Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Hi Everyone, Here are some words of inspiration and motivation from phenomenal woman in the early childhood education field.

Mary Wright Edelman founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), an advocate for disadvantaged americans for her entire professional life.

                                                                    Quote that inspired me

" We all must take a stronger, more systematic, and more programmatic interest in alleviating the problems that affect black children.  No one has a greater stake than we do in whether our children read, write, think, survive, and grow up healthy."

Marcy Whitebook is the leader of the WorthyWage Campaign advocating for equitable compensation for child care professionals.  She is also the Director of the center for study of child care employment at UC Berkeley.

                                                         Quote that inspired me

"My primary intention has been to reflect upon our past efforts with an eye to informing the work that remains to be done ensuring that child care teachers and providers receive compensation, support and respect that they, and the children and families in their care, deserve."

Renatta M. Cooper a program specialist in the Los Angeles County Chief Administrative office.

                                                         Quote that inspired me

"All education is a civil rights issue."

Louise Sparks a professor at Emeritus Pacific Oak College, California.

                                                         Quote that inspired me

"My built in passion is to make a real contribution to the world and fix all the injustices in the world."

Hello everyone, meet the people that I love the most.

First is my grandparents Ruth and Lloyd Vassell.  There are no words to describe the influence these two individuals had on my life.  Since I was ten years old I vowed to mimic their relationship.  My grandmother raised me up until she passed away July 4, 2010 .  Her passing has placed an emptiness in my heart that can no longer be filled.  Her famous words to me, since my father's passing in 1980 is, "I promised your father that I would take care of you" which she's upheld even upon her death.  Now when I look into my grandfather's eyes, I can see the pain we share, missing her.  I cherish every little moment we have together and try my best to make him as happy as I can.  Our relationship wasn't always this peachy, but I always knew I wanted a husband that would stand by me and love me as he did my grandmother.  They taught me good work ethic and great family values and for this I will forever be grateful.

Now my husband, I believe with all my heart, is God's personal gift to me.  We have been together since I was sixteen years old.  He has taught me everything from driving a stick shift car to learning how to smile with others.  Our life together has been a rollercoaster ride that I would not trade for anything and would do it over in a heartbeat.  His patience with loving me has taught me to humble myself and  to be charitable.  We have been blessed with two beautiful sons, Elijah and Khalil and with the three of them everyday is a new lesson in life.  (By the way he is the one holding the plate of food)

Great read!

The Issues Facing Men Working in Early Childhood Education

Sep 17, 2011  0 comments  Recommend (0)

In 2006, the National Education Association (NEA) reported the lowest percentage of male teachers since the 1960s. Two years later, Bryan Nelson, founder of MenTeach.org, a non-profit organization that encourages men to pursue teaching careers, estimated that only 4 percent to 5 percent of all early-childhood educators (preschool through third grade) were male. These shrinking numbers have sparked efforts to attract men to the profession and tackle some of the issues facing those working in early childhood education.

Gender Stereotypes

The notion that teaching is "women's work" is a major issue facing male teachers. Nelson says he once received email from an aspiring male teacher who was asked during an interview, "Why would any healthy male want to work with kids?"
The expectation that men wouldn't want to work with children, combined with the stereotype that men aren't as nurturing as their female colleagues, can lead parents to believe that men are not as capable as women of teaching younger students.

Accusations of Abuse

The fear of being accused of sexually abusing a child is another reason men shy away from teaching. In an article in the Chicago Tribune, Valora Washington, president of the Community Advocates for Young Learners (CAYL) Institute in Massachusetts, said that administrators are reluctant to hire men to teach young children for fear of abuse allegations, especially if the men are "young, single and fresh out of college."
This fear is also a common concern among male teachers in England, where 27 percent of schools have no male teachers. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said in a Daily Mail article, "'It's a sad comment on society that more men aren't attracted into teaching in primary schools. In part, this is due to concerns in society about paedophilia [pedophilia]. Men are receiving the signal that it's more appropriate for them to teach in secondary schools than primary schools."

Low Pay

NEA statistics reveal that in 1940, the "average male employee" with four or more years of college (who did not teach) earned 3.6 percent less than the average male teacher. By 2000, men with four years of college who pursued careers outside of education made 60.4 percent more than men who became teachers.
When the large percentage of teachers with master's degrees are factored in, this further widens the gap in wages. A 2006 list of teaching trends compiled by the NEA reported that the number of male teachers was highest in Michigan, which ranked among the top five states with highest teacher salaries, and lowest in Mississippi, which ranked 49th in teachers' pay.

Difficult Students in the Classroom

Parents and administrators recognize the positive influence male teachers potentially offer as role models for their students, however, the low number of male teachers available to serve as role models to so many male students can be daunting.
"From my experience, a child with behavior issues, such as hyperactivity and defiance, is more likely to be placed with a male teacher," said Joe Cecchini, who has taught first through fourth grades at Bryant Elementary in Flint, Michigan, since 2001. "I've noticed a bias among administrators and parents that seems to say: This child is difficult to manage, he -- they're usually boys -- needs a man."

My Favorite Children's work of art

This is an absolutely beautiful piece of art work.

My Favorite Children's Book

My favorite children's book is The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess.  This series of books is an all time favorite of mine for school age children.  I've read this book to both my children numerous times growing up and they can recite this book now.  I believe it is a great book to teach children how to read being that the words in the book are no more than 3 to 4 letters.

Favorite Children's Picture