Quotes of Wisdome

“The highest stake of all is our ability to help children realize their full potential.”
- Samuel J. Meisels

“Most school districts put a premium on success at third grade, when high-stakes tests are first administered. It’s a strategy very much like waiting until you’re 60 before getting serious about retirement savings.”
- Samuel J. Meisels,

"I believe that we need to start during the early intervention years and continue throughout the family life cycle with practical information for families on how to initiate and carry out conversations on very sensitive topics."
- Ann P. Turnbull

"Empathetic reciprocity emphasizes each individual's uniqueness and judges the rightness or wrongness of our professional decisions in terms of the impact of our decisions on meeting a person's need for love, fulfillment, and respect."
- Ann P. Turnbull

"I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world; to fix all the injustices in the world.  I wanted to do that as a teacher." 
- Louise Derman-Sparks

Personal Childhood Web

My childhood web is pretty wide having travelled outside my home country at a very young age and lived in two other countries. Though I have formed various friendships and few people have remained within my memory, however, I will be highlighting the impact my family had on me as they have been constantly there and still are. Their support has made me the person I am today. They have always made me feel as a special child.

My father, the pilot, has always spoilt my brothers and I, however, I have always had the advantage of being the youngest and the only girl. He used to take me in his arms and speak to me about my day, giving me undivided attention and asking for my opinion even at a very young age. He had always told me how the result is all that matters and we have to work to get the result that we want. To date, he encourages me in all my endeavors giving me his wisdom but never forcing an opinion.

My mother is superwoman, the sweetest person on earth and my best friend. Mum has greatly shaped me to become the person I am. She taught me to love children, she always portrayed me as a princess and taught me how to behave, talk, walk and smile. She has always wanted me to appear and be at my best. She has pushed me to study and progress. Also, she has always pushed me to develop hobbies and be occupied with sports, ballet, piano, etc. We enjoy shopping together, cooking and talking over a cup of coffee where we both give and take pieces of advice on various situations.

My two elder brothers, my bodyguards, are 9 and 7 years older than me. They have always tried to act as my two bodyguards who are always there for me be it for help, to go out to have fun and by sharing their wisdom and experience. I guess as kids, they felt like they want to protect me especially with the age gap and then as we grew up we enjoyed each other company. If only it wasn’t for those moments when a cute girl passes by and they start saying “yes my sister, aha, I got you sister” J

The support I have received from my family as a child and the protectiveness has really shaped my emotions, character and personality. At times I feel that I was too protected that I get truly surprised by certain personalities in this world, however, I turn and thank God for the efforts they have put in me, the seed of goodness and the belief in me which has encouraged me to develop and pursue my goals.

A child's smile to me is worth the world and that is where my passion for children comes from.

The innocence of children, their happiness, no grudge bearing makes their world the most amazing world to involve in. Many of my friends laugh and get surprised at how children love me, want to spend time with me and how I can deal with them better than their own mothers but it is just the fact that I really enjoy being with them and take the time to listen to their not understandable stories and simply smile at them. Seeing them smiling back at me is enough to make my day or brighten the darkest day and hence my dedication to make sure I would have the chance to draw this smile and make sure they grow keeping it.

A special drawing to my heart drawn by one of my cute little friends.

I like this picture because it shows the innocence of children showing happiness and nature. Also, mainly because it was drawn by a dear little girl who I really enjoy being with her and playing with her.

 

There is something about children that many tend to overlook at first glance, but only when you look closer, things become clearer.

I was really touched by a story I read on facebook once. About a child in a class that used to give his teacher strange gifts such as half a bottle of perfume, old necklace, dusty frame. The teacher used to get angry at this child and especially with the sad dreamy look and bad performance he had shown throughout the year.  Until one day, she decided to understand his story. She looked into the child’s records and found that he has always been an A student, praised as smart and creative up until the previous year when his mother passed away and he had no one to love and turn to. She figured that those gifts were actually his mother’s and only because he really liked her, he gifted them to her. This has changed her perspective and she went ahead, took that extra mile of visiting him, providing support, until the child managed to get back up and overcome the tragedy that he has experienced.

It only took caring to look closer to make a difference.

 

 

Title of children’s book… this was a challenging one, not a mother yet nor in the teaching field. However, that got me researching on the topic and found various controversies from different parents on their views of different titles. I managed to find a favorite though, Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. The thing about this book is that it connects to kids with the cute visuals and teaches them pros and cons of certain actions. It teaches them friendship and key virtues. It inspires their creativity. (Edocere)

Edocere. (n.d.). Edocere: A resource for catholic education. Retrieved from http://www.edocere.org/book_summaries/winnie_the_pooh.htm



 

This is a quote I felt is close to heart in the sense it touches on my mindset, 

 "Education is not something which a teacher does, but it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in human beings. The first thing a child’s education demands is the provision of an environment in which he can develop the powers given him by nature." (Montessori)

Montessori, M. (n.d.). The montessori philosophy. Retrieved 18 May 2013 from http://www.rosevillemontessori.com/montessori-way/montessori-philosophy.html