Playtime on Rand Hill Rd.

As a young child, I played outside a majority of the day. Our family home was situated on five acres, eight miles from town.  Being from a large family there were always people and children around.  We had a large garden and two barns. There were always places to explore and discover. My favorite activity was to play in close proximity to my brothers and dad. They would be cutting wood, or working on an engine.

There would be a large pile of logs, which they would cut and split for firewood to heat the house in the winter. I would be the runner. If the men needed something I would run to get it. Whether they needed water, or a tool I would love to help. Usually I would make my errand into games. Sometimes I would drag a stick behind me to make a trail and try to follow the trail back to where they were working.

The pile of logs would provide an assortment of play experiences. I would balance on them by walking across and jumping from on to the other.  I would also gather sticks, bark, small branches, and sawdust to make forts and hideouts for the frogs or bugs I would catch. We also had a huge garden. I would spend time digging holes while my parents and siblings would plant or weed. I would look for worms and put them in a bucket to give to my dad for when he would go fishing.  Family members would pile the weeds in the wheelbarrow and then I would sit on top of them to ride over to dump the weeds in the compose pile.  On the ride back to the garden, the pusher would zigzag to make the ride fun.

 My play represented the practice I would need to develop life skills, which would help me eventually take a role in the work alongside the rest of my family. The adults in my life were providing me with the skills needed to help split wood to prepare for the winter months. They would show me the plants in the garden, which provided food, and the weeds in the rows, which needed to be pulled.  

My dad owned a bicycle and motorcycle shop and there were always boxes stacked up that I would climb on.  Sometimes my dad would stack them so that I could make a fort.  He would often save me an empty box to play in.  Alternatively, he may just bring a large piece of cardboard home for me to color or cut up. The boxes or cardboard always provided me with a great deal of entertainment and amusement.  

If I had to stay in the house, we might play hide and seek, school, or where’s the button. I would usually play with my sister Gloria who is just a couple years older than I am.  We also like to color in coloring books and do paint by numbers. Sometimes we would take books and place them on top of our heads, we would then walk around trying to balance them on our heads.

My play was practical yet, very enjoyable.  Utilizing real life “toys” was a way to get to know the word around me. I have developed a great deal of common sense, and a phenomenal work ethic.

Relationships

I only have a few quality relationships in my life. Although I am from a large family with eight siblings, you would think I have an abundance of relationships, which who play a role in my life.  My immediate family plays the most vital role. My husband gives me a reason to feel needed and that someone cares about me. Our relationship developed out of a friendship and professional colleagues.  Our relationship is based on friendship primarily.  He genuinely cares about my wellbeing and is supportive of all my endeavors. Our relationship is strong because we respect each other.  My relationship with my children are my other cherished relationship. Our relationship is also based on respect. We have family meeting and have conversations regularly. We so not fight or yell at each other and I feel my children are kind respectful people.

I am a good listener. I look for people who are honest and sincere. I give myself to every relationship. If I can help with anything, I do, without asking for anything in return. I think the give and take of respect is the key to successful significant relationships.  I would be very lonely without the relationships I have.

Brain development

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tLiP4b-TPCA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I am very intrigued with brain development.  I think if more people were educated about the importance of meaningful interactions and conversations our children would be better equipped to meet their full potential. Please, educate everyone you can about the importance of stimulating brain development in young children.

