My Connections with Play

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)


I really likes this quote due to it's true nature.  So many adults look at play as an "extra" time, especially as children start to get past the toddler years. As I have been learning more and more on the topic of play, I see that it is an essential part of development for every child.  Playing with my dolls or playing school contributed to the person I am today.


“Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs.” ~ James L. Hymes Jr. (child development specialist, author)


Children often have limits set upon them.  Play is a time when children are free to make mistakes and try again without any pressure.  Great thinkers can't be afraid to try something again and again and to think differently.  As Ms. Frizzle always says, "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" When I was young, I played with Barbies non-stop!  However, I loved to do their hair and I taught myself how to French braid, German braid, fishbone and rollerset my Barbies hair.  I experimented on dying their hair by leaving my Crayola markers in a Dixie cup of water and then setting my doll's head in the cup overnight. No one asked me to do this or set expectations upon me.  This was trial and error, but at my own pace and my own expectations.


Essential Play Items for my Younger Self:

My first play item I would have had in the woods with me would have been my Barbie doll.  I was a Barbie fanatic and usually carried a case of Barbies and clothes wherever I went.  I could see myself in the woods, in a quiet spot, playing all by myself (I actually did not enjoy others playing Barbies with me.  I preferred to act out roles between the dolls by myself.)

I am sure I would have also carted with me, my tape player and my a Disney book on tape or two.  Although this was not physical play, I would get lost in the stories and listen to them over and over again.  I contribute this to my creativity and love for reading today.  In fact, I had the record of It's a Small World.  I always said I would go to Disneyland and see it someday.  This past summer I got that opportunity.  I was like a child again...just starry-eyed as I rode through that ride.  I remembered so many details from my book and record.  This piece of "play" has to be important to have been held in my heart for so long.

My next item would have brought into the woods with me would have been my box of Crayola 64 crayons.  I LOVED my crayons.  I colored-a lot.  Not only did I color, but i was fascinated with the colors themselves.  I would organize them by color and hue. to this day, I am very color-oriented and my favorite art project ever was when I made a color wheel.


I spent my early childhood years growing up in a single parent home.  However, my mother encouraged play in the best ways.  I can remember being allowed to play and be silly all the time.  My mom was an avid reader, so she would read and sit on the couch and I would usually play in the living room to be near her.  I was able to play without criticism and was allowed to play the way I wanted.  Whether it was building an entire Barbie village out of the living room or arranging crayons across the floor, my mom didn't interrupt and never seemed to mind. 


I see play as being slightly different now than it was when I was a child. We didn't have all of the electronics that children have today.  Back then, to me, a Speak and Spell was high tech!  I feel that I had to use my imagination a lot.  I was not allowed to sit around the house for hours on end watching tv.  out the door I would go and my mom would lock the screen door behind me.  I'm glad she did.  It made me make a game to entertain myself for hours out of a bucket and a jump rope. I became an Olympic gymnast on my swing set and I was set and determined to see how deep of a whole I could dig in my stone driveway with my plastic shovel and pail.


Too often, I notice that I have to really dig to get imagination out of my children at school.  They spend so much time on video games and non-creative play that they seem lost at the idea of coming up with a new idea.  I have a picture of Sponge Bob up in my room to encourage my students to "Use your imagination", as he would say.  I hope for the children of today, that imagination is not an endangered species.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are an essential part of my life.  I cannot imagine what life would be like without the people that are so important to me.  They are what makes everyday special to me.

                                (John and I at the original A Christmas Story house in  Cleveland.)

The first person I have a positive relationship is my husband, John.  We have been married for eight years.  Even though in marriages, you have ups and downs, I consider my relationship with John to be quite positive.  John is always upbeat and caring.  I believe that we work together to be a team.  He gives me space when I need it and I do the same for him.  We could not be two more different people, yet we respect and appreciate those differences in each other.  Most of the time, I think it's what really makes us "work".  When I get to feeling down or I am taking life too seriously, John is always there to make me smile and lift me up.  We have learned together that marriage takes giving of each other, respect, patience and learning to not sweat the small stuff!

