Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is for everyone to respect each other, take the time to learn before judging, and to embrace differences.  I hope that in the early childhood field that education and curriculum become more well rounded; introduce and explain different cultures and diversities and give children real world experience.  

Thank you to my colleagues for having the courage to share their stories and experiences, challenge each other and myself, and take the initiative to make our world a more tolerant place.  Good luck in the next leg of your educational journey!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

 This assignment gave me the opportunity to explore the country of Seychelles, located east of Africa in the Indian Ocean.  Seychelles consists of 115 granite and coral islands, that "... represents an archipelago of timeless beauty, tranquility and harmony that is famous for its world-beating beaches and for its great diversity which rolls from lush forests down to the warm azure ocean", (Seychelles Tourism Board, 2013).  Seychelles is a multi-ethnic country with its roots originating from African, European, and Asian ancestry.  According to the Seychelles Tourism Board, despite the multicultural background of their people, there is a harmonious relationship within the island, which has melded together to create a unique cultural atmosphere.  Ancestry of the Seychelles people included, but are not limited to "... freed slaves, European settlers, political exiles, adventurers, traders of Arab and Persian origin as well as Chinese and Indians" (Seychelles Tourism Board, 2013).  The primary language in Seychelles is Creole, with many people speaking English and French; a large portion of the population is also known to be fluent in German and Italian also.  Religion is no different from ethnic background in its representation in the Seychelles islands, Roman Catholicism is the most practiced, but there are multiple religions practiced and worshiped harmoniously. 

If I had a family enroll at my center from Seychelles, I would prepare myself in the following ways to be culturally responsive to the family:

•  Folklore still has a place in the Seychelles' culture, especially its influence on the way to live particularly on the island, it would be important to learn as much as I can about daily life, traditions, proper interactions, way of life, before meeting the new family.
• Food is prepared differently in Seychelles as far as the location of the kitchen (typically outside) and the ingredients (lots of colorful spices and coconut milk for example).  I would re-look at the menu we offer and see if there are any familiar dishes that I could add or enhance. 
• There is a vibrant fine arts culture in Seychelles and I would gather popular paintings and music from the islands to enhance our classrooms.  
• I would gather as many resources and materials as I could to provide the family with and also reach out to other families at the center to see if anyone would like to help introduce our new family into our culture. 
• I would learn basic Creole phrases and greetings found on the Seychelles Tourism Board's website; 

English	Creole
Hello	Bonzour
Goodbye	Orevwar
How are you?	Ki dir?
Thank you	Mersi
Where?	Kote?
Please	Silvouple
No	Non
Yes	Wi
I don’t understand	Mon pa konpran
I like it	Mon kontan
How are you?	Konman sava?
What is this?	Kisisa?

In preparing for our new family, I would be demonstrating respect and acceptance.  The family would feel empowered knowing that our center wanted to get to know their family’s culture and traditions more and may feel more inclined to share those things that represent their home with us. 

After this assignment, I think I know where I want to plan my next vacation to!

References

Seychelles Tourism Board (STB).  (2013).  Retrieved on December 15, 2013 from

            http://www.seychelles.travel

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

My husband and I moved to a pretty rural area about five years ago from New Jersey.  Growing up, I hadn't experienced much prejudice or racism and knew after researching where we were moving to that that could change.  Several weeks after moving here and meeting my neighbors, the gentleman from across the road came over to my husband.  He was in his late eighties at the time and had lived in the area his whole life.  While making small talk with my husband, he made the comment, "Beaver Falls is as dirty as the N****** that live there."  My husband, who is white, takes offense much more to racist comments than I do and proceeded to remind the gentleman that I was black and to get off of his property.  A few hours later, our neighbor left a peace offering on our door step, fresh green tomatoes from his garden.  After this experience, I became extremely uncomfortable living in our town.  I wondered and still do how people perceive me, whether or not they feel as though I am capable of working and owning a home in our area, and just all around discouraged.  This being such a small town, I could see the lack of social progress that has been made.  In order for the opportunity of greater equity to increase, personal views and biases would have to be changed, whether from positive experiences with me or change from within the person.  Also, the surrounding towns and cities, governors and mayors, must work together to bring better awareness of the plight of the residents.  General attitudes and beliefs need to be changed and that will only come when greater cultural awareness is brought to the area.  

