Tuesday, July 11, 2006

HEART OF JOY

HEART OF JOY
(from Google Images)


I just submitted my reflective journal yesterday for my module in Personal Growth and Professional Development. I am truly glad that I was given the chance to write my subjective reflections. It really helped me in rediscovering myself and my worth in early childhood education. I am sure that I am a better person and a better educator now.

Let me share with you my summative reflections.

As I went over my entries, I learned more about who I am, my values, my attitudes, my knowledge about my job and my real journey in becoming a better person and educator. My entries are testament on how effective reflections are in helping me realized positively my worth both as a person and as an educator. I learned to value myself more and I could humbly say that yes, I am a professional in this field.

I would humbly admit that before writing my entries, I was a little proud of what I had achieved both education wise and work wise that made me assume that I was a veteran in this field. My humbling experience made me realized that I could endure humiliation, for the love of the children. And I quote from my entry: “What must matter is my love for the children in the centre.”

I also realized that I was doing my work to the best of my ability even though fame and money were not involved because it was the real me in the working. As I wrote in my entry “It was my own values, the real me, the love within me that I would like to share to the children and everyone concerned.

When I faced an ethical dilemma, though I admitted I have been a coward in that particular situation, I still did something and highlighted the fact that as an educator, I have an obligation to my children. I then concluded in my entry that “I will see to it that I will never ever leave a child in emotional pain whatever the circumstances may be.”

I decided to defy my employer’s instruction to do my responsibility to the parents for them to be informed of their children’s development and progress. As I reflected: “we educators, whatever the constraints may be, must always project who and what we are so as to earn respect or approval from others.” I could add that I did what was right for the LOVE of my profession.

I was able to make an effective communication with one of my child’s mother. “I listened to Javier’s mother that enabled me to digest her real concerns and for me to relay to her son’s speech development.” Surely without love for my profession and the child in particular I would not be an effective listener and speaker.

Lastly, my value of respect for people or authority made me understand my employer’s attitude. I feel that I was able to endure her attitude because there is love and respect in me for her as a person. Let me quote: “I am grateful that I learned that it is just proper to give respect and hold on to your values; however difficult situations and interpersonal relationships may be.”

My personal and my professional journey made me realized that my journey happened because of LOVE. With this LOVE in me, my profession will be an enjoyable and happy one for me. My practice in the early childhood education will surely be filled with much LOVE.

With the LOVE in me, I am confident I could make a DIFFERENCE in the lives of the children under my care and with all the people in my early childhood community.

May God help me more and inspire me more to share this LOVE I have in my heart in all my remaining years in this profession.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

you always write inspiring posts..

and what a cool header you have,galing!

Unknown said...

Thanks Sachi!
yeah, ganda nyang orchid na heart shaped and I fell in love with it when I saw it in Google Images.