Relationship Reflection

My Husband
My husband Matt is my best friend as well as someone who forms the most important partnership in my life. We work together to make a loving home for our children and I always know he is on my side. One of the things I appreciate about this partnership is how we are always working together to deal with the issues in daily life.

My Daughter Harley
Harley is my oldest daughter and is 10 going on 30. She is very level headed and rational in thought. She gives me great advice and has a wonderful outlook on life. I enjoy my relationship with her so much, and after losing my mother to cancer in the last year have realized how important our relationship is.

My Daughter Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 8 years old and our relationship is much different. She is my baby and always will be. We have a very strong bond and I enjoy all the time I get to spend with her. She teaches me to remember how it is to be a child. She can play by herself for hours outside making fairy houses and exploring nature.

My Brother Travis
My brother is the most important relationship in my extended family. We have gone through so much together. My parents divorce, and losing my mother. He has always been there for me and supports me no matter what. I appreciate having someone who knows me so well and is such a good friend.

Considerations and Reflections

It won't matter
What kind of car I drove
What kind of house I lived in
How much money I had in the bank
Nor what my cloths looked like
BUT
The world may be a little better
Because, I was important
In the life of a child.

No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure. Emma Goldman

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Charles R. Swindoll

In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings. Ann Landers

Testing for Intelligence?

Children need to think both critically and creatively and to solve complex problems. They also need to communicate well. Research shows a whole child approach to education will develop and prepare students for the challenges and opportunities in their world. In the public schools in the United States we focus on what a child should know and needs to know when completing a grade. The focus is all academic. I would like to show some social emotional approaches that have great success. Academic achievement and student behavior improve in schools with good social and emotional learning programs.
Child Development Program
For almost twenty years, the Developmental Studies Center in Oakland, California, has documented and evaluated results of its Child Development Project (CDP), which integrates lessons on caring, responsibility, and other positive traits with a rigorous curriculum that stresses cooperative learning, class meetings designed to build unity and a sense of shared purpose, buddy programs, and parental involvement. The research has consistently shown that students in CDP schools are more cooperative, helpful, and empathetic, are able to settle disputes among themselves without adult intervention, and are more committed to such democratic values as fairness and justice.
Resolving Conflict Creatively Program
A two-year study of 5,000 second- through sixth-grade children in fifteen New York City schools by the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University found a positive impact on children who received regular instruction in the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) curriculum from motivated teachers.
Children who received about twenty-five lessons a year in the RCCP curriculum, which is a violence prevention program with a core underpinning of emotional and social instruction, performed significantly better on standardized academic achievement tests than other children. Their teachers also reported that students in the RCCP classes showed greater emotional control and social skills such as cooperation, were less violent, and felt better about themselves. A separate study of RCCP teachers in Atlanta found that their listening skills, their understanding of children's individual needs and concerns, and their own use of conflict resolution had improved. RCCP, which was highlighted at the 1998 White House Conference on School Safety, also resulted in fewer suspensions, less physical violence, and a lower dropout rate in Atlanta.
Responsive Classroom
A two-year (1996-1998) University of Wisconsin study by researcher Stephen Elliott of two Springfield, Massachusetts, schools -- one that used a social and emotional learning program called Responsive Classroom and one that did not -- found significant social and academic dividends for the students in the Responsive Classroom program. The program is based on six components: a morning meeting, classroom organization, rules and logical consequences, guided discovery, academic choice, and assessment and reporting.
Responsive Classroom teachers reported an increase in such student social skills as using time appropriately, initiating conversations with peers, and getting along with people who are different. They also reported a decrease in such problem behaviors as interrupting, excessive fidgeting or moving, and feeling anxious among other children. The control group reported much less improvement in those areas. Over the two-year period, the Responsive Classroom group also showed significantly greater growth on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
Singapore
I chose to look at the school-age assessment in Singapore. My dad and step-mom lived there for 6 years. It also sparked my curiosity when looking at the chart in The Developing Person Through Childhood noticing Singapore was at the top ranking with math scores. They do not just look at the population of learners as a whole, but group them by learning ability. In 2005 the government chose to make cuts to curriculum and give greater focus to creative and critical thinking.
In 1999, fourth-grade test scores at the school using Responsive Primary education consists of a four year foundation stage from Primary 1–4 and a two year orientation stage from Primary 5 and 6. The overall aim of primary education is to teach the English language, Mother Tongue, Mathematics and Science. From the end of 2004, the EM1, EM2 and EM3 streaming for upper primary students were removed allowing schools the autonomy to decide how best to band their students by ability and value added information. Previously students were tested in Primary 4 to determine their stream: EM1 - brighter students, EM2 – average students and EM3 – a lower level of study for students who did not perform well in the testing.