                      (Emilee on her 7th birthday...ready to go eat with Cinderella at Disney World)


The next relationship that I love and is probably the most special to me is the relationship I have with my daughter Emilee.  She is my only child.   She is 7 years old and she is in the 1st grade. Until Emilee came into my world, I had no clue that I could ever love someone so much!  She is kind, giving and tender-hearted. I love that we love so many of the same things.  Being able to do special things together like paint our nails, go to see the newest Chipmunk movie or just sitting down to read a book together means the world to me.  At times, because I deal with children all day, I have to remind myself that her time with me is unique and special and I need to add a little extra patience to my load.  I'm the only mom she has!  She is EVERYTHING to me and I couldn't imagine a world without her!

A relationship that is very important to me is that of the one between my students and myself.  I have the best class of second-graders that anyone could ever ask for.  Over the years my students have taught me that I am not just the teacher, but a student myself, as I am learning from them.  I am very big on being respectful, kind and helpful in my classroom.  However, that is not just a rule for the children to follow, but one for me as well.  In fact, today my daughter was sick and I was home.  Obviously, I wanted to be with my daughter when she needed me, yet I had a piece of me that was quite disappointed because we learned about Harriet Tubman's childhood and the children were SOOO excited about learning more.  Today they were supposed to learn about the underground railroad and more from her life.  I was sad to miss out on that with them. They are one special group of children!

           Emilee with Mrs. Yinger on Halloween (she invites the students to her house)


Another person I have a positive relationship with is Emilee's teacher, Mrs. Yinger.  She has a "looping" classroom, so she was Emilee's kindergarten teacher, as well as her first grade teacher this year.  She is a WONDERFUL teacher!  Emilee was diagnosed with ADHD (non-attentive type, no hyperactivity).  Mrs. yinger has been non-judgmental and has been willing to work WITH us to help Emilee succeed.  She keeps parents informed on what is going on and treats the children with so much care and respect.  I have found myself modeling the good relationship builders that i see Mrs. Yinger doing.  She has been a wonderful influence on our family!




To me, being someone's partner means that you are willing to work with them, show respect towards them and be there when you need them. I feel that every one of these relationships are partnerships.  Of course, at times, all partnerships can be challenging.  My husband is my partner, but we have to work on compromising and sometimes doing what is best for the other person and not just ourselves.  In my partnership with my daughter, I have to show her that I deserve respect, but by giving her respect.  At times, that is easier than it sounds.  In my partnership with my students, I have to be willing to understand that I don't know everything and that I will be learning from them and their parents, even if at times the lessons aren't always easy ones.  In my partnership with Emilee's teacher, I have to step back, even though I am a teacher to, and realize that as Emilee's classroom teacher, that she sees Emilee in a different capacity as me.  This was crucial in us seeing her ADHD and not denying it any longer.


All of these relationships are important to my life as an early childhood educator.  having a caring heart, loads of patience, being able to compromise, being willing to learn from your mistakes and being willing to take a step-back are all qualities that I see important to my job as an educator.

Quotation

"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." ~Nelson Mandela

Reference: 

Compassion International. (2002-2011). Releasing children in poverty. Retrieved from http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/famous-quotes/default.htm

Testing for Intelligence

In almost every state, you will find that students are being tested on their learning through standardized testing. While these tests do hold some validity in showing that a child has learned, they are not comprehensive. I was actually excited to see this topic this week, because my school has had us taking an 8 week course on this topic. From what I have learned from that course and our present course through Walden University is that teachers need to vary their instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Multiple Intelligence Assessments show that all people learn in a different way. According to TeacherVision.com, there is no single approach for teaching and assessment that can work for all of your students. In fact, standardized tests actually favor children who are mathematically and linguistically strong ("Using multiple intelligences," 2000-2011). To be an effective educator, one must first realize that the days of teaching to and assessing the whole class are gone. To holistically assess children, I believe that options should be given. For example, in my class, we read a book about the first Thanksgiving. The children had the option of writing a paragraph about what they learned, answering guided comprehension questions, drawing a picture or acting out the story to the class to show what they have learned. One girl in my class chose to draw a picture. She struggles greatly with her reading and writing skills. However, she is a wonderful artist. She excels spatially. In her picture, she drew an accurate depiction of a pilgrim girl, dressed as our story described, planting corn in a mound with a herring. Our story told about Squanto teaching the pilgrims that by planting the corn with a herring and mounding the dirt, they would get a better corn crop. She showed me, in the way that worked the best for her, that she learned as much as any other child in that room. With standard testing, she would more than likely not have been able to express those ideas on paper and she would have probably appeared to have not learned anything. By varying our assessments, and letting children choose how they are assessed, which in turn creates intrest for the child, we will have a more hollistic approach to understanding their intelligence.


