Money for Early Childhood

I agree with one of the comments from my last entry about the wish that all preschools and daycares can benefit from the stimulus money that has been promised for early childhood. We already know that Head Start and Early Head Start has been promised quite a chunk of the early childhood money. I do hope that there will be grants and child care subsidies that will assist other early childhood programs. At the same time, I hope that there are some checks and balances in place that the money be used to improve the quality of the preschool setting. Research tells us that quality child care and preschools benefit all children attending and it can save the education system around $14 per child. However, we also know from research that poor quality child care can actually be detrimental to young children, especially in social and emotional behavior patterns. So, I do hope that money will be available to good early childhood settings to help them become even better.

Let's Hope...

The economic downturn has everyone worried and many in uncomfortable circumstances. We know that when a family is in peril and stressed, it has adverse effects on young children. Now that the economic stimulus package has been signed, let's hope that (regardless of political leanings) we can get behind it and turn the country around. One of the great parts of the package is the incredible investment in early childhood education. Research proves that quality child care and preschool will actually save money over the long haul. However, the most important part of the equation is that it will help children become life-long learners. So, I am hopeful that this package to jump-start the nation will also enhance early childhood.

Sick is Sick...Even in Paradise

We just got back from a semi-wonderful trip to Hawaii. This is such a great time to go as it gives us a nice break from the winter cold. The first few days were truly paradise. Hawaii is one of my favorite places and I ate it up, soaking up the sun and atmosphere. However, after a few days, a health crisis appeared: stomach flu. It hit with a vengeance and I did not completely recover until coming home and collapsing in bed for two more days. Sick is sick, even in paradise. It was hard to really enjoy being there after that. Oh well, at least it was a break from winter. :-)
It also brought to mind some of our poorly-run classrooms. Most children approach school with excitement (at least until a poor teacher kills it) and one of our great challenges is to keep it exciting. But, a terrible atmosphere is a terrible atmosphere...even in school.

Building Those Relationships

I was recently reading and article called, Building Positive Relationships with Young Children by Dr. Gail Joseph and Dr. Phillip Strain. In the article they were talking about how critical it is to build good relationships with children. That is one of the most important ways to avoid negative behaviors in the classroom. I liked their metaphor of a piggy bank. Every time you engage in positive relationship building with a child it is like making a deposit into their piggy bank. However, when we nag or criticize a child, we make a withdrawal. Teachers and caregivers should ask themselves, "Am I making a deposit or a withdrawal in this child's piggy bank." Turning the negative (a withdrawal) into a positive (a deposit) will go a long way to continue to build that solid positive relationship (a full piggy bank).

Circling in Space

I got a new laptop computer for Christmas. It was my attempt to place all of my university media files on a personal computer. I love this new device and just had it all set up the way I wanted it. I was using it for my current courses and was thrilled with its performance. Well, on Tuesday the monitor went out. It's a month old!! My son, the computer expert, checked it out and told me it was history. So I took it back and got a new one. Fortunately, I was able to salvage all my files (I think). Today I went to teach a class using my work laptop (which I have used in the past few years and contains all my university files). My entire file for that course was missing from my documents. Boy, do we rely on technology. Somewhere in cyberspace there is a file for International Childrens Literature floating around. If it should end up on your computer, please let me know. Oh well, next week has to better! :-)

The Fridge is Full Again

Three of my grandchildren just had a sleepover at our house this week. I love having them stay! We always have such a great time. My two granddaughters love to draw new pictures to display on the fridge. We have some new Silky Stick crayons that glide on easier than regular crayons. The two were excited about the new materials for drawing and coloring. As teachers, it is always a challenge to find new ways of teaching basic concepts. It is not unlike grandparents thinking of new ways to entertain. Thank goodness my early childhood years have given me a treasure chest to rely upon. Without those resources I may not have a well-decorate refrigerator door!

A New Group

Today was the first day of classes at the university. The one fun thing about teaching on the college level is that you get fresh faces in the middle of the year. When I look out at all the new faces, I wonder what is in store for the semester. I love that feeling and always hope that I can make a difference in their lives. We have such a teacher shortage in our area and we need great teachers for our young children. I'm encouraged that the new administration will make education more attractive to sharp people. Our nation can only be as good as we are educated.