What I Have Learned

As I sit here and consider the plethora of knowledge that I have gained throughout this course I have to wonder all the "who, what, when, where, why, and how"'s of applying the knowledge. 

Who will I meet that will challenge me? Encourage me? Support me?

What response will I receive from these people? What will they expect of me? What will I gain?

When will I meet that challenging person? When will I apply every single bit of knowledge from here on out? When will the rest of the world see how very important social justice is?

Where will I go? Where will I teach? Where will I overcome? Where will I fail?

Why do they act like this? Why am I so nervous around some people that are different than me?

How will I do it all?  

...and those are just some of the questions flying through my mind!!!

A goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field is this:

Recognize diversity, work toward equity, and commit to social justice in all that you do.

I think that it's safe to say that the above goal is also a challenge to my colleagues.  Thanks to all of you for your comments, questions, challenges, and kind words.  Without each of you I would not have gained the amazing amount of knowledge that I have over the past eight weeks!

Start Seeing Diversity: Creating Art

Throughout my time at Walden I have learned a lot about diversity.  The past few weeks of my most recent course has taught me a lot more about my response to diversity and how I can make changes in my own life and contribute to anti-bias work. 

My favorite type of art is music.  I love to listen to songs and analyze the words!  There are so many songs that come to mind when considering children and the many influences they face on a daily basis.  I've compiled some of my favorite songs to share with you this week regarding several different topics as listed below.  You can click on the song title to open a new link.  The link will take you to a music video (if I found a suitable one) or the lyrics.

"Imagine" - John Lennon
Seriously, do it... imagine all these things he suggests.  It's crazy and amazing to consider!  I love the last lines, "You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, And the world will live as one".  It's my wish especially as I think of all the children impacted by influences of "isms" and abuse.

"How Many Miles Must We March" - Ben Harper
This one reminds me a lot of the cycles we've looked at.  They're endless unless we do something about it!!!

"Oh My God" - Jars of Clay
We're all the same when you put superficial differences aside.  I like the phrase, "If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep".  Do you feel like that?  Sometimes as I consider all that goes on, especially to innocent children, it does leave me with some sleepless nights.  

"Does Anybody See Her" - Casting Crowns
This song isn't a favorite but it does remind me of all those kids who search for love and affection in many different - and often wrong - ways or places.... all because they didn't get it at home.  We, as educators, can help these kids to find what they are missing or looking for in a better place and in a better way.

"Broken Girl" - Matthew West
The words say it all... it's a scenario of a child who is made to grow up too fast.  The abused... the trauma they face.

"The Little Girl" - John Michael Montgomery
Another song for the abused.

"He" - Jars of Clay
And yet another.

"Excuse Me Mister" - Ben Harper
"...and I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much".  I feel as if I've seen too much of the effects of isms and tragedy on people but I haven't even seen half of what even some of my colleagues have. And others have seen even more or been directly effected by a variety of evils that bias, trauma, and abuse can cause.  I like how this song addresses the "Mr"s of the world.


I have the quote that I will end with hanging in my classroom.  It can apply to all aspects of life - the ones we've been dealing with throughout this course as well as others.  It's a good reminder for anyone in any profession.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

-Edmund Burke

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

Child: "Hey, why is that guy in a wheelchair?  His arms are scary!"

Grandmother: "Shhh!  We don't need to talk about it in front of him!"

These are the comments I heard while sitting in the foyer at my workplace on my lunchbreak.  The prospective child and grandmother had just entered the building and were greeted by our receptionist who has cerebral palsy.  Avery has always been in a wheelchair and can only move from the waist up, but his movements are very jerky and stiff thus the "scary arms". 

Several messages were communicated to the child by his grandmother in the short reprimand she gave:
-Never point out handicaps
-Never talk about differences
-Never talk about differences in front of the person
-It's ok to talk about people behind their back

Avery is actually my cousin and friend.  Since I had time remaining on my break, I chose to respond to this child immediately.  His grandmother had to speak with our director anyway, so I took the opportunity to introduce the child to Avery and turn the experience into a positive learning one.  I desire to build community within the center where I work especially between staff and students. 

