Monday, December 26, 2011

A NOTE OF THANKS

THANKS TO ALL WHO READ AND RESPONDED TO MY POSTINGS.

I would like to take this time to personally thank all who have read and responded to my blog.  This blog page has helped me to share my thoughts and my understanding of things that I had questions are thoughts about.  To all who have read my blogs thanks for taking the time out to read and comment on my page. 

Thank You for all you do and I hope that your journey on this road to success is accomplished.  Trust in yourself and your abilities and you will succeed.


Thanks to all,


Erica Hines

Saturday, November 26, 2011

CONSEQUENCES OF STRESS ON CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT

A stress factor for me as a child was racism.  Growing up in a Small southern town, I had to endure a lot of racism.  I remember being a little girl in elementary school and been told that school was closing early because a fight was going on between the white and black children.  This was stressful for me because as children you don't see the difference, you play with someone because they are your friend not because they look like or different then you.  So as I grew older I realize that Sally and I might have been friends at school but when the school doors closed we were two different people with two different backgrounds.  OUR parents did not support the idea of us being friends because when they were growing up Blacks played with Blacks and Whites played with Whites.  It's funny how racism is something that is learned and people can't understand that if we stop teaching it then it will disappear and then people can be accepted and acknowledge by the content of their character and not their skin. 

In a small town where most of the teachers are not the same color as you are.  Some favoritism is shown.  I know, I experienced it first hand.  I remember having the highest grade in a course but the teacher did not want me to have the award so she marked one of my answers wrong, but me being me knew that my answer was right kept asking the teacher about  the grade. Well after the award ceremony, of course my grade was changed, but it was to late.  She couldn't take the award back from "S" that would be embarrassing and it would be acknowledging that she made a mistake.  SO "S" kept the award and I got a "sorry, everybody makes mistakes sometimes," speech.  Thanks for having parents who always pushed me to be the best that I could be, because they went to the principal, super indent, and the school board members to make sure that I got the award that I worked hard for. 

Dealing with this type of racism has helped me to be a better educator and to make sure that all children feels worthy and capable of doing anything by not showing favoritism but encouraging all students to do their best.

When I think about  my experience with racism, I often wonder how the Jews must have felt when Hitler wanted all people to be blue eyes and blond hair.  Difference makes the world unique and therefore beautiful.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

CHILD BIRTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH

As an educator, the mental health of the mother, father, and families in general is very important to me. The parents mental state effects the outcome of the child.  It is our job to make sure that our students are receiving the most adequate care that they need as children to be healthy and educated adults.  Most of the time we make assumptions about children who's parents mental state is not the same as ours.  We assume that the child will inherit a mental disorder or we assume that the child will not be taken care of as childrens whose parents do not have any problems.  It is our duty to make sure that the environment in which our students live is one that is safe and nurturing, and if we see that the child's parent mental state is stopping the child from receiving the care that they need then we as educators must offer some type of help.  Now this is just my opinion as to what an effective educator should and would do.
Erica Hines

Saturday, November 5, 2011

CHILDBIRTH

I remember the birth of my 18 year old and 13 year old like it was yesterday.  The birth of my first child was not as bad as the birth of my second child.  I was prepared for both by receiving prenatal visit, taking parenting classes, and listen to horrible stories about birth from other people.  The horrible stories helped me to prepare myself mentally for the challenge I was about to endure.  I remember reading to my unborn child like the researchers adviced in their books.  I talked to my children while they were in the wound. 

With the birth of my first child, I remember going to the hospital way to early because my family said that my water had broke and the baby would soon be here (boy was they wrong).  I went to the the hospital on June 26, 2003 at 10:00p.m. and Taylor was born June 27, 2003 at 7:07 p.m.  The only thing I can remember thinking about is I will be glad when I have this baby so I can eat a quarter pounder with cheese from McDonald.  The experiences of giving birth were both different and beautiful.  It is so hard to put in words.

