Time Well Spent

          

           As one journey ends, another is just beginning. I want to congratulate every one of my colleagues for completing the Capstone Course at Walden University. As we conclude our Master’s Degree program, we begin a new journey in becoming advocates for social change within the early childhood field.

            The Early Childhood Studies program at Walden has offered me many deeply felt learnings. One of the most impactful pieces I will take away from the program is on how to go about being an advocate for social change. There are a plethora of resources and organizations already established within our society which can aid us in achieving our advocacy dreams and I am excited to tap into these resources to make a greater impact on the early childhood field. I also have learned about the importance of collaboration, specifically, collaboration within a community of practice. I had never heard of the term ‘community of practice’ prior to my Capstone Course, yet now I see how without establishing a community of practice, my goals will be harder to reach and perhaps less effective in their application. A final deeply felt learning from this program was on learning more about myself in terms of my own bias, stereotypes, values and beliefs. I have learned the importance of identifying the root of these beliefs and the effect they can have on both my personal and professional relationships. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to explore my values, beliefs and bias further throughout the past two years and look forward to continually learning about myself in order to be the best educator possible for my students.

            My long-term goal is to eventually open up my own early childhood center, focused on inclusive schooling. I want to implement new, innovative ideas and strategies to ensure all children receive access to high-quality education and feel supported throughout their early schooling years. While I know this will take time, patience, and a strong community of practice supporting me, I believe my passion will help me in the end to accomplish this goal.

            Finally, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Darragh and my classmates. As Julie Benavides explains, everyone has the ability to inspire others (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). You all have been such a strong support system to me throughout this course, as well as previous courses which I have collaborated with you. It is your specific feedback, dedication to the field of early childhood, and profound passion which has empowered me to continue on my journey to being an early childhood advocate. I wish you all the best of luck in your future career and I truly hope this is not the last time we will collaborate together in making a greater difference within the field of early childhood education.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). EDUC 6990: Practical application in the

early childhood field. [Multimedia]. Merging vision, passion, and practice. Baltimore, MD: Author.