We went back to the office and shook Avery's hand being sure to remain standing in front of him since he can't move his neck very far from side to side (I explained this to the child).  Then I asked Avery if he could remember getting his very first wheelchair.  When Avery starts talking it is very difficult to stop him!  The simple question kept him talking about the many different wheelchairs and their capabilities throughout his life.  The child beside me stood in wide-eyed amazement.  Then Avery asked if the child wanted a ride.  The child nodded so Avery took a spin around the upstairs with the child sitting on his lap. 

As I viewed the media segments this week I thought of this scenario that occurred just a few weeks ago.  In the first segment, Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics, the narrator said educators need to be able to offer support when something like this happens (Laureate Education, n.d.).  We also need to be ready to "counter the bias" when faced with an uncomfortable confrontation of comment so that it may be turned into a learning experience (Laureate Education, n.d.).  One fantastic way to do this is to have persona dolls in the classroom as Nancy Spangler spoke of in her experiences this week from the multimedia piece and as were addressed in our course text (Laureate Education, n.d. and Pelo, 2008).  These are something that I have added to my list of materials to add to the classroom.

When educators take the opportunity to make the most of situations like these, a lot of learning can take place.  The aforementioned situation only involved one child, but that one child can have a huge impact of the rest of his/her classroom as he/she interacts with friends.  We need to recognize differences and demonstrate respect for those who are different than us.  The younger this is addressed, the better our world will be!

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Conclusion [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Pelo, A. (Ed.). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Gender, Gender Identity, & Sexual Orientation

I must admit that this is a difficult topic for me to work through.  As a Christian I believe that homosexuality is wrong; as an educator I want there to be equality across the board.  That being said, just because I don't agree with the lifestyle choice of persons claiming to be homosexuals doesn't mean that I will treat them differently.  There are many lifestyle choices that I don't agree with - this isn't the only one.  My goal is to make my views and opinions known to those around me in a loving way.  I will show unconditional love to everyone, no matter their lifestyle.

It is possible to love and not agree.

So, I work in a private, Christian daycare center thus we do not have any books or media that represent a homosexual lifestyle.  The center will not hire homosexuals.  We do, however, accept children and families for enrollment at the center no matter their lifestyle.  The state doesn't dock points on our ECERS assessment because we provide enough books & materials that represent diversity in other ways. 

But what if a child brings in a book all about the homosexual lifestyle? I would probably not be surprised at this point.  The courses I've been enrolled in have helped me to become more comfortable around others that are different than me.  I would probably read the book to the child and any others that wanted to listen.  But then what if some parents are upset that I read that book to their child & introduced them to the lifestyle when they didn't want them introduced to it? I honestly don't know what I'd say.  Maybe that it's good to be informed even as a young child.  You never know what children will face when they spend the day with a friend's family or when they get to elementary school.  Why not prepare them now?

Well, thanks Walden friends for reading some of my ramblings!  I love that we can work through things together and share thoughts and ideas.  It has really helped me in the past & I look forward to more "working things out" in the future!

Team Development: A Reflection on Adjourning

The adjourning stage of team development, in my experience, has been one of two things: easy or difficult.  I had the most difficult time concluding my time at a Wilderness Campus I attended my first year of undergrad.  There were only 25 students admitted each year to this program.  We all attended the same class each week (each class ran 3 weeks as an intensive), cooked for one another, cleaned together, ate together, and did many outdoor leadership trips together.  We were a high-performing group with well-established norms and were all committed to growing and learning together despite our differences.  For some of our wilderness survival trips our lives even depended on one another.  this group was the most difficult group to leave that I have ever experienced.  It was the type of group that you can go for a few years without being in contact with any one of them and then meet up for coffee when traveling in a similar location and pick up like it was just yesterday that we saw one another.  To conclude our time together we planned a graduation type ceremony inviting parents, friends, and locals that we befriended during our time in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  We sang together, reminisced, made a slideshow, performed some awesome and also weird talents, and our director gave a very nice talk including each one of us by name.  It was the perfect way to conclude our time together.

I think that when we conclude our time at Walden it will not be such a tough transition.  Building a team face-to-face is much different than how we have built our "team" in the virtual world.  It has been a great experience and I am thankful for familiar faces and conversation from one course to the next. 

