conclusion

The insights that I have gathered from this class is always look for more the one study about a topic. The more studies the better research data I will be able to gather and decide what is the truth for the topic that I want to know about. The ways that doing research has changed because I now know about the triangulation and all the different types there are and what each means and the best ones to use for what type of research. I learned that you must always talk to the parents and develop a relationship with them and their child before doing the research project. It is always easier when the child trusts you and allows you to do your experiment. It also helps that you have a back-up plan just in case the project doesnt go as planned.

My perception on early childhood teachers are that you must gain the child's trust and they will do what they want you to do. Teachers must always communicate with the parents and the children, communication is very important, especially when you are a teacher.

research in australia

play quality - educated superheroes and princesses
secure transition - making children feel comfortable and secure
stories from the heart - connecting children with stories and our earth

It was very interesting that their are so many different research topics in the world. It's also surprising that we have a lot of the same types of research, and it would be very interesting to see the different results compared to Australia and the USA.

I also enjoyed looking at the website and looking at their childhood news and seeing what they do in their classrooms in Australia.

cancer research

I think that there can be positive research for children and families when given the right research. I looked up research that people are doing for children's cancer and found this news on www.chop.edu . http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/pediatric-cancer-research/crizotinib-targets-alk-driven-pediatric-cancers.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_keyword=%2Bchild%20%2Bcancer%20%2Bresearch&utm_campaign=CHOP+-+Oncology+-+US+-+Treatments&gclid=CJ7nwrXH7LoCFU7xOgodIDsAhA

This article talks about how they have found that "A phase 1 clinical trial of the drug crizotinib achieved remissions, with minimal side effects, for 10 of the children participating in a clinical study carried out by the multicenter Children’s Oncology Group (COG). " They are also trying to learn about the gene that causes cancer and try and get rid of it all together.

I think that this kind of research that will help people in the long run is definitly worth getting children and families involved. I dont know anyone that would say no to a research project if there was any hope for their child to live and defeat their cancer.

topic

The topic I choose is How do we as Teachers make the children from other countries feel as part of the classroom? I chose this because I think children from all countries should feel welcomed into the classroom and sometimes I find that some families don't feel as welcomed into schools because of their ethnicity. I also think it would be very educational for the other kids in the class to learn about other countries and ways that other people do things.

week 8

I think that the three consequences about the international early childhood field would be the realization of how poor some countries are and how lucky we are that we even get a good education. Another consequence is that I learned a lot about the different countries and found a lot of information on the zerotothree.org website. The last one is I found it very hard to get in contact with people from an international country. I did enjoy the websites we were given instead of to look at.

I think one goal that should happen internationally is that countries should help support and fund the early childhood schools so that children can get the best education they can get.

UNESCO

I never got a reply back from the international people that I tried to talk with. I visited the site UNESCO and found it was very interesting. I really liked that I could pick any country I wanted to look at and see what is going on in their country. The first thing I liked was that when you pushed on education, it gave you a bunch of different options on educational things to look at. I really liked that on the side it gave you different options like "Literacy for all" "Teachers" and another interesting one was "Women and Girls Education". Another awesome thing I saw was that it showed how to help children with two languages and how the teacher can help the child be successful. I think this is very insightful because a lot of people are now coming over from their countries to USA and the teachers are struggling to help the kids who dont know our language. The next thing I found insightful was the "theme" part of the website. It gave a bunch of different options to show things happening in different countries, and gave news about whats happening in different countries. I think this is very insightful because teachers can go on this website and read about what the other countries are doing for certain holidays for tragic events. The last thing I found insightful was there is a "resource" section. This section allows you to watch videos of the other countries ways of teachings and it really gives you a sense of their culture. Understanding your students culture is very important, and allows you to understand where they are coming from when they are doing something in your class you dont understand.


http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

learning more about zerotothree.org

I pushed on a button that says "Find it Fast" and all of these different subjects came up. I decided to push on "Reflective Practice and Program Development" because it kind of has to do with our topic this week. We need more state funded early childhood programs for the less fortunate. The article on the website said "Over the past decade the science related to developing and identifying evidence-based programs and practices for children and families has improved significantly. However, the science related to implementing these programs in early childhood settings has lagged far behind." (zerotothree.org) It is sad that we can think of the good things to do for these children but when it comes to action nothing really ever gets done.
It talks about helping the programs and what we need to start doing to get things moving for our programs and the less fortunate children. "Sustainability planning and activities need to be an active component from the initial stages of implementation. To sustain an initiative, both financial and programmatic sustainability are required. Financial sustainability involves ensuring that the funding streams for the new practice are established, reliable, and adequate." (Active Frameworks for Program Success 2012)

harvard article

The Harvard website had a lot of great stuff to look at. I liked that it had a bunch of different countries on it and we got to learn more about their culture and education. It talks about the three strategic areas and they are "reframing the discourse of health development, supporting innovative research, and building leadership in the early childhood field." I think all of these things are very important to have in the early childhood field because it helps our field grow stronger and get more support for our students.

