Words of Inspiration and Motivation to me

Lilian Katz, co-founder of Project Approach, said, "Children, all children, are born with the disposition to make sense of their experiences."

Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, said, "A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back-but they are gone.  We are it.  It is up to us.  It is up to you." 

Another quote from Ms. Edelman:  "So much of America's tragic and costly failure to care for all its children stems from our tendency to distinguish between our own children and other people's children--as if justice were divisible."

Louise Derman Sparks, from week 2, said, "I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world; to fix all the injustices in the world.  The passion to create a safe, more unjust world."

Sandy Escobido:  "We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better."

Personal Childhood Web

People Who Supported Me

1.  My maternal grandmother influenced me as a child by telling me fairy tales as she was putting me to bed when I would stay with her on the weekend.  She was like a second mother to me.  When my mom went back to work when I was in the 7th grade, I would always go to grandma's house after school and mom would pick my 2 sisters and I when she had finished her workday.  I lived with her after my grandfather passed away during my senior year of high school.  She was afraid to stay by herself.  When I grew up and had children, I would often tell them stories like she used to do. Grandma passed away several years ago, but I still have dreams of her and I sometimes I catch myself thinking I need to call grandma and tell her about something that happened to me. 

2.  My third grade teacher is the reason I became a teacher.  Everyone called her Miss Hazel.  She seemed old when I had her as a teacher but she is still living.  We had the typical redbird, bluebird and yellowbird reading groups.  After we would read to her, she would read to us.  For a long time after moving to other grades, I could hear her voice in my head every time I would read silently.  Her love of teaching and of children stayed with me.  I wanted to be like Miss Hazel!

3.  My mom has always been someone I could count on to support me.  She was the one to drive me into town, from where we lived in the country, to my meetings, friends' houses, the movie theater or to athletic events.  My dad worked a lot and wasn't always available to take his turn. Two years ago, I made the decision to get a divorce.  My husband and I were the "perfect couple" but I wasn't happy.  I was scared to death to tell my mom, who I knew would pass it on to my dad.  Instead of berating me about what a stupid decision it was, she said she understood and I needed to do what was right for me.  As a single person now with grown children, my mom and I have gotten even closer than we used to be.  My dad passed away in the fall after I got divorced and I go to visit mom as much as possible.  We have traveled together and I have learned some things about her and her life I didn't know as a child.  We are a lot alike and can talk for hours about anything. 

A memory that I will never forget occurred  when I was teaching in a North Carolina elementary school.  My class was made up of very poor children who came from a high percentage of illiterate homes, children from families who had been transferred to our town from other states and were usually from higher economic households and some children from families somewhere in the middle.  A girl from the lower economic side of the class was struggling with reading.  One day she wanted to stay in from recess.  When I asked her why, she said to me, "Please help me learn to read."  How could I make her go out and play after that?  I worked with her during her recess times for several weeks.  Before the year was over, she moved.  I never knew if she learned to read as well as she wanted to or not.  I hope she did.


One of my favorite books is Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell.  The main character is a child who is short, has bucked teeth, couldn't sing and was clumsy.  Her grandmother's encouragement to embrace her differences and be herself, helped Molly Lou to adjust to a new school and win over the school's bully.  I love that it teaches that our differences are what makes each of  us special!  


Quote-This quote is on a poster in my classroom:  The object of teaching a child is to enable the child to get along without the teacher.  

Getting started

I'm looking forward to getting to know and work with everyone in the next several months.  Good luck!