Blog  #4

 Whom you observed and interacted with in your setting during this module?

In this module I interacted with a teacher who runs a program after school for children. This program provides services for children and it benefits parents as well.  This program provides services for children age 7 to 14 years old. This program helps children with homework how to create study habits and different techniques on how to stay focus and a float with school.

Any special learning experiences you may have had on an experience that provided you with insights about children and families including advocacy efforts?

I learned that this is a free program that is not funded by Chicago Public Schools and that it is profited by different organizations that usually helps different shelters around Chicago and the suburbs. No one is turned down regardless of ethnicity, income status and even disability. All children are welcomed and children learn different techniques on how to build study groups and bond with children who may have little or no support. This organization helps build children’s self-esteem and also social skills as well. It also helps children in different academic areas where there are different volunteers that come in to help children in academic areas that they may be struggling in as well.

At least two insights gained and from your observations, interactions and experiences with children families regarding advocacy efforts and needs related to your area of interest with the field of early childhood?

Two insights that I have gained from this organizations is that they work with families as well as helping children to stay on track with their academic studies. Parents can create a study guide chart for their children as to what they may want the child to focus on and what they may need to build strength in. This organization creates a study plan for children so that they can build their academic skills in areas that they may need a little boost in. Another insight that I gained is that these volunteers at this organization has a check chart that monitors children focus for the day. It’s recorded each an everyday whether or not they have met their task for the day or not. I also like the way there are volunteers that have specific focuses at this organization.  There is one lady here who children call her Mrs. B and she has children that helps her with children that have special needs. There are 5 children who I have observed in her setting two children have autism, another child is wheel chair bound with speech impairment, then there is a child who has Down syndrome and the last child has cerebral palsy. In this setting she creates different games that all the children may follow along with and gets them focus and energize. They are simple games that children in a preschool setting may do but it works for these children and they love it. In watching Mrs. B interact with these children she is determine to cheer these children’s days up before they leave her. They come in with sad faces and looks of exhaustion but she advocates for these children to create energy for them. The parents love her, and have told her she needs to look into becoming a special needs teacher, because she seems to have the energy and the passion to love and care for children who get mistreated so often. This relates to my field in early childhood because Special Needs is my concentration of study as a teacher. As an advocate I hope to gain and become as determined as Mrs. B in helping my children as well.