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Before I started taking my current class, I was unaware of the term "microaggression".  I was aware of the implications of a microaggression, the unconscious insult that is meant as a possible compliment which does not phase the "talker", but leaves a psychological damage to the "listener".  I hear microaggressions everyday since I moved out to Western PA.  I grew up in South Jersey and was probably victim to microaggressions there and was not aware of or remember them.  My husband to this day is more aware of microaggressions than I am, he getting more upset when someone says something that should offend me.  I tend to brush it off, leaving it to karma or some higher being to take care of later on.  We all have our biases, our stereotypes, our prejudices.  I have them, as much as I do not like to admit it, but I try to aim mine towards people's character, their actions, and whether or not they are trying to better themselves.  I could care less about their race, ethnicity, nationality. 
Several weeks ago, I was working and  a person who will be left unnamed made a comment that "the foreigners at our center all bring their kids in for half days".  I was left utterly shocked and annoyed.  Right now typing that makes my blood pressure rise.  The person I was speaking to had no idea what they just said or the implications of their comment.  I could not even respond to the person for fear of not being professional, since that day I have held my own bias and prejudice against her. As far as microaggressions that have been aimed at me, one that happens every time I straighten my naturally kinky curly hair, "Oh my gosh, your hair is so soft/straight/flowy, it does not feel coarse/stiff at all!  Your hair is more white than black."  What?  Even my grandmother has fallen prey to the comment.  As a kid, I took it as a compliment because I always wanted soft flowy "white" hair, but now as an adult I find it annoying and ignorant. 

I now find myself looking for the hidden messages in everything that people say.  Especially at work, where I hope to have a staff meeting focusing on culture and diversity within the education field. 

I took a really interesting test, I invite you to take it too, it is an eye-opening experience. 
Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). Test yourself for hidden bias. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/test-yourself-hidden-bias

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

• 
  
• I reached out to social media (Facebook) and my own family to seek out personal definitions of culture and diversity.  These are the answers I received:
•  
• 
  
  • My mother (Claims Adjuster for a large insurance corporation) Culture – Is where your grew up, our beliefs and values of our family.  There are varying levels of culture.  Diversity – Understanding and open to everyone’s interests, values, traditions, nationalities, etc. 
  
  
  • My husband’s aunt (Studied French Literature at the University of Delaware) Culture - a group of people who live in an area determined by geography.  They share certain norms and limitations. Diversity - When several cultures have the good fortune to meet there is diversity.  No longer are there limitations and minds are open to more ideas and wider possibilities.
  
  
  • One of my sorority sisters, Sam (Patient Care Coordinator) Culture – The family and ethnic traditions (i.e.) how people celebrate holidays, how people prepare food, how people raise their children, etc.  Diversity – is the melding of these traditions and mixing cultures into a culture unique to the people. 
  • One of my sorority sisters, Jess (Inclusion Services K-8th teacher) Culture- they have certain morals, values, and traditions that represent their culture. Diversity - is when you have different cultures in one area.  In a teaching aspect you have to teach the different cultures to make students aware of the diversity that exists to they can respect each other.  
  
  
  I found it interesting that everyone had similar ideas and definitions of culture and diversity.  I was influenced to apply their definitions to the cultures I know they have come from and the experiences they have had in their lives.  We are each diverse in our own ways.  We do not share similar cultures solely based on our current living locations.  We each live in different states, with different jobs.  I really liked this assignment!

My Family Culture

If I had to take three items with me to another country with a totally different culture, I would have a difficult time choosing what to take.  I would have to take a photo album filled with pictures of my friends and family, most importantly.  My friends and family mean more to me than anything in the whole world.  The photo album would give me the chance to still feel a connection with everyone in the photos.  I would also take an I Pod or some form of music player filled with music that is nostalgic to certain periods of my life.  Music has always been the perfect addition to my life, I could not imagine a world, my world, without music.  There are several songs that hold significant meaning to me and I would need access to those songs to assist in my transition.  Last but certainly not least, I would have to take my pets.  While they are not conventionally my family, they quickly become family and are my fur babies.  I could not leave them behind.  
I feel as though my items are clique, but are so important to me that I couldn't be without.  I think the best way to explain to others what these "items" mean to me, would be just watch me.  I wear my heart on my sleeve, it is hard for me to mask how I feel.  Watch my face when I look at those pictures, watch my face while I listen to a song, watch my face when I interact with my little ones.  That is how you know how much they mean to me.  

