A quote that you
find inspirational regarding the role that advocacy can have in the lives of
young children and their families. Then, post responses to the following:
One
of my most favorite quotes is by Jane Addams, "Nothing could be worse than
the fear that one had given up too soon". Every
time I read this quote, it makes me think about my own life, as well as my
profession as an early childhood educator. There have been many times in my
life when I wanted to give up, but I had people encouraging me along the way to
continue my journey. Because of this, I
understand how important it is to not give up on my advocacy efforts.
What inspires
and excites you most about your advocacy plan and being an advocate?
Because
of my struggles and challenges growing up, one thing that inspires and excites
me the most about being an advocate, is knowing that I can make a difference in
the lives of children and families. I am also excited about learning how to implement
and develop an advocacy plan that will bring about change in the lives of
children and families.
What challenges
and/or anxieties do you feel related to engaging in the advocacy efforts you
have targeted?
My
greatest challenge is being confident in my ability to clearly state my goals
in a way that will persuade others to support me in my efforts.
What do you believe
will be most effective in helping you overcome any challenging emotions you may
be feeling with regard to presenting and implementing your Advocacy Action
Plan?
One
effective way to help me overcome my challenges and emotions is to think and
mediate on the quote by Jane Addams. As
an educator and advocate, I anticipate many challenges and I know people are
going to oppose my advocacy ideas and goals, but in spite of opposition, I
cannot give up. I also think it's
important that I share my emotions and feelings with other advocates and early
childhood professionals, because they may be able to offer suggestions and
support as I try to implement my advocacy action plan.
How can you
encourage others in their advocacy efforts, and how can others encourage you?
I
would encourage others by reminding them that one person can truly make a
difference. I would also encourage them by reminding them that advocacy is an
essential role of all early childhood professionals and we need to speak up for
those who are unable to speak for themselves (Kieff, 2009). In addition, as others go through the
challenges I would ask them to reflect on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, "our lives begin
to end the day we become silent about things that matter" (Kieff, 2009). Lastly,
I would encourage others by reminding them to never give up on their goals, and
that hard work does pay off in the end.
References
Kieff,
J. (2009). Informed advocacy in early
childhood care and education.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Vertina,the quote that you choose are really inspiring and encouraging. When we advocate for something that we really believe it will help someone and it will really makes a difference. Being the voice for someone else is a big job so we have to stay focus to make sure that the information about the subject is presented correctly. There are many challenges that we will face but we must do everything possible to get our point across to the right people. It is so important to get with a group of people that feel that what you are trying to accomplish is important to them as well. I agree that we have to encourage each other so that our plans will be successful.
ReplyDeleteI really like your quote and that is a great one to remember! It sounds to me that many of our classmates are struggling with having confidence and being in front of a group of people. When I expressed my worry to a friend of mine she told me, " You know what your talking about otherwise you would not have chosen that topic. You are educated in early childhood development and know the importance of literacy in the classroom and the home. Just be yourself and let them see how important this topic is to you and you will convince them with your passion." This encouraged me and helped me realize that I have been in early childhood for many years and she was right, I do know what I am talking about and I am passionate about literacy in the classroom and the home. You will do great!! Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteHello Rachel,
DeleteI am happy you enjoyed my quote, it has helped me tremendously. When we are passionate about something, others can see it as well. We can truly make a difference when we take our passionate and support it with facts. I am confident that when you stand to present your plan, you will be nervous at first, but after about 1 minute, your passionate and knowledge will kick in and you will do well. This is what advocacy is all about.
It sounds like you are passionate about helping others, and this is the number one way to be when being an advocate for something!! I am so excited that we share a similar topic! I think we will be able to feed off of each other throughout this quarter! Your quotes were perfect for this blog post!!!
ReplyDeleteI am asking my audience members to write down their questions on a sheet of paper I will be providing and I am allowing 30-45 minutes of question time at the end of my presentation. I am also printing out my list of definitions of the learning/teaching styles; kinetics, visual, and auditory. I have this part built into the beginning of my speech.
ReplyDeleteI am also using quotes from known educators in my speech.
Good luck and I hope this has helped :)