My Connections to Play

Quotes

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." ~ O. Fred Donaldson

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers

Essential play items -

When I was younger, I used to put on plays using my Strawberry Shortcake dolls.  I would set up a box and put on a show for my parents.  Of course I always had audience participation!




I loved to create different clothing designs using my fashion plates.  I would create them and then "sell" them to my family members.




I always enjoyed playing the part of the "teacher".  I used to sit and create students names, activities to be taught and would have my family and friends participate in the activities.  I loved to grade the papers at the end.

I am grateful to my family for supporting me through my play.  They never discouraged me from doing what I loved to do.

I feel that play today is much different than it used to be.  Children do not participate in pretend play like they used too.  It has become a more technological world for our children today.  They are playing more games on game consoles, watching more television shows, using ipods, ipads, and computers more now than ever before.  I would love to see more children playing outside.  That is something that you rarely see anymore.  I would like to see less time indoors using electronics.

Play as a child was less structured and more pretend.  Neighborhood friends would gather and we would: play cowboys and indians, climb trees, catch crawdads in the creek, ride bikes, play wiffle ball, and kick ball.  We did not have electronic devices like they have today so we had to be more creative.  I do not think that this was a bad thing.  I feel like I am the person I am today partially because of the activities and games that I used to participate in.

Relationship Reflection

• Relationships are important to me because that is what has helped and what helps make me the person that I am today.  There are several people in my life that I have a meaningful relationship with and am a better person because of them as well as being blessed by having them in my life. 

• My husband Mark, my three sons - Stephen - 17, Collin - 14, and Zachary - 13, my mother, and many other friends and family.  I also am blessed by my relationship with my Savior.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Phillippians 4:13  I believe that with all my heart!  All of these relationships are important to me, but in different ways.  I am blessed by the relationship that I have with each of these mentioned and know that when I need any one of them, they are there for me.

• My husband, also a minister, is my encourager.  He listens to me, helps me, lifts me up when I feel like I want to give up, and loves me for who I am. 
• I have a great relationship with my children and they know that I am there for them whenever they need me.  I have always been told that I have the most loving and caring children and that it is rare for boys at the ages that they are now to still be this way.  I feel that they are this way because of the relationship that we have shared and continue to share over the years.
• My mother has always been a loving, caring and supportive mother and seeing how she loved my father and their relationship before he passed away has always been an inspiration to me.

• I think that communication and honesty has been and is key to all of these relationships.  Spending time with each other is important to me in building and maintaining a healthy relationship.  Everyone needs time together and those are special when it comes to forming relationships and partnerships.  I feel that a challenge in relationships is lack of communication.  Without communication, you are setting yourself up for a multitude of problems.  Find a way to communicate so that you do not create a relationship of misunderstanding or confusion.

• I feel that these relationships are also partnerships becuase of the level of commincation, support and love tht is shared among them all.

• I think that because of my personality and my relationships with my family, I have those qualitities that I can share with others.  My principal calls me "The Nurturer".  I take that as a compliment as I try to share these qualities with my students and hope that the families see this and hear this from their children at home.  I think that this can impact my work becuase relationships are a huge factor in the success of our children at school and in throughout their life.
  
                                     My mother and my oldest son Stephen.
  
  
                                       Stephen and my middle child, Collin.
  
  
                                     My husband, my oldest son, and me.
  
  

My youngest son Zachary and oldest son Stephen.