Special Education Assessment

Special Education Experience

When my daughter Katrina was 12 months old, I knew she was not developing communication skills on target. She was not cooing or babbling at all.  During her well baby check, I brought up my concern to the pediatrician.  She said it was a bit early to assess her and we would check her progress when she was 15 months old.  By the time she was 15 months old she was barely babbling.  By 18 months, she had a speech pathologist seeing her twice a week for an hour at each visit. By the time she was three she had an occupational therapist because she had sensory integration issues.  Her speech pathologist told me I should have Katrina assessed for ADHD/ADD, but the school system would not do it. They did not think she exhibit the symptoms.  The school system had Katrina in a room for about a half hour and the speech pathologist worked with her every week for years. By the time, she was in school she was mainstreamed but with identified special needs in language and sensory integration.  Her third grade teach wanted her to be screened for ADD but, again she only had a few of the signs so, they decided it was not warranted.  By the time, she was in seventh grade she was still in special education programs with help pull out help and assistance within the classroom.  By the end of seventh grade, her special education teacher thought she should be assessed for ADD. Katrina is not hyperactive at all, but she is very distractible.  She was always quiet and shy so, teachers did not feel she met the stereotypical view of an ADHD/ADD kid.  She was assessed for ADHD/ADD and was found to be ADHD/ADD with the emphasis of distractibility. She started on medication and during her eighth grade year, she was due for her three-year review they found she did not qualify for special education services.  She is now a senior and is an “A”, “B” student.  We have to wonder if she was assessed and was medicated earlier would she have been more successful in school earlier.

I am very interested in the educational system of Great Britain. After living in England for four years, I found their system very similar to ours. However, because mothers tend to stay home with their child until the child has entered school, early assessment and recognition of delays lags behind America for early intervention services.

The school age assessment process for Special Educational Needs (SEN) has the same goal as schools in the US.  Schools and early education programs place great importance on identifying SEN so they can help the child as early as possible. Most children with SEN can have their needs met in a mainstream school. Once it has been decided that your child has SEN, a child's teachers will plan their education with guidance of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The Code of Practice is a guide for early education settings (such as nurseries and playgroups), state schools and local authorities, on how they should identify, assess and provide help for children with SEN.  If your child has SEN, their school will increasingly, step by step, bring in specialist expertise to help with the difficulties they may have. This step-by-step approach is set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. A school must tell the parents if they start giving extra or different help to their child because of their SEN. The basic level of extra help is known as a School Action, this can include a different way of teaching certain subjects, some extra help from an adult, using particular equipment. The child may need help through this step-by-step approach for only a short time, or for many years. The child's teacher is responsible for working with the child on a day-to-day basis, but may decide to write down the actions of help for the child in an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The IEP could include: what special or additional help is being given, who will provide the help and how often, what help the parent can give your child at home, the child’s targets, and how and when progress will be checked.

Sometimes the school will not write an IEP but will record how they are meeting your child's needs in a different way, perhaps as part of their lesson plans. However, they should always be able to tell the parent how they are helping their child and what progress they are making.

If the child does not make enough progress under School Action, their teacher or SEN coordinator (SENCO) will speak with the parents about asking for advice from other people outside the school. These could include a specialist teacher or a speech and language therapist. This kind of extra help is called School Action Plus.

If the school still cannot give the child all the help they need, the parent or a professional who has been involved with the child can ask for a 'statutory assessment' - a detailed investigation to find out what the child's special educational needs are and what special help the child needs.

For more information about the special education system in England you can go to this website.

http://www.nfer.ac.uk/shadomx/apps/fms/fmsdownload.cfm?file_uuid=73D5C46A-C29E-AD4D-061B-633AFFA30AD6&siteName=nfer

Dealing with Mental Illness

Growing up in Northern NY was amazing. The lakes, mountains, and my horses all added up to a wonderful environment for any child to grow up in. However, what goes on behind closed doors can shatter the allusion of perfection.  I am the eighth of nine children. I was brought up in a charismatic strict Catholic home. My mother went to daily mass and any other religious festivities she needed to attend. My father was a sensitive, calm man who owned his own business and worked hard. He spent quality time with us and taught us many life skills and common sense.

While growing up I always knew something was odd about my mother, she had no sense of humor and for having nine children she was not very maternal. She was sheltering and rigid. We were not allowed to date or go to social function. I was in every sport and she never attended a single game. She was a stay-at-home mother who was never home.  As I grew up, I found her to be paranoid, depressed and moody.

Now that my mother is an elderly woman with dementia, she has been diagnosed with mental illness but, doctors are unable to be diagnose specifically due to dementia.