I would be absolutely devastated at first, if I was told I could only keep one item upon arrival to my new destination.  But, I try to keep a positive mentality so I know I would eventually be okay.   They are just items.  I have my memories to live on with me.  

As a result of this exercise, I realized how important family is to me.  The need I have to have my family as close to me as possible either through photos or in person is what molds me and keeps me level.  

 

When I Think of Research...

I am just two months away from being done my first year of grad school, it is crazy to think about that!  Here's how I have changed my perception of research throughout this last course:

• What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
• I learned a great deal about the research process in regards to early childhood education.  It is by no means an easy task and you must be so very careful to take in all ethical considerations, be aware of who you are researching and who is participating, and most importantly keep in focus why you are researching your topic.  
• In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?
• I have always known research to be important, I knew that it was time consuming, but I didn't realize how rewarding and energizing research could be.  
• What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
• There is a lot to take into consideration!  You can not just rush through the process or do it halfheartedly.  It takes hard work and patience to effectively plan, design, and conduct a research project.  
• What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?
• The repetitive nature of the research design process was sometimes a barrier for me, but I always found something new to learn and that helped me jump that hurdle.  
• What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?
• My perceptions of an early childhood professional have not been modified necessarily, but my perceptions of researchers within the field of early childhood have been altered.  I give researchers a great deal of respect and credit for the work they do, it benefits all ECE professionals and the families and children we serve.  

Research Around the World

I explored the website for the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) located at http://www.eecera.org/.  On this website I discovered that current international research topics range from the importance of play in early childhood development and learning, supporting early childhood education and care, leadership and diversity in the field, transitioning children from home to school, and social support and dispositions of early childhood education and care.  
This association has one large international conference per year, hosted by a different country.  The conferences works to bring together local, federal, public, and private early childhood sectors to learn and discuss current initiatives.  Within the association there are Special Interest Groups (SIG) ranging from gender balance in the field, learning and participation, professionalism, and birth to three.  I really enjoyed that each journal issue focused on one central theme, for example, the most current issue focuses on play and the current research initiatives of participating European, Asian, and African countries. 

Research that Benefits Children and Families

I found a really interesting research study called the "Spongebob Study".  This study evaluated preschoolers' attention spans after watching "Spongebob Square Pants" for several minutes.  The study did showed that after watching even just a portion of the show the children had "that the immediate effects of viewing very fast-paced programming could potentially affect how children learn, a conclusion consistent with other research showing a long-term effect of television viewing during early childhood and later attention problems and academic outcomes" (Kyle Snow, Ph.D., n.d.).  The study consisted of 60 children, all Caucasian from middle class families.  The kids were randomly assigned to three different groups, one group watched "Spongebob", another "Caillou", or draw with crayons and markers (Kyle Snow, Ph.D., n.d.).

I really liked this study because  of the reflection parents and educational professionals engage in.  Children's cartoons and t.v. shows today always make me feel uneasy in the sense that it just goes too fast, nothing is developed (in regards to a child's idea of "plot"), and most of the shows are plain ridiculous.  It also reminds us adults to monitor what children watch and take the time to watch the shows with them and to talk about the content afterwards.  

Resource

Snow, Ph. D, Kyle.  (n.d.).  Research news you can use: Dissecting the "Spongebob Study".  

           Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/content/research-review-dissecting-%E2%80

           %9Cspongebob-study%E2%80%9D.  

