Reflect on the person and professional you were when you started your Early Childhood journey. Based on what you have learned since then, a letter of advice to yourself as you were then. What advice would you give to yourself? What are the important bits of wisdom you would share?

1. Who are you, and what impact do you want to have on the children and families you work with or will work with in the future?
2. What are the influences in your life that have shaped you and how have they prepared you for working with child?
3. In your responses to two peers, identify one peer that had similar influences in their life and how the impact of those influences is similar and/or different than your own. Provide at least one suggestion or piece of advice for using this information moving forward in your career. Find a different peer whose influences were different from yours and discuss how these might influence your viewpoint on teaching.

Dear LaToya,

I want you to know that there is more to working in the Early Childhood field than just babysitting kids until their parents get off work and then going home. It's more to childcare than just allowing children to play all day. Early Childhood is the beginning stage of children's learning and development. The experiences, relationships, and learning opportunities you provide to children will impact and shape them as individuals now and through adulthood.

Years later, I see your growth. You now ensure that your teaching experiences are intentional because, in all that you do, you value the understanding that no one child is the same in their learning, development, or needs. You love creating learning environments conducive to the needs of children as it makes learning fun and purposeful.

I see that you also go out of your way to partner with families and include them in their child's entire learning experience. Family inclusion is one of the best professional practices, and that's the impact I know you want to have on families. Partnerships also taught you that you can learn the most about a child from their families; they are their child's first teachers. The more you know about a child, the more successful outcomes you can create for that child's development, and that's the impact that you try so hard to have on the children.

Out of the blue, you had your 3rd child later in life and a higher level of maturity and understanding than you did with the last two. However, this was the only child that you've ever had to consider putting in a childcare program. You struggled to find care that met your work hours, transportation, and comfort needs. You left your corporate America job (something you never thought you would do) and decided that if you wanted to work, you would work in the childcare field (totally outside of your interests; however, it was beneficial to your situation). After all, you didn't think it was too bad. You were able to be there for your children because you were closer to home. You didn't have to pay the expensive cost of childcare because you got an employee discount; you didn't have to worry about transportation because, with flexible hours, you were able to be there for your older two children whenever needed, and the baby went to work with you. Comfortability wasn't an issue because you worked alongside her in your classroom.

Your childcare needs and your work with families helped you realize how so many faced these same obstacles. You wanted to make a difference, so you decided to go to school and open your own program. Look at you now. You've accomplished so much in these five years in the field. Look how far God has brought you. You're graduating in a month with your Bachelor's and running your program. Your choice to further your education has helped you provide everything you once needed (flexible hours, open to midnight, transportation services, comfortability, quality learning, and so much more).You are still learning progress, but I am proud of you. Keep pushing because greater is coming!

Love,