When comparing childbirth with that of the women of China, I realize that we practice some of the same cultures or beliefs.  I know that my mother required me to stay in the house from four to six weeks.  The Chinese also practice this as well.  I would eat alot of eggs and food high in protein and iron because according to my mother you lose a lot of blood during child birth.  In my research I notice that this is also a practice of the Chinese women.  In reality childbirth practices are similar in every country or cultural.

Erica Hines 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

A NOTE OF THANKS AND SUPPORT

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their support and encouraging words.  We are all trying to accomplish one goal and that is to be better educators that will enhance the lives of the students that we come in contact with.

This blog assignment ask us to thank to colleagues and I would like to thank the following two people with the notes of thanks listed below:

Hi Yolanda,
I just wanted to thank you for always creating positive blogs.  Your blogs are information that make someone think and I appreciate that.  You are such an inspiration and I pray and wish you the best in all of your endeavors as an educator.
Thanks again,

Erica Hines


Hi Susan,

I would like to say that you have been such an inspiring young lady in my life. Just reading your blogs, and corresponding with you through discussion, I feel that I know you.  You are in my opinions an excellent educator who has so much to offer.  Through your responses and blogs I feel that you have a genuine concern for your students and your profession.

I look forward to participating with you in other classes.  Continue to be the best that you can be.

Erica Hines

Saturday, October 22, 2011

EXAMINING CODES OF ETHICS

This week's resources was very informative.  We examine the Codes of Ethics for Early Childhood educators.  These codes teaches us how to conduct ourselves in our profession while working with young children and their families.

The  first code comes from NAEYC, :To be familiar with knowledge base o early childhood care and education and stay informed through continued education and training.(NAEYC 2005).

The reason I feel that this code of ethnics is important because things change over a period of time and we as educators need to stay informed and be able to apply the new knowledge gained to our students.

The next code is A DEC code: We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young children's development and learning. (DEC 2005).

This particular code is important to educators because it is our duty to educate the whole child . We do this by teaching parents how to be great supporting parents.  This help build confidence and make children feel assure in themselves.  When educating the whole child, we must make sure that the child is placed in a secure and safe environment.

The third code is a NAEYC code: To create and maintain a safe and healthy settings that fosters children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect thier dignity and thier contributions (NAEYC 2005).

This code is especially important to early child hood educators, because we know that when a child does not feel safe and secure learning is hard to take place.  If learning is to take place then a child must feel safe and secure and the child must be healthy, as well as, feel as if they belong.

As educators, we must have Codes of Ethics to discipline ourselfs and maintain a professional status.

Erica Hines

Saturday, October 8, 2011

GROWING MY COLLECTION OF RESOURCES

The following information are resources from this week's section.  Listed below are some great resources for EDUCATORS.

Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to “How Do I...?”, select “Tips for Specific Formats and Resources,” and then “e-journals” to find this search interface.) 
  • YC Young Children
  • Childhood
  • Journal of Child & Family Studies
  • Child Study Journal
  • Multicultural Education
  • Early Childhood Education Journal
  • Journal of Early Childhood Research
  • International Journal of Early Childhood
  • Early Childhood Research Quarterly
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Studies
  • Maternal & Child Health Journal
  • International Journal of Early Years Education
The following are other resources that I believe are great reading material for Educators as well. 

-----The book On Being a Teacher: The Human Dimension by Jeffery Kottler, Stanley Zehm, and Ellen Kottler.
---- Another book What Keeps Teachers Going? by Sonia Nieto

Another good resource for children and adult is a book my biological children and I use daily, I know that some schools systems are restricted from using this book but it does not stop you as an individual from using this resource and it is The Holy Bible.


