Relationship Reflection

"Soul-mates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you." ~ Relationship Quotes ~ Unknown

(My husband, Derrick Sr. and my son, Derrick Jr.)

My Husband, Derrick-My husband is a very special person to me. We have a unique relationships, we work live and parent together. We currently work at the same school, in the same grade. So, in all aspects, he is my ultimate partner. Recently, God has called us to progress further in the special gifts he has given us. He has called us both to leaderships positions. My husband has been called to Pastor, through his gifts of teaching and counseling. I have also been given the charge to begin work on facilitating and owning my own Christian Early Childhood Center. OUR hope and PRAYER is to continue on the road to partnership and combine the church and school together. He and I encourage each other and support each other to the fullest! Although, there are some times when personal/business relationships may intertwine but we continue to remind each other of the goals we are pressing towards. Overall, my husband is my best friend, there's no one else in the world I would ever think of taking this journey with.

My coworkers: I value the partnerships that I have with the teachers I work with! We not only value each other's professional opinions but we care about one another, personally. Our families fellowship together and we are able to lift one another up, because of the general compassion we have for one another. It's so refreshing to know that they are not only my friends and partners, professionally,but they are my sisters in Christ. During our lunch time, we have been known to pray for each other and conduct 'mini bible studies'. We make sure that we have fun teaching, and pride ourselves in being able to make each other laugh. I love these ladies very much and wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavours.

Many Thanks...

Many, Many thanks to my professor, Dr. Myers and my colleagues. I truly believe learning takes cooperation and collaboration! I appreciate our discussions and post the most. It's nice to know that through this journey, I am not alone.

"Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns." - Author Unknown

Educational Quote

"Education is like a baseball game, it needs all its players: parent, teacher, community, and student."

Author Unknown

Testing for intelligence?

This is an issue that is overlooked and that definitely deserves attention. This topic is all too familiar for me. I have always had a problem with TESTING. I was always a EXEMPLARY student who immersed myself in school and as a result obtained great grades. Nevertheless, I was not a good test taker. Children, like myself, should not be required to prove themselves over and over again. Instead, you should focus on the "whole" child and what he or she contributes to their education. In addition, working in a public school system in Texas, children, 3rd-12th grade are required to take and pass the STAAR (The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test. Speaking as a "true advocate for children", tests such as these have a #1 goal: $$$$$$. This is not a test for or about the students, this is a test that allows many bureaucrats and law makers, politicians, board members to make a profit off of children and educators.

The article, The case against standardized testing: raising the scores, ruining the schools, by Alfie Kohn is a article that genuinely expresses concern for children and the "terror" of standardized testing. The article speaks of preparing children for 'reality' and how testing is not a determiner of being a responsible, productive citizen of the world. Also, many of these tests rely heavily on quantitative data instead of qualitative data. There's much emphasis on the "right" answer, leaving no room for variations, creativity,... In essence, "The more we learn about standardized testing, particularly in its high-stakes incarnation, the more likely we are to be appalled. And the more we are appalled, the more inclined we will be to do what is necessary to protect our children from this monster in the schools"( The case against standardized testing: raising the scores, ruining the schools, 2000).  

I also had the chance to read up on some intelligence testing performed in the United Kingdom. Many researchers believe in testing for intelligence but insist that cognitive testing must take first primarily in order for there to be an accurate evaluation. Natives of the United Kingdom are persistently pressing the issue of complete cognitive development and information processing. Many historic researchers, continue to battle this matter of "testing for intelligence".

Author, Alfie Kohn, of the article, Standardized Testing and its Victims provided many facts regarding standardized testing and how it affects our children, educators and society as a whole. While reading through these 8 facts, one of them hit very close to home for me. Fact #8, "Many educators are leaving the field because of what is being done to schools in the name of "accountability" and "tougher standards" (Standardized Testing and its Victims, 2000). Education and its impact of children and family has truly lost its way. One of the major blows I feel is responsible for this systematic destruction is: standardized testing.