My Personal Research Journey

I have chosen to look at recruiting, training, and retaining high quality teachers in early childhood facilities.  This topic relates closely with my personal and professional life.  Personally, I have struggled with my love of working in the early childhood field solely because of the pay.  I know I can get a higher paying job, but do not want to leave the environment or people I work with.  Professionally, I struggle every day to recruit and retain high quality teachers for my center. 
So far, in this research process, I have learned a great deal.  I am now more attuned at looking closely at the sources I chose for my research and am more aware of the actual research process.  While, I have a lot of background doing research papers and the actual task of "researching" I never really embraced the process.  The chart I completed for this week's assignment helped me narrow down my focus and will be extremely helpful through the rest of this simulation.  I look forward to sharing new insights and suggestions with my colleagues. 

Sharing Web Resources

This week I explored the Take Action portion of the Child Care Aware of America website.  I was nativagated to the Legislative Action Center.  I could view child care standards for all 50 states and there were several links pertaining to every issue we have covered thus far in our programs and this course.  I could also put in my zip code and find the officials in my area, contacts for the media, and election information.  Right now Child Are Aware of America is urging everyone to contact their officials to urge them to cosponsor the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 2013.  

The website has a whole section dedicated to equity and accessibility of child care for children.  The website has a ton of valuable information including stories behind the issues, the reasons why these issues are relevant and what the next step is to reduce or eliminate it.  

I am really excited that they provided direct emails for their Public Policy and Advocacy staff.  I will be contacting their staff to gain more insight on their job and how I can become more involved in my area.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

I have not heard from my contact in London this week and when I did hear back from UNICEF in the Netherlands, I was not happy with their response, so I have reached out to other contacts and hopefully will hear something soon!

For this week, I reviewed Harvard's website, Global Children's Initiative.

Three new insights I gained this week:
- The economic boom and societal gaps currently happening in Brazil.  It is refreshing to know that Brazilian politicians, doctors, educators, etc are coming together and working with international contacts to better their early childhood policies and practices.
-New assessment tools in Zambia, that tract child development in malaria zones while preschool aged children are attending school. 
-Having the knowledge of early childhood development in other countries in conjunction with crisis or emergency situations those children are experiencing, gives me more respect for the early childhood policies and practices in our country. 

Getting to Know International Contacts

I finally was able to make contact with a Nursery Manager in London.  Her name is Lindsey Barrett and has been a manager for Busy Bees child care center for 18 years and has been with Busy Bees since the center opened 20 years ago.  Their center is open for children aged 12 weeks to 5 years old, with 76 children enrolled.  I did not have the chance to directly discuss poverty in her community (I will have a response early next week) but I did do research on poverty levels in London in preparation for our conversation.  Over the last two decades London has seen a rise in poverty levels, particulary in working adults, boroughs are becoming overcrowded and children in Southwark, Enfield, Lambeth and Harrow are more likely to pass away before their first birthday than children born elsewhere in London (http://www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk/key-facts/).  I learned that Busy Bee child care centers have taken the initiative to "adopt" a charity each year and they spend the year fundraising for the charity.  I think this is a great!  I will update this post once I hear back from Lindsey, she said it has been a really busy week at her center!

Child Care Aware of America

I focused on the organization, Child Care Aware of America.  The link for this organization is www.naccrra.org. 
This organization focuses on bettering our country to better support, educate, and protect all children.  NACCRRA works with national and state level agencies to create public policies and initatives in education.  NACCRRA created a strategic plan to span from 2010-2015, this is the link to read about their plan, http://www.naccrra.org/sites/default/files/default_site_pages/2012/strategic_plan_2010-2015.pdf.  

On their website they have a blog that I subscribed to and this week they focused on the first ever Rally4Babies which was sponsored by ZERO-TO-THREE.  The rally was to bring awareness to the importance of supporting early learning for infants and toddlers and to bring Americans together to recognize the importance of supporting policies that will enhance early learning and development for infants and toddlers.  

I searched through the website to find information that pertained to this week's topics and ideas and found a section on Child Demographics with the most recent report from April 2013.  The fact sheet can be found at http://www.naccrra.org/sites/default/files/default_site_pages/2013/census_bureau_fact_sheet_april_2013.pdf.  The fact sheet is titled "Who's Minding the Kids?" and is based off of the Census Report found at http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p70-135.pdf.  This report details child care arrangements based on the family structure, the family's work schedule, poverty level, and parent ethnicity.  The report is a great resource, especially for child care agencies and organizations to see the needs of our population.  