Either way, in both situations the step of adjourning is very important.  Closure is am important thing in all aspects of life.

NVC & Conflict Management: A Personal Approach

In the many minor (and sometimes a few major) disagreements and conflicts at work I have found that it is best to take a breather before tackling the situation head on.  Some of the strategies we learned this week have given me new ideas on how to go about dealing with these conflicts.  I've been reminded that it's important to consider all perspectives and not just my own.  I also want to keep the 3 R's in mind (respectful, reciprocal, responsive) when I interact with colleagues, especially in a situation that involves conflict or a disagreement.  If I think of the 3 R's before dealing with conflict I think the entire situation will pan out differently.  I need to remember that it is not my goal to win each argument or to be right all the time; my goal is to form meaningful relationships with those around me. 

A lot of times I go to my supervisor/center director for advice when dealing with conflict.  She was actually my hockey coach in high school and I got to know her well then.  It was nice to come to a new place of employment where I knew no one else and know that I was able to communicate with her and be understood since we had established a relationship years before.  One thing that she always reminds me is to look at the big picture.  We have no idea what the other person is going through even though they may try to explain it as best they can.  We can try to understand but will never completely understand the emotions involved.  I try to keep that in mind as well when dealing with conflict.

Who Am I As A Communicator?

Many of the inventories we complete this past week had similar results for me as I looked at my self-eval, my husband's eval, and my supervisor's eval.  There were two major differences though that really stood out to me.  While I don't see myself as verbally aggressive (nor does my boss) my husband see quite the opposite.  I supposed this means that I am almost too relaxed and laid back with immediate family.  Definitely an area to work on as we are starting to raise a family - things such as this can really influence children and their perceptions of parents or how they start to react to others as they grow.  I don't want my two-year-old to catch on to verbal aggressions!  The second thing that surprised me was that my supervisor finds me confident and effective as far as communication goes, even public speaking/dealings.  I find myself to be very nervous and anxious when I need to do something or speak in front of a group of adults - even coworkers!  I worry and am very nervous.  She perceives me as relaxed and effective.  I suppose that's a good thing... in undergrad studies I remember one professor telling me it is very important to remain professional no matter what you are really feeling especially when it comes to masking nervousness or fear.  This has stuck with me and I guess it has paid off!

Cultural Diversity & Communication

There are several groups of people that I communicate with on a regular basis.  At work, I communicate with groups of parents, students, and coworkers.  In the evenings and on weekends I communicate with family and church family.  Several other groups that I communicate with every so often are friends from Spain, college friends, and a group of moms from my area.

I find that I communicate in a "normal" way with my coworkers, family, and church family.  By normal I mean that we are all from the same area/culture and communicate in the same way.  Our values tend to line up with each other and we share many of the same views and opinions.  When communicating with parents of my students I find myself listening more and talking less which is a great thing that I have been able to get to that point.  I think that I need to transfer that skill to all people that I communicate with!  Of course I communicate with my prek students in a different way.  My language is not complex, I use a lot of questions to get them to think on their own, I talk much more than I do in a normal conversation, and facial expressions & gestures are much more pronounced!  I think that I need to learn to listen a little more to my students, yet find a balance between listening and communicating verbally with them.  I want them to feel important and know that I value what they have to say/think but at the same time they need to be reminded daily of who is in charge.  The last group that I communicate a bit differently with is my friends from Spain.  I find myself using what would probably be considered Spanglish, lots of hand gestures, and speaking much faster and with more expression.  Their communication style rubs off on me immediately and I'm reminded of what it was like to live with them for several summers just outside of Madrid. 

Communication Skills Observed on TV

Since I do not own a television, for this assignment I found an older show to watch on Netflix via a friend's account.  (I don't really try to cut myself off from the outside world... We just don't find that television is a necessity!!!)  Anyway, I found the show Gossip Girl which I heard was full of drama.  Sounded perfect for this assignment.

As I watched the show without sound I found myself paying attention to a lot of body movements and facial expressions.  There were several times a big argument between various people broke out and I could tell by actions who was winning and losing the argument.  I could almost even determine  how loud the people were talking/yelling based on how they looked within the argument.  This was kind of neat as I realized just how much I could pick up without hearing a thing.  Some other things I was able to pick up on were feelings of hurt, uncertainty, scared, excitement, and love/affection.

