Middle Childhood Play Memories

I really enjoyed my middle childhood it, was a time of my life where I was on top of the world. I enjoyed recess and lunch time. I was a very atheltic child. My favorite playground activities were tetherball, handball, basketball, track, and badgamon. I was a tomboy and I loved playing and competing with the boys. My mother hated that I was very athletic. She would make me wear dresses thinking that they would keep me from running around and playing. She would get so mad when I came home with my dress dirty or ripped and my hair a mess she would ask what happened and I would just say I don't know. Finally she got the message that I was not going to change so she stopped making me wear dresses. I was in love with basketball and my favorite team was the Lakers. I went to Laker games reguarly and I wanted to be the next Magic Johnson. I enjoyed playing with my friends and most of them were boys. I wish that I could go back to those days for they were really fun.

The interests that I had as a child such as basketball and track I still have a passion for. I played basketball up untill high school when I had an injury to my knee and ankle. I could have still played but they did not have the WNBA back then if they did I probably would have tried out for it. I still play now with my sons and I am still a fan of the NBA except my favortie team is the Boston Celtics. I still love track and I enjoy watching my children participate in track. I am still a big sports fan I enjoy watching football, basketball and track. The only sport I participate in now is swimming and walking. I wish that I could have played for the WNBA but I guess I have to settle for watching it.

Teacher and Parent

There is a girl in your class named Amy. Amy's mom is a very dramatic person who always seems to blow things out of porportion. One day the children are outside during playtime and Amy is riding a bike. While she is riding the bike a boy named Johnny comes up to her and wants her to get off the bike. Amy tells him no that she was on it first. Johnny gets mad and pushes Amy off of the bike. Amy falls down and she scrapes her face, knee, and elbow. She cries for a little while then stops crying once the teacher has cleaned her wounds and talked to her. Johnny is benched and told he will have to stay in tomorrow during playtime. The teacher also tells Johnny that she will have to tell his parents what happened when they pick hime up. Johnny starts to cry and tell the teacher that he does not want to get in trouble. The teacher explains to Johnny what he did was wrong and that he should apoligize to Amy. Johnny apoligizes to Amy and later on in the day they are playing together in the class as if nothing ever happened. When Amy's mother comes to pick her up she sees the scrape on Amys face and says oh my god what happened. She starts ranting and raving wanting to know who did this to her her daughter. The teacher asks her to come down and tells her it is not as bad as it seems. She tells her what happened and tells her that it is all settled. Amy's mom states that she wants to speak with Johnny and the teacher tells her that she can not allow her to speak with Johnny. Amy's mother starts cussing and telling the teacher that she is not leaving the school untill she speaks with Johnny. She then states that she is going to sue Johnny and the school for what has happened to her daughter. She is yelling and carrying on and other parents are starting to come in the school and see this. The teacher sees that this is starting to get out of hand and goes to get the director. The director comes into the room and hears all of the comotion that Amy's mom is causing. If you were a director how would you handle the situation with Amy's mom?

Supervision Assessment

1. What are your strengths that are most helpful to staff (teachers)?

The strengths that I have that are most helpful to staff are empathy, compassion, equality, and kindness. I believe in equality for all and am a strong advocate for it. No one should be treated differently. As a manager I know that there can be no favorites if the teachers are all qualified the same they should have the same duties if they so desire them. I would take the time to listen and emphasis with the staff for what I may think is no big deal may be a big deal to the staff. Having empathy with the staff lets them know that I listen to them and they are being heard. Sometimes all someone wants you to do is listen to them and allow their voice or opinion to be heard. Showing kindness to the staff builds up staff morale no one wants to work for someone who is mean to them. I try to treat others as I would want to be treated. By showing my compassion for the job that I do is a great boost to others they see that they are not alone in the efforts to do their job. You work best when you are working at a job that you love rather than somewhere you do not like.

2. What additional skills would you like to gain?

I would like to gain courage and more confidence. I have courage but I do not feel that I have enough to be a strong leader. I often second guess myself thinking that what I do is not good enough when it is or, I don't follow through because I am afraid of failure. When if I don't try I would never know if it is a sucess or a failure. Therefore I need to have more confidence in myself for how can I ask my staff or the children I work with to have confidence and I don't have it myself. Staff need confience to know that they are being lead by a strong confident person if not some will walk all over you.

Core Values

1. Honesty- I am a strong believer in honesty. It is the foundation to everything without it everything seems to crumble. People take you more seriously if you are a honest person even if it is something they don't want to hear. Most people smell bull a mile away.

2. Compassion- I try to show and have compassion. If you have compassion you are more determined to do things. The work that you do will show your compassion, without compassion in the things that you do it will seem effortless. Having compassion allows me to be open minded about things it gives me perspective of the things that are going on around me. It gives me a sense of hope, a desire to conquer everything.

3. Respect- You have to have respect for yourself. If you don't have respect how can you want it from others. In having respect for yourself you have to be able to give it to others as well. Respect goes along with being honest and having compassion. When you have respect for yourself you form a boundary between right and wrong. You lead your life toward what is right and away from what is wrong.

Duties of a Director vs. Duties of a Teacher

Duties of a Director-

1. Directors should have a broad overview of the entire scope of their program.
2. Directrs should understand how decisions in one part of the program may impact other parts.
3. Directors will make decisions that may be unpopular with others who consider only their own point of view.
4. Directors will work whatever hours are necessary to get the job done.
5. Directors will have in mind the long-term goals of their program.
6. Directors will create an enviroment where all feel respected and appreciated.
7. Directors will stay up to date on new ideas and information relating to child care.
8. Directors will be aware of the strengths of their program and areas that need to be improved.
9. Directors will direct others on the staff so they are helped to do their work effectively.

Duties of a Teacher-

1. The teacher will be in charge of the daily teachings in the classroom.
2. The teacher will be in charge of working with the children on a daily basis.
3. The teacher will be in charge of organizing the classroom.
4. The teacher will be in charge of communicating with the parents in regard to their child.

Childhood Memory

I remember when I was in the third grade I had a lady teacher named Ms. Campbell who was the neice of the late Mayor Tom Bradley. I was having trouble with my timetables. At first she used to call on me all of the time to come up to the board and work a problem and I never would want to go. I was using my fingers to count and did not know how to add right off hand so, I didn't want to go to the board and have my classmates see me counting on my fingers for I was a very popular kid. She had me stay in the class one day during recess and gave me a couple of multiplication tests and I guess she saw me counting on my fingers so from there on she told me to stay in the class during recess and lunch. After we ate our snack or lunch she would help me to learn to add without using my fingers and with my timetables. I was so happy and proud after that to go up to the board to work a problem. She did not tell anyone about my problem she was nice and caring and patient with me. She made me want to really learn.