I cannot believe that I am actually managing to graduate before my children. It is a journey I thought was never going to end. There were times while pursuing this degree I felt overwhelmed and that I could not do it. These past 8 weeks I believe have been the most challenging both personally and professionally. There were days I sat here overwhelmed, tired, and feeling like I was never going to be able to complete the assignments especially after my husband and then my son were involved in car accidents a week apart. Yet, here we all are ready to end one journey and start another.
Things I have learned that I would like to share:
1. The importance of communication and how many different ways there is to communicate. In order to be a successful educator you need to have an open line of communication with the family so that you can develop a positive relationship. This will benefit the child the most.
2. I learned about the importance of a Community of Practice. Before this course I had never heard of this type of collaboration. I am glad that I learned this term and what all the benefits can be from this type of collaboration. I hope to take the Community of Practice that I developed for this class and make it real so that we can work together to improve the quality of education and care for our young children.
3. I also learned that being passionate about your work in not a hindrance like I once thought. In fact to it is a necessary component for an early childhood educator. With all the stressors that we encounter on a daily basis passion are what are going to keep you focused and on the path to meet the goals that you set for yourself as an educator.
A long-term goal for me is to promote the center/school that I work for so that I can build enough enrollment to start a first grade class. We currently have children 6 weeks-12 years and a charter kindergarten class. We are licensed for first grade and with the strike that has been going on with the local school district I believe with the right promotion I can become the first of our six centers to start a first grade class. Wish me luck!
I would like to thank all my colleagues and professor this term for all the support and feedback. I have been greatly motivated by much of what everyone has contributed. Everyone’s contributions have been enlightening. This is a bittersweet ending. I am glad to be completing my course but sad that I will no longer have the interaction with my peers. I am not sure where my future leads especially after being promoted twice in the past 9 months but without my coursework at Walden University I would not become the director of one of our locations. I still have a lot to learn but I will take what I have learned during my studies to help guide me into running a successful and quality program. Good luck to everyone in your new adventures!