Time Well Spent

When I consider this time well spent growing as a professional in the field of early education, I am humbled by the realization that after 17 years in this field I still had so very much to learn and so very far to grow.  That realization encourages me to want to continue to broaden my perspectives and deepen my understanding of trends and issues in the field.

The Capstone Project opened my eyes to the importance of supporting families as they strive to foster emergent literacy and language skills.  Related to that is the concept of inclusion and involving families in their children's education.  My role as supporter and link to resources for families has now taken a much more prominent position as I assess my responsibilities as a preschool director and teacher.

I have a new understanding of the importance of recognizing and celebrating differences as a means of supporting children's identities.  My approach to my classroom goals has been profoundly affected by this concept and I feel empowered to help children discuss and appreciate differences rather than pretending differences don't exist.

I have  a new perspective of my role in relation to our staff.  Self reflection has helped me identify areas needing improvement and I understand the impact I can have in supporting staff as they learn and grow and develop their own voices of advocacy.

My goal is to stay informed, read scholarly articles, and get involved in professional organizations such as NAEYC and CECA.    I have the desire to teach in the public schools, if not preschool then kindergarten.  I plan to make some observations of kindergarten classrooms and network with kindergarten teachers to determine if I want to follow this path.  I also want to continue a relationship with Reach Out and Read-KC and Little Free Library as a means of advocating for access to books for low-income families.

Thank you, Dr. Davis, for all the constructive feedback, for encouraging me, and for helping me grow professionally.  Thank you for expecting quality writing which motivated me to use the Walden links to polish my writing skills and more proficiently use APA format.

Thank you to all my colleagues.  I have been inspired by you, learned from you, and felt validated by your supportive responses.  I wish you all the best in the future.  God Bless!