Time Well Spent

Before starting this program at Walden University, I was nervous to begin my graduate journey. Getting a master's degree was a large hurdle to overcome, and it was daunting. However, going through this program has taught me a wealth of knowledge regarding early childhood education, my professional aspirations, and how to collaborate with others. Without overcoming the obstacles of Graduate school, I would not have gotten to the professional and mental place I am now.

From this program I have learned many skills and strategies for incorporating an anti-bias curriculum and supporting all children and families. I have implemented certain aspects into my current classroom already, and plan on continuing this throughout my time in the classroom. For example, I diversified my classroom library to have books that represent children of different ethnicities, abilities, and classes. I have also invited children to bring artifacts that represent their cultures for show and tell. These were small implementations I was able to do as I learned about the importance of diversity inclusion, but hopefully as I continue on, I can make larger implementations (cultural events, parent show and tell, etc.).

I have learned how to collaborate with colleagues and reflect on their comments and suggestions. While I work with other people at my school, we rarely have opportunities to hear each other's thoughts on discussion topics in the field and to reflect on them. Through this program, I was able to talk to other educators who have similar passions to mine and have learned about different viewpoints and perspectives on a common topic, which I may not have thought of prior. 

This program has also taught me more about my personal aspirations, and helped me identify a passion in mental health. Before this program, advocacy for mental health in children interested me, but I did not know what I could do to help. I focused on anxiety and toxic/traumatic stress in children for my Capstone project, and from there I reached out to my school's guidance counselor to organize a mental health event. We will be hosting a mental health awareness event in May that provides resources and suggestions to educators and families on the importance of mental health. Without this program at Walden, I would not have thought to organize and co-facilitate this event, and I am grateful for that. The children, families, and educators that I work with will benefit from the knowledge I've gained at Walden because of the event I'm hosting as a result of my newfound passion.

Based on this program, I have created a long term goal for myself as a professional in the early childhood field. I hope to continue advocating for mental health and creating events in my school or the community that broaden awareness and minimize stereotypes of mental health in youth.

Thank you, Dr. Embree for being a supportive, kind, and helpful instructor. You guided us through a challenging time by supporting our strengths and challenging our weaker points. Thank you to each and every one of my colleagues who have gone through this graduate journey alongside me! I have learned from you, and grown stronger as an educator through our discussions and reflections. I wish everyone the best, and hope that you are able to accomplish your hopes and dreams in the field. Do not lose the passion that drives you! When you approach an obstacle, persevere and remember that our work is meant to create stronger and brighter futures for our students. :)