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.

My Connection to Play

A man is getting old when he walks around a puddle instead of through it. R.C. Ferguson

We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw

I have many memories of picking wildflowers by the bunch as a child and filling anything I could find to put them in.  I remember also pressing them between pages of books to dry and save.  My grandmother had this huge lilac bush that we would pick from and fill her house with the scent of lilacs.

I grew up in Maine and we had lots of playtime outside in the snow.  I remember making snow-angels, building snowmen and sliding down hills on toboggans and sleds with my sisters, brother and cousins behind my grandparent’s house.

I can remember having big family picnics at the state park with all of my dad’s family there-cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents.  There were big wooden swing sets and teeter totters to play on.  We toasted marshmallows over the fire pit.

As a child a lot of our play was based upon being outside enjoying nature and physical activity.  We always had lots of big family gatherings and the kids all usually ended up outside at some point playing tag, catching lightning bugs, picking berries or some activity of that sort.  We grew up in a very rural area on a farm.  There were only four television channels, (no cable or DVD), no cell phone, computers or video games.  I can remember being almost a pre-teen before we had our first Atari.  There was always something to do or explore outside, whatever the season.  We had as much fun in the snow as the sunshine.  I remember going outside and bringing in buckets of snow so we could help my mom make homemade ice cream.  We even thought that turning the handle to freeze the ice cream was fun back then.

Play for us was very social, related most often to outside activity and no batteries or electricity was involved.  Today, I feel play is very different; almost opposite to the extreme of when I grew up.  There is certainly limited outside time, limited self-directed or exploratory play.  Almost every child you see these days has some sort of electronic device either in their hands on or very close to them.  I have even seen parents give their cell phone to infants to play with the buttons.  Where is this all heading?  Far, far from the sort of play that we should be encouraging and fostering in our children and the environments we are providing.  There is much to be said about getting back to nature and the basics…

I have three sons who are in their twenties now.  I remember trying to expose them to a variety of activities- group, individual, structured, unstructured and creative.    Our house had lots of balls, blocks, books, ice skates, and crayons in it.  They liked to run, swim, explore and just be outside.  When they found something they enjoyed, we continued with that activity or sport.  Each of them grew up with a love for music; of all types.  They self- taught themselves how to play guitar, drums and almost any instrument that they pick up.  Band class was not nearly as fun and probably as frustrating for the teacher as them.  The teacher saw talent, the boys were not responding well to the confines of what and when the teacher wanted them to learn and do.  This quote is a perfect example of this:

If I get to pick what I want to do, then it’s play…if someone else tells me that I have to do it, then it’s work. Patricia Nourot

I feel the role of play whether you are a child, adult or somewhere in between is to help us stay refreshed, creative, and enjoying life filled with discoveries and experiences that make life interesting and new. 

Nell, Drew and Bush included a quote by Schweinhart,  that states it quite nicely:

            At birth, we first learn to make sense of booming, buzzing confusion.  We learn from what we see, feel, touch, taste, smell, and do.  We develop the special human abilities of language speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discovering meaning.  These new abilities enrich our lives with whole new realms of knowledge, but they never replace our immediate world of senses and activities.  We learn what we do, (2013).

They go on to state, “For children, play is at the heart of early understanding about the natural world, mathematical concepts, literacy, and social and emotional competence.  For adults, hands-on play and reflection lead to personal growth and foster insight into how children learn,” (Nell, Drew & Bush, 2013).  As adults, we must take the time to understand and facilitate play and environments that are conducive to play for children to optimize their creativity and potential.  As early childhood educators and professionals, we must take on the role of advocates and educate those who do not fully understand the nature and importance of play in children’s and adult’s lives.

Reference

Nell, M., Drew, W., & Bush, D. (2013). From play to practice.  Connecting teachers’ play to children’s learning.  Washington, D.C. NAEYC.