The equity in this is that people are helping the early childhood field and supporting and creating the programs for these kids with low income housing or difficult cultures that dont have the money to have a good education. The funding and support from the government and other people is starting to help our programs and especially help the children with special needs.



http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

zerotothree.org

The section I found most interesting and very relevant to my classroom is the challenging behaviors and how to have the children listen to me. I have a few kids in my class who will do whatever they want no matter what I say to them. The section talks about the children at the 3 year old level dont know how to really express themselves so they act out. The section says to talk with them about how they feel and to give them the words to understand how they feel. The issues that come up again with the politicians and scientists is that there arent enough supports to help the children who arent just acting out and are going through tough homelifes. The new issues and trends that I have gained insight on was how to deal with the challenging behaviors and what to do about them.

http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/challenging-behavior/toddlers-and-challenging-behavior.html

international contacts

I have not heard back from my international contacts yet and the website that was given for us to use for more information while we wait to hear back from them isnt working either. I am going to just talk about the wesbite I used during the discussion, i hope that is okay!

The website I looked at was www.childrensdefense.org. It speaks about how to help the poor communities get a better education and make sure that the children make it out of their poor homes alive and well. It says that poverty levels are at an all time low.

The best thing I saw on the website was this campaign called "Protect Children not Guns". It talks about how they are trying to get people to get rid of their guns and end the violence so that children can live save and long lives. Children die from stupid gun accidents more then it should.

The insights that I gained from looking at this website is never judge a child from where they come from. Give the child the best education you can give them to allow them to succeed and get into a better lifestyle.

Educational Organization

The organization I chose to look at was www.zerotothree.org. "ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development" (www.zerotothree.org). I have learned from this website about healthy ways to keep your baby strong and healthy. The thing that caught my attention was the video called rally4babies. It talks about babies learning right when their born and how quickly they can learn. It was a very interesting video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQuiHyv6VrQ (rally4babies video).

early childhood international communication and organization

The steps that I took to get to talk to people from other countries was using the website http://www.naeyc.org/resources/partnership/globalalliance and I emailed one person from Australia and another person from Africa. I emailed both of them but havent gotten anything back yet. I also just did it yesterday so I am giving them a couple more days. I emailed them about if they have anyone from different countries in their classrooms and how they make them feel like they are included in the classroom as well.

The organization I looked at was zerotothree.org. So far, it looks like it will be very interesting and I hope to get great ideas for my classroom through this website.

my support

My support has always been my mom. With everything I do she makes that effort to get involved and help me through it. There was never a time I didnt appreciate how much she does for my brother and I. Without her, I dont think I would even be getting my Masters degree. She pushes me to be better then what I am and makes sure I am doing everything I can to be successful in life.

For example, I had a terrible anxiety/panic attacks a year ago. I didnt know what was happening to me and my brain was going against me and making me think scary things. I would have never done them, but because my mom was there I had someone to lean on and make sure I didnt do them just in case it did get to that point. She made sure she stayed by my side and hugged me every time I needed to just cry. We finally got me to the doctor and am now a lot better and on anxiety medicine, but before the medicine my mom was my medicine and I thank her every day for saving my life.

my connections to play

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

My childhood may be over, but that doesn’t mean playtime is. Ron Olson











My parents supported my play by making sure my brother and I had all the "newest and coolest" toys out there. We were not allowed to have video games until we were 10. When we were much smaller we would always be outside playing sports with each other and my two cousins. We also all collected beanie babies and would pretend to talk to each other through them. My parents supported us because they never really interrupted us and let us do what we wanted without us getting hurt, obviously. We werent trouble makers anyways, so they didnt really have to worry about us doing anything dumb.

I feel like when I was a kid I would pretend to be all these different things, like the power rangers, or mickey mouse, and other stuff. I feel like pretend play doesnt happen as often at the child care center I work at. I always see the kids playing with the balls and stuff but usually someone gets hurt or a teacher interjects on what they are doing so they never get to explore the imaginary world. I love watching my students in my class pretend to be things. They are only two, so their imagination can only go so far with what they know. I love watching them pretend to go shopping, or be on a "important phone call", or be on an airplane or train. It is so cute, and reminds me of when I was little and what I was really interested in.

