Quotes about Passion, Motivation, and Commitment

“I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and fix all the injustices that existed in the world.” -Louise Derman-Sparks

“What a unique opportunity we have in working with children. We as professionals in the early childhood field have the opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better."  -Sandy Escobido

I am not here to save the world. I truly believe I am here to make a difference and to me making a difference may sometimes mean helping one child be successful in the classroom. You know, for me, that one little sparkle will make a difference throughout the whole day.  -Raymond Hernandez

Inspirational Quotes from Marcy Whitebook and Dr. Lilian Katz

"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

“There is ‘No Single Ingredient’ that will enable us to achieve effective teaching.  It’s not education or mentoring, it’s both.  And it’s compensation too.  So what am I doing to combat the attack on higher education for teachers of young children?  What’s feeding me and what am I doing that I hope will catalyze change in the field?  I am trying to break the silence about the attack on education…challenging it in my writing and speaking and encouraging others to do so as well.”
–Marcy Whitebook

Personal Childhood Web

Growing up, I had many people that were an influence in my life. Some of those are my parents, Pete and Debbie Luciano, my grandmother, my Aunt LuAnn, and my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Gill.

My mom and I have always been very close. Growing up, she was an amazing mother (and still is.) She did everything for my sister and I. She was a stay at home mom for half of my childhood, and even when she returned to the job force, as a nursery school teacher, she still made time to be there for us at school events, girl scout meetings, birthday parties, and play dates. I gave my mom a really hard time as I grew a little older, but I still knew that she was always there for me. She was and is my best friend. We speak everyday, usually multiple times via phone or video chat. She has taught me so much about being a mom and an educator. As I make important decisions in my career or in my role as a mother, I like to reflect upon how my mother would handle things. One important statement I can hear her saying is, "It's not what you say, but the way you say it." It's interesting how many times I have said this to people in my personal and professional life. I recently purchased a coffee mug for myself for Mother's Day that reads "My Mother was right about everything." Oh, how true, how true.

 

My dad and I have always had an amazing relationship. He worked a lot when I was little and we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with him during the week. But he made sure to be home for dinner most nights and we had several different routines that were just for him. Reading comics together on a weekend morning, and listening to Frank Sinatra on Sundays while working in the garage with him are two of my favorites. He taught me about cars, how to drive a lawn moto, and As I have gotten older, I formed a different relationship with my dad. He also is my best friend.  He has always been the voice of reason for me. He tells it like it is and really doesn't care if you don't like what he says. He is the only person I know that can insult you to your face and have you laughing about it in the same sentence. This was much of my childhood.  He taught us important lessons through a little comedy and a lot of hard love.  I wouldn't have had it any other way and I like to think I am raising my own children the same way.

My grandmother was one of my favorite people growing up.  As the oldest grandchild, I spent the most time with her.  I knew when we visited her house in Upper Darby, PA, I would get to explore and have sugar coffee and eat dinner at the coffee table and sleep on her big pull out couch all by myself. In the summer, I'd stay with her for a week at a time, and we would enjoy our walks to Dairy Queen, which was through the playground, where I would get to stop and play for a few minutes before eating our dipped chocolate cones. She taught me how to sew a basic stitch and taught me that I could explore anything as long I was safe. I loved to explore her attic, as it had many fun items of my mom's from when she grew up and also tons of art materials that she let me really be creative with.  At the end of the day, she would make me anything I wanted for dinner, including buttered noodles with sugar. I loved all my time with her and it was a special time to be the oldest grandchild and know that I spent the most time with her.

My Aunt LuAnn is married to my mom's brother. She isn't biologically related to me. But, she was the fun aunt!  She had a pool and a small deck and she let me help her take care of my much younger cousins. She taught me about fashion and jewelry and always had my back. She trusted me enough to let me walk my younger cousins to the park down the street from their house. This responsibility alone was part of why I wanted to be a teacher.

I realize that fourth graders aren't exactly early childhood, but my fourth grade teacher is probably one of the coolest teachers, dare I say people, that I have ever met. Mrs. Gill made you feel so special!  She really cared about each child and you could tell.  We laughed, we cried, we cheered together. It was an amazing time in her class. I looked forward to going to school! She took the time to speak with each of her students on a daily basis, just so show that she cared. And she even took time to speak to our parents, for times other than "bad" times. She would call just to say that we had a great day, or that we seemed to struggle with the math assignment during the lesson, so if homework caused an issue, it was okay. She was simply amazing! I lost touch with her when I went to high school, but there are times now as an adult that I find myself using terms that I learned in Mrs. Gill's class.

I loved my childhood. I had amazing people surrounding me. I felt their love and support and know that it has all carried with me in my journey to being a teacher and a mother.

Baby Leanne

This is a picture of me as a toddler. And also of both of my children around the same age. 