I decided to research how Korea assesses their children.  I found that testing starts in kindergarten.  However, they look at aspects such as how they interact and play with others, attitude and other cognitive aspects rather than just academic achievement.  they use these assessments to begin intervention, if needed, right away.  All assessments are standard throughout Korea (Nah, 2011).




Reference:
Nah, K. (2011). Child assessment in early childhood education and care settings in south korea. Asian Social Science, 7(6), 66-78. doi: 10.5539/ass.v7n6p66
Using multiple intelligences in testing and assessments. (2000-2011). Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/intelligence/resource/4933.html

Negative Effects of Divorce on Children

This week, I chose the stressor of divorce on children. My parents divorced several months BEFORE I was born.  Now, it might be assumed that I didn't know life any other way, so how could this be a stressor?  Well, my mother chose for me to not get to know my father.  They didn't get along, so I was not allowed to have contact with him and he was allowed no contact with me.  It was the 70's and the issues of paternal rights weren't what they are today.
As a young child I felt the stress of watching my mother try to be a single mom.  I love my mom and she has always been a great mother.  However, we struggled to make ends meet at times.  Her stress became my stress.  I also noticed at a young age that I was different.  I didn't even have so much as a picture of what my father looked like. When other children would make crafts for father's day, I would do something different.  I wanted to be like other children who had a daddy.
My mother got remarried when I was 9 years old.  this did not fill the gap, as this person did not treat me like their own child.  I would have to say it made the gap bigger.  Also, from being so close to my mom for 9 years and having to share her with no one, I had a terrible time adjusting to her getting married, moving to a new town and a few months later having a new sister.  
I always felt as though I was an intruder in "their" family.  I was the one who didn't fit.  I always felt that if maybe I knew my dad, I would have someone else in my life to identify with.
So even though I was not there to witness the breakdown of my parents' marriage, the effects of their divorce followed me throughout my life.
I chose to look up the effects of divorce on Chinese children. According to the article I Did, But Now I Don't,"During a study of divorced children within China, researchers concluded that children from divorced families were less-adjusted-based upon levels of depression and anxiety-than individuals from families which were intact (I did but.., 2011)." In China, teachers report children of divorced families as having more discipline problems and that teenagers seems to show negative signs such as withdraw from their peers, aggression and negative emotional issues.  However, in China, it is considered to be disgraceful to get divorced.  Therefore, the negative impact of the divorce falls upon not only the divorced parents, but the children as well.  There are financial stressors that come with divorce in China also.  Many times, alimony and child support are not rewarded as it is in the United States.  This can cause financial hardships on families, especially if one parent was the bread winner.  Financial stressors also effect children.
The United States and China have something in common in terms of the topic of divorce.  In both countries, the ripple effect of the divorce is felt not just by the divorcees, but by the children.  Unfortunately, it is often felt for years to come.






References:


I did but now I don't;divorce and its negative impact on society. (2011, February 04). Retrieved from http://siteslab.org/pitjournal/node/703

Child Development and Public Health

I chose the topic of mental health of mothers, fathers and families in general.  I chose this topic because I think for a long time it was something that was not to be discussed and it was looked upon in a negative light.  mental health does not mean mental illness.  I truly believe mental health is important to maintain, especially for mothers and fathers, because their mental health can be a major factor in the development of a child.
We have read about how parents should take care of their mental health in the United States, but I chose to research the topic of mental health in Japan.  the author of the article I chose is a filmmaker from Japan.  After trying to juggle too much in his life at once, his doctor told him he suffered from "burn-out".  In Japan, people don't view any type of mental health breakdown in a positive light at all.  This opened the filmmakers eyes to the fact that being severely stressed out and needing a break and some sleep was considered to be a mental "illness" in Japan.  This sense of shame prevents many people from seeking any help or treatment which only makes the problems worse.  Even having an eating disorder is considered a shameful mental illness. 
What I have learned from this is that people need to not feel shameful about mental health.  Something as simple as stress is a mental health issue.  Expectant mothers who don't learn to cope with stress can cause harm to their child's development.  I hope to be able to further educate myself on mental health.  Perhaps one day I will be able to advise a class for expectant mothers on the importance of their mental health and ways in which not only they, but their child can benefit also.


