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Perhaps it is because I was raised as an only child in a small town, which meant making close friends, but also having lots of imagination. Maybe it is because as a creative person myself, I enjoy the amazing creativity, joy, and lack of inhibition in children. No matter what, I think one of the most important jobs in our society today is to interact with, guide, and allow children to find, express, and invent...
Perhaps it is because I was raised as an only child in a small town, which meant making close friends, but also having lots of imagination. Maybe it is because as a creative person myself, I enjoy the amazing creativity, joy, and lack of inhibition in children. No matter what, I think one of the most important jobs in our society today is to interact with, guide, and allow children to find, express, and invent themselves as fluidly, excitedly, and with as much support as possible. It is my belief that the well-rounded person who is happy, productive, and confident starts as early as infanthood.
The job I have most enjoyed was at Whelan Children 's Center at Loyola University New Orleans. I was there as a student assistant in the infant room, and it was a wonderful experience. I have worked at daycare centers since I was 13, living in Colorado, and have babysat children from several weeks old to well in to their teens. I have been a nanny both here in the United States and abroad, but Whelan stands out because it was there that I truly learned to appreciate not only how glorious children are on their own, but also how much they have to offer me. Even if I am in the role of "teacher, " I find it is often the children doing most of the teaching --how to learn, how to live in the moment, how to treat others and make friends, how to love joyfully. I always felt so privileged at the end of a day to be able to have stepped outside of myself to help others succeed in the world, whether it meant them taking a successful nap at 5 months old, or painting a great picture at five years. To watch the development of a child is nothing short of a miracle. Through working in a variety of centers and preschools, I have seen through my experience that the clearest way for these children to flourish is to offer plenty of encouragement and play, but also to provide important learning and interactive moments with the ability to take a risk, even if it means a mistake.
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