References
http://www.edutopia.org/emotional-intelligence-research Singapore (Home page) foundEmotional-intelligence research: indicators point to the importance of sel. (2001, February 22).

Singapore – education system and school accountability. (2006). School Accountability Framework Review, Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/accountability/Docs/SINGAPORE.pdf

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

A little girl I had in my Head Start class the first year I taught struggled with hunger issues. I first noticed it when she started coming to school and immediately asking for food. I would walk her through the daily routine and let her know how long until we would have snack. When it came to snack time she would stuff her mouth full of food and acted like she could not get enough. This eventually turned into hording issues where she would worry about not having enough food during snack and lunch. To set her mind at ease we always made sure to have enough food on the table. She was underweight and had health issues. I ended up talking to Mom about it and she admitted they were having problems getting food. We helped her get the information for her to get her family on food stamps and helped her get food baskets for immediate need. Even after I felt like this little girl was getting the nutrition she so desperately needed we still had a lot of work to do. It was ingrained in her mind to worry about food. She was behind academically and socially withdrawn. I believe all this had to do with the fact she was so focused on getting her basic survival needs met.
United States
Did you know? In 2008, nearly 9 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday. One third of these deaths are due directly or indirectly to hunger and malnutrition
Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That's one child every five seconds.
4.0 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. 11.1 million People, including 430 thousand children, live in these homes.
India
Child malnutrition rates are worse here than in many sub-Saharan African countries. The India State Hunger Index analyzes hunger levels in 17 major states across India. State hunger index scores range from “serious” to “extremely alarming.”
The India State Hunger Index also found that poorer Indian states have substantially higher levels of hunger than the more prosperous ones. Even states with high rates of economic growth in recent years, such as Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, have high levels of hunger, while states with relatively slower economic growth, such as Punjab, achieved a lower hunger level.
The national nutrition policy is focusing on the right age group pregnant, lactating mothers and children under the age of two. This age group is critical to address nutrition. And they did so a long time back, even compared to where India is today. It is encouraging that several states are moving towards crafting nutrition strategies and missions. Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and even Bihar are states that are showing sincere interest.

References
Dassani, V. (2008, October 18). India faces urgent hunger situation. Retrieved from http://www.ifpri.org/pressrelease/india-faces-urgent-hunger-situation
Menon, P. (2010, October 16). Reduce malnourishment to improve India’s hunger index scores. Retrieved from http://southasia.oneworld.net/weekend/reduce-malnourishment-to-improve-indias-hunger-index-scores-purnima-menon
Weinreb, L. (2002). Hunger: its impact on children’s health and mental health. Official Journal Academy of Pediatrics, 110(4), Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/110/4/e41.full doi: doi: 10.1542/peds.110.4.e41

Child Development and Public Health

Breastfeeding

When I had my first child I struggled with breastfeeding and had to look to a lactation consultant to come into my home and help me get started. I took breastfeeding classes prior to having my first child and felt I was prepared, but found the whole process much harder than I expected. I was worried my daughter was not getting enough milk I had no idea I would be in pain with engorgement issues. After the consultant helped me and set my mind at ease everything started getting easier. I ended up breastfeeding both of my daughters until they were the age of two and a half. I watched them develop into healthy children and I felt I was giving them the best nutritious start possible. Some of the many benefits of breastfeeding are they boost your child’s immune system and protects against infection, protects against illness, gives protection against allergies, and enhances development and intelligence. After a rough start I found breastfeeding to be so easy. I was able to take my children many places without worrying about taking bottles along and it was completely free.

