Child Development and Public Health

I chose the topic of immunizations because it is something that I believe is important for children as well as adults when necessary.  The purpose of immunizations is to prevent mass outbreaks of diseases that become epidemics that are uncontrollable.   I researched the vaccination schedule for children who live in Germany and it is not much  different from that of the children in the United States.  The only exception that I found was that the vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) is routinely given to females age twelve to age seventeen in Germany, where here in the U.S. it is still a point of controversy.  Many of the countries in Europe seem to be researching the claims that immunizations are the cause of some learning disabilities in children, especially males.  I feel that as time progresses, there will be many parents afraid of the possible side effects of the immunizations that they may or may not realistically be associated with so there will be a decline in vaccinations here in the United States.  My opinion on the matter is that research should be done to prove or disprove the allegations  before parents are allowed to NOT vaccinate their children because the price for NOT vaccinating may be greater.  I think that this will impact my future teaching and interaction with students if parents of children placed in a special needs setting feel that a vaccination is responsible for the condition of their child. 

Child Birth

     I personally do not have a child birth story of my own to share seeing that I cannot remember my own birth and that my children are adopted, so I have chosen to write about the birth of my nephew, Jackson.  Jackson was my second nephew to be born; the difference with him and my first nephew, Joey, was that my sister had gotten pregnant after I had a tubal that ruptured.  My entire family was petrified that my sister would have to endure the same pain and heartache that I had, but my sister was more afraid than we were.  My sister had good medical benefits so she was able to deliver the happy little guy in a safe hospital of her choice.  Shortly after he was born, the nurses came in and said that they had to take him back and my sister knew that something was not right.  After doing all that she could to ensure that she had a healthy baby, she was told that her child may have cerebral palsy.  Many tears were shed, only to find out in the end that he is only a carrier of the gene. 
   I wrote about this birth because it is one where the odds seemed to be stacked against Jackson and he has overcome all of the obstacles that the doctors said that he may face.  Jackson is now a happy, healthy little two year old who is so intelligent!  I believe that the nurturing environment that he is growing up in has allowed him to learn far more than any of the doctors thought possible.  He has reached all of the developmental milestones for a two year old.
     I chose to compare the birth of a child in the U.S. with the birth of a child in Nigeria.  In Nigeria, the women are often uneducated about the risks that come with having no doctor care in the first trimester.  About 40% of women receive post natal care two days after the baby is born, while many never do.  Also, women in Nigeria view a c-section as a failure to themselves and the child so it is avoided even if the mother goes to a hospital to deliver the child.  The placenta is buried after child birth as part of a ritual to provide health to the infant.  The country has a very high infant mortality rate due to the lack of care given to the pregnant women and to the newborn infant.
     My research into childbirth in Nigeria has shown me that education is the key.  If the parents of the children in Nigeria were to be educated, they would be able to better provide the services that the child needs.  Many places in this world still have birthing traditions and beliefs that are against Western medicine.  Babies born in the U.S. are afforded more opportunities on average than those born elsewhere.

Code of Ethics for Educators

I-2.5—To respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs.

~This means so much to me because it is important to teach students in a way that teaches acceptance and understanding for others.  In order to be able to impact the lives of children, the families of those children must feel safe with the choices that you are making in the classroom.  Parents of culturally diverse students should be included in the school lives of children.  


P-1.2—We shall care for and educate children in positive emotional and social environments that are cognitively stimulating and that support each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure.

~ Oftentimes, educators are the person that the child has the most interaction with on a daily basis; it is important for me as an educator to foster the growth of the child in a way that does not take away from the child's heritage and background.  The classroom should be a place where children feel safe to talk, discover, play, learn and interact with others.

I-1.2—To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child.

~In order to provide the students who I am entrusted to teach with the best possible education, I must stay current with topics and trends in education.  It is my duty to know each child so that I may be able to teach them in a way that they are able to learn rather than with a cookie-cutter approach.

