My Supports

To be well-supported in your environment, an individual must have specific factors in place such as social-emotional support, knowledgeable resources, and an overall sense of well-being and belonging.  I feel that I have more than adequate support in my daily environments personally and professionally.  At home, I have a loving and supporting spouse that acknowledges my feelings and is my number one cheerleader in obtaining any goals and aspirations I have set for myself.  I also have two children who are both currently adventuring through the early childhood years.  Everyday they give me a new perspective on parenting and family dynamics in the home, which in turn I can use as a benefit when servicing other families professionally.  

 In the early childhood field, I have a well experienced and trained mentor that guides me daily through my career development in our program.  The institution I work for is a high-quality, NAEYC accredited facility that has taught me an invaluable amount about how to provide the best programs for children, families, and communities.  I have been fortunate to have received support over the last decade to transition from a new classroom teacher to the program director within my program.

To imagine not having any of the above-mentioned support systems in place can be a scary thought.  The challenges I would face could be immense or even overwhelming at times.  Not having an emotional support system could negatively impact the individual’s mental health and possible job performance.  And not having real-life experiences with your own family could cause an isolated feeling when building relationships with others.

When considering guiding professional progression, we always say the individual needs access appropriate resources to be successful.  Without the resources I have available professionally from my mentor and my experiences in a high-quality program, I might not feel prepared enough to accomplish a graduate level degree in the early childhood field.  Thus far, I have felt successful in my graduate courses because of the professional experiences and resources I have daily.  My resources have supported my belief that I am ready to accomplish my degree and will do so.

In the next year, I plan to accomplish my graduate degree in Early Childhood Education.  My spouse will also be completing his degree in Forestry.  We are both approaching a turning point personally and professionally.  I have already begun to imagine what will change in my support system when the time comes: possible job and/or location change.  I will still have my family with me, however, I may transition to another early childhood program and that can be a challenge professionally.  I worry whether I will find a colleague to look up to for guidance and have access to adequate resources to provide the highest-quality services to the community. 

When considering this fear of my professional support evolving, I remind myself that I will still have my current mentor and institution as a professional resource in the future.  They will always be a support I can reach out to, no matter if I am within their program or with another.  Because the goals and philosophies embodied in my professional support system is in the best interest of children and the professionals that service them.  I can look forward to making new connections with professionals and learning environments through this adventure.  The unknown can be intimidating, but with a strong support system, anything is possible.