Time Well Spent

As I look back to the past 20 months that has gone by, without any doubt I can say it has been the most rewarding experience of my career. The program has inspired and influenced me to meet the challenge and opportunities of education not just in the community I live in but worldwide. Understanding early childhood, learning the different strategies and techniques that can make a powerful impact in the life of a child, building positive relationship not only with the child but also with the family and colleagues has helped me cater to the needs of the children, their parents and the needs of the 21st century far more efficiently. Masters in Early Childhood Studies program has not only given me profound understanding and knowledge of child development and learning but also been a greater awakening experience to me as a professional.

1.  I realized that all learning begins with self reflection. Socrates' guiding rule "Know Thyself", made more practical sense to me through this program. I realized that looking at my own self, the ways I think and perceive my experiences can be my greatest teacher. I learnt that it is important to constantly reflect on our work, be open to our own growth, learn from our mistakes and recognize our limitations, what our skills and dispositions are, and realize the need for change and keep trying.
 
2. Growing up in Abu Dhabi within its multi cultural society, my understanding of diversity was different. I thought I don’t need diversity education since I know how to interact with diversity. But this program helped me realize my understanding of diversity was just what was obvious to me – the race, color, language, religion, nationality and culture. I was able to realize that diversity extends beyond the color of the skin - our emotions, our behavior, can also define diversity. This learning has given me a deeper understanding of diversity, accept the unique humanity of others, and be able to understand and respect the diversity and individuality of every child and family I work with. This creates an awareness of my responsibility as an early childhood professional to be culturally responsive, overcome my biases and understand each family, build a supporting relationship with the families, partner with them in order to support the learning and development of every child and create a society that values everyone.
 
3.  Learning on the need for effective and appropriate communication in our world of differences, has definitely changed me as a communicator. As an early childhood professional working with young children and families from diverse backgrounds, I learnt that effective communication, cooperation and collaboration is important to enhance child’s development and build a positive, supportive relationship with children, families and colleagues. I also learned that communication skills such as good listening skills would help me analyze, understand and connect on a deeper level. It would help replace my tendency to defend, withdraw and judge with empathy, respect and attentiveness.

Therefore through my learning and new found understanding and knowledge my long term goal is to be a better advocate, be optimistic in creating a society where all people can be nurtured and have access to what they need for a quality life. It is this optimism to see equity and inclusion that keeps me motivated. Passion indeed comes from the vision. The vision for so much more change, keeps me motivated, gives me the passion to move forward. 

 

I would not have been able to go through this program and attain this knowledge and understanding without the input and insight of my colleagues and instructors. I am thankful to all me colleagues who has supported me right from the start of this program. When I joined this program I was actually very apprehensive as to how I would communicate and build relationship with colleagues I have never known and faces I have never seen. But this course helped us share who we are, our hopes, our dreams and our goals and helped us understand each other without actually physically meeting each other. Walden has helped us to support each other transcending our organizational and geographical boundaries to become a part of community of caring learners and professionals assisting each other in our commitment to a common mission to support and sustain quality care and education in the drive to create a safe and just world for our children to live in. I am truly grateful to be part of this community and thankful to each of my colleagues for making my Walden journey a memorable and edifying one. 

 

I would also like to thank all my instructors who supported me with insights and knowledge through their feedbacks, guided me to shape my thinking and explore options to learn and grow professionally. A special word of thanks to Dr. Teri Davis - I would not have been able to complete this capstone project without your timely feedbacks and responses. I am thankful to have had you as my mentor to master the core concepts and principles I needed to complete my capstone with ease and comfort. 

 

I am thankful to my father who may be no more physically on this earth but had been the motivation and driving force behind me in completing this course. I am greatly thankful to my lovely husband and my mother who have been extremely patient and supportive for the past 20 months. Above all, I am thankful to my God for helping me seek out my interest and pursue my passion. Every assignment I sat down to type, I have started with a prayer seeking His help and He never let me down. I was assured that “If He has brought me to this He will bring me through this”. With that hope and trust in Him I was able to accomplish a major milestone in my life. 

 

Passion is about perseverance. Let us together persevere to make an impact in our professional field and foster positive social change through education.