this book worked in perfectly at back to school time and on several other occasions.  The children love the colorful pictures. It can be a good way to find out their favorite color and why it is their favorite.
This is a wonderful book that illustrates how we are all different and unique, like a box of crayons. In the beginning of the story a young girl buys the box of crayons and takes it home.  None of the crayons get a long.  She colors a picture and in the end the crayons like each other and have worked together (through her coloring with them) to create a beautiful picture.  The last words say it all, "We are a box of crayons each one of us unique but when we get together the picture is complete". 

"Charlie the Caterpillar" by Dom Deluise

This one falls along the lines of friendship and also sees people as unique.  I first read this during a lesson on butterflies.  This book is about much more than butterflies and it really touches the heart of students.  Students can sometimes relate to animals or crayons like in the above book more so than people.  

In this story Charlie is a caterpillar and although I think he is really cute and fuzzy the characters in the book do not feel the same way.  Charlie tries to make friends with everyone and they call him names and tell him he can't play.  This is very real for young children.  In the end he of course changes to a beautiful butterfly and they all want to become his friend.  He remembers how he was treated by them and just floats about without giving in to their new kindness.  He meets up with anther (girl) caterpillar who is having his same luck with friends.  They become friends and all is well.  

In both of these stories there are lessons that can be learned and lots of discussion that can take place. Lots of discussion about feelings, friends, and social behavior come from these books and often when children see a similar behavior being acted out they refer to the books. For example when someone says, "I'm not your friend, or I don't want to play with you".  These books can help young children to work through those difference and make good choices and good friends.  I always enjoy reading these to my students and they never tire of hearing them.  They ask for them over and over again.  

Oh, for the love of blogs!

This is my first time to set up a blog site.  I have read blog and commented on blogs but I've never had my own blog. It's about time I got my feet wet.  I am still unsure about RSS but "I Think, I Can".  This is all a little intimidating yet crazy exciting all rolled into one.  Look out blog world here comes Early Childhood educators!