  

My Favorite Children's Book

I have many favorite children's books. But one of my most favorite  is "The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear" by Don and Audrey Wood.  It is such a fun book to read to children. I enjoy the perspective of the reader "speaking" to the little mouse and asking him questions about his intentions throughout the story. As a teacher, I read this book with much emphasis. Children love to see what the mouse will decide to do.  It also has a fun twist at the end about sharing. It leads us to conversations about when we should be sharing and the times of things it is okay to share and to not share. We also discuss danger and how we should handle a dangerous situation as a Pre-K child. It is a fun book for children of all ages and I believe all educators should share it with their children.

All About Me

This is a photo of my little family.  My husband, Kevin, is a garage door mechanic. (Who knew that was an actual job?  Not me, before we met.)  We have been married for 8 years.  My daughter, Reghan, will be 7 in July.  She is finishing her first grade year out as a homeschool student with Yours Truly as her teacher.  My son, Deklan, will be 2 in August.  He goes to school with me each day.  He is very social and loves school. 

Early childhood is so important.  According to Bill Gates, "the first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 turn out."  I have to say that I agree with him.  Young children are sponges.  They want to see and feel and touch and explore the entire world surrounding them. If you've never stepped foot into an early childhood learning center, you're missing out.  Those little children will hug you and talk to you for hours if allowed.  They will read you a book and ask you 100 questions, in five minutes time.  It is a special feeling, one that you can almost not describe.  It's euphoria.  For those five minutes, you are the BEST thing in that small child's life. 

As a young teacher, I had many four and five year olds grace my classroom.  I loved them all.  But, there's always one or two that really steal your heart.  My favorite was D.  (Name protected, just in case.)  He loved me.  And I loved him.  D had a few emotional issues, that he really struggled to control.  His father was not in the picture and his mom was trying everything she could to do right by him.  D had outbursts in the classroom.  The other children knew not to go near him when he started yelling, and throwing, and raging.  It was sad, to an extent.  He just could not control his anger.  But, when he was having a good day, D could sit and build with blocks and Legos for hours.  He had a great smile, very toothy, and his eyes almost sparkled.  During one of D's rough days, he had destroyed my classroom.  Bookshelves flipped, toy bins spilled everywhere, chairs upside down. It was a mess.  The rest of the children in the room huddled in a corner giving D all the space he needed.  I had had to restrain him from hurting anyone or himself.  I held him in my arms, between my legs and we just sat.  When he finally stopped screaming in anger, and his tears changed from said anger to sadness, he turned his head and looked up at me, and said, "I'm sorry.  I can't stop.  I love you."  My heart broke for this little boy.  But also, I loved him.  That moment solidified my Why, my reason for being an early childhood educator.  I became a teacher to help children: to influence their early development years; to teach them core values that they will need later in life; to love them. I believe that in that one year of being D's teacher, I helped him work through life issues that were honestly too big for such a little person.  But I was there and I cared.  I eventually lost touch with his mom, and at this point, he is almost a teenager.  I'd like to think that I helped play a role in who he is today. 

Hello!

Hi!

My name is Leanne and I am a wife, teacher, mom, director of a preschool, student, chauffeur, referee, personal chef, maid, waitress...the list goes on.  My children are the boss of me.  My daughter is 6 and is going on 16 years old.  Her world was turned upside down this year when school was cancelled for the remainder of the year and I had to become her teacher.  My son will be 2 in August.  He is the most rambunctious child I have ever met!  And I have met a lot toddlers in my time in early childhood education. I have 15 years experience in this field. And I love it!  Young children amaze me.  They are sponges.  They absorb EVERYTHING you feed, (or don't feed for that matter) to them.  

You might be wondering why I chose this name for my blog.  Frankly, it's pretty clear.  Everybody should nap.  It's that simple.  Babies, toddlers, elementary aged children, teenagers, college students, MOMS, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, dogs, cats.  Naps are important!  If you are falling asleep, it means your body needed the rest.  This is a big philosophy of mine as an early childhood educator.  I never understand parents that don't want their young children to nap during the day.  I realize, yes, it does make life easier in the evening (I'm a mom, I get it!) but if a child is sleeping hard, like 2 + hours, their little body needed the down time.  

Sleep rules us.  If we don't get it, we can't be productive while at work (in the office, or at home).  If you are rested, it gives you a new outlook on life.  Well rested? You see the world clearly.  Exhausted and lacking sleep?  You see the world with glasses on that are too strong for your eyes.  You'll have a headache.  Your eyes will hurt.  You might feel completely displaced.  Now, imagine a 3 year old walking around sleep deprived. Maybe they are having night terrors.  Maybe they tried to wait up to say good night to one of their parents who worked late.  Maybe their older sibling had their music too loud and they just couldn't fall asleep.  Maybe they were hungry.  Maybe their home life is less than ideal.  Their behavior is going to be different than the child who got 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  
The child not sleeping is going to be whiny, disruptive and misbehaved.  They NEED the nap during quiet time at their school.  It's imperative to their health.  So, please.  Let those babies sleep, no matter how old they are.  Everybody should nap.