Federal Agency

          The children's Bureau is a federal agency that is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families. This agency is devoted to improving important topics such as child abuse, child neglect, adoption, and foster care. They seem to be an all around company that oversees and points people in the right direction when issues arise. They work with families to help with support from CPS as well as other national agencies. While I could not find a link to career opportunities, this Bureau seems like an agency I would love to work for. They offer services not only to children and families but work with legislative issues to make sure that there is something in writing that helps to protect the children. They offer resources and access to people who need grants or other forms of monetary assistance. They also have links to many other agencies that support children and improving their lives. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb
          The Child and Adult care Food Program is an agency that helps to ensure that both children as well as adults get the nutrition they need while in day care programs. They help to make nutrition and care more affordable to low income families. They break down what is considered to be a nutritious meal for both children and adults. They also offer grants and other assistance to day care providers across the country. The career that I found to be the most intriguing with this agency was the investigator. It was described as a person who helps to find those who violate laws in which day care providers should abide by. The investigator gets to travel all over, go under cover, (that I liked the sound of ), and they help to keep everyone healthy and ensure the food they are being served is not past its prime and being prepared in the correct format. http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/
          The U.S. Department of Health has an agency called the the Administration for Children and Familes (ACF). They help to secure the health and social well being of families and children around the country. They help with job assistance for adults in need as well as helping with TANF which is the new name for food stamps. This program helps to ensure that famileis and children have their monetary needs met in order to provide food for them to survive on. This agency offered careers in any field you could imagine. They ranged from custodian to nurse, to food prep. The majority of the positions listed were for people who were way above my level of intelligence. Salaries were for 100,000+ as nice as that would be I do not believe that I would be ableto fulfill the needs of the positions that were offered. I do however think that this agency would be wonderful to work for as they do have many options and a variety of services that they offer. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/

Local and state level early childhood

Hello everyone,
It's nice to be back in the world of blogging. I have chosen a few random agencies from around the country. I like to keep options open when thinking about the future. I found a website for California state licensing. I have always liked the idea of being able to work for the licensing. Being in the restaurant business for so long, we had secret shoppers that would come and evaluate our performances. I was very good at pleasing them, as I was always on top of the time limits we had for each portion of the meal we were to serve. I woudl love to do that as a side job. Being able to "grade" people on their performances is something that I have always had an interest in. I think working for the licensing board woudl be thrilling and fullfilling at the same time. i woudl be able to help those who were in violation of certain codes but would also be able to keep our childcare facilities safe for our children. http://ccld.ca.gov/PG411.htm this is the website I found for the California licensing agency. They have multiple job openings with this agency as well. I like the investigator opening, it decribes the position as a peace officer and one who does intenese investigations within the childcare facilties.
The next agency I thought of was the head start program. They have a great track record with helping children get a head start in education. Being able to work with children who would not nirmally get the care and attention they need would be something I think woudl warm my heart. These children are sometimes classified as at-risk children and most people give up on them. The job openings they currently have are for teachers. As much as I love being in a classroom. I want the opportunity to be able to train the teachers to help these children. I want to be able to communicate with teachers and parents on how to help the children. http://headstart.seta.net/ This is the website I found for the head start program. This too is in California. (maybe someone is trying to say something to me haha) The skills required for this position are simply to have some ECE credits and are run off of a teir system. I would qualify for the highest tear, as it requires one year of fulltime employemnt in the early childhood field.
The last thing that I thought of was working for the department of social services. I think being able to help children by helping the parents may be a way to help stop some of the issues that we are faving in our daycare facilties today. Some parents cannot afford to take their children to daycare and that leaves tyhe system to deal with the mess. The children stay uneducated and at home until they reach kindergarten, and then they are not prepred for what is ahead of them. Being able to assist families who were truly in need woudl be something I believe woudl benefit everyone in he long run. I looked on the website for social worker informatino on careers but found that there was nothing available at this time. http://www.dss.virginia.gov/

Many thanks

I want to say many thanks to everyone who commented or gave me advice in our blogs, but a special thanks to Michelle:

I know that I have told you this multiple times, but your blog assignments are always so fun to read. Not only are they informative but they are fun to look at. I love the visual affects that you use and the information that you work so hard to find. I wish you the best in the future no matter the path you take.
TIFFANY

I also want to wish everyone the best of luck in the early childhood adventures, no matter which path you are breaking off into now. I hope that this journey has been as memorable for you as it has me.

