Personalizing My Blog

Personalizing My Blog:

I knew I wanted to work with children when I was only a child myself. This awareness came to me at the age of ten when I had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with children in a group home in my community. I was moved by the children I met and had the fortune to interact with. One little girl, Tiffany, (I can still remember her name) left an indelible mark on my heart. I pleaded with my mother for weeks to adopt Tiffany, but she said that she and my father were barely able to feed the children they had, and could not afford to bring another child into our home. I have never given up on my dream to work with children and today it is still my passion to be a children’s advocate, a voice when their voices cannot be heard.

My Family

I am the fourth child out of five children to my mom and dad. My mother always said that she chose teaching so she could also spend time with her own children. She was determined to come home in the evening with her children, and to be there during the school holidays. This made me realize how important we were in my parent’s lives. I learnt that my mom felt that the early years of a child were crucial in there development, and therefore she wanted to be around to help shape the lives of myself and my siblings to ensure that we developed into well rounded adult who played a positive role in our society.

This is my Aunt Mina, my mom’s sister. She played a very important part in my life. As an elementary school teacher she demonstrated her love for her students. Watching her and my mom work with their children, inspired me to want to be an early education professional also.

My sister (left) and I were always very close, as the only girls surrounded by boys. Both of us work in the field of education. I believe education is in our blood passed on from our mother and two aunts. 

Inspirational Quote

 I totally concur with the words of Louis Pasteur. When I interact with children their innocence brings out a protective nature in me. The unconditional love that they show, pulls on my heart string and compels me to love them in return. Having taught in early childhood as well as middle school in the same educational system, I have had the pleasure of teaching children in K-5 and then again years later in grade 8. I have therefore been able to see how many of them have matured and I can easily see the potential of what they could be years later. As a result I must be respectful to them based on the individual that they are now, and the professional that they may be in the future.

“When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments: tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become.” -Louis Pasteur-

My Favorite Children’s Book  

Guess How Much I Love You is one of my favorite children’s books. The words are meaningful and reassuring for children while the actions help them to better understand and articulate how they love and are loved in return. My daughter and I read this book as a nightly ritual to express our love for each other. I feel confident that this assurance of love and of being accepted was for my daughter a spring board that supported her and helped her to succeed as she entered the realm of early childhood education.

These are just a few snippets  of my life. As we continue on this journey together I hope to share more of who I am with you. Isn’t it amazing how this wonderful invention, the internet, has allowed us to get to know each other. It diminishes distance with the stroke of a key.

Welcome to my world.

References

Louis Pasteur. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from BrainyQuote.com Web site:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/louispaste389299.html

McBratney ,S., & Jeram, A. (2015). Guess How Much I Love You. Retrieved from

http://www.guesshowmuchiloveyou.com/the-story