I can only hope that this generation of kids have as good a time with playing and their imagination then I did because my childhood was awesome and I would love to go back and just be a kid again, it's so simple and makes you look at life a whole different way.

relationship reflection

Relationships are important to me because without relationships in your life you have no one to talk to or lean on in times of need. I am very grateful for everyone in my life that I can depend on because without them I wouldnt be anywhere close to where I am now.

The people that I see very close and the most important relationships in my life are my Mom, my best friend, my grandmother, my aunt and uncle and my brother. Another really close relationship I had was with my dog but she recently passed away so I am still dealing with that loss.

My mom is my go to person. She is my best friend and when I need anything she is always there for me. My dad passed away when I was 17 so she really stepped it up for my brother and I and made sure we still had the best life we could. She is my hero and I wouldnt be anywhere close to where I am without her in my life.

My best friend Kaely has always been there for me through the good and bad. She recently just helped me get through these panic attacks and anxiety issues I was going through. If it wasnt for her and my mom I'm not sure what would have happened to me. I am all better now, but going through the anxiety and panic attacks was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and without them I'm not sure what would have happened. I am very grateful for Kaelys friendship and am happy we have been friends for so long.

My grandma, brother and aunt and uncle all are my other go to people. They are always there for me no matter what and I really appreciate knowing that I can go to them when I have no one else to talk to.

I have a lot of other people in my life, but these people I see as my go to people and I think I would struggle in life without them.

I have learned through my lifetime that the only way to maintain a relationship is to put in the effort just as much as the other person. It's not fair to you or the other person to be always there and then you not be there at all for them. I have gone through a lot of friends and boyfriends/girlfriends that either I just wasnt feeling it or they weren't making the same effort as well. You must know what you want and so does the other person too, otherwise it wont work out as a friendship or a relationship.

Characteristics that make a good relationship/friendship is trust, honesty, caring, sense of humor, effort, and I think just being good people. If you can't be honest or trust the person you are trying to be with or be friends with it basically is a waste of time to even try to make it work.

Knowing how to be a good friend/partnership in a relationship helps in the early childhood field because you learn that you must make the effort to show you care and be able to be trusted by these kids. In this field, trust is a huge thing. These little children wont do anything you say or be fully able to do anything successful if they dont trust you. These kids are trusting you with their lifes and you must, as the teacher, be able to show them that you are always there for them.

video and special thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hn0O_L6lfI


this video shows all the milestones of a baby from birth to toddler. I really like it because it gives you the idea of what is going on and it shows them on the video. I really like that they give little fun facts too! This video I think really gives a lot of information, and it is entertaining to watch!



I also would like to thank Lynette and Candi for always taking the time to read my posts and giving me their insights on what they think of my posts and findings.

assessing children

I think one of the most important things to assess in a child is their behaviors. I think this because a child could be acting out to get attention maybe because they are not getting enough at home. They could also be destructive because they are getting abused at home and they dont know how to express it in any other way. I think it is very important for teachers to always be aware of how the child is behaving and never take it lightly or punish them before understanding the reasoning behind it.

In Africa, they dont assess the children on how they behave its more of what they need as a person like food or clothes or medicine. Some parts of Africa are so poor that they dont really worry about the child's education, they worry about more of their well being. They assess health, clothes, and the environment they are living in. The teacher will then decide (assess) what the child will need and will try to help them as best as he or she can.

I recently had to do some assessments on children in my classroom who are turning two. I had a few of them average and then one of them was below average and no where near what he should be doing. His parents never wanted a meeting or anything. I'm not sure if it is because he's only two and they think eventually he will catch up, but I feel like if I were a parent I would be making sure I was doing everything I could for the child.


http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED119942&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED119942

disease

I have a friend who has a cousin that has cancer. He has already beaten cancer once, but now it is back again. It is so terrible that cancer can come back! This disease especially, effects his cousin because he cant go to school and with all the medicines and trying to get rid of the cancer his body is not developing the way it should be. Currently, the boy is coping with it by being at the hospital until they have gotten rid of it. He is 8 years old, and looks basically like a 5 year old because of all his body has gone through. His parents have decided to home school him until he can go back to school, but in reality how much schooling is he going to get while feeling like crap and fighting cancer. It is terrible that things like this can happen to people, especially children!