Watching the show with the sound turned on was almost overwhelming after seeing it without sound!  I hadn't really considered how much music really adds to a scene/show until watching this time.  I found that I made some incorrect assumptions but that most of them were correct.  One character in particular didn't have a variety of facial expressions and I took it that she was either a boring character, had something wrong with her, or was just a bad actor.  Turns out I think it was more of a bad acting thing...

Had I been watching a show that I know well I assume that I would be much more familiar with the characters, their history, and what has been happening in the show/series lately.  I would have had this background knowledge to go off of as I viewed the show in silence.  I also probably would not have picked up so much on communication skills and how important the nonverbals are had I known the show well.

Competence in Communication

A parent of one of my students this year had demonstrated excellent communication skills thus far.  There are many things to discuss with this family regarding their child as some social-emotional issues have surfaced.  We (teacher & parents) have been in contact with at least three other professionals regarding screenings and observations for this particular child.  Each time that the mother hears back from another professional she emails me immediately.  She always follows up the very next time she sees me (at pickup or dropoff each day) to be sure I got her email and to ask for my thoughts, comments, concerns, etc.  This parent has been very diligent in contacting various professionals even when they do not respond in a timely manner.  She understands the importance that good communication can play in her life, my life, and the life of her child.  There is nothing like a motivated mother!!!

Professional Hopes and Goals (final post for this course)

Already in our discussion board this week I made note that microaggression was a new term for me.  An understanding of this topic is probably the most important thing I am taking away from the course.  I find myself much more aware of microaggressions as they occur around me and even find myself pointing them out to certain people (many of which have no idea either!).  As I continue in the world of education it is my hope that I can teach the kiddos in my classroom more about differences.  The more I talk about them and address issues in the classroom, the less likely they are to fall into the trap of being so influenced by our society and the subliminal messages.  I hope that they carry with them an awareness of what it means to be a leader, that it's okay to be different, and a love and respect for everyone around them.




My goal for the entire field of early childhood is this:

To be intentional about educating teachers in the areas of diversity, equity, and social justice. 

It is not a good thing that this is the first time I've heard about things such as microaggressions and many of the "-isms".  Educators need to learn how to identify these things and how to address issues before they are in the classroom - not after undergrad studies.  Not after teaching for a few years.  Not after half of their grad work.  Professional development opportunities need to exist before this point.  Prospective teachers need to be learning more about these things in their undergrad prep work.  Then they can greatly influence the lives of their students so that they know from a very young age how to handle differences in a constructive manner.



Thank you so much, colleagues, for your encouragement, support, challenges, and feedback as we worked together these past 8 weeks.  You all have helped me to grow tremendously.  I look forward to working with you more in the future!

Welcoming Families From Around The World

Scenario:  You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

"My" family's country of origin:  Spain

Childcare Setting:  Lower Elementary School Age Summer Classroom at a Daycare Center
 
 Ways I plan to be culturally responsive towards this family:

1.  Hold a Family Fun Day:  At some point during the summer I would organize and set up a day that could involve the entire family of this facility.  It would include a carnival-like atmosphere with games, crafts, food, face painting, and a spot for socialization.  I would ask for input from any parents/families as far as things they would like to see at the event and also add in of my own that would initiate conversation and interaction.  The point of this day is to get families involved in a fun time together.  Parents would have the opportunity to interact, help if they wanted to, and feel comfortable in the environment.

2.  Family Reports:  Each week I would pick a "Star of the Week".  This student would do a small presentation about their family or a few presentations throughout the week.  This could include anything they wanted but I would give suggestions such as: picture poster, favorite family game, foods, books, movies, etc.  We would get to know each family throughout the summer from the child's perspective.

3.  Family Interview/Conference:  Hopefully before this child started attending the program, or shortly thereafter, I would ask to meet with the family and/or parents/guardians.  I would ask questions about their background, religion, beliefs, general lifestyle, and encourage them to tell me as much about their family as they are comfortable doing so.  This would give some excellent background on the student and their family and give insight.

