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Protective Urges Working With The Feelings Of Parents And Caregivers

Encouragement versus Praise

In one of my recent Professional Development sessions and college courses this topic was again examined. I compiled some information and resources for you to use in your own quest.

1) Encouragement leads to positive self-esteem. Praise (according to various research) can lead to various levels of personal strife, insecurities and underdeveloped intrinsic motivation skills (Jane Nelson Ed.D,  and Sharon S. Esonis, Ph.D (http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_Approval_Trap_Being_an_Approval_Junkie_is_Harmful_to_Your_Mental_Health_Confidence_and_Happiness.html) 

2) The Creative Curriculum by Teaching Strategies, LLC. provides us strategies and teacher replacement behavior techniques on using encouragement instead of praise in the classroom. For those of you that use The Creative Curriculum Intentional Teaching Cards this can be found on SE18.

3) Positive Discipline by Dr. Jane Nelson provides information and strategies for teachers and parents on her website http://www.positivediscipline.com/ and in related books Positive Discipline.

I have read cases in Louis Cozolino's book The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy and in Jillian Micheal's book Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life where such excessive praise in childhood might lead to negative outcomes (personal struggles, insecurities, lack of intrinsic motivation). That being said, I am still on my own journey of understanding and working to recognize other people in meaningful ways. Recognition is important in relationships, it shows value, respect, understanding, etc. I choose to recognize children in their efforts and accomplishments yet many times it comes out as "Good Job"... I also have experience in my adult life with the detrimental effects of basing self-worth on other people's approval...

Let the journey continue!

Thanks for reading!

Abecedarian Study - Dr Joseph Sparling

Teaching Strategies (Creative Curriculum, GOLD, etc.) shopping link---->

https://shop.teachingstrategies.com/bookshop/index.cfm

Children's Book List for Disability Awareness

Here is a Children's book list on disability awareness in PDF format.

DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH RESOURCE LIST -- …

www.cliservices.org/Portals/0/DisabilitiesReadingList.pdf

http://www.cliservices.org/Portals/0/DisabilitiesReadingList.pdf

Gender Neutral Children Book List

Here is a book list in PDF format from the NAEYC website. The list provides the title, author and a brief description of the book. I'm looking forward to putting in my orders to my local library. Thank you to one of my training participants for prompting this search. :)

Children’s Books that Break Gender Role Stereotypes

journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/Books4Children.pdf

... Using Children’s Literature to Debunk Gender Stereotypes,” in the March issue of Young Children. ... Children’s Books that Break Gender Role Stereotypes

http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/Books4Children.pdf

Free Professional Development Webinars w/ Certificates

A colleague, Betsy Fox, of mine told be about access to some great Webinars. These Early Childhood Webinars are free and after attending you receive a certificate to put in your Professional/personal/ career portfolio! ;)

Go to this link:
http://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com/

or Search for the website- Early Childhood Investigations, click on the register button and you will put in your information and the webinar notification will be emailed to you.

Thank you Betsy Fox (http://foxeducation.com/home ) for your inspirations and walk by the sea in Bellingham, WA, and thank you to my training participants for your dedication and commitment to the early childhood field ~ hope to see you all in the future!

Long-term Projects to Study in your preschool classroom

Here are a variety of Long-Term Projects that your students can study in the preschool classroom.

They are called:  Marvelous Explorations Through Science and Stories (MESS)

MESS long-term projects have a variety of "themes" including: My Body My Senses, Water, Plant Life, Prehistoric Life, Insects and Spiders, Kitchen Store, etc.

Click on this-> Marvelous Explorations Through Science and Stories    or go to Office of Head Start's website:

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/

and search MESS to get free PDF booklets on these long-term projects for your preschool classroom.

Time Well Spent

Thank you for your support, inspiration, dedication and hard work. Being among my group of colleagues at Walden University has empowered me in my work, and given me deep validation that I am exactly on the professional path that I have always hoped to be. What a wonderful feeling!!! I wish you all the success and joy that you have so diligently, carefully and intuitively envisioned. God bless the miracle within you. See you later!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

A national training position is My Teaching Partner (MTP). This position is hired through different organizations, including Teachstone. It is available for early childhood teachers, it would be a great role to be in. MTP coaches need experience working in the classroom, coaching adults and a 4 year degree.

