Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Time Well Spent

When I started this journey my intention was never to complete my degree.  I was a working full time with a 2 year old at home.  I was just wanting to get my graduate certificate and be done.  I still remember taking my first class and stumbling along with how to post to the discussions and making sure that I had proper citations.  After I obtained my certificate I thought that was easy I guess I could do one more year :) Now it is 2 years later and I have a 15 month old (along with a four year old), a stay at home mom (never thought this would happen in my wildest imagination) and I'll have my Master's degree in a few days!

One of the most important things that I have learned over the past two years is that no matter where we are living in the world we are all facing the same problems in regards to early childhood.  I feel that it is important for us to share our own knowledge with each other.  I also felt that through the course of Perspectives on Diversity and Equity I learned a lot about myself.  This course allowed me to open my eyes to how people may view me and how I view others. It is also gave me guidance in how to look at our programs and work with staff on the issues of diversity and equity and the importance of recognizing these issues in our programs.  Advocacy also stands out to me as a general overall theme in all of the courses.   I need to continue to use my voice and advocate for services. 

It may not happen in the near future but one of my goals is to go and work overseas helping with the start up of an early chilhood program for preschoolers.  I want to learn from other countries to see what they are doing in regards to early childhood.

The end of this chapter is coming to a close and I want to thank all of you for sharing in this journey with me.  It has been a pleasure working with all of you over the past two years.  You have all made the discussions richer and have helped me to expand my knowledge in the early childhood field.  I went back through this blog, reading the different posts that I have done over this program and I found this on the very first post I made on this journey and it seems perfect to add it to my last post. 
 
"Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development" (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 4)

If you would like to stay in touch or bounce ideas off of each other you can reach me by email at mjbesett@gmail.com

I hope to meet some of you at graduation in January!

8 comments:

  1. Malinda,
    Congratulations on completing your program! We have similar stories as far as raising young ones and being a stay at home mom. We did it although trying at times. Good luck in your future endevours!

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  2. Malinda,
    Congratulations on completing your Masters! It certainly is an accomplishment especially with two children at home. I have two as well and know how tough it can be some times. Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful comments throughout the course and best of luck in the future!

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  3. Enjoyed reading your post and responding to your discussions and blogs. It has been a great pleasure to having you in this class and I wish you the best in whatever you plan to achieve in the future. Keep up the good work!

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  4. Congratulations on completing our Master's degree! I am glad you shared your story as you began your journey. The discussions allowed me to see other peoples views and they also expand my knowledge on some many things related to the early childhood profession.

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  5. Malinda,
    I found we have some similarities in lessons learnt like the importance of advocacy and the need for sharing our knowledge with one another. I also found the importance of community of practice as a means to develop our knowledge and skills in the field of early childhood. Thanks for all your contributions in our discussion thread and wish you the best in your endeavors

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  6. Malinda,
    I found we share similar lessons learnt in the program like the importance of advocacy and the need for sharing our knowledge with one another. Also important was the issue of developing a community of practice to help educators increase in their skill and knowledge. I have enjoyed all your post throughout the course and wish you the best in your professional journey

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  7. Hello,

    Great Post! When I started this program I had my first child and was a new "Mommy." Along with working full time and trying to complete the assignments in a timely manner. Thereby, I know how hard it is to work and become efficient throughout your progress. Great job well done. It is truly worth valuing and obtaining higher education in order to promote wellness along with making a large impact placed on your community. I wish you well inn your future success and know that you will become avid in your educational voyage.

    -Adrea

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  8. Malinda,
    Well done! I too enjoyed the course Perspectives on Diversity and Equity and realized the challenges faced around the world and the potential for growth through collaboration. Travelling gives you the real life experiences and make you appreciate your system even more as well as new perspectives for improvements. Best of success in your professional journey.

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