4.  Classroom Community Activities:  I would be very intentional about the language and activities I plan for our classroom.  I want to build a strong community of students.  I would use a lot of "we" and "our" as I talk about the room (rather than "my" or "I" as teacher).  We share ideas, the space, time, materials, food, games, and many other things.  The classroom is ours to take care of and share no matter your name, religion, background, or language.

5.  Snack:  During the family interview I would ask what some common snack items are in their country of origin.  I would let the family know that if they ever wanted to make anything (the child's favorite, etc) they may, or they can give me a recipe or give suggestions and I would get that snack sometimes.  I would do this with all families - students could take turns bringing in snacks that they like.
 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I can't recall a time that I experienced bias, prejudice, or oppression first hand... I can, however, think of more than a handful of times when I've see it online, in movies, books, and on TV.  

I remember one time when I was watching a movie on TV... it was a special feature... about the first African-American girl to attend a public school... Ruby Bridges was her name.  I just had to go look it up quick!  This was awhile ago, probably when I was still in middle or high school.  Anyway, I remember feeling just awful for the way that others were treating Ruby.  She was so young and innocent yet these adults were treating her like garbage.  I can remember tearing up at some points in the movie.  I didn't understand how anyone could be so cruel to another human being.  

Ruby had just as much of a right to attend that school as did any of the other children.  The way that people treated her had to make her feel as if she just wasn't worth it.  Things did change throughout the course of the movie.  I don't remember all the specifics, but do remember reading more recently that Ruby remained in that area of New Orleans and raised her own family there.  She stood up for what was right and made a huge difference for everyone.

Practiving Awareness of Microaggressions

I was at the mall earlier this week and decided to sit and do some "people watching".  It's always so interesting this time of year.  All kinds of people were walking around... some doing Christmas shopping and others seemed to be just walking laps.  I sat down on a bench that had 3 others with it in a square around a huge potted tree.  A couple of girls sat on the bench adjacent to me and I had fun listening to their teenage conversation!  :)  Four girls came walking towards us doing some shopping and I heard this comment from one of the teenage girls sitting near me: "Now those girls probably know how to play some good basketball!".  I had to chuckle because I knew at that instant that I could use the comment somehow this week for our course.  The girls that walked by and "probably know how to play some good basketball" were all tall (at least 5'11'' - 6'-something), African-American, and dressed in athletic clothing.  Two of them wore sandals while the other two wore what did look like basketball sneakers.  I have no idea if they play - we are in a college town and they very well could play for the team. 

I found myself wondering if I would have thought the same about the tall girls that walked by had the teenagers not made any comments.  I guess I'll never know!

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

It was interesting asking people about their views on diversity and culture this week.  Two people I talked to had similar definitions - that culture is more to do with food and holidays while diversity is the differences between people.  Both of these persons gave examples of diversity as different races (in different words, but in general that's what they were saying!).  These persons were both from a pretty conservative background and lifestyle in general.  They still live in the small town that they were born and grew up in and I wasn't surprised by their definitions at all.  So many aspects of both diversity and culture were omitted from these two person's definitions!  They gave the stereotypical definitions.

The third person that I talked to was culturally different from myself in a few ways.  His definition of culture was that it is everything around you that you consider normal.  Like things that you take for granted and just assume that it's just the way it is for everyone until you travel or hear other people's stories and realize the differences that exist.  Diversity was defined as the blending of different cultures.  I found these definitions interesting and definitely different from others. 

It was an interesting week as I considered surface and deep culture... but talking to people that I know and interact with on a regular basis was even more interesting. 

My Family Culture

Imagine the following:
A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

Three items that I would take with me:

1. Bible - Our family is built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.  Without Him we would be nothing.  We hold the Bible very near and dear to our hearts and lives and recognize the importance of being in The Word on a daily basis.

2.  Laptop Computer - Our computer holds almost every detail of our lives: medial records, financial records, important documents, family photos from the past 10+ years, recipes handed down from family that have gone on before us, genealogy information and documents, and the list goes on.  Technology has really played a major role in our lives and is an easy way to store a lot of information that otherwise would take up a lot of space in the filing cabinet.