Saying good-bye

I have been involved in many groups in my years and have usually found it very easy to say good-bye. I have had some people that it has been difficult to part with but overall it has been relativly easy to part ways. I have had a few that it was difficult to say good-bye to. I was involved in 4-H for over 10 years and when i was too old to participate, it was difficult to step away from the aspect of filling my summers with camps, projects and a thousand other activties that used to occupy my time. I decided that i would be a 4-H leader to still be involved with the program and the children that I had seen come in and join since I had been in the program. That idea only lasted about a year, the feeling was just not the same and didnt allow me the freedom and creativity that I had always been involved with.
When I left my sorority, after graduation, there were a few girls that I was sad to see go and others that i couldnt get away from fast enough. When I graduated fromo my undergrad I cried as I knew a big part of my life was ending and would never be the same again.
As far as leaving the team I have started at Walden i believe it will be an easy transition, only because this has been an online experience and I have not had the priviledge of getting to know my classmates on a one on one basis. There is one in particular that I will miss blogging with, she has been a great inspiration to me and has given me many good ideas that I have used and will continue to use in my daily life, Thank you to Stacie Smith!!

A solution to the problem

I am currently having an issue at work with my co-teacher, and no matter the strategey I use to try and communicate with her, it seems that the information is "in one ear and out the otehr." I believe that we simply have two very different teaching styles and that in order for us to work with this, we will have to do our lessons separate. I have communicated with her through email, (she is a BIG emailer), and I have tried to speak with her face to face. I have learned to "suck it up" and just go with the flow as it makes the work area much calmer. My stress level is at an all time high and when I get off of work I am spent for the day.
According to the website, The Thirdside, I may want to take a step back and think about the points that she has that are correct or make sense and apply to the situation. I need to not always assume that I am right and she is wrong, which honestly I think I do a pretty good job at.

The Thirdside. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.thirdside.org/skills.cfm

My communication

I have thought of myself as a good communicator. I know that I have downfalls and areas that need to be worked on but I also know that I am able to communicate with anyone when the time calls for it. I know that there certain types of communication that I need to use with certain people and at certain times. My co-workers, as well as friends have all labeled me to be a sarcastic person and in a way that bothers me but I konw it is true. I know that I need to watch when I am using my sarcasism. I often use sarcasm as a defense mechanism if i believe there is something wrong and that is not the professional way to handle certain situations. I have learned that communication is EVERYWHERE. whether you realize it or not simply driving by someone yoiu are communicating. Your body language or what you are doing in your car can "say" a lot about you, and your facial expressions are the tell all about how you are feeling at any given point in time. These are all things that I see in other people but am not as aware when it comes to myself.

The surveys pinned me right on the head:
they claimed I was an empathetic listener, which I woudl completely agree with. they also said that I was a fair communicator when it came to  verbal aggressiveness, and that I Shy away from certain situations and am very comfortable in others when communicating. Yes I'd say I was pleasently surprised. What makes it better is that when I had others take the survey they scored it the same way.

communicating with diversity

I do indeed find myself communicating differently, depending on the person I am talking to. I know that at work, as I have said before, we have many parents that are from other countries and speak broken english or ask for things that are different from the norm. This is when I show extra attention and speak in a tone that is very respectful and soothing. When I am talking with myco-workers it depends on who they are and how close we are. My family is whole other issue in itself. With my Mother I do not communicate with her in any different manner than I woudl with my friends. I sadly have a sailor's mouth around my friends and that is the way I am with my Mother. With the rest of my family I speak to them as they are my family. I am polite as possible but do not hold back, or sugar coat anything. The situation really depends on how I change my style of communication. At work I communicate with the children by using a stern yet soft voice if they are misbehvaing, or if the children are acting as they should, I use a tone that is upbeat and fun but on their level. I never talk above a child and do not talk down to them as though they are lesser than I.