My Supports

My Supports

                 In my daily environment I would consider my hour of quiet and solitude in the morning with a cup of coffee a support to helping prepare me for the day ahead actually get up and hour earlier than I need to  get ready so I can enjoy this time before everyone else awakens. At work am lucky enough to have a wonderful on site center owner and an Assistant Director who are great supports during challenging times. We bounce ideas and solutions off of each other and though we do not always agree we never have to be the sole decision maker in tough questions. They are also great for venting as it would not be appropriate to share some information with staff. Technology has become quite a support in many of the day to day aspects of the position, so much so that we tend to feel a little lost when the internet as down as so much of the business/paperwork end of the job cannot be done without it. At home I consider my family as the most meaningful support of all.

                As I get older I notice I am having to reach for reading glasses more and more for fine print. I imagine how challenging my job and life would be with a significant loss of sight. I almost feel my position as a director would be impossible without sight. I would certainly need to take alternate transportation to the center. Our center is equipped with braille for sign such as the restrooms but not within the classrooms. The work done of the computer could be accomplished with the help of voice technology but I would probably need someone to handle the paperwork, faculty files I have that are not paperless. I do not feel that I would successfully be able to complete classroom observations although I could offer suggestions and interpretations based on another person’s observation. Without such supports I would certainly not be able to function in the position of Director can imagine that the condition could be overwhelming and isolating without proper support.

My Connections to Play

“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” 
― Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

All those hours exploring the great outdoors made me more resilient and confident.
David Suzuki 

            As a child I did not attend preschool or have supported play in a traditional teacher scaffolding sense. My play was supported mainly by my surroundings and I was lucky to experience many varied places. As a preschool age child my imagination took root in my grandma’s sun room full of white cast iron and glass furniture and the ‘secret’ loft in my Uncle’s converted garage apartment. I also enjoyed days at the beach and the thick St. Augustine grass jungle where I chased lizards. In Nebraska it was the big snowy hill behind my house which in the summer led to a playground and the lake with clay banks in which I honed ‘pottery’ skills. In California my friend and I were reincarnated witches who feasted on wild growing pomegranate potion. In Australia we mainly climbed trees and played marbles in the dirt fields by the school, and once again the beach.

                I did no need much in the way of equipment or toys, we were pretty creative. Although I really, really, enjoyed boxes as a young child. We would build anything out of boxes. I did have a few favorite toys though and they are in the photos.

                My daughter has not had quite as many opportunities to play outside and rarely did unless I was supervising. The world seems a scarier place but maybe we just hear about danger more often now as media is everywhere we go. She definitely spends a lot of time conversing to friend online, 24/7 it seems. Even with the constant connection and access face to face communication is lacking. It makes me a little sad am not sure she has formed the bonding and strong friendships we had but I hope she has.

                Play is critical to a child and important even as an adult. I have to remind myself to play at times and the style of play has changed but I am certainly happier when I include it in my life.