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Ms. Cynthia L. ReedSociology Human RelationsDate: 12/08/11

“Making My Dream of Becoming a Preschool Teacher/Home Daycare Mother a Reality”

Subtitle: Life changes, making your dreams and desires a reality, careers and success!

In a way you could say, that I moved to California out of obligation, not because of a dream that I wanted to fulfill. My military ex-husband and I became stationed there at Beale Air Force Base in June of 2003. Then he wasn’t my ex-husband, of course. At that time we were married and our daughter was three. That is not to say that I did not have a dream that I wanted to fulfill. My dream that I wanted to fulfill was to be a “Home Daycare Mother and or Preschool Teacher.” Ever since I was a little girl, I grew up raising children due to not having parents around to raise my brothers, sisters, and me. You could say I first became a mom at age eleven. That is when my first baby brother was born. From that moment on, I cared for him as if he were my very own baby boy. I changed his diapers, fed him bottles of milk, and put him to sleep at night. I also made home cooked meals for my sisters and me. I cleaned up the kitchen after we all finished eating dinner. I acted as if I were their mother role and not their sister role.

Over the years to pass, I learned how to care for children very well, because of my very own personal experience. I also grew up loving to care for children very much. My role of motherhood as a child is why I developed the dream of becoming a “Home Daycare Mother and or Preschool Teacher.” At that time this dream of mine seemed easier to fulfill, because I thought I knew everything there was to know about raising children. “Oh boy was I wrong!” I said. Later on in the years after having daycare and preschool children of my own and through college credited childcare classes; I slowly learned that the reality of my dream of becoming a “Home Daycare Mother and or Preschool Teacher.” is that there is more knowledge to acquire before I can successfully run my own home daycare and or preschool classroom.

A few years ago, I was able to take some non-credited child daycare courses that certified me as a home daycare mother. I ran my own business of home daycare as a military wife through Beale Air Force Base out of my home in Marysville, CA for 3 years. I cared for five children including my four year old daughter. Other children I cared for were a set of six year old twin girls, two four-year old girls, and a two year old girl. The twin girls were really a handful, because I really had a hard time telling the two of them apart! They would try to play tricks on me as their care giver. Once one of them was in trouble, both of them were in trouble! The two year old girl was the easiest of the bunch. I probably would have had an easier time caring for these children if I had planned and organized activities for them to do to keep them busy.

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I have already learned more knowledge about how to plan and organize activities for children in daycares through the college credited courses that I have taken here at Yuba College then through the non-credited courses at Beale Air Force Base that certified me as a home daycare mother. “There are more activities to do with children than to watch Disney movies all day long!” Since, I have acquired more knowledge about how to plan and organize children’s activities; I am sure that there is plenty more knowledge to learn about children and caring for them. I am eager to learn all that there is to learn in order to successfully run my own home daycare or classroom. In other words, the reality of my dream of becoming a home daycare mother and or preschool teacher will require more time and effort put into college credited courses in order to earn a certificate and college degree to successfully run my own daycare and or preschool classroom.

What my dream of running an almost perfect home daycare and or preschool classroom of my own would be like? I would say that, “It would be like my home daycare business or preschool classroom taking off without a hitch!” As a care giver for toddlers and preschoolers, I would have planned and organized activities hooked to a theme for each month. An example of one of these themes would be Christmas. An example of an activity for children to do to go along with this theme would be: “For each child to design their own Christmas ornament with a picture of them for their parents.” I would also have planned and organized field trips to fun, educational places; such as the Zoo, the Science Center, and Art and History Museums. As a care giver, I would also have planned monthly menus of healthy home cooked meals for the children. I could even have some of the meals go along with the theme for the month; such as a Christmas potluck dinner. Even though these dreams of running an almost perfect home daycare business and or preschool classroom of my own sounds like a piece of cake; I am sure there will be glitches in the equation of it all that will arise. I am also as sure that there will be solutions to these glitches in the equation of my dream of becoming a “Home Daycare Mother and or Preschool Teacher” coming to life in reality that I will learn along the way in these college credited childcare courses that I am currently enrolled in at Harris-Stowe State University.