Reference
Priestly, I. (2009, March 23). New documentary explores taboo subject of mental illness in japan. Retrieved from http://www.japantoday.com/catagory/art-culture/view/new-documentary-explores-taboo-subject-of-mental-illness-in-japan

Childbirth-In My Life and Around the World

My Personal Story:


My personal story is about the birth of my only child, Emilee.  I found out I was pregnant with Emilee in November of 2003.  After going to my midwife for the initial round of testing, I was given the information that I had the Anti-M antibody in my blood.  Basically, this anti-body can be release and passed through the placenta. It will attack your baby's red blood cells and can kill the child.  Throughout my pregnancy, my midwife worked closely with a fellow obstetrician to monitor me.  Every month (for the first five months), I had blood drawn and my titers in my blood monitored.  At month five, there was a rise in my titer count, which resulted in bi-weekly non-stress tests and bi-weekly titer blood draws. 
At 38 weeks, I went in for an exam.  Due to Emilee's size (she was already almost 8 pounds) and the fact that my doctor didn't want to push our good luck with my Anti-M problem, she scheduled me to go to the labor and delivery unit that evening.  I would be induced.
When we arrived at the hospital, the nurses got me settled and hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor.  The reading was all over the place.  They thought they had a bad machine and moved me to another room.  The same thing happened in the new room.  they asked if I was a smoker, which I am not.  This was cause for alarm because her heart rate would go down to 120, then up to 190 and then spike down again.  They called in my midwife and the doctor she had been working with and after looking through my fetal heart monitor feeds, the doctor had informed me that the Anti-M antibody had actually started attacking the baby.  Within and hour, Emilee was delivered via c-section.  Special care doctors were in the room to be on the cautious side, but Emilee was born at 9:25 pm, July 22nd, 2004.  She was a healthy 7lb, 15 oz.  

I will always be grateful  for the care I was given and the quick reaction time my physicians had.  I chose this example because of how important I feel that it is for mothers to have proper prenatal care.  I believe the care a mother receives during this time can impact the development of their child.  Without care, I would have never known I had this condition and more than likely, Emilee would not be here today.
Reportedly, the seven-billionth person on Earth was born on Monday morning in the Philippines.  This prompted me to research a typical birthing experience in that country.  What I found is that although hospital births are advised in the Philippines, that an average of 62% of women chose to give birth at home.  This is quite interesting to me as that would never be an option I would want.  Many of them do have help from a midwife or a birthing assistant.  For some, this is a choice, but for others, they live too far from a medical facility or cannot afford for a medical facility to help them.  Many of the women do consult a midwife early on in their pregnancy.  If the medical provider finds that a home birth could be complicated, they do try to persuade the mother to give birth in a facility.  However, ultimately, it is the mother's choice.  If a home birth is chosen, midwives will bring a birth kits that provided supplies that might be needed.  Mothers are asked to have a desk lamp to be able to check the  perineum and to have a portable heater on hand.  Once the baby is delivered and the placenta is taken care of, the midwife will typically leave the parents alone with the child for some bonding time ("Homebirth," 2009).  This greatly differs from my story.  As soon as Emilee was born, she was wisked away to be checked by the special care team.  I then went into recovery for an hour and I was unable to hold her.  It was over two hours after her birth that I was able to hold her at all.  I think when possible, parents and babies need to have bonding time.
Comparing the two stories, we are the same in that we both had midwives, however, my pregnancy was also overlooked by a physician.  I believe that many of the mothers in the Philippines chose home birth to make the experience more family oriented and personal.  I applaud this, however I still believe I (if I ever had another child), would still be more comfortable in a hospital environment.  I feel there are more resources readily available if a problem would happen to arise.


Resources: 
Homebirth. (2009, February). Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com.ph/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/homebirth/