Kohn, A. (2000). The case against standardized testing: raising the scores, ruining the schools. Retrieved from: http://sites.google.com/a/teacherrenewal.org/www/CaseAgainstTesting.pdf


Kohn, A. (2000, September 27). Standardized Testing and its Victims. Education Week. Retrieved from: http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/staiv.htm

Sternberg, R.J.(Ed.). (2004). International Handbook of Intelligence. Retrieved from:  http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam041/2003048462.pdf

Poverty and Education



The one stressor that continually shows itself strong in our country and many others is the 'war on poverty'. As stated many times before being a public school, kindergarten teacher, I know how much poverty affects children and families. I have been teaching ESL (English as a second language) for 4 years now, and have come to find out that poverty speaks the same language. Many of my students have been brought over by American missionaries from countries such as: Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Cambodia, Iraq, Iran, etc...Children from these countries have feelings of shame, guilt and overall fear. One boy in particular that is from Sudan, has a difficult time fitting in to the "American Culture". I have discovered that he is often hungry and lacks the necessary uniform requirements of the district. I know that before this child can learn, he must receive proper nutrition and maintain a healthy self-image. His days at school should not be filled with ridicule and distraction. It is my job as an educator to ensure that they feel valued and receive a fair and credible education.

While researching poverty and other countries, I stumbled upon an article that discusses how children brought up in poverty are more prone to engage in acts of Terrorism. Researchers conclude the solution to this growing problem is to up federal funding given to countries' stricken by poverty. This increase in funding will give law enforcement more money to fight crime and increase wages. The article states, "In our view, alleviating poverty is reason enough to pressure economically advanced is countries to provide more aid than they are currently giving" (Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is There a Casual Connection, 2002). Many countries affected by this poverty and terrorism are countries such as Hezbollah, Lebanon and many countries embedded in the Middle East.

I attributed this problem that foreign countries are experiencing to that of the correlation between violence and poverty in the U.S. Education is the border that divides success and failure. In the article, Poverty and Education researchers attribute the poverty in the U.S. to that of the "Urban Flight". Many urban/metropolitan schools are suffering because of the flight of people along with the flight of funds.

This problem of poverty is a growing phenomena and takes much problem solving to dissolve. The children are the people that suffer the most. Authors of the article, Poverty and Education state that, "Without a significant shift in how schools are funded, and changes are made in the accountability of schools, urban schools will constantly face additional cuts in resources, forcing cuts in programs in order to balance an already delicate budget" (Poverty and Education, 2007).


Maleckova, J., & Krueger, A.B. (2002). Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is there a Casual Connection? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17, (4), 119-144. Retrieved from: http://www.krueger.princeton.edu/terrorism2.pdf

Hightower, L. (2007). Poverty and Education. Race and Poverty in Education, 2(10). Retrieved from: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/colleagues/vol2/iss2/10

Breastfeeding

When being presented with the opportunity to chose a Public Health topic, Breastfeeding was a "no-brainer" for me. In the text, "The Developing Person", Berger included a "Benefits of Breast-Feeding" table that showed how Breastfeeding could positively benefit the baby, mother and family as a whole.

I remember breastfeeding my own son.Through breastfeeding, my son received many nutrients essential for his development and he and I formed a bond that was definitely special. Breastfeeding was/is extremely economical, when compared to the price of formula. Breast milk was also great for freezing and using at a later date.

I learned that  in the country of Canada, scientist and health care professionals are trying to strengthen the exclusivity of breastfeeding amongst Canadian mothers. These professionals used a a plan that included a series of steps that helped mothers become more aware of the benefits of breastfeeding. Some of these steps included making sure they had enough information, giving the mother quality time for breast feeding and giving the newborn breast milk on demand with no other liquids and/or "artificial teats". The researchers found that breastfeeding amongst these women were high and began to grow when implementing the steps and plans. Nevertheless, more mothers could be breastfeeding if more maternity services were provided to Canadian women that made them MORE aware of best practices and ways to address concerns of the matter.

