My Supports

I like this topic for a blog because it is important for me to sit back and think about "my support" system that motivates and keep me pursuing my goal.  My daughter, Tamika is my biggest supporter.  She is the one who kept encouraging me to go back to school and get my master's degree.  Since it has been almost 30 years since I was in college, she has helped me to get my focus back on how to write papers and do research.  When I received my first grade, she was the first person I called to brag about it and she was happy and told me that she was proud of me.  We are now in a competition mode of whose grade point average will be higher.  My husband and my two other children are also supportive also.

I also have the support of my co-workers who are pursuing their higher education also.  They are working on their undergraduate degree and because I am their boss, I felt that I should set an example by pursuing my masters degree to motivate them to continue towards a graduate degree also.  We all are working together sharing the knowledge of what we are learning about early childhood.  I am confident now that if they have a question about their class, I can assist them by giving them more in depth knowledge on the subject.  It would be difficult if I did not have their support and also if they did not have my support.  We have built a system of support with a common goal - the children.  We realize that even during difficult times, we still press toward our goal of getting new insights that will help us be effective in providing quality early childhood education.

A specific challenge that I imagine is standing before an audience of over 500 people and speaking to them about the importance of a quality early childhood education.  I would need to have the confidence that I would be able to motivate my audience that they would want more information on my subject and they would be moved by my compassion to seek quality education for young children.  I would need to know that my family was supporting me during my speaking engagement by being in the audience.  I would also need to have the support of my colleagues that they believe that I was the best person to speak on the subject of quality early childhood education.  After speaking to a large crowd, I would be physically drained and the support of a loving husband to know that I would need rest and rejuvenation would be all important.  Someday, the challenge will be a reality.