Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

Head Start

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

I listened to the stories of the parents and grandparents from each category and decided the common denominator was that Head Start not only helps children but the family as a whole. Almeta Richards for example, went from being a struggling parent to a program director; Lawrence Thomas became the chairperson of the policy council and is an active member of the Fatherhood initiative after he obtained full custody of his sons; and Sandra Reza was able to obtain her degree in psychology to help her grandchildren. Each parent shared their individual stories about Head Start and how they are not your typical childcare agency and preschool and truly focuses not only on high quality education for children but parental empowerment and involvement to become as partners in not only their child’s education, and a better way of life for the entire family. Through their experiences, these parents have been motivated to reach back and help those who were once in their shoes and truly combat poverty in this country.

Head Start provides many opportunities for parental involvement and maintains that parents are the child’s first and most important teachers and how they interact with them physically and emotionally promotes healthy brain development and improved developmental outcomes. 

Family involvement is critical not only for Head Start, but for every strand of service because not all families are able to be served by Head Start but each deserve the high quality program they provide

and parents can make a difference in that quality at every educational level from Day Nurseries to Primary school and beyond by using their voice, becoming a part of the policy councils, and partnering with EC professionals, community leaders and government officials to make the necessary changes for the betterment of all children.

Each story is unique but also can touch the lives of so many experiencing the same challenges in their own lives giving hope, motivation and encouragement to persevere. From a professional perspective, it is encouraging knowing the work teachers are doing is valued, effective, and positively impacting lives. Hopefully these stories will also encourage and ignite the public, policymakers, and government officials to continue to financially support Head Start and even expand to other service providers to be able to accommodate all children and families at some level, not just the super poor.

Reference

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/stories/

Quality Programs for All Children

Quality Programs for All Children

I believe that current public opinion in the US with regard to the value and importance of providing quality services for all children and families is that all children have the right to a quality education and all should have equal access as well. Also, I feel that “quality education” entails professionals that have the skills and training to support the growing diverse population of children and families here in the US including language, cultural and ethnicity; culture and diversity rich classrooms; appropriate services for special needs children.

Parents are now viewed as partners in collaborating with childcare and educational professionals because the families play a significant role in a child’s development and I believe they are now taking a much more active role and should continued to be embraced and encouraged by administrators and teachers. I hope that over the next five years, funds will be made available at every level to accommodate all children from birth through graduation providing them with a quality of care and education that will help to improve their academic, social and developmental outcomes in a positive capacity. I would like to see teachers, with all of the new educational requirements, be recognized for the important role they play and receive higher salaries. I feel this is not only fair but also serves as an incentive to gain the training and skills necessary to provide quality education to all children. My hope is that impact of advocacy, services, and policies will reduce the number of children receiving remedial services, thus increasing the amount of children successfully graduating high school and moving onto higher educational and economic statuses.

What Resonates With You About Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy?

Why did you choose this specialization? 
I chose the specialization public policy and advocacy of early childhood education because I am passionate about increasing positive developmental, academic, social/emotional, and physical outcomes for all children and especially those with exceptionalities by providing more accurate evaluations of children at risk for special needs services; reducing the time gap between diagnosis and treatment; increasing the number of children mainstreamed into regular education/co-taught classes, graduation, and post secondary education; partnering with parents and providing them with the tools they need to help their child(ren) reach their fullest potential such as parenting classes that teach families how to acclimate to an exceptional child, learning all the facets of an IEP, and their rights under IDEA and other government programs.

Explain why advocates are essential in the early childhood field and why you believe becoming a skilled and confident advocate is crucial for early childhood professionals and for the field.

I feel in order to be an effective advocate, I must possess the knowledge and skills to share with and help the people I interact with and most importantly, I must have a passion for what I do. That along with my experience makes me a trustworthy advocate individuals can count on in their times of need. It is also important to have a reliable and accurate resource base in which to refer my parents and families so they can get the assistance they need.

 What do you hope to learn about public policy and advocacy and articulate at least three goals related to this specialization at this point in your coursework?

The three goals I have related to public policy and advocacy include:

·        Gaining more knowledge about what advocacy entails, i.e. policies as it relates to children and families

·        Collecting resources I can take and use in my professional career

·        Learning how to locate and partner with advocates in my community

My Personal Thanks to my Classmates and Instructors

     I want to take this opportunity to say Thank You to all of my classmates and instructors for your encouraging words and responses to my blogs and discussion posts. I appreciate and respect your suggestions and knowledge and for always having a positive attitude about our topics even though some were quiet challenging. 

     I would take this time to say a very special thank you to Kate Turner because we have so much in common with regards to special needs children and it has been great reading and responding to you posts and gaining new insights and information I can take with me into my profession. 

     Last I would like to give a very special shout out to Adrienne Stephens and even though we have never met in person, we have had some great laughs via email and hangouts! Thanks for all your help and advice. I wish each of you the best of luck and success in you future endeavors and I hope to see you all in my next classes and at graduation.

     I would love to keep in touch with everyone so my personal email address is diannansykes@aol.com or diannasykes@gmail.com. I look forward to receiving some emails!

