astounding!

 "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, 

we would literally astound ourselves."

~Thomas Alva Edison

Believing is half of the achieving....
Have an astounding day!

success lifestyle

"Success comes in cans, not cant's."
  

Milestones of children's development are wonderful opportunities to cheer them on through life. A baby's first step, their first tooth, and what's even better is when they begin to have an awareness of how their brain works in connection with their body. Although we cannot see the mind like the brain kids are learning how it works as well. How they view their successes, their failures, and how we react to them really shape the mind.

When we teach them that a failure or a mistake is merely a stepping stone in life experience for success we give them a mindset for a success lifestyle.

Taking a chance or trying something new is no longer so scary, but an opportunity to do great things.

Excellence

 "Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." 

~Ralph Marston

I can really appreciate how young children love repetition so much. While I spend most of my day trying to manage my time to get all my errands and tasks done as quickly as possible, they spend their time mastering skills by taking time to do them over and over again.

A built in attitude for mastery and excellence.

Some parts of my childhood I hope I never lose....

Friendship

"A true friend reaches for your 

hand and touches your heart."

~Attributed to Heather Pryor

I really appreciate the friendships I have formed though out the years. They has taught me to be a better wife, sister, friend and teacher. I'm don't know what I would do if I didn't have good friends to lean on...
I know that's why I enourage forming friendships with the children.
The best time to make a good trusted friend is well before you need them.

The Marshmellow Test

Life is the sum of all your choices. ~Albert Camus

In the 1960’s, Walter Mischel conducted his very famous Marshmellow Test on children of various ages to take a look at delayed gratification, or, that is to say, self discipline.
I often think of the virtue, 'Good things come to those who wait'. Well, now there is an actual way to see if it not only proves true, but how we as adults can help gadge where our children are at.  In The Marshmellow Test, Mischel followed the kids throughout their lives and the results were astounding.
The children that could hold off eating ‘one marshmallow’ for ‘two’ seemed to do significantly better at delaying gratification that those that gobbled it immediately. Big deal? Yes, it is actually. Just check out the areas this kids excelled in over the ones that couldn't wait....

In areas like:

• Relationships and marriage
• Money and finances
• Health and fitness
• Positive outlook on life

The ‘gobblers’ seemed to be the opposite in his finding years later. I encourage you to take this test with your child over time. See if the results change. One thing the test didn't show is how parental influence can help a child with delayed gratification....
I pose the question, "Can we as parents and teachers help to shape the results of this test? My guess is we can. We can because I know that loving our children also means telling them "No".
Funny isn't it? The word, "No" with a whole lot of love behind it is sweeter than any marshmallow...and a bit of sweetness makes anything easier to swallow.
Click here to see more results of the Marshmellow Test.
 

Creating Excellent Work Habits in the Early Childhood Classroom

 

Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables. 
~Spanish Proverb

As an early childhood educator I really have a strong desire to teach the young children excellent work habits. Skills that will give them a foundation for success in life and a foundation they can build throughout their own lives.
This is why my studies led me to so many areas of curriculum and methodologies for my own classroom. High/Scope, Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Montessori, Emergent Curriculum, Reggio Emilia,The Multiple Intelligences Theory…and so many more. I really wanted to know what worked in the ways children learned. And there were success stories in all of them.
I think the one that really amazes me now is The Multiple Intelligences Theory. It can keep going on forever…
Because the brain and intelligence is so vast.
If anything, I want preschoolers to know that.

They are capable of anything if they set their whole heart to it.

Life Skills 411 Education for Every Age...

Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children, and not for the education of all adults of every age? ~Erich Fromm

We all have a lot to learn from on another.
Adults can make mistakes just as often as young children. Some children have really good advice to give and adults won’t listen simply because they are “the adults”.
I really liked school as a preschooler and in general. I was glad after I finished collage I found a program years later called Life Skills 411 that was like a continuation program for me in life. I could have spent my time being a professional student drowning in text book smarts and no social skills.
I am not the only one that Life Skills 411 has made to bloom like a rose, incidentally, I had looked into and tried other programs but none worked for me like this. At first I just wanted just wanted to go to school, I had no clue I was about to change my life...
Youth that where taking the courses at Life Skills Academy really began to change. I saw the youth’s grades turn around, they gained confidence, kids began the set goals and think about their future….
It is very inspirational. I took the adult courses, and now it’s a way of life for me.
I believe it won’t be long now before we are hearing more about programs like these….they are very needful, and are being talked about already by economists and society alike.