A place that I looked up was a subsaharan tribe in Africa and they are fighting against AIDS. Out of all disease, I feel like that is a huge disease to be fighting against, especially with so little funds. However, the website I looked at said that the tribe is decreasing in the HIV testing so that means the tribe is slowly getting rid of the disease, which is good! People from "Global Fund" have gone over there to help them with testing and giving them medicine.
Having AIDS in your tribe as a child can be frightening. Not only are they trying to fight against that disease, but I can guarantee there isnt much education being taught over there. I guess in some countries, its more about surviving then school. Getting AIDS also decreases your growth and development, and eventually you die. These kids need as much help as they can get!

breastfeeding

I chose breastfeeding because I have always heard its the best for the child. I have also heard doctors will try and pressure you into it. I think it should be your choice and your choice only what you want to do. My brother and I were not breastfed and we are never sick and live great healthy lives. I think it all depends on the child. I personally dont think I will be breastfeeding, but I dont want to have people judging me and saying I dont love my child if I dont. From my own experiences, it seems that no matter what you feed your child, as long as you are taking good care of the child you will have a very healthy child.

In an article that I read about an African culture, it said "In many African cultures it is normal to breastfeed until well into toddlerhood. It is also normal for older children under the age of six or seven to breastfeed again with their younger sibling." (www.incultureparent.com) I think that in that kind of culture it is normal for them to be breastfeeding that old because they dont have many utilities or food or milk. I have always found it strange when a mother in America is still breastfeeding their child at the age of two. It creeps me out. However, it is their choice, and it is not my opinion that matters. In Africa they call it "extended breastfeeding" when the 6 or 7 year old decides to start breastfeeding again.

With this information, I now have more knowledge about another cultures way of life. In my line of work, I work in a childcare center, and I am seeing mothers breastfeed all the time. In my work however, I haven't seen any still breastfeeding at an older age. I think that in our day and age parents know it is weird to do, especially in public, so maybe some of them still do at home, but I never see any in my workplace.


References
www.incultureparent.com

special birth

The special birth I only know is of my own. I was born on New Years Day and everyone gets incredibly excited every time I tell them my birthday. I think it is a cool birthday to have. However, now that I am older, my birthday isn't as fun because of the night before being New Years Eve. I do know that in my birth my mom had to have c-section, I never really knew why or anything, but she had one with me and then she had another with my brother. Other then that I don't really know any great birthing stories. I am very queezy so I would never go watch someone have a baby even if it is a "miracle". I will only be present for the birth of my child when I get pregnant and that is it. I think when you are carrying a child you need to be as cautious as possible. You are carrying a life in you! I think it is crazy that us women can carry a child and push one out of us. I think if you are going to have a baby then you better be ready for the responsibility and commitment it comes with.

I looked up a tribe in Africa and they are so different then we are its crazy! I also watched the movie "Babies", and watched a bunch of different places have a child. I thought the tribe in Africa was just insane. These mothers literally just squat down and have a child with no medication! I don't understand how anyone can do that. They also licked their baby clean and wiped their poopie butts on their knees. It basically looked like they were animals, and it basically grossed me out. It blows my mind how different countries can be.

Codes

I think in the NAEYC code of ethics Section 1 is very important. Section 1 is about Ethical Responsibilities to Children. There is a list that talks about what the teachers responsibility is towards the child and what the child's rights are in and out of the classroom. I like this one in Section 1 "to ensure that the child's culture is involved in the program (classroom)"(I 1.10). I like this one because it shows that you as the teacher recognizes there are different cultures and you want the other students to know about their peers cultures. The next one I like is in Section 1 and its about reporting any sign of abuse or neglect in the household. (P 1.9) I like this one because it shows the teacher is paying attention to her children and their well being. I like that it is involved in the code of ethics, it should be the first one on the list! I think it's good that in the code it says that the teacher should follow up with the report and see what has happened with the family. The last one that I liked I found in the DEC was in Professional Practice: 4. It talks about serving the children with disabilities and helping the parents that have the children with disabilities get all the help they can and get the right services.

Article: NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Article: The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
http://www.dec-sped.org/

course resources

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.
  •  
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children
    http://www.naeyc.org/
  • The Division for Early Childhood
    http://www.dec-sped.org/
  • Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
    http://www.zerotothree.org/
  • WESTED
    http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  • Harvard Education Letter
    http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  • FPG Child Development Institute
    http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
  • Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
    http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  • HighScope
    http://www.highscope.org/
  • Children's Defense Fund
    http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  • Center for Child Care Workforce
    http://www.ccw.org/
  • Council for Exceptional Children
    http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
  • Institute for Women's Policy Research
    http://www.iwpr.org/
  • National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
    http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  • National Child Care Association
    http://www.nccanet.org/
  • National Institute for Early Education Research
    http://nieer.org/
  • Pre[K]Now
    http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
  • Voices for America's Children
    http://www.voices.org/
  • The Erikson Institute
    http://www.erikson.edu/
• www.wic.com
• http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/early-childhood (great books for young children)
• http://www.educationworld.com/a_earlychildhood/archives/activity.shtml (activities for classrooms or household activities for families to do with their young children)

