Words of Inspiration & Motivation:



“If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much.”
― Marian Wright Edelman

Investing in [children] is not a national luxury or a national choice. It's a national necessity. If the foundation of your house is crumbling, you don't say you can't afford to fix it while you're building astronomically expensive fences to protect it from outside enemies. The issue is not are we going to pay -- it's are we going to pay now, up front, or are we going to pay a whole lot more later on.

Marian Wright Edelman

 

 

The failure to adequately prepare teachers who can educate all children has been identified as evidence of pedagogical, instructional and conceptual problems in teacher preparation."

---Aisha Ray, Ph.D

 

Families may view education as a vehicle for the future success of their children and hence may seek out early education program to help them gain a head start”. Aisha Ray Ph. D

 

Passion comes from within each of us it cannont be imposed or mandated from outside.  At the same time, it compels us to move outside, to engage with the world around us. ~ John Hagel

 

"Everything in me was being called on to teach, made me feel whole and creative". ~ Louise Derman-Sparks

 

Personal Childhood Web

There are people in my life who have impacted me in one way or another and helped me to become the person that I am today.  I am thankful for each and every one of them knowing that their imprint, no matter how large or small has assisted me in my "becoming": 

Nanny: This is my paternal grandmother, she was so much more like a mother to me.  As the eldest of my father's children, I was shown much love and attention growing up.  My father passed away when I was 13 years old, my grandmother made sure that I knew who my father was. any questions that I may have had about him. She made sure that I had answers to  She was always there for me. She was very stern growing up, however she made sure that each and every one of her grandchildren knew that she loved them in one way or another.  She was the "rock" of my family, she passed away this year and will forever be missed.

Aunt Annette: My aunt (father's sister), she was my inspiration.  I grew up in a single parent home with little hope that life would offer me more than  that which I saw.  My aunt faithfully picked me up every weekend and every summer without complaint.  Just being in her presence inspired me to want more out of life.  I looked forward to the time we spent together.  She exposed me to things that I would not have seen had I not been with her.  Her continued love and support for me has encouraged me to establish bonds with my neices and nephews and to always be there for them.

Uncle Edward:  My father's only brother.  My uncle unfortunately never married and had children of his own.  Upon my father's death, my uncle purposed to be there for me growing up and continues to do so in my adult years.  His dedication to me has helped me to relate to my husband, I didn't realize how much not having a father can impact a woman in her adult years. 

Toni:  My favorite cousin.  He taught me everything I needed to know about how to carry myself as a woman from a male perspective.  He was always there when I needed him, always honest in a loving way.  He always encouraged me to pursue my dreams no matter how outlandish they may seem to someone else.  He jokes and refers to me as a "professional student", and laughs and tells me how proud he is of me and my academic accomplishments.

A Few of My Favorite Things:

Me as a baby with my favorite Aunt:

















Quotes:

"Every child you encounter is a divine appointment." ~Wess Stafford, President, Compassion International

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

My favorite children's book:

This book has been embedded in my memory since I was a young child.  I loved how Eric Carle took us step by step through the process of the caterpillar becoming a butterfly with the colorful pages!  I have shared my love for this story with my children, as well as my students. The Very Hungry Caterpillar will always be a part of my library.   A wonderful resource for teaching a interdisciplinary unit!

Coming out of my comfort zone......

Creating this blog was sort of difficult for me as I do not particularly care for social networks.  I like to consider myself a fairly private person and have a hard time sharing my life with people I don't know.  Well, I guess I have to get over myself and embrace the electronic social world.  Well... I guess the journey begins