My passion for early childhood development came out of need. After discovering our child had developmental delays, which were later diagnosed as Autism, our family had the need to answer many questions. We struggled to meet the educational needs of our child. We often left ARC meetings feeling lost and confused. We looked at teachers as all powerful beings and found out that they were not always adhering to best practice. It is my goal in life to become an advocate for underprivileged and exceptional children and their families.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." -- Benjamin Franklin

The reason why this is my favorite quote is because it encompasses everything I believe in for an early childhood setting. In my classroom, everything is child-led and we learn through purposeful play.

 

 

My favorite children's book is Horton Hatches the Egg. The reason why I chose this book is because I believe that in life you can overcome any obstacle regardless of the situation if you believe in yourself and try.

 

 

When trying to narrow down a story about a child, many things come to mind. Our school offers a reward incentive in a form of W.I.N.G.S cards (a token economy). In December, I received a phone call from a kindergarten teacher. One of her students had received over one hundred and fifty W.I.N.G.S cards and could choose any individual in the building to eat lunch with her, and she chose me. While sitting in my classroom, she told me how she loved preschool and how much she missed being in my class. She then read me her favorite story before returning to her classroom. This simple gesture made me realize that I was actually touching lives.

 

 

Over the course of a day, we see many artist renderings in my classroom. Some of my favorite include children drawing family members and sharing home experiences. Their artwork gives me a tiny glimpse into their home lives and offers me an opportunity to make connections during lessons to their personal experiences.