China is still lagging behind national and global breastfeeding targets, health experts say. Approximately only 20 percent of mothers in China breastfeed their infants for at least six months. The findings come from a recent study of urban mothers, who are more likely to cease breastfeeding earlier than their rural counterparts. This is in contrast with Rwanda who has one of the highest rates of breastfeeding. It is common practice for mothers in Rwanda to carry their babies in slings attached to their bodies some of them practice Kangaroo Care, which is skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. At 20-23 months, 77% of Rwandan mothers still breastfed their infants in combination with other foods.

I believe breastfeeding your child is very important. It is the natural food source; forms close bonds, and give your child a wonderful start. My hope for the future would be to give new mothers support and education about the benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the child.

Childbirth- In Your Life and Around the World

My Birthing Story
I was 25 when I had my first daughter. I felt I was prepared. I was done with college; I had worked with children pretty much my entire life, and wanted to be a mother more than anything. As the day came closer I could not wait to meet my daughter. I only had two weeks until my due date when preeclampsia sent me in to see my doctor. I trusted his opinion and we had a wonderful working medical relationship. We decided to induce and get the process rolling since I was now at risk. I was in labor for 27 hours. I could not believe all women went through this. It made me think of women and mothering in a completely different light. I was in awe of the whole process and also in a bit of shock about natural childbirth and the pain which went along with it. I ended up having a healthy baby girl and did the whole process over to have my second child.
I chose this example because it was one of the biggest events in my life. It changed me and made me love something more than I could ever imagine. I also felt a sense of great accomplishment and understanding about being a mother and a kinship with other women who had already had a birthing story to tell.
I believe the setting of the birth, the demeanor of the mother, and the environment as a whole effects child development. All of these factors play into how the child will see their world. I was much more relaxed when having my second child and in turn she was a relaxed baby. She was very easy to breastfeed and sooth. Babies pick up on these feelings and the environment affects them.
Birth in Rural Russia
Midwives or village grandmothers used folk medicine to help the delivery of babies in rural Russia, and mothers returned to their work in the fields after delivery. Women had little chance for maternity leave. Fields had to be worked and animals tended to. Typically a woman returned to work three days after while an older sibling would care for the baby. Midwives used traditional methods to help the mother during delivery. Many women used non-traditional birthing methods. One was hanging from the rafters of a barn. Gravity would assist with the birthing. Mothers did not look toward traditional medicine for advice as they understood the Midwives and grandmothers knew more about the birthing process.
My birthing story is completely different than the women from rural Russia. I used modern medicine and had my child in the hospital. The Russian women had their children at home and sometimes in the field they were working. Even though the stories are completely different, this is a natural process women have always gone through and your body will guide you through the process.

Examining Codes of Ethics

The Division for Early Childhood
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Professional Collaboration

3. We shall honor and respect the diverse backgrounds of our colleagues including such diverse characteristics as sexual orientation, race, national origin, religious beliefs, or other affiliations.

Many of my coworkers come from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is important to respect their culture and realize we are all here for the same reason. We want to make a difference in the lives of the families and children we work with. I believe working in diverse conditions gives you more knowledge and understanding of many issues concerning children and families.


RESPONSIVE FAMILY CENTERED PRACTICES
Enhancement of Children’s and Families’ Quality of Lives

3.We shall recognize and respect the dignity, diversity, and autonomy of the families and children
we serve.

I believe this statement is very important related to the work I do. When working with families you must give them respect and realize every family has different values, cultural backgrounds, and lifestyle choices. We are there to give them support and resources, not to judge.


NAEYC
Principal
P-1.1—Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall
not participate in practices that are emotionally
damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading,
dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to
children. This principle has precedence over all
others in this Code.

Every professional in the Educational field should read this statement. We are here to help nurture children and give them resources to help them grow. Even the words we use need to follow this code. Positive words and praise are essential to foster a healthy learning enviornment.