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"Experts generally agree that taking all opportunities to read books and other material aloud to children is the best preparation for their learning to read. The pleasures of being read to are far more likely to strengthen a child's desire to learn to read than are repetitions of sounds, alphabet drills, and deciphering uninteresting words."                                                                                                                                            ~Lilian Katz

 "Providing families with information and assistance in selecting high-quality child care services will increase public awareness of this issue, create a demand for more high-quality child care options, and strengthen the role of parents in informing public policy and improving practices."                                                                       ~Virginia Buysse

"The preschool years are the first and the most fundamental period when children are in fact noticing who they are and are noticing the attitudes and the stereotypes and the discomforts or the positive messages about their skin color, their racial identity, their ethnic identity and so on."

                                                                                                              ~Louise Derman-Sparks

Personal Childhood Web

 My Mom

My mother was a stay at home mom of three girls of which I am the oldest.  My mom made sure I had my school work completed and that I was cared for at home.  She would take time to play games one on one with me which would make me feel special.  My mother also taught me how to do things around the house because I enjoyed helping her. Today I have a good relationship with my mom.  I know that I can go to her when I need some advice or just someone to listen.

 

My Father

My father worked as a restaurant manager from the time that I was a baby until I was 18 years old.  It was not a job that he enjoyed, but rather one that paid the bills and made it where my mother was able to stay home with my sisters and I.  My dad would take the time to play with me and spend time with me doing things I enjoyed.  My dad never went past high school, but he valued education and that was something that he instilled in me.  My dad is a part of my life today, but it is thought the roles are reversed somewhat; he has some medical issues and I spend a good bit of time trying to make sure he knows that he is loved and cared for just as he did in his own way when I was a child.

My Aunt Connie

My Aunt Connie was the only extended family that was a part of my life as a child; all of my other extended family lived in other states so seeing them was rare.  She would come to visit on the weekends and take us on trips to the zoo, the mountains, the museums and Six Flags.  During the summer, she would come get me and I would spend weeks with her at her house; I liked this because I got to do something without the rest of the family and I did not have the responsibilities that I had at home when I was with her.  She always encouraged me to do my best in school, but never put me down when I did not do as well as I could have.  My aunt Connie treats me like I am her own child to this day.  She continues to encourage me to achieve my goals. 

 My Sisters (Becky and Holly)

My sisters are both younger than me so it was expected that I set a good example for them.  Often times I would be motherly to them because I mimicked what my mother did with them.  They would emulate things that I would do because they did look up to me.  The relationship that I had with my sisters growing up made me want to do the right thing because I knew that they were being influenced by the choices that I made.  To this day I find myself making a conscious effort to set a good example in my daily life and in my continued educational pursuits because I still feel as though they look to me as an example.

My Kindergarten Teacher (Blanche Wilkes)

My kindergarten teacher was one of the most influential people in my life.  In some ways I think that she is the first person to show me that you can be a female, have a family and have a career that you enjoy.  Mrs. Wilkes would let me come to the classroom early and help put the chairs down to help her which made me feel important.  I would get to do things throughout the day that I enjoyed so rather than realizing I was at school to learn, I thought I was at a great place away from my family where I could do things without my sisters.  She is the first person that I was not related to that told me that she loved me and that she believed in me; for a young child, that was all I needed!  Mrs. Wilkes retired this year and I went to her retirement party. She also attended my wedding seven years ago and my graduation in May.  I think of her as my family.

 

My Favorite Children's Book

My all time favorite children's book is "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein.  I love this book because it teaches children that things can be different and still be good and fun.  I think that his stories and short poems are fun for children of all ages and that they remind us to use our imaginations.  Far too often children are made to think about things from a perspective that is not their own; the author encourages the reader to think outside of the box and explore the possibilities.

Quote

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” Shel Silverstein




This quote is one of my favorites for a several of reasons.  To start, I absolutely love the author, Shel Silverstein.  I think that it is important that children are able to use their imagination and pretend to be something other than what they are in order to grow.  The second reason that this quote matters to me is that children are all too often labeled as "slow" or some other label that is seen as an indicator of their abilities.  I feel that the children should be given the chance to rise above the labels and ignore what they have been told they are not capable of to show the world that they are so much more than a label.