Quotes, Quotes and More Quotes

"We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs." President Bill Clinton

"If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit." President Bill Clinton

"We know that teachers are the key to good child care - and as long as teachers are undervalued, American children, too, will keep getting less than they deserve." Marcy Whitebook Ph.D.

“It’s not all about you, you got to take your ego out of it (when working in the early childhood field) to think about what is best for this child, And you care about them enough to help them transition to what comes next and what’s best...” Renatta M. Cooper, the Program Specialist from the Passion of Early Childhood Video

Personal Childhood Web

I would like to dedicate this blog to my grandmother; Missouri Beatrice Cole (May 11,1922-Feb 15, 2006). She was the best! She would do anything for me. But don't get it twisted, she will put me in check when I needed to be. But she loved me dearly, even when I took her for granted. My parents weren't in the position to take care of me so she stepped up to the plate. Don't get me wrong, my aunt, Godmother and my cousins have been there for me but my grandmother was my backbone. When I needed to feel loved, she was nothing but a call away. For most of my life, she was nothing but a room away because I lived in her house (lol) but even when I didn't, that did not change anything. My grandmother didn't even graduate from high school, yet, she is the smartest woman I know. She was from Cecil (Montgomery), AL and she was 61 yrs old when I was born. So I had a "true grandmother". She always encouraged me to strive for the best. I remember when I was 7yrs, she told me in these exact words, "I knew when you were born that you were going to be the star of this family." "Really Bigma?" (that's what we called her). I was stunned for like 5 minutes after that. That was a lot for a 7yr old to take in and understand. But as I continue to go through life, I now see what she is talking about. I was the first woman in my family to graduate from college, not to mention, it was from a Big Ten school. (God is good!) And now it appears that I will be the first to get a Master's. I have many dreams and aspirations and from what I know and feel, they will come to pass. The list goes on and on when it comes to how much she has an impact on me. My family says the older I get, the more I look like her. I count it all a blessing. I truly believe that she lives through me and that I will be the next "Bigma" of the family. I have some big shoes to fill but I am ready for the challenge!

To my aunt Dolores: The "Diva" of the family. Girl I love you! Thank you for your love and support. You have been there for me as a child but I think I appreciate you more now as an adult. I must say that I got my fashion sense from you. You set the trend and I followed it. Your strength is amazing and I admire you so much. I am truly blessed to have an aunt like you...

To my Godmother Parada: You are a great listener and you have played a major part in my childhood. At times when I thought I was about to go crazy, you always brought me back to reality. You keep it real with me but you always encouraged me to do my very best. And when I feel defeated, you always show me otherwise. You have truly earned your title as "Godmother".

To My childhood friend Jessica: My "Ride or Die" homie lol. Childhood would not have been the same without you. You would always challenge me in SOMETHING and that has helped me tremendously. Now I love challenges. You used to dust me in running races...I want a rematch! lol But it is because of you that I always stay on my p's and q's. Thank you! 

Last but not least, my mom Beatrice: I know our relationship is very unique but I am thankful to have one with you period. Although things weren't perfect when I came into this world, you made sure I ended up in good hands. Despite of your shortcomings, you did your best. And that is all I can ask for. I remember you saying that you may not have been able to show my sisters and I the right things to do, but you showed us what NOT to do. But I must say that one thing you did teach us is how to hang in there. And I truly believe you gave me your strength. You clearly have an abundance of it! I love you dearly...

A little bit about me

Hi Readers:

Dr. Dartt, I hope a baby pic counts. That is me as a VERY young child lol. If not, let me know and I will change it.

My favorite childhood book is "Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss. I would say "Green Eggs and Ham" is my second favorite by the same author. I love those books because they always make me smile. They have a rhythm to the story and the whole story rhymes! How cool! They are poetic in a sense and I'm the same way. Although the stories are fictious, they teach valuable lessons, esp. "Green Eggs and Ham". Don't knock it until you try it!

I'm just going to flow and talk about what fuels my passion in the early childhood field. As some of you know, I just love children. And for some reason, they love me too. :-) I think it is the reciprocity that really fuels my passion. Although some kids are not as friendly as others, it brings me much joy when a child is happy to see me just because. A lot of my friends have children and all of them love me. Mia, who is so funny, saw me get off the bus and head toward her house the other day. Her mom, who is my friend, said that she yelled out to her and said "Brandee is here!" and she was very excited! She gave me a hard time when I asked for a hug (lol) but it felt good to know that she not only knew who I was, but was happy to see me coming to her home. I felt really special...

So with that being said, just from the interaction with young children on a social level, makes me want to work with them on the education level. If I have an impact on children just by being in their lives, then I want to use that as an opportunity to teach them everything I know. Children from ages 0-5yrs old seem to connect with me with no problem. So while I have their attention, I might as well make an impact that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

I hope you enjoyed reading my post. Feel to say what you want...

Early Childhood Studies

Hey everyone. I came across this link called "Earlychildhood NEWS". Check it out when you get a chance.

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/page2.aspx