"My connections to Play"

"Play is the work of the child"- Maria Montessori

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning"- Mr. Rogers

 



 

When I was young my parents encouraged me to go outside and play which was a very exhilarating experience because there was nothing in the world more fun than playing outside with my friends.  I loved playing jacks, jumping rope, and racing with my friends up and down the streets.  The world was truly our oyster and imagination had no limit!  We learned to create our own rules for games and negotiated how to change the rules when the game became boring.  We also had to learn to regulate our emotions because maintaining friendships was of vital importance, because no one wanted to play with a constant whiner or someone with a bad attitude.

Children today are not afforded as many opportunities to play outside because with the increase in crime parents are fearful of letting their children go outside without supervision. So today’s children are required to stay inside and play video games in the house.  We used to play board games when we did play inside because of inclement weather which would still get our mental juices flowing, but today’s children don’t engage in board games as much.  When we played jump rope and jacks we strengthened our fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and math skills.  Play keeps you young and healthy and stimulates the thought processes in the brain.  Play also keeps the heart healthy and constant movement is the key to longevity.  So adults as well as children need to keep “play” an active part of their lives.



Relationship Reflection

Relationship Reflection

 

Relationships are important to me because being connected to others is vital to my well being.  I enjoy talking to and being with my family because we are very supportive to one another.  My husband and I have two young adult children and five years ago we were blessed with a granddaughter name Haidyn.  She is the new joy of my life! She is warm, affectionate and smart. Children at this age love unconditionally and remind us how real relationships should function.  I enjoyed my relationships with my children as they were growing and developing and I always supported their educational and extra-curricular activities.  My son who is the oldest loved playing soccer and he established meaningful relationships with his teammates  because they learned to depend each while playing the sport but they also formed lasting relationships off the field.  My daughter studied ballet for many years and she established meaningful relationships through the dance experience.

 Relationships are the bonds that keep people encouraged and uplifted in life as long as the relationships are positive.  I grew up in a very supportive family and interacted with many because my grandmother had nine children.  My mother was a very friendly and involved person and she touched my life but she also touched and inspired a lot of my friends.  I never realized how great her impact was until she passed away in 2005.  Many of her co-workers and my friends commented about what a positive impact my mother had on their lives because of her caring and giving attitude.  One friend commented that he remembered going out of the city for the first time because of a road trip with our family to a suburban mall.  A have another friend who used to run away from home and come to our home because she had problems with her own mother.  So our home was a much needed refuge. My mother was honestly my best friend because she encouraged me academically but she also encouraged activism for the rights of others and had a never ending love for me.  I just pray that I will impact others in the same caring way that my mother did and make life better for others.

In order to maintain relationships it takes effort that some people choose not to exert.  All relationships are not reciprocal because sometimes people don’t have the time to dedicate to a lasting relationship.  Professionally I have tried to create positive relationships with my students and their parents, by always having positive comments and lending a listening ear.  People feel that they are important when you take the time to listen to them and not pass judgment.  One of my goals in life is to build lasting relationships with young students, instill self-esteem and to encourage the love of learning in them.