Stanley Greenspan, the author of "The Challenging Child" (1995) has an insightful analogy to help us understand what people experience when they can not effectively process, or interpret, sensory input. He describes it this way:
"Imagine driving a car that isn't working well. When you step on the gas the car sometimes lurches forward and sometimes doesn't respond. When you blow the horn it sounds blaring. The brakes sometimes slow the car, but not always. The blinkers work occasionally, the steering is erratic, and the speedometer is inaccurate. You are engaged in a constant struggle to keep the car on the road, and it is difficult to concentrate on anything else. Needless to say, you would probably be irritable! That's how some challenging children feel much of the time. Because their bodies may no work the way they're supposed to, they are constantly striving to keep their "car" on the road. They may feel out of control, frustrated." (p. 4)
President Lyndon B. Johnson's Remarks at the University of Michigan May 22, 1964:
“The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents. It is a place where leisure is a welcome chance to build and reflect, not a feared cause of boredom and restlessness. It is a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community.”(Johnson, 1964)
After reviewing the multimedia presentation "The Passion for Early Childhood" (Walden,2010). I have chosen a couple of quotes to share.
Raymond Hernandez, MSEd stated:
“My passion comes from – a lot of it is intrinsic motivation that I have for the work that I do. Everyday I go to work and look forward to it because I know the services that I’m providing for children, it’s to their benefit. It’s not anything that’s going to benefit me.” (Walden,2010)
“I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference. I think, like I’ve said before, and I truly believe, that I’m not here to save the world. I’m here just to make a difference in the community that I’m working.” (Walden, 2010)
Renatta M. Cooper, MA stated:
“…I learned it’s not all about you. You got to take your ego out of it and think about what’s best for this child.” (Walden,2010)
References
Greenspan, S.I., Salmon, J. (1995) The Challenging Child. United States of America: Da Capo Press.
Johnson, L.B. (1964, May 22). [Commencement address]. Speech presented at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Walden University (2010). “The Passion for Early Childhood” (Laureate Education Inc., CD-ROM, 2010 release).
I love the excerpt that you posted of Greenspan. The example he provides can help anyone understand how some children may feel everyday. I often find people judge others and their children. They don't understand that some behaviors are due to the fact that children have to struggle each day. If special needs are coming into the picture, it is even harder on the child. Greenspan has found a way to explain children's difficult behavior by showing how frustrating every day life can be for some.
ReplyDeleteI also liked your quote by Renatta Cooper. Like Cooper, I also believe that you sometimes have to take your ego out of the picture and focus on the child. Isn't that why we got into the business?
Anna,
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Renatta Cooper, and yes I often want to scream that so some teachers. The "great" teachers didn't go into the profession for money, they went into the field to make a different and work with children!