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1

As I have stated many times before, my husband's family is from the Netherlands.  I chose to contact UNICEF in the Netherlands to ask for a professional contact within their organization.  The information team responded fairly quickly to my request and I am now waiting to see if they can put me in direct contact with a professional.  If I am unable to make contact, I will reach out to my father-in-law and see if he can help contact someone in the schools where he used to work. 
The childcare company I work for has several centers internationally and the CEO of my company was kind enough to reach out to her colleagues in the UK and Singapore in order to help me make contact with one of the Directors.  I hope to hear something by Monday or by the end of the week. 

Part 2
For the expanding resources part I decided to look further into NACCRRA.  My husband is a Marine and I take great pride in the opportunities the military has to offer.  My company is involved in NACCRRA and provides reduced tuition for families within the military.  I would like to be more involved in this aspect of public policy and advocacy of military families.  I plan on getting a membership and hopefully becoming more active as an individual in NACCRRA.  I am already a member of NAEYC and receive their publication Young Child. 

My Supports

I am so lucky to have an amazing support system each and every day.  First and foremost, my husband, is always there for me.  He is one of my biggest cheerleaders and while he may not agree with a decision I have made, he makes a point to hear my reasons and work with me to come to the best decision.  Next, is my immediate family.  My parents, brother, and grandparents call or text me at least once a day to check on me.  They truly care and like my husband support the decisions I make . They allow me to make mistakes and learn from them while offering love and guidance.  My friends, as I have previously posted are a huge support system and are part of my immediate family.  Lastly, my company supports me in my career choices and goals.  They listen to me, take my ideas into consideration, and when I want to go to a conference or professional development opportunity they let me go no questions asked.

A challenge that I choose to would be being a working mom and going to school.  I know how incredibly tired and drained I am at the end of the day after work and completing school work, it is hard to imagine having to do all I do with a family.  My career and education re important to me but I know it would take a back burner to my children.  I love with all I have and unselfishly.  If I continued to work and go to school with a family, I would need my husband, family, and company to be understanding of my priorities.  My husband would have to help me with the children and allow me to have time to get try homework done uninterrupted.  My family would need to be there to listen to me and offer advice when I am feeling tired and pulled in different directions.  My company would have to understand my responsibilities as a mother and give me the time to spend with my family.

Without these supports I would imagine my life to be extremely busy and I could struggle to give everyone in my life the time and energy they deserve.  I would have to rely on child care and caring people to help me provide love, caring and reinforcement of values I would teach my children at home.

I want to thank the amazing people in my life, I don't know what I would do without you!

My Connections To Play

Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.

Stuart Brown, MD

Contemporary American psychiatrist

A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.

Benjamin Spock

American pediatrician

1903–1998

When I was younger, I often heard (and dreaded when) my father would say "you and your brother need to go do something constructive with your time."  Most of the time Brian and I went outside, stared at each other for awhile then BAM! one of our imaginations would explode into crazy games often requiring us to gather whatever materials we could find in the garage.  With those items we would build forts, castles, skateboard ramps, try to climb trees or a favorite game "Honey, We Shrunk The Kids.".  More often than not my dad would provide us with some tools and wood so we could build our own stuff.  He and my mom watched numerous plays or acrobatic shows we put on, pretended to eat the "delicious food" we made with whatever food ingredients we food in the kitchen, or sometimes just sat with us and played Mario Bros on Nintendo.   

Nowadays, I feel like kids do not get the chance to just go outside and explore their surroundings.
Kids don't know what it's like to be able to be outside all day playing tag with their friends or jail break when it gets dark, and knowing when the street lights come on its time to come home.  Children don't get the opportunity to truly use their imagination without the aid of technology.  I hope children get back to a time when it is safe to play outside all day, where play means going outside and playing and not sitting in front of a tv.  

Playing for me as a kid got harder as I got older because I would rather read a book or hang out with the adults then kids my age.  But I love the fact that my parents encouraged me to play and have lots of friends because I have wonderful childhood memories and I use those memories to remind me to
relax and enjoy life as a child sometimes.  

