Time Well Spent

Here we are at the end of our journey!  We have spent a large amount of time over the past two years with each other in classes.  We created a community of support, encouragement, compassion, and understanding that inspired each of us to blossom and flourish.  We began our journey identifying our passion.  We ended the journey by developing a Capstone Project that transformed our passion into action.   

I learned so much on this journey!  The most important lesson is to recognize our communities of practice in everyday life and to utilize them as we did in class and for our projects.  We depended on each other for support and guidance; we learned from each other, we asked questions, we sought expert advice from Dr. Teri when necessary.  I learned that teamwork and collaboration are important ingredients for a functional community of practice.

Second, I learned the importance of self-reflection as well as viewing life from different lenses.  Knowing ourselves, what we’re made of, who we are, and where we’re going are paramount to our success.  Realizing our path looks different from the perspective of the children, families, and communities with whom we work is the beginning of developing wisdom.

The third lesson that will continue to help me along my path of ensuring all children are nurtured and have access to developmentally appropriate opportunities is the importance of research.  The wealth of information available about the multitude of programs for children is overwhelming.  The amount of programs that offer assistance to help teach, train, and community organize is astounding.  Additionally, problems children face and barriers that must be overcome to help all children develop to their fullest is just as staggering.  I discovered this information and so much more through research. 

I have two goals in completing this master’s program.  One is to teach in a community college to inspire students to reach a higher level of commitment and advocacy.  The second is to teach a parenting class which corresponds with my capstone project.  Always, my goal is to be a lifelong learner.

Thank you to all my colleagues in this class and previous classes.  Thank you to Dr. Teri and to all the professors that have been committed to ensuring our success!  Our journey together has changed my life.  It is clear to me that we have all been called upon to transform our passion into action by becoming leaders in the early childhood field.  Ending this journey reminds me of the challenge presented by Mahatma Gandhi, “You are the hope of the future. You will be called upon, when you are discharged from your colleges and schools, to enter upon public life to lead……” (Gandhi, n.d.).   

Reference

Gandhi, M. (n.d.). The selected works of Gandhi, Vol. 6, The Voice of Truth. Retrieved from http://www.mkgandhi.org/edugandhi/students.htm