Being raised by a mother with mental illness has caused great turmoil in my life.  I never thought I could confide in her, tell her jokes, or share stories with her. She always turned ever conversation about religion.  I have always had problems making friends. I do not socialize much. It has definitely affected my

biopsychosocial development (Berger 2009).

I was anxious to leave home. Moreover, when I became pregnant as a senior in high school, I moved in with my sister. My parents came to visit during the holidays and my mom told me she would have me back at the house, if it weren’t for my dad. That was the first time I understand the mental illness, which plagued my mother. My mother thought that my dad was the father of my baby.  I told her she was sick and I would never go home.  Of course I did go back home, because that was mom.

I resented my mom a great deal for a long time. I always wanted a mom who I could talk my problems to or relate to. A few years ago my mom had a mental break down and was hospitalized. It was not until my mom was 80 years old that she began taking medication for her mental illness. My sibling told me that she was a very different person, that I would be amazed at the difference. My emotions were in turmoil. I was angrier with her than happy for her. My sibling reminded me that the issues with mom were due to her illness. Nevertheless, I felt she wasted her whole life because she could have gotten help  years ago.

In 2004, I moved to England. I loved living there and made great friends. My neighbor and good friend would introduce me to all sorts of cultural experiences. We talked about politics, health, and religion. We had a family in our program who, were going through some really difficult times. The mother was going through a great deal of stress. I had to find her services so, I asked my friend about getting her into seeing a councilor.  She told me it was simple, she would go see her primary doctor and then be referred to a councilor. Within two weeks, she had a councilor and a prescription for anti-depressants.  There were also commercials on TV about getting help for mental illness. This evening as I write this, I saw a commercial from CBS Cares, it portrayed Mark Harman talking about Bi-polar disorder. I think something we, as Americans think we are the best country with the most progressive treatments and techniques, however living in England taught me differently. People talk negatively about National Health Services, but I found it to be proactive, prompt, and professional. All my health care needs were met. They actually have a section specifically for parental mental illness. Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network, is a resource and support program to support families experiencing mental health issues.

The Ills of Maternal Mental Illness

This week I discussed the synchrony of parent and infant emotions. Research shows us that a mother’s mental health can affect the development of an infant. This topic has a personal importance to me because my mother had mental illness while I was growing up. She never received medical intervention. It definitely affected my attachment to her.  The infant exposed to high stress or maternal depression can cause significant delays in social-emotional development of the child. Children can experience distress, rage, doubts, fear for themselves, fear for parents, puzzlement about the circumstances, not understanding the nature of the parent’s illness, guilt and blame, blaming themselves or being blamed, and even experiencing resentment. When researching how other countries tackle the issue of maternal depression, I found that England takes a pro-active approach to prevention of depression.  Mothers have a great deal of resources provided to them at every stage of pregnancy and continue throughout the first year of the child’s life.  They feel children raised in a home with mentally ill parent are “at risk” (Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network, 2010). They feel it can lead to a “lose of childhood” (Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network, 2010). They feel there is a clear connection between a parent’s health and some disorders, which may be evident in young children. After reading several articles, it seems like England takes a very similar approach to maternal mental illness as the United States does. I believe there is a clear attempt to educate families about the dangers of mental illness and depression throughout pregnancy and throughout the first years after birth. However, the risk of parents feeling a negative stigma with admitting they are feeling depressed is very high. Mothers who develop post-partum depression feel like failures themselves, because they are not “perfect” mothers. When I lived in England, I remember my friend, who recently had a baby, tell me she had to attend a meeting once a week to ensure she was not developing depression. It was required through the National Health Services (NHS) benefit program. She said they felt prevention and early detection was the key. I will continue to research this topic, as I feel it is important for infants to start out life with the best possible environment and interactions.  I want to ensure I am doing my part to help in any way I can. 

Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network. (2010). Keeping the Whole Picture in Mind:

Working with Families affected by Parental Mental Ill Health. page 5. South London, England. Retrieved from http://www.pmhcwn.org.uk/files/ThinkFamily.pdf

Child Birth: What an Experience

This week we are to post two concepts 1.  Personal birthing experience and 2. Discuss a region of the world or a country, other than the U.S., and find out how births happen there.
I was excited about this assignment because 15 years ago, on 15 August 1996, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning with the first signs of contractions. I woke my husband and told him I think I was in labor. Within an hour, my contractions went from nine to four minutes apart. This was my third child, so I was not nervous. My husband went downstairs to our doorman’s (kapıcı) apartment. He told him I was in labor and needed a taxi. He communicated this information in some sort of hand and body gestures.
While he was downstairs having a “conversation”, I was upstairs taking a shower. When I was finished I called my doctor and let him know I was in labor. He told me he would meet me at the hospital in a half hour.
I gathered the bag I packed for the baby and myself. I had been told not to pack a lot for the baby because the nursery attendants would put all the clothes on the baby all at the same time. I walked downstairs to the lobby where the kapici and his wife were waiting to greet me. They gave me some bread and fruit to take with me, because I would need energy,

 is what Gul Teza told me.

 I went outside and had to walk two blocks to the taxi stand, because it was too early for them to come to the door. I had some significant contractions on my walk, which caused me to have to stop and lean on the buildings. When we reached the taxi stand, several men were playing backgammon and drinking coffee. All the men stood up, when we approached. My kapici had forewarned them, that I would be coming. One man took my bag and another took my arm and helped me into the car. The ride was quick, only five minutes. We arrived in front of the hospital and my doctor opened the door to my taxi. He walked me to registration and translated for me. I could understand most of the conversation and could speak in choppy sentences, but this was no time to mess around.

I was wheeled upstairs by a wheelchair, which looked like something out of the 1950’s.  My room was about 20 foot by 20 foot. There was a “bed” in the middle of the room. It was a stainless steel table with a one-inch mattress, for cushion. The head end was toward the door with my feet toward the back of the room. My belongs were taken to a room and I had to get naked. I lay on the “bed” and was hooked up to an IV. The IV in my arm was connected to two glass bottles hanging from a hook dangling from the ceiling. The doctor came in to check my progression and see how I was doing. He decided he wanted me to walk the halls. My husband went down to where my belongs were and got my bathrobe and slippers. My doctor helped me off the bed and I stood there naked waiting for my husband to come back with my bathrobe. My doctor walked the halls with me and when he was needed for another patient, he would leave and come back just a few minutes later. After about a half hour of pacing the halls, he got me back up on the bed and checked my progression again. He decided I needed some assistance and wanted me to have an epidural. They did the epidural and was given drugs to help me progress. My doctor broke my water in the hopes as speeding things along.

After a few hours on my “bed”, I was rechecked. Contractions were coming close together now. Unfortunately, my baby was not descending. I was dilated enough but my baby was not far enough down. The doctor talked quickly to the nurse, so fast I could not understand. Nevertheless, I could hear the urgency in his voice. He said something else and this time he shouted it and clapped his hands together. The next thing I know, one of the nurses is on the “bed” with me. She was pushing on my belly just bellow my breast and ribs. While she was pushing the doctor was using a suction cup placed on my babies head to pull him down.

All of the sudden the doctor stood up and yelled, “DUR, DUR!” (Stop, Stop!) Out of the birth canal was a tiny little hand sticking out. It seemed as though my little man had his hand and arm above his head. The doctor decided he would try to push him back in and try to turn him around the right way manually. If it did not work, I would have to have a C-Section.

Not even a minute went by and he told the nurse to continue. She got back up on the table with me and began to push. The doctor used a suction cup and forceps. Another nurse directed me to push. A few minutes later my son was born.

A nurse dressed in a nursing uniform which was totally different than the other two, came rushing in the room. I am not sure who called her, or how she knew that Jesse was born, but her job was to take the baby over to a sink and wash him off under the running water. She weighted him and measured him. According to the nurse, I had a 10.14 pound, 20 inch long baby. I had to assume the calculation/conversion from kilogram to pound was accurate.

