My Connections to Play

A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard. – Benjamin Spock

When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero. – Fred Rogers

      

When I was growing up I was always encouraged to play either by myself, with my sister, or with friends.  I typically was engaged in outside activities such as playing in my friends’ tree house, riding bikes, playing tag, exploring in the woods.  If I did play inside it was either house or school.   I don’t recall adults playing with me.  I don’t know if it was because I always wanted to be outside or that my family viewed play as a child’s activity.  I do believe that my family wanted me to use my imagination and engage in lots of activities.

Play is very different today then it was when I was growing up.  For me I was always outside.  Sitting in front of a computer or video game system was not what I wanted to do.  Instead I preferred to explore the woods that were next to my house, or play games such as cops and robbers, or go bike riding.  I was free to engage in these activities without an adult right by my side.  In today’s word I feel that parents allow children to get so involved with video game systems, and watching t.v. because it is too scary to just send your child outside to play.  Parents have extremely busy schedules and find it difficult to watch their child play.  It is sad but it is the reality of today’s world. 

I think that being active as a child and having the opportunity to explore the world around me freely has really shaped me as a person.  Engaging in free play allows us to use our imaginations and be creative.  Now that I’m a teacher I feel that the way I played when I was a child has been able to help me be creative with my students by creating activities that they might not get to engage in when they are at home such as exploring outside.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important because they can be used as a support system and are necessary for our own well-being.  Relationships can be joyful or stressful. I try to only build relationships with people that are going to bring me joy.  Negative relationships cause stress and I try to avoid that at all costs. 

I currently have positive relationships with my mother, sister, children, and a few close friends.  I have always been close to my mother.  We have a great relationship that allows me to talk to her openly about anything that I may be going through.  She raised my sister and me all by herself and I feel that she has been a great role model for me.  My sister is a couple of years younger than me, but we have always been close.  Don’t get me wrong we have out moments when we argue like children, but when it comes down to it, we are always there for each other.  I have both a son and a daughter.  I currently have a great relationship with both of my children.  I encourage them to talk to me whenever they feel the need, even if it is maybe a difficult topic.  I believe that making them feel that they can come to me and I won’t judge them has allowed me to have open communication with them thus far.  I wouldn’t say that I have a lot of friends just a few that are dear to my heart.  My best friend has been friends with me for 30 years.  That is amazing.  We have been friends every since we were little girls.  She is always there for me when I need her and I do the same for her.

Maintaining relationships is difficult.  As you get older your views of life change and the people who you choose to associate with change.  Establishing new relationships occurs all the time but only the important ones can be maintained. 

Everyone establishes relationships differently.  As an educator it important to be able to reflect on the relationships that you have established within your personal life to help you establish relationships in your professional life.  If you have only had negative relationships it is going to be quite difficult to establish positive relationships with families and children.  I always remember that some relationships have to be maintained for a brief time, and after that time if the relationship is negative then you can let go of it and move on. 

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.  ~Clay P. Bedford

Assessment

I think that children should be assessed based on their IQ.  I don’t believe in standardized testing.  I think standardized tests dominate classroom instruction and that is not how it should be.  Teachers are so scared that students’ achievement is a reflection on their ability to teach and that is not true, in most cases.  Giving students unit tests in a reflection of their true learning.  
In Germany assessment is carried out by means of frequent tests (‘Arbeiten’) and dictation tasks (‘Diktate’) but there are no SATS and no Key Stages like those prevalent in British primary education.
Reports are given annually and the children work towards the ‘Hauptschulabschluss’ (Certificate).
Some schools cater for the slower learner and those with special needs and, invariably, the schools have many foreign children whose knowledge of German is not up to the standard needed for the higher-level schools.

Children Living in Poverty

The stressor I think I can most relate to is poverty.  I can relate to this stressor the most because the vast majority of the students I teach are currently living in poverty.  Every child at the school receives free breakfast and either free or reduced lunch.  The neighborhoods they live in are tantalized by crime.  Some of the students not only have to deal with violence within the neighborhood, but abuse and neglect within their own home.  School is supposed to be a safe haven for these students and they do feel safe with the adults, but with other students the tension is increasingly high.  Since these children see violence on a day to day basis they are frustrated and can not remained focused.  This inhibits their ability to learn both academically and socially.  They are not capable of dealing with anger appropriately because they do not have any good role models.  Instead, once they have reached a certain level of anger, they feel that their solution is to fight.  The suspension rate at the school is one of the highest in the county.  The teachers and administration can only do so much to help these children escape from the life they are living.

Children living in poverty has the same affect in Germany as in the United States.  Poor children face limited educational opportunities. According to a AWO-Study only 9% of the pupils are poor.^[7] Poor children are likely to experience adversities beyond money. They are more likely to be raised by a teenage-parent. They are more likely to have multiple young siblings, are more likely to be raised in crime-ridden neighborhoods and more likely to live in substandard apartments which are often overcrowded. Their parents are likely to be less educated and they are more likely to have emotional problems.^[8]
Children growing up poor are more likely to get involved in accidents than their non-poor peers.^[9] They are less likely to follow a healthy diet.^[10] They are less likely to be healthy. In poor neighborhoods many children suffer from speech impairments and stunted motoric development^[11] They tend to have lower IQs.^[12]

Child Development and Public Health Issues

The topic I chose was immunization.  The topic is meaningful to me because at one point in time people believed that immunizations were the cause of Autism.  With the number of children being diagnosed with Autism on the rise I think parents were beginning to think that they should not have their children immunized.  At this point in time, research does not prove immunizations cause Autism.

Immunizations are important. The eight childhood diseases (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and polio) which are preventable by immunization, can, and do, cause crippling and, sometimes, death. These illnesses are serious and their complications can be terrible.
With the exception of tetanus, these diseases are contagious. They can spread rapidly from child to child and from community to community. As long as children remain unprotected against them, serious outbreaks of disease - even epidemics - can occur.
It is important for parents to understand what protection vaccines give and what risks vaccines create for their children. Generally, vaccines are among our safest and most effective medicines.

Unlike the Americas, Scandinavia and the UK, vaccinations are not compulsory in Germany.   Childhood vaccination is usually performed by pediatricians or general practitioners and is free of charge. Vaccinations are not mandatory in Germany, but status is routinely documented from vaccination cards presented at school entry examinations.

Child Birth Experience

The birthing experience that I am going to share is the birth of my daughter.    The experience that I had with her was amazing!  I went into labor the night before she was actually due.  My contractions started at approximately 2:00 a.m.  I did not want to rush to the hospital because I was in labor with my son for 32 hours, so I figured I had some time.  After the contractions started I waited about 45 minutes before I went to the hospital.  Once I got to the hospital they decided to they were going to go ahead and admit me.  I was only in a labor a total of 3 hours.  My doctor told me if I decide to have anymore children that I should plan on camping out at the hospital.  The delivery was very calm and relaxed without any complications.  What made this experience special and memorable was the two nurses decided to sing happy birthday to my daughter.  My daughter was an easy going baby who was easy to keep happy.  I’m sure that the birthing experience contributed to that. 

In Germany birthing experiences take place in a hospital, but the actual delivery is typically performed by a midwife.  There are doctors at the hospital, but they only intervene if there are complications.  Mother and baby stay at the hospital for approximately one week.  Once they go home the midwife works with the family for forty-five days to help them learn and adjust to the new addition. 

I think having someone other than family members available to you is a fantastic idea.  First, because they are trained professionals and would be able to answer any questions the family may have especially for first time parents.  Bringing home a new baby is exhausting and it would be beneficial to have someone that would be able to help you cope with the new challenges that will come with having a baby.