Quotes by Lyndon B. Johnson and Marian Wright Edelman

“Education is not a problem. Education is an opportunity.”
― Lyndon B. Johnson

I like this quote by Lyndon B. Johnson because some people think education is a problem and get mad about tests and things. What people need to realize is we are lucky we even get the opportunity to have an education. Some countries don't even have a chance to give their children educations and have to go on what their parents know about things and the world.

“It is the responsibility of every adult... to make sure that children hear what we have learned from the lessons of life and to hear over and over that we love them and that they are not alone.”
― Marian Wright Edelman

I totally agree with this quote. I think it is very important for adults to tell children that they do love them or that they are doing a great job with what they are doing. A childs self esteem depends on how the adults in their life treat them. A child who gets negative things always said to them is not going to think he can do anything right. A child who is always told positive things and giving them the right support will go and try anything because he knows the adults in his life will be supporting him through it, even if he doesn't be successful with it.

A quote I liked by a teacher named Louise Derman-Sparks in the media segment was "I wanted to fix all the injustices in the world through teaching." I feel the same as this woman. I want to be able to help every child through everything they go through. It clearly isn't as easy as it seems, but if we had more teachers out there like this woman, we would have a lot more success in the education field.

Another quote I liked by a teacher named Raymond Hernandez "if I can help just one child be successful in the creative classroom then I did my job." I agree with this because just being able to help one child be successful with anything is an awesome feeling as a teacher. I enjoy watching my children in my classroom be successful and learn their colors and shapes.

Personal Childhood Web

In my personal childhood web there are five important people in my life. My mom, my dad, my brother, my grandma and my dog.

My mom is a HUGE influence in my life. She has supported me through everything I have done and gone through. She has always been there for me and is my best friend. She has taken the role of both mom and dad because my dad passed away when I was 17. She is my hero, she has been so strong and ended up having to get two jobs to support my brother and I. She wants us to have everything in life, and to be able to enjoy life as well. I love her a lot. I help her out with money because i dont think she deserves the life she was given. I think she deserves the very best, and whatever i can do to make her happy i do.

That brings me to my Dad.  He was the best guy around. He also was very supportive and went to all my sporting events. He was a great dad and he passed away when i was 17 from a heart attack. It has been incredibly hard on my family to deal with. But, we are a strong bunch of people and we got through it together, just like a family should.

My grandma has always been a huge part of my life. I basically grew up in her house. My brother and i basically used to live there when we were little because both our parents had to work during the day when we didnt have school. We loved going there and playing with her and our cousins. She now lives with my mom at my moms house because she has gotten too old to live on her own. But, it is nice to now be able to support her like she supported us while we were young. It's like we get to pay her back for all the great things she did for us when we were younger.

My brother and i have always been close. We used to hang out all the time when we were younger and lived in the same house. We have both moved out now and gone to college and live in houses of our own. However, when we go visit our mom it is just like it always has been, he's making me laugh i'm making him laugh. "Home is where the heart is". It really is such a great saying and it is so true.

I decided as the last person to choose my dog. She was literally my best friend until she passed away this past June. She always knew when i was sad or happy, and she was always by my side whenever i was walking around the house or when i went to bed she would sleep next to my bed. I would hang out with her all day, and didn't even care that i hadn't left the house to see any of my friends. To me, she was my friend, and i think she did support me in my life, and i think she was one of my best playmates i could have had. She was my best friend and i will always miss her.


All of these people and dog, continue to impact my life because of them i have the strength and support to continue on during the day when i feel like giving up. I think of my dad watching down from heaven and think "i dont want to disappoint him" and i do what i have to do and make sure i do the best i can do with my life. My brother, grandma and mom all support me still by just being there to talk when i need someone to talk to. They are all a great part of my life, and i would be lost without them!

favorite children book

My favorite childrens book is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Eric Carle. I enjoy this book because it has a bunch of animals in it, and the pictures are so big. The children in my class love this book and its a great way to teach them different animals and the noises that the animals make.

favorite quote about children and families

My favorite quote is by Dr. Seuss. “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." I like this quote because it's telling children they are perfect the way they are and shouldnt try and live up to anyones standards but their own.