Being a UNICEF ambassador....

Literacy Intern with The Science of Improving Lives retrieved from https://jobs-fhi360.icims.com/jobs/14352/intern%2c-literacy/job works from Washington DC on international projects. This position requires a 4 year degree but a Master's is preferred. One position available.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Save the Children Early Steps to School Success (ESS) Program Specialist. This position develops, oversees, trains and conducts outreach to preschool age children and their families. They are responsible for guiding home visitors in their work with children and families. The ESS program serves families in my community. Save the Children is global organization that serves humanity in a variety of ways. They seem to me to be a vessel for services to those in need of resources.

Child, Youth and Teen Programs (CYTP) for military installations provide services locally and globally, as well. Their administrative professions work with caregivers and teachers in the field. They also use the Creative Curriculum from Teaching Strategies and the ECERS for preschool classrooms, these are two pieces of quality practice that I have worked with. Most of their administrative positions currently require a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.

Local Community College (Copper Mountain and College of the Desert) early childhood education faculty.  The early childhood divisions at my local colleges are expanding and evolving with the need and research in early childhood. In order to be a college instructor I need to complete my Master’s degree in early childhood, and I will then be able to teach courses in social science as well.

Thank you!

 

...to all my fellow Walden classmates. Your ideas, insights, hard work and experiences have made this journey possible. I will continue to look to your blogs for more enriching ideas in Early Childhood.

~Take Care~



Adjourning as a part of Group Development

Adjourning- "[Where] group members reflect on their accomplishments and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble or take on another project"

(O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).

It is empowering to be a part of the adjourning stage after intense projects, especially when they turn out successful. We had an annual federal review while I worked at Head Start and it was fun to share our successful moments, what we learned, the silly goof ups and how we overcame them, and how we could make the process even smoother the next time.  In our meeting we went through these things and talked about what projects were coming up next. After talking about our previous success it gave us confidence in the projects to come.

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's

Perceived Communicator

I was intrigued that my husband perceived me as a more situational anxious communicator and my mother perceived me as a smooth, confident communicator. I found myself right in the middle, according to  Rubin, R. B., Palmgreen, P., & Sypher, H. E. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge. I the analyzed this to reflect how and what I share with them. Also how I am comfortable being or portraying myself in various relationships.

I found that I do allow my empathy and trust to cloud my judgment of the situation at hand. This is an area that I aim to work on so I can be an effective communicator in my work as a trainer and presenter in the early childhood field. I also affirmed that I am people oriented and genuinely empathetic, I also hope to maintain this listening style yet to use it as a strength in providing support and guidance.

Communication and Culture

I do find myself communicating differently with various people outside of my immediate culture. I aim to respect their culture yet that is limited to what I know about them.  I mostly attempt to communicate with the respect for their humanity, their rights, their feelings and their perspectives. Granted I tend to blurt out various things that may not be sensitive or culturally responsive, but this is an area I am continually working on. While communicating I avoid stereotypes and clichés, I work to hold in my strong beliefs and opinions. I also try to listen to what and how they are communicating to provide me with clues to their thoughts and feelings.  I probably do this ‘more reflective communication’ with people from different cultures than myself because I simply am not that familiar or knowledgeable of who they are and where they come from. Those in my immediate family and immediate social groups I speak more without thinking first, not always the best way to communicate regardless of my comfort. I may get myself in more trouble while communicating with those closest to me.

Competent Communicator

I cannot think of one singular person that is an amazing communicator, but I can think MANY people that do have and use amazing communicating skills and aim to be even better. The attributes in communicators that I aim to model are: positive, serious, compassionate, funny, informative, and truly interested. Also those that really listen, follow through with what they claim, model in voice and gestures that in which they claim, and take time to connect to others. I particularly enjoy listening to speakers that have these skills as well.

Professional Hopes and Goals

I hope:

That every single child has a window of opportunity.

1 goal:

My awareness turns into action