My favorite toys as a child....
 Books!
 Polly Pocket which I filled with lady bugs :)

Relationship Reflection

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.
-- Brad Henry 

My whole life the most important thing to me has been my relationships.  Relationships with my family and friends.  Many of my friends became my family and I will continue to maintain those relationships for the rest of my life.  My immediate family, Mom, Dad, brother and grandparents, have been the driving force in everything I do.  They have cheered me on through all of my accomplishments, took turns in the hospital when I was sick, let me make mistakes and helped me learn from them, and have always stuck by my side. 

My family relationships have grown to include my closest girlfriends (and guys!).  My girls and I have been friends since we were young teens.  Despite normal teenage angst, boyfriends, going away to college, moving to different states now as adults, we have always stayed close.  We may not talk everyday, we may not see each other every time we are in town, but we have never lost the amazing bond we created almost a decade ago.   I am the luckiest woman in the world to have friends like my girls.  As I am writing this I am tearing up because I am unable to find the right words to describe how important these women (and man!) are to me.  We are all at different stages in our lives and have changed as we have gotten older but that has only made us stronger.  

Right now I am in the process of creating my own branch of my amazing family.  I recently got

married to the most incredible man.  I try not to boost or brag about my husband because so many people are not fortunate to find someone like I have (and I don't like to share him :)).  We have our own little family unit with our three fur babies and sometime down the line will bring a little one into our home.  My cats are there to greet me every morning and evening and keep me company when Tomas is traveling for work.  They are my pride and joys!  I dote on them as if they were my flesh and blood, they have their own bedroom in the house!  It's amazing to have something rely on you and give unconditional love.

Effective partnerships and relationships are based on give and take.  Everyone needs to be an active participant and want to make the relationship work.  I often look at relationships and partnerships as a balancing act.  Sometimes you need to carry others on your shoulders to continue on but more often than not you need to be working together.  As an early childhood professional, I think my ability to form strong solid relationships makes me a valuable asset to the field.  I am extremely emotional and compassionate, always worried about everyone else and that drives me to give 150% everyday.  You need to be compassionate and driven and selfless when it comes to working in the early childhood field.  The same goes for having a relationship. 

My parents & I, My husband and I, my girls & I

One Thing's End is Another Thing's Beginning

A special thanks to all of my classmates who I joined on our journey through Early Childhood Development.  I wish each and every one of you nothing but the best!

The Youth of Our Nation

There is a quote I found on Pinterest that I absolutely adore and wish more parents understood it...

"If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money."

- Abigail Van Buren

Assessing Your Students

I have always been a firm believer in removing standardized testing or at least the pressure they cause at the least from the school systems.  Children should not be measured based on their ability to answer questions correctly on a lengthy pencil and paper test.  Over the years, multiple studies have been published challenging the old school thinking that standardized testing is the best way to measure a child’s knowledge.  Standardized testing does not set everyone that takes the test up for success.  As an educator, I feel as though a child should be measured based on all of their abilities.  Allowing a child to choose their form of assessment gives them the opportunity to succeed.  Some children do well on paper and pencil tests, where as others do better constructing with tools, and other children may do well acting out or creatively sharing what they know.    It comes down to ensuring that every child is able to be successful in life. 

My husband’s family is from the Netherlands and his father was an educator there years ago before moving to the United States.  I often have discussions with my father-in-law about the differences between the education system in the United States and in the Netherlands.  At the end of the elementary school years, Dutch children take a test called Citotoets (Cito test).  The results from the test and the teacher’s advice, along with the child’s interests and abilities are “used to help determine which type of secondary education [the children] will enter” (www.expatfocus.com).  From research and personal conversations with my father-in-law it seems as though in the Dutch education system standardized testing is not as commonly practiced as it is in the U.S.  Children are assessed at the end of the primary school years and secondary school years in order to determine their next step in the educational system. 

I would like everyone to remember that you have to know your students well and give each one of them the best chance to do well and succeed in life.  You are preparing them not only for making it through your classroom but also getting them ready to be productive members of our society. 

Reference 

Expat Focus.  (2000-2013) The Netherlands (Holland) education and schools.  Expat Focus.  

          Retrieved April 13, 2013 from http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-netherlands-holland-

          education-schools