What I Most Remember Learning

One great American educator once said something to this effect: “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds can continue growing as long as we live.” Despite the bumpy ride, I truly have to admit I've learn so much. Matter of fact, I can recall:
Emotion Intelligence (EQ) Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
Core Values Vision
Purpose Mission Statement
Leadership Styles Decision making skills
Gossip Self-Care
Family partnership

What do you feel will stay with you?
I'm certain; one of the things that will stay with me is emotion intelligence-the ability to read people. This skill is not to read people in any negative way but to understand their feelings-thus, to make better decision. One essential factor is that as directors we need to be willing to explore our personal awareness; identifying our “humility, humor and flexibility”. With that we are then able to better read and understand other.

What will be useful?
Building partnership! Many programs have in mind what services they wish to provide for families. But how often do they forget to involve family. Despite having some clear goals for their program, Program Directors must be open and willing to “ask and listen’ to families expectations and needs. The question should be, “how best can we serve you?” rather than “These are the services that we have to offered, do you need any? Building partnerships will be useful for me to identify ways to appreciate and learn about different families, recognize their goals and values and discuss how I can better serve them. “Directors have the opportunity to create, with their staff, environments where every child’s family is welcome” (Bruno, 234).

What might you have liked to hear more about?
One thing I wish we had time to discuss in a little more detail is supervision. Although we touch it a little, the questions that still links in my mind are: How do we motivate ‘lazy’ teachers? What are some ways we can help teachers to see their role as a caregiver? Where do we draw the line between being professional and being personal with staff? How can supervisor make fair judgment between 2 teachers or teacher and family? etc. I know that supervision can be a difficult and many times supervisors are dislike among staff. But in this class I do appreciated the comparison between directive and reflective supervision. Despite the questions, I’ve learn “Skilled supervisors used both directive and reflective supervision as part of their overall plan for supervising staff” (Bruno 144).

Supervision Assessment

What are your strengths that are most helpful to staff (teachers)?
Supervision is helping employees perform at their best, in service to their organization's mission. By working to build forthright, caring, and respectful relationships with each teacher and team, supervisors create communities of problem solvers. I believe that my strength of caring, dedication, mind-opening, hard worker and reliability are great factor that are most helpful to staff. Being a great example for teachers and staff can help them develop and soar to the next level of becoming greater mentor that will help their children in discovering their own world.
With great supervision, staffs are invited to take responsibility for their own actions, attitudes, and relationship.


What additional skills would you like to gain?
While I may be caring, dedication, mind-opening, hard worker etc. developing new and additional skills can enhance essential supervisory practice. These additional skills may be insight, empathy, courage and nurture. Supporting each employee to claim and build on their strengths, while working through their weakness, will call on us as supervisor to read staff accurately and let them see talents and gifts they might not yet see in themselves.

Supervision Assessment

What are your strengths that are most helpful to staff (teachers)?

Facing Change

I do agree that changes are difficult for many people. Many of us resist changes and sometimes we think twice before submitting to any change. One of the greatest changes for me is getting a new job. Since two weeks ago, I've been in a new position. Although I have some experience, the difficulty is the age of the children. I'm a Family Service Worker for an Early Head Start program. It is a home base program for children from birth to three years old. In my job, I have to go to different places and recruit families with children within that age range and teach them some elements of child development and Early Head Start curriculum program. I have worked as a tutor before at students’ home but never worked with parents in such capacity. I will have to sit with parents and their children then teach them the curriculum. In other words, I will be taking school to the families rather than the children going school. Dealing with children between six to fourteen years old for sixteen years is different from birth to three. What was so cool, last week I was on training to use the curriculum and how to recruit families.(Stage #7:Action)

Core Values

I too believe that core value reminds you who you are and how you want to lead your.
Three of the listed core values that would be impossible for me to live without are:
Respect - this core for me is to listen to others regardless of age and try to understand what they are saying. It's being courteous. As an aspire directors, if we fail to respect those we are serving; we will face challenges in meeting goals and deadline. Moreover, the 100% cooperation that you'll need to execute a great program will be only a dream.

Creativity - that is to take simple things and make them beautiful. Being creative is a fear that many have but at times we have to see things from a different angle. Creativity is not just to make something beautiful but to create or recreate ideas that are functional. In the real world this always helps.

Conflict resolution today - for a fact not having this value, life for me will be constantly in 'distress'. As an individual, this is an excellent value. People who fail to resolve their conflict today many times live bitter lives. Being professional, make that you'll have to disagree to agree and forget about "petty" stuff that will not allow a company or a school to strive to its fullest.