3.  Family Item - I'm not entirely sure what my choice would be here.  My husband and I both have many quilts and knick-knacks that have been handed down to us from our grandparents that represent our families.  I think that I would have to be "in the moment" to choose which one really holds the most meaning and value.  I would definitely grab one of these items though in hopes that we could hand them down to the next generation some day.

If I was told on arrival that I could only keep one personal item I would be devastated.  All the items hold a lot of value and meaning.  However, I would make the decision to keep our Bible as the other two items are material possessions that - in the end - won't really matter as much as God's Word.

As I considered items to take along I had to throw aside many ideas that came rushing to mind simply because the more I thought about it the more I realized that many of the items are things that can be bought all over the world.  Cell phones, clothing, shoes, dishes, cameras.... they are all things that I could very easily replace no matter where I end up.  Though many cultures are very different than my own, many devices are universal.

When I Think of Research...

Before taking this research competency course I thought that research was this big thing looming somewhere down the road in front of me that required too much work to enjoy.  Now, at the conclusion of the course, I think I can say perhaps it can be enjoyable if you choose a topic that is interesting to you.  I would still say that research requires a lot of work, but if you pace yourself, have a plan, and stick to that plan then research can go smoothly.  I found that research is much more in-depth than I originally thought it was.  I did not realize that there were different kinds of research and so many methods of doing things.  It was a challenge to learn all the different aspects and methods but in the long run I know that it will be useful and that it was worth it.  I also learned that it is very important to have a plan before beginning and that it's okay if that plan needs to be modified as a study continues. 

Research Around The World

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA)

The EECERA is a prestigious organization in Europe.  It holds annual conferences, this year's conference entitled "Us, Them, & Me: Universal, Targeted or Individuated Early Childhood Programmes".  The association is made up of several special interest groups: Birth to Three, Equity and Respect for Diversity, Gender Balance, Leadership and Integration, Learning and Participation, Outdoor Play and Learning, Professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care, Rethinking Play, Transitions, Young Children's Perspectives, and Working With Parents and Families.  Many of these topics are also widely debated within the United States.

The EECERA reminds me very much of our own National Education Association (NEA).  I was a little surprised at the similarities, but as I made my way around the website a little more I found myself becoming less and less surprised.  Why would children across the ocean be so different than those here?  Kids are kids!  No matter where they are on this earth they will have many of the same issues, questions, risks, perspectives, etc.  Sure there will be some bigger risks or concerns in some countries than others, but all kids are very similar.

The EECERA may be a good resource to keep in mind for future research/studies.  Although I need to pay for some issues of the journal they publish it may be worth it depending on the availability of resources and type of research.

Research That Benefits Children and Families - Uplifting Stories

Imagine that you possess the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field. Imagine further that you are not restricted by the reality of the present. Imagine that your study will make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and/or their families. What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be?

I would choose to study the source/cause of passive-aggressive behaviors in young children toward peers, teachers, and family members.  In a perfect world - a world free of disjointed families, needy children, abuse of any kind, hunger, negative discipline issues or lack of discipline, and free of families run by children - I think that passive-aggressive behaviors would still exist.  I've seen children act out in this manner for a variety of reasons, most of which I have just listed.  But I also noticed that there is this sense of anger and passive-aggressive behavior even in the "good" families and the "good" kids.  Maybe the family is good at hiding secrets or abuse or anything that may cause this behavior.  Maybe they don't have anything to hide at all - I really think there are families out there like this.  They deal with behaviors from their children and have no idea why it is happening.  I would do extensive research in this area so that I might help families to find peace and understanding with one another.  So that these kids could maybe lead a normal life without impulsive behaviors just happening, often out of their control.  And so that educators might better meet the needs of these children. 

My Personal Research Journey

I've chosen to research the topic of nutrition in early childhood.  I am interested in nutrition and had I not chosen to major in education my second choice was the medical field, namely nutrition sciences.  Now I have the opportunity to combine both worlds within this research competency course.

I have looked into some data and statistics that WIC has developed as well as statistics from various states across the country.  I've also done some looking into the impact of good nutrition on the early childhood years (nothing extensive).  I know the importance of teaching children at an early age to become eaters who make wise choices.

Have any of you done research on early childhood nutrition?  I'd love some links to peer-reviewed websites/articles/resources.