This is how my dream of becoming a “Preschool Teacher” coming to life in reality looks presently today: I am a dedicated, hardworking single mother, who was an Honor Roll College student at Yuba College, Marysville, Yuba-Sutter, CA! I also taught at Yuba College Preschool as a Teacher Assistant. As a student teacher, I volunteered through AmeriCorps at Yuba College Preschool as a Teacher Aide, which is an on the job site teacher training program---teaching internship for preschool teachers of America. I volunteered there for a total of 12 months before earning a permanent part time teaching employment opportunity position as a Teacher Assistant for a total of 2 yrs. I also won an Award for Honor Roll grades from both Yuba College and Harris-Stowe State University! I graduated college with an Associate's of Science degree in Early Childhood Education on 5/25/2010. I have a total of 84.5 Early Childhood Educational credits. I was also employed as Lead Infant-toddler teacher, for 9 months, I taught at Kids First/Kids Kompany daycares here in downtown St Louis, MO as their childcare provider where I was also laid-off from right before the summer of 2011 due to hours cut

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back to part time, because their other former childcare provider/employee had returned back from early maternity leave once she had her baby. I was also employed as a Teacher Assistant with infants/toddlers at Clay Early Childhood Development/Parenting Education Center, the Preschool for Harris-Stowe State University for 6 months which is also located in the downtown St Louis area, where I was also laid-off from due to educational budget cuts; which is also where I was attending college to pursue my Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I have since realized that working full time as a Lead Teacher/Assistant for Head start takes a whole lot of work online; so much that online school seems to be the best way to go, which is the reason for why I am currently attending college at Kaplan University. I am scheduled to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education in Spring/5/2017. I was also employed as Assistant Director for Kiddiversity Childcare Center for 5 months, where I was laid-off from in 12/15/2012 right before the holidays. Jefferson City and St Louis City approved and certified my Childcare Director approval for 100 or more children. As of 02/13, I was employed full time at Buttons and Bows Preschool (partnered with YWCA Metro Head start) as Lead Head start Teacher for 6 months until I resigned. Then I was employed full time as Teacher Assistant at Grace Hill Head start for 3 months where my contract ended in 11/2013 right before the holidays. I was employed full time at GSL Preschool Developmental Center (partnered with Urban League Head start) as Lead Head start teacher for 3 months, then after my 90 days evaluation, I was demoted to Teacher Assistant, for the remainder of 9 months, because of personal reasons then my hours had been cut to part time Substitute Teacher Assistant with infants/toddlers. I was also employed as full time Head start Teacher Assistant for 9 months with Local St Louis City and County, MO with YWCA Metro Head start. I was employed full time at GSL Preschool Developmental Center (partnered with Urban League Head start) as Lead Infant-toddler teacher from: 4/15 to: 08/15 (4 months.) I have been teaching Head start and preschool with Local Head starts, preschools and day cares partnered with Head start programs for 5 yrs within the St Louis, MO area plus 2 additional yrs in Marysville, Yuba-Sutter, CA areas (7 yrs total.) I have received certificates, completed training, and experience for abilities/skills to teach special needs/specially and behaviorally challenged children. As an early childhood educator, I am always searching for inspirational, exceptional teaching opportunities; such as working with special needs/specially and behaviorally challenged children. As an early childhood educator, I possess training, knowledge, and experience to know how to design, plan, implement, and execute Creative Curriculum, fun academic Learning activities in order to teach preschoolers early childhood readiness skills and qualifications in order to help prepare their young minds for kindergarten. As an early childhood educator/childcare provider, I am Loving, caring, and encouraging, Creative Curriculum, fun, academic learning activities designer, because obviously, I love working with children!

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