My Supports

            The word support(s) can mean or provide as many different things as there are situations in which it is needed and given.  Each of us has our own abilities, strengths, and challenges; depending upon what they are would determine the supports that would be needed and most beneficial in each individual case.  The parts of the definition of support that I feel apply in this instance are: 1a) to carry or bear the weight of; keep from falling, slipping, or sinking; hold up 2 to give courage, faith, or confidence to; help or comfort 3 to give approval to or be in favor of; subscribe to; uphold 4 to maintain or provide for (a person, institution, etc.) with money, or subsistence 6 to bear; endure; submit to; tolerate 7 to keep up; maintain; sustain;… (Webster’s New World Collegiate Dictionary, 2002).

            The types of support that I receive on a daily basis are emotional, practical and physical.  My husband is very supportive of my pursuing my education even though it takes up a large amount of what used to be my free time to spend with him and do the things around the house that need done on a regular basis.  I work full time, commute at least 2 hours out of the day and am enrolled in this program which can take what little time is left in the evening and most of the weekend.  He tries to help me stay realistic in my expectations of myself and what I can achieve in a day (I have high expectations of not only those around me, but even more so of myself).  He doesn’t mind eating late or going to get take-out orders (on several occasions) when I have been in the middle of an assignment.  He is definitely my technician when I run into issues of how to deal with the computer.  I have books, papers, and notebooks spread out over a good portion of the house and he tries not to notice or mind.  He is a great source of support now, as he has been over the past thirty years of our marriage.

            I have two or three colleagues that are also in the field of early childhood or education whom I can share my concerns, hopes, and thoughts  that are related to issues with practices or attitudes at the current place of employment, with new information I am learning from this program, and just my dreams and goals in general.  They are very reassuring and it is very important to me to have people that are as passionate about the field as I am myself, to share and bounce thoughts and ideas back and forth with.  One colleague and friend in particular I view as a mentor and time with her serves as a way to recharge my own enthusiasm and energy when it seems to be getting depleted.  My co-worker in our classroom allows me to share my knowledge with her and that helps not only improve her level of knowledge but deepens my own understanding of the subject or concept also.  Together we can put these things into practice and see the impact and results of our work on a daily basis. 

            As for practical supports, I am a serious note-taker.  I have sticky notes everywhere that serve as reminders.  I am a huge fan of anything that is in print on paper; such as books, articles, assignments, lists, etc.  If possible, I would not spend much time at all on a computer; but it is essential to my education at this time and I am learning more each day about it. My books and assignments are covered with underlining and handwritten notes of thoughts that come up as I read or write.  These notes not only come in handy when looking for something specific, quickly; but also help to reinforce my retention of what I have read and are a way for me to make the information connect in a more concrete or long-term way.

            Within this master’s program - each of the classes I am taking, the instructor’s and my classmates are a huge source of professional support.  I have not completed one assignment yet that I have not gained or reinforced current knowledge from.  I have already been able to put much of it into practical application within my classroom, share it with colleagues and/or with parents.  I feel a great sense of both personal and professional satisfaction from my education and that in itself is a major source of support.

My one type of physical support that I rely upon is reading glasses.  I cannot read most print up close anymore without them which is one of the challenges of getting older, but with the support of glasses I can overcome it.

The challenge that I have chosen to imagine myself with and to discuss would be the inability to communicate with or to be understood by those who are around me.   People in my home, school, or work environment that could communicate with or understand me would be a major source of practical and emotional support.  They would perhaps be able to serve as a translator/interpreter for me.  Perhaps they would be able to serve as a teacher or facilitator of learning the language that was unknown to me.  They could pass on relevant information to those who needed it as to what the barrier was to my language use or learning; my abilities, strengths, and challenges; my personal or educational history; etc.  Emotionally, they could encourage me to not get frustrated or give up.  They could help me continue to feel positive about my cultural, linguistic, or abilities differences rather than feel inadequate because of them.  They could help me to retain my confidence and pride in what I can do and who I am.

The frustration of not being able to communicate or be understood would be very difficult to overcome without the supports that I have mentioned above.  It would negatively impact all areas of one’s life and have long-lasting implications.  A good portion of what takes place in life depends upon some type of communication and understanding.  Learning, social-emotional health, and the ability to be self-sufficient are just a few areas that would be impeded.  Each of us has a need to communicate and be understood and a right as a person to do so.

 It is critical that we not take our abilities or those of another person for granted and to try to be more understanding, accommodating and accepting of each of our abilities, challenges, strengths, and differences.

Reference

Support. (2002). In Agnes, M. & Guralnik, D. (Eds.) Webster’s New World Collegiate Dictionary (p. 1439). Cleveland, OH. Wiley Publishing, Inc.