Overall, Canadians, truly believe in the benefits of breastfeeding. My desire, is to conduct my own breastfeeding informative sessions. This degree will allow me to gain a vast amount of information on the development of children in hopes to inform those I reach. Breastfeeding is one of the crucial issues I plan to educate women and families on.

Berger, K.S.(2009). The Developing Person: Through Childhood. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Chalmers, B., Levitt, C., Heaman, M., O'Brien, B. (2009). Breastfeeding Rates and Hospital Breastfeeding Practices in Canada: A National Survey on Women. Birth 36(2), 122-132. Retrieved from:
http://www2.cfpc.ca/local/user/files/%7B4C87B83E-2035-4358-8373-E17DB3641BDF%7D/Chalmers%20Breast%20feeding.pdf

Childbirth

I would love to share the story of the birth of my own son, Derrick. While reading Chapter 4 in the Berger text, I began to compare my birth with some known facts and I began to compare my Western Culture birth to that of women in Guinea-Bissau which is located in Western Africa.

I gave birth to my son on December 16, 2009. The birth of our first child was very exciting for my husband and I. We did all the things assumed to prepare for the forthcoming of our son: getting the nursery ready, attending numerous prenatal appointments, shopping for wants and needs, creating a birth plan and attending a birthing class at our designated hospital. December 16, I went to work, as usual and felt better than normal. My husband and I worked together at the same school teaching in the same grade. My co-workers commented that I was going to deliver soon, because of my skin discoloration, and swelling. That evening, I decided to accompany my husband to church and we proceeded to run many errands before choir rehearsal started (i.e. getting the infant car seat assembled in the car, stopping to eat dinner and picking up my in-laws so they could attend rehearsal also). While eating dinner with my in-laws and my husband, I began to feel some excruciating pains in my pelvic area. THIS WAS IT!!! My contractions had begun and were just about 10 min apart. Soon, dinner came to an end and we headed to the hospital, per my mother-in-laws advice (I thought I had enough time to go home, grab my bags and take a shower, since pre-labor is expected to be pretty lengthy). Well, thank God for my mother- in-law because I got to the hospital and I learned that I was dilated to a 5 and was in active labor. It was shift change time, so I saw many nurses and begged them all for drugs...LOL I received a 'local anesthesia', an I.V. and a birthing room. I rested for a while and then I received an Epidural, 2 hours later, it was time to push. I delivered my son in 5 hours and he weighed 5 lbs, 8 oz. BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM!!! While progressing through the birth canal my son swallowed some of my waste and developed 'bacterial pnemonia'. My husband and I were devastated that our son would have to be admitted to the NICU and stay for a week to receive necessary anti-biotics that would cure his pneumonia. Nevertheless, prayer works and we owe it all to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that our son got better during that week and was able to go home, with a 'clean bill of health'!!
The women in Guinea-Bissau would probably have a different birth story. While reading the chapter, "Burdens of Birth" from the book Tired of Weeping: Mother Love, Child Death, and Poverty in Guinea-Bissau, I learned that pain during childbirth was considered a "woman's right" (Einarsdottir, 2008). If I were to give birth in Guinea-Bissau, I would probably be considered 'less than a woman' to give birth, receiving pain medication. Birth here, is assumed to be an 'appointed priveledge'. Although, the Western culture may scrutinize the 'pain management' side of birth, but they must agree with the bond and attachment that is fostered between a mother and child in this culture. The "sensitive period" (Einarsdottir, 2008) allows fathers and mothers crucial time to form an emotional bond with their baby. The power of a woman in the Guinea culture is also determined by her children and how many children she has! I can appreciate the Guinea-Bissau culture for birthing and I feel that though there are some discrepancies the love between mothers and their children is priceless.

Berger, K.S.(2009). The Developing Person: Through Childhood. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Einarsdóttir, J. (2008).Tired of Weeping : Mother Love, Child Death, and Poverty in Guinea-Bissau. Retrieved from:  http://library.waldenu.edu/.