They cleaned me up, asked to get off the table and into a wheel chair.  They brought me to my hospital room. The room was set up like a suite. I was assisted into my bed and a minute later, they handed me my son, to nurse. After I feed my baby, I was asked to get back into my wheel chair. They wheeled me out into the hall and was put on a gurney and brought upstairs to the operating room. As the attendant wheeled me down the hall, I could look into operating rooms where procedures were being preformed.  My gurney was parked next to another “bed”. The doctor came in and the attendant, doctor and nurse slid me from my gurney over to the “bed”. My arm was strapped down to this platform, which extended off the edge of the bed. The doctor gave me a little more medicine in my epidural. A canopy blocked the view of my lower body. He then did a keyhole surgery to tie my tubes. I was awake for the entire procedure.

After the procedure, I was brought back down to my room. The nurses had Jesse dressed and swaddled. My husband was holding him. I was transferred into my bed. I went to sleep for a while. When I awoke my dinner was being served by the same young man who I had seen sweeping the floor earlier. The meal was small, five cherries, some olives, feta cheese, cucumber slices, two slices of tomato and a chunk on bread. It was however, filling. The next day was spent nursing and sleeping. The nurses would not let me change a diaper. They came in often to check on me and hand me Jesse to bond with, if my husband was not holding him.

The morning I was to leave the hospital my doctor came into check on me. He sat on the couch and hung out for almost an hour. He invited us to his weekend beach house. While he was with us, the pediatrician came into the room. He sat on the coach also, we were all talking, and before they left, we had scheduled a weekend retreat at both doctors’ weekend homes.

Jesse and I were cleared to go home. Five minutes later a wheelchair was brought in to bring us to an awaiting taxi. When we arrived home Gul Teza, walked up to the apartment with us, made us some tea, and took care of me for the first week.  My neighbors within our building brought food and left fruit and vegetables outside our door.

Although the hospital environment was dated, the care I received was superior to my previous birthing experiences.  The doctors I had were educated in the US as many doctors in Turkey are. The experience of giving birth in Turkey was an amazing experience. This assignment was great because I could discrible by my own expereince a birthing expereince in another country.

Their Ideals are My Ideals

In reading and reflecting on the NAEYC Code of Conduct ideals, I found several, which, I feel, are very meaningful and significant to my position as a Training and Curriculum Specialist.
My responsibility to children is of the utmost importance within my work. I1.4 states, "To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence of adults." Is the prime reason I entered into the early childhood field. Many times children are marginalized by the adults around them and it is up to early childhood professionals to ensure they can meet their full potential within a caring appropriate environment. In doing so we will meet I1.5 "To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions." All children have the ability to learn and grow. As a professional I need to advocate for programming which will help them progress successfully through childhood and beyond.
In working with the child, we must be familiar and receptive to the families, I2.2 guides us to “develop relationship of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.” Creating a bond with parents promotes knowledge and understanding of the child. It can provide us and avenue to educate parents on best- practices and child development. As a Training and Curriculum Specialist, I must educate the staff within our program I3A.3 tells me to “support co-workers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional development.” As I learn new resources within the context of this class, I share my insight with the staff of our program. I have challenged several staff members to seek higher education and have utilized articles and other resources within my training practices.   Utilizing our basic resource, each other, I have come to realize we all have skills to advance our thought process. Articles, books and journals are wonderful to spark our interest but we must utilize our other resources as well. Families, children and other caring professionals are underrepresented amongst all the scholarly works in terms of resources.

Something to think about this week.

