Time Well Spent

As the final course at Walden University draws to a close, I find it a bit surreal that we have reached the end of this chapter of our learning. This Capstone Course has synthesized many learnings from this entire program, and has shown me the realities of what we now have the tools to do as far as affecting positive social change on local, state, or even national levels.

1. I have learned the crucial value of understanding children and families’ unique identities, and how these must be nurtured and supported in early childhood programs.
2. I have learned that there is no reason we should expect to work alone. There are many individuals and groups that share my passion for working with young children, and to work with others is a way to expand my own knowledge and skill-set.
3. Working in the field of early childhood means to remain ethical and hold strong to the values I have discovered I have. We have a power over the field to influence change, and thus influence the lives of children and families. This is a serious thing, that we should be mindful of how our every action and inaction reflect on our profession and the lives we touch.

One long-term goal I have is to instill the importance of building relationships between families and educational programs. I see myself continuing my role as an educator in an elementary school setting for several more years, so I wish to create partnerships between classroom teachers, community resources, and families, to mirror those that exist in the early learning programs. This is indeed a long-term goal, as to create this change requires slowly breaking down the barriers in communicating with one another between discipline areas (without breaking FERPA, of course), and getting the school district administration onboard.

The connections I have made with colleagues and Dr. Teri have been priceless. I wish everyone the best- continue to learn and achieve your hopes and goals! We have learned a lot together and from one another.

cstatler@live.com

Below is my inspiration: My niece, Charlotte, is only 18 months old. She came to visit my classroom when her mother (my twin) had spring break (she is also a teacher). Charlotte had never seen any of my students before, or been in my classroom, yet the moment she entered she climbed into the chair of a desk and got “right to work” with my 5^th grade students. My hope for her is that she always feels this confident in who she is- that she holds onto that self that is continuously developing. She is a girl, she is American, she is Spanish, she is well-loved, she is smart, she is capable, she both simply and complexly IS.