                     

Sincerely,

Dianna Sykes

               Team Development               

A group that I was a part of and was hardest to leave was the PTA at my children’s school where I served at president for 2 years. We also went thru the 5 stages of development and by the second half of the school year, were a cohesive group. The best aspect of that group was that each of us as parents, teachers and administrators genuinely cared about the well being of the children and were able to develop fundraisers and programs that were for the benefit of all the students. This school had some deficits with regards to its special needs children and the parents were particularly concerned with inclusion, accommodations, and services or lack thereof. When I came on board, and being a parent of a special needs child attending that school, I was empathetic to the concerns and together we were able to develop plans to raise money in order to address the students needs. For example, we were able to convert an unused portable on the campus to a Sensory room and purchase/acquire all of the items needed for the children to go and receive the stimulation/soothing they needed to function optimally throughout the day. 

We also had parents express they would like diversity with regards to Halloween because not everyone celebrated, felt it was safe, or convenient but didn’t want their children to miss out on the candy, costumes, and fun. We established Harvest Day at the school that was held on the same day as Halloween as an alternative and invited the entire community. We had games, food, candy, etc. and it was so successful it became an annual event. I also suggested we implement this idea to our church and it was started there as well.

There was an informal celebration after each event during my tenure as PTA president in the form of dinner but the hardest was when my children moved to other schools which meant I needed to shift my PTA focus to those schools. They had a big going away party for me with many parents and teachers alike filled with warm wishes and thank yous for my diligent service. I was sad to leave this group because we worked so well together and I was unsure how the successor would function. Adjourning, I feel is important because it provides closure and also provides the team the opportunity to say good-bye to each other and wish each other luck as they pursue their next endeavor.

With regards to my master’s degree program, I am not sure how we will adjourn outside of emails and posts since we are all in different parts of the country. I do hope to see some of you at graduation and although Maryland is a ways away, it is important for me to walk across the stage.

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Conflict in our lives is unavoidable unfortunately and how we choose to address it determines our level of effective communication. As I reflect on the conflicts I experience I am finding myself regurgitating and applying the information I am learning in this course. One of the strategies is being a better listener and to be empathetic by trying to see through the eyes of others while withholding any judgments I may have because of my perceptions and schemas. 

Another strategy involves the 3 Rs; respect, reciprocal, responsive and in my opinion, the most important is respect. Being respectful of others beliefs, allowing them to honesty express themselves without fear of repercussions is also vital to me because it keeps the lines of communication open whether the interaction is positive or negative in nature. 

Last, being willing to apologize, and even compromise for my part in the conflict, and initiate that communication rather than waiting for the other person(s). Doing so exhibits maturity and willingness to resolve that conflict quickly.

Does anyone have any other advice or input about what you have learned to be better communicators with regards to conflict resolution?that conflict quickly.

Evaluating My Communication Styles

Communication Anxiety, Verbal Aggressiveness, Listening Styles

     This week I and two people I chose took several tests to evaluate how I communicate. I chose to be evaluated by my daughter and one of my closest friends. I chose my daughter because she and I interact on a daily basis and she is somewhat sensitive so I was curious what her responses would be, especially in the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale. I chose my friend because she knows me very well and is willing to be honest in her evaluation.

     I was surprised to see the range of Communication Anxiety Inventory and that my friend’s score. She has seen me speak publicly on many occasions and even though I am very nervous and prefer not to speak, I have been told that no one can tell I am nervous.

    I learned that even though I that feel a bit uneasy in some communication situations and somewhat more confident in other contexts, I feel comfortable communicating in most situations and feel confident anticipating such encounters. 
     With regard to verbal aggressiveness I have a good balance between respect and consideration for others’ viewpoints, and the ability to argue fairly by attacking the facts of a position rather than the person holding that position. 
     Last, the Listening Styles profile was a little ambiguous but I feel I fall between group 2 and 3 respectively which are action and content oriented meaning I am business-like, prefer clear to the point communication that outlines a plan of action, and although my efficiency is respected but may intimidate more sensitive listeners. Also, I focus on detail and prefer to have all information before making a decision and will likely succeed  in classroom settings but struggle in more fast paced environments.

     I feel this is a fair assessment and it indicates that even though I am a good communicator I still need to improve on various communication skills that may impact my professional work and personal life.

Category	Dianna	Cookie	Dijone
*CAI (Communication Anxiety Inventory)	50	29	63
*LSP (Listening Styles Profile)	41	26	30
*VAS (Verbal Aggressiveness Scale)	63	62	53

*VAS-(53, 62, 63)

Moderate: You maintain a good balance between respect and consideration for others’ viewpoints, and the ability to argue fairly by attacking the facts of a position rather than the person holding that position.

*CAI-(29, 50, 43)

Low: You reported that you feel comfortable communicating in most situations and feel confident anticipating such encounters.

Mild: You reported that feel a bit uneasy in some communication situations and somewhat more confident in other contexts. Communication does not seem to be something you worry a great deal about.

Elevated: This range of scores indicates you feel uncomfortable in several communication contexts.

*LSP- Group 2 ( Action-Oriented), Group 3 (Content-Oriented)

Group 2- Business-like, prefer clear to the point communication that outlines a plan of action. Your efficiency is respected but may intimidate more sensitive listeners.

Group 3-You focus on detail and prefer to have all information before making a decision. You likely succeed  in classroom settings but struggle in more fast paced environments.