"We who are the engravers of the children's lives have a great responsibility, we have to engrave well. We have to know how to engrave well."
Mary McAleese
President of Ireland

You Can Make A Difference

By Peter Stewart

There is a Chinese saying: “Every child is a piece of paper and every person leaves a mark.” If this is the case, then some of us are leaving a mural -  a glorious, inspiring tapestry of hope! On a similar note, Lynne Manfredi-Petit says, “Children are now being raised by parents and other people.” Let’s not sell ourselves short. Those "other people" are us!  We have the opportunity to watch children make their first steps, say their first words, and participate in their first experiences of love and caring. How can we make more of a difference? The answer lies in getting back to the basics, “The Three R’s: Role Models, Relationships, and Rituals.” Let’s take a look at each one: Role Models Role models are like the sun. They give us hope. When we see a role model we say, “If he or she can do that, then I can do that!” The more we act like our role models, the more we become the people we want to be. In turn, we will respect ourselves as we respect our role models. Relationships We all need more connection with others in our lives. Our best memories occur when we make a connection with someone. Hug to hug. Face to face. Eye to eye. Laugh to laugh. Smile to smile. Unfortunately, there is an undercurrent of disconnection today. We spend time watching television and working at our computer when we should be laughing, talking, and sharing with each other. Here are some amazing facts: The average American will spend seven years of his or her life watching television. 66 percent of American families spend their dinnertime watching television. That’s like having dinner with Dan Rather! Remember, relationships with children are like water to a plant. They need to be watered often to keep growing. Let’s practice enjoying each other and build relationships among ourselves and with our children. Let’s spend more time telling jokes and stories, singing songs, and sharing the substance of our lives. Rituals Rituals are like the roots of our lives. They connect us to our heritage. Children love rituals. So do we. Rituals give our lives meaning and depth. Rituals in a classroom build community and a safe environment wherein children can explore. They can be songs, games, books, places, ceremonies, puppets, food, poems, or times of the day. Enjoy sharing your heritage with the children you teach. Bring out the old quilts, stories, and other family heirlooms. Pass your heritage on so that children can pass it on to their children. There is no tomorrow...only today, for tomorrow they will be adults. We are the elders. We are the role models. It is our duty to take the time to put children on our knee and share a moment. Make a memory.

Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty

This is week 5 or 8 so; I am half way through my first class. So far, things are going well. I am a bit surprised at the number of people who started out in week one but, have dropped out already. I guess there is a withdrawal date to keep from getting charged for the course. I did not want to read that section of the student handbook because I have no intention to withdrawal from anything. I am in it to win it, as they say. The writing is all right I submit everything to Grammerley in the Writing Center. It is a lifesaver. My writing is all right but it is the little mistakes, which get me. I am hoping to get a 4.0 because I would really feel wonderful about myself if I could manage it. I think every day about what I have to accomplish for course work. I try to get as much done at the beginning of the week because I never know when a migraine will put me out for a couple days. I spent last week at Janea's in Chicago and they had some crazy storms. As soon as the cloud cover came in my head started aching. I landed up at the ER on Friday to get some serious drugs. I was supposed to fly home yesterday but the weather delayed everything. Therefore, I am sitting at DFW for a 5-hour layover. Thank God for USO and free WiFi. I wanted to get a jump on some of next week’s reading. Week 5 looks like a lot of reading. At a glance, it looks like several articles, web pages to review and then the actual homework submissions. I find the discussion topics are the most challenging for me. It seems like a discussion should be a back and forth, gives and takes but, it seems like you post something and only the instructor replies. I reply to other students post with a question in the hopes of getting a discussion going but mostly that is the end of it. I am not sure how the grading goes for discussions as I can really try to stimulate discussion but it takes more than one.
The APA style is also a bit nerve-wracking. The Writing Center says the grading of it is very subjective but, not to get discouraged. I am really trying not to but Damn It I want an "A." I am also trying hard at keeping other students from getting frustrated. I want to build relationships, but this format does not stimulate much of that. Well, I am learning a ton. I thought I knew all the websites, which could support my training endeavors, but I have found so much more on hear.
I wonder if you are Alumni from Walden do you always have access to the services.  I love the Library and the Writing Center. Grammerley is my favorite tool. So, onword I go into the 5th week. I want to thank my family for supporting me so far. They really give me my time and space to go do homework. The new library in San Angelo is awesome. The staff and quiet corner are marvelious.
TTFN

My Aunt Julie

ttfnjulie's photostream on Flickr.

My Aunt Julie

ttfnjulie's photostream on Flickr.