At the end of the day; respect, creativity and conflict resolution today are core values that great leaders need to possess.

Caring for Ourselves

Caring for ourselves may sound a little foolish but we all care for ourselves in on way or the other. Sure enough, as we learn to love ourselves; we will learn to love other. As human, we are a social being. While some of us may be more sociable, it is impossible for us not to have relationship. In addition, I would estimate that 75% of our joy is external.
Three simple three things that bring joy into my life are:
 Do my best- This is one of my greatest joys. It displeases me when I’m not able to be my best (even though it might not be my fault). I’ve been taught, “Only my best is good enough”. That has been the theme of my life. As a teacher, I expect to do anything and everything that will allow my students to succeed- this many times means that I’ll have to go above and beyond the call of duty. One great example – I had a student who needed some help but the only available he had was 4:30 am. I took the challenge to get up 4 days a week to assist him – it paid off. (He was in 12th grade and not getting that needed help, he would have fail. He passes with honors. That gave be the greatest joy a teacher can ask). Giving my best stimulate me to do more.

 Eat healthy- To perform at my peak, eating healthy is important. I have learned self-control. I’ve never drank alcohol, smoke nor hang out regular (2 or 3 times for the year). Moreover, I don’t drink coffee nor drink that boost your energy. (Sound weird?) Eating healthy and on time will give you all the energy you need for the day. Matter of fact, I’m never experience any major sickness. I have pride myself with only of the best attendance at work and school. Just recently, I found my old report cards from high school and I show my children. For my 4 years, I miss just ½ day. I just recently completed my bachelor degree – 2 ½ years, never miss a day. All because of eating healthy. This of course brings the joy I need. I believe a healthy man is a happy man.

 Get enough rest- This means making sure that I go to bed early enough so I can sleep well. Have almost a routine time to get to bed and wake up the next day – fresh and relax. My sisters always have fun with me. During the winter months, I’m in my bed my 7pm especially if I don’t have anything to do. In summer, this is the joke, I get to bed by 9 pm. I’m not a night person but by 4:30 – 5:00 am, I’m really to get out of that bed –well rested and ready to go.

Combination Feelings

I think we each experience a combination of emotions daily. Sometimes that combination is difficult to explain. These combinations can be fear and guilt, shame and anger or sadness and loneliness.
One of the most experience combinations I believe is joy and sad. However, my combination is joy and fear. I experienced this feeling when I first went back to school. I came to this country summer of 2006 and January 2007, I found myself sitting in a classroom. As I sat there, I felt so joyful that I finally get a chance to pursue my Bachelor’s Degree. But as I smile to myself a fear came over me. There were so many negative thoughts came rushing in my mind. This was mainly because I was approximately twice the age of the students there was in my class. I did not saw a student that was close to my age. However, as the term progress, I felt a little comfortable and more confident in my class assignment.

Teach me, DON'T Label Me by Barbara K. Given

Teach me, DON'T Label Me

I am not disabled.
I learn differently.
I am not handicapped.
I take in and use information that is somewhat unique to me.
Others may see me as handicapped when they insist on teaching
me in ways through which I cannot learn or when they insist that
I demonstrate my abilities in ways that are comfortable for them but not
for me. It is not I who is out of step, inadequate, handicapped, or disabled.
It is the system.
I don’t want my teacher to be my pal,
but I do want a model and a friend.
I don’t want my teacher to make life easy for me,
but I do want a teacher filled with a conviction that what
he or she teaches is important enough for me to learn and
I do want a teacher who has enthusiasm
that encourages me to keep working
until I learn.
I don’t want to be the teacher’s pet
but I do want to be treated as a person
worthy of respect in spite of my learning style
or because of it.
I don’t want a teacher who demands praise,
but I do want a teacher who understands my respect
even if I show it in awkward and sometimes hostile ways.
I don’t want a brain transplant,
but I do want an appropriate education.
I don’t want to be called learning disabled,
but I do want to learn
TEACH ME.
DON’T LABEL ME.

Emotionally Intelligent

To lead “from the inside out”, directors need to first understand themselves. Emotionally intelligent leaders willingly explore personal blind spots in order to approach others with humility, humor, and flexibility.
There is no thinking without feeling and no feeling without thinking; the more conscious we are to what we are experiencing, the more learning is possible; and, self-knowledge is integral to learning.

Directors on the move

Every director has a limited amount of time in which to do numerous tasks and develop many relationships. This work can be accomplished most effectively if the director is well organized. The role of administrator requires knowledge and skills both in early childhood education and development and in business practices. Directors sometimes acquire program management skills and the skills of leading people.