Reference

Walden University, Foundations: Early Childhood (EDUC-6005-11), Resources. Minnapolis, MN.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Inspiritaton and Motivation

As an Educator, it is important that we instill knowledge and words of wisdom into our students.  A great woman once told me "children learn by example" that woman was my mother, Shirley Hines.  What she meant by that statement is that children model the behavior that they see.  President Lyndon B. Johnson must have also believed that statement.  He saw a country whose children saw living in poverty and being behind as a way of life.  President Johnson said, "Head Start will rescue these children from poverty which otherwise could pursue them all their lives".  Through this statement and quote president Johnson was telling us that if we did not take a stand and wage a war on poverty then our future leaders, our country would be in danger of failure.  

I fill that Susan Bredekamp is a supporter of President Johnson War on Poverty.  She has worked hard on recording ways that we can improve teaching children at their developmental stages or what is developmental appropriate.  Susan stated that " children learn differently".  I agree whole hearted with that statement.  Based on the experience I have encountered with my own biological children as well as my students.  I can go as far as saying the difference in the learning approaches, I noticed in my siblings and myself. 


There are many things that I can state about the video that I listen to and the motivation of the people in it.  One that really stuck out to me was Mr. Hernandez, he stated " Services provided to children are there for their benefit".  He also stated, "the reason he was motivated to teach is that someone opened a door for him so he feels that he needed to do the same for someone else. 

All the people mentioned above have contributed to my interest and passion toward education  The quotes are significant and gives insight to how the people felt about the children.

Erica Hines

Saturday, September 24, 2011

MY PERSONAL CHILDHOOD WEB

There where a lot of people who influenced me during my upbringing.  The first people who had a big impact on me then and now are my parents, James and Shirley Hines.  My maternal grandparents, The late Rev. E.C. and Willie Mae Smith, as well as my aunt the late Annie B. Wright left an impression in my life that helped nurture and mold me into the person I am today.  My fifth grade teacher had a great impact on my life, she is Ms. Atlean Wallace Wilcher.  Another person that I believe surrounded me with knowledge and understanding was My step grandmother, the late Cilla P. Hines.  My neighbor the late Ella Outlaw, we called Granny played an important role in my life.  There where and are so many people who have been apart of my upbringing I wish I had an opportunity to just name them all.

My parents, have been my rock.  They have always been supportive in every aspect of my life.  Bringing me up in church,  insisting that I do well in school, finding help for me when they did not understand the task at hand, to helping me financially with my children, and for being shoulder to cry on.  My parents always insist on making sure that we do our best.  Thanks to the best parents ever.  So many times they went without so that their children may have.

My grandparents supported me in many ways that included but was not limited to an encouraging word, discipline, long needed talks, and cheerleaders at every event.  My grandmother, Willie Mae was just a phone call away when I wanted to make homemade biscuits, to give me instructions over the phone.  My grandfather, Eddie Clarance, was there when I needed to go to the Dairy Lane for an ice-cream, he made me felt like the world revolved around me.  Grandma Cilla Pearl was there when I was sick to nurse me back to health.  My aunt Annie Bell, better known as Sister Wright, taught me the true meaning of helping others in need, she also taught me how to be a Gardener, and  everything you do in life has a meaning.  My teacher, Ms. Wilcher taught me that even when others don't believe in you then you should always believe in yourself.  My neighbor, granny taught me scriptures and gave me words of wisdom to comfort me, she also taught me how to make a quilt.

The lesson and knowledge that I learned from the people mentioned above, impacts the values I attempt to instill in my children and my students.  I feel that I have been blessed abundantly to have known and to know the people in my life that made an everlasting impression that I hope to pass on.

Erica Hines

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Blog assingment 2

Hello everyone,   One of my favorite quotes for children, adults, for everyone comes from the Bible which is Ephesians 6:2- Scriptures says, "Honor your father and mother." That is the first commandment that has a promise. (3) Then things will go well with you.
One of my favorite books is by Barbara Park, Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day.  This book most children can relate to it allows us to feel the confidence of having others depend on us for leadership.