The Heckman Equation

View more presentations from HeckmanSlideShareAccount.

Understanding Preschooler's Emotions and Fears in Early Childhood Education

“Nothing in life is to be feared. 
It is only to be understood.” 

~Marie Curie

One frightened boy's story;

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp6h2JlDpzI

My parents used to talk me though many of my own fears. It is comforting to know there is a process to everything….even fears. As a Preschool Teacher I try to look at young preschooler’s fears and struggles logically and with empathy and compassion. Some situations call for thinking with the heart a bit more than the head…depending on the situation.

What I love about the word ‘understanding’ is it has the word ‘stand’ in it. I visualize a person simply standing….listening…being present and giving of their time. I really know how important that is to people because people pay others to do that for them. It’s called therapy.
This…I am not, of course…but talking kids through situations I do in fact do. Just like us, kids often have the answers but need encouragement, empowerment, and consolation. This often enables them to learn skills to encourage themselves and others.
What I love about working in early childhood education is that I do have opportunities to have conversations with preschoolers. I never really know what effect I will always have…I can only hope I am giving them a foundation for success that will last them a lifetime.

The Heckman Equation-Ground Breaking Work for Our Kids

The price of ignorance is far greater than cost of an education.
~ Anonymous

Professor James J. Heckman is the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at The University of Chicago, a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, and an expert in the economics of human development. Professor Heckman has proven through his equation that quality early childhood programs (birth-five) heavily influence social and economic outcomes. By investing early in our children…economic outcomes will flourish. I have been seeing more bills passed in favor of children because of this work and the dedication of those that love and care for children.
Invest+Develop+Sustain=Gain

INVEST in educational & developmental resources for disadvantaged families to provide access to successful early human development

DEVELOP cognitive skills, social skills, & physical well being in children early-from birth to five when it matters most

SUSTAIN with early development with effective education through adulthood

GAIN a more capable, productive and valuable workforce that pays dividends to America for generations to come

It is exciting to see quality programs come into fruition, especially quality programs for young adults like those at Lifeskills 411. Isn’t it wonderful, when bad news refuses to leave, good news comes right on time?

*The Heckman Equation is a formula for success for policymakers and advocates in the field of childhood development, education, workforce development, social equity and economics.

Values and The Preschool Teacher

"Cheshire puss? Asked Alice," Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to go." Said the cat.
"I don't much care where." said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go." said the cat.
-Chareles "Lewis Carol" Dodgson 1832-1898, Alice's Adventure's In Wonderland

(You must) choose to feel good. Life and business are tough, but in the midst of all that a critical decision must be made: will I let my emotions rule me or will I rule my emotions? There is nothing worse than someone that can't make a decision when everything is on the line.
-Micheal E. Parker, CEO Stellar Enterprise

Definition: Values

The inner most desiring force that guides your decisions and behaviors a a result of learned experiences of time.

Working as family caregivers, preschool teachers, directors, and or parents we each have our own set of values. When we identify what our TRUE values are we will see them manifest through the decisions we make and the behaviors we display. Depending on where we work and what we do, on average 80% of our day is spend managing children or people.

As "overseers" of our environment, are our values evident in the classroom or home environment simply by looking around? Are the children busy and happy? Do I feel happy and positive?

Do we bring anything extra to the table when it comes to caring for young children? How we implement our preschool curriculum says a lot about our values.

I made a decision to be an advocate for preschool children. To listen to them and let them have as much of a childhood as they could get. I learned many things through nature and just being allowed to be a kid. This isn't the case for many children in this day and age...especially with the technology we have today. In more cases than not I am seeing a growing trend with technology robbing children of their social skills.

It is easy to tell a child what to do. But to teach, it takes something out of you.

What values do we as early childhood educators bring into our own learning environments?

"Let's make a dent in the universe."
— Steve Jobs