THis is Going to Kill Me

Ok I have most of my homework done this week. I have read people blog post and attempted to comment on them. So far, this blogging is for the birds. This is the end of a stressful week for me and it is not ending on a pleasant note. On Wednesday I found out my oldest daughter is having a miscarriage. Therefore, I made flight plans to go spend some time with her next week. Also on Wednesday, my knee really started hurting. I thought it was another blood clot -off to the ER I went; so much for homework. I was at the ER for 5.5 hours only to find out I did not have a blood clot. Doctor’s orders ice and elevation for 2 days. I woke up on Thursday with a horrific migraine, had to stay home from work but could not utilize the time for homework because of my headache. Friday I went back to work, but was utterly knackered. I went to bed when I got home. Again no homework. Today is Saturday; I had to work 6 hours on the Program Portfolio for the NAEYC Accreditation. Got home to see my husband all of about a half hour. He left for work.  I started homework the grandbaby was sleeping and I would have to watch him until my daughter got home from work. Got most of my homework done. What a crazy week. I am not looking forward to the stress of next week.

Questions and Explanations

Today, I have been working on the design of this blog all day. I was multitasking by watching my 4.5-month-old grandson and working on this blog.  One of this week’s assignment is to add a few elements to my blog page. I had a hard time with the layout of the gadgets because one of the gadgets expanded several inches and it was stuck like that all day. I could not get it to go back to the original size. I finally deleted the whole gadget and had to add a new one, with new text in it. I finally got it done. Nevertheless, my nerves are frazzled.
I was a little disappointed with my first assignment grade. I thought I did better than my grade reflected. I am on a mission to improve my writing skills; I am utilizing all the resources the University has to offer. I submitted my paper for review before I submitted it and I still had citation errors.
I am not sure about this online format for me. I need to see the face of the instructor, I cannot figure out someone if I cannot see him or her. I am one who needs warm fussies and positive feedback. Questions answered and explained. I hope that things improve.   

And their out of here...!!!

Well, the inspectors left today, I can breathe again.   I did well on my parts, but the rest of the program did not fare so well.  It is actually a good thing that the inspectors came this week, because it is behind me now and I can concentrate on my studies; at least until next year. 

It is frustrating to me that staff can intentionally non-comply with regulations, but nothing is ever done about it.  It always comes back to training. Nevertheless, at what point is it no longer a training issue? When does it become a personnel issue?    

Tomorrow I am going to head to the library in town to work on my last assignment for the week.  It is due Sunday. Since I do not have to go to work tomorrow, I am going to take advantage of the time.  One page shouldn’t be to hard….right???

Hostile Animals or Playful Kittens.

As I start this Mater’s program, I recall something my good friend Winnie the Pooh said, "This...whatever-it-was...has now been joined by another...whatever-it-is... and they are now proceeding in company. Would you mind coming with me, Piglet, in case they turn out to be Hostile Animals?"

At first, I was not sure about the environment or the people I would be associating with over the next couple of years. However, as I read their postings and blogs, I am finding solace in the fact that I feel right at home. This program seems to fit me like a glove. I should have done this years ago, granted they hadn’t invented online learning, back in the day, but I would have liked it nonetheless.

I am very excited about getting to know these colleagues and building a professional network with them. The postings and blogs I have read remind me of how many wonderful child advocates we have in our communities.

So remember, “If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart.. I’ll always be with you.
-- Winnie the Pooh

Can I get an Amen???

What a Day

Today is the first day of my first class for my Master's in Early Childhood Studies. I am a bit nervous, as I am unfamiliar with the mechanics of online course work. I am sure to pick it up fast, as the luxury of procrastination is not available, at this time.  However, today was also a monumental day at work. I was making copies and I said to the Assistant Director, "Well, it doesn't seem to be the day for our inspectors to show up.”  She replied, “They could still come.”  Not even 20 minutes later our Air Force Unannounced inspectors walked in the facility. Therefore, for the next few days it will be chaos at work. It will also mean long days and not much down time. What a way to start my Masters program.