[JH]

We had a little girl attending our program who’s mom was also a student and employee. This required additional child care outside of the hours we provided. When she’d pick up her daughter from our center, she’d bring her to an overnight center where mom would pick up around midnight when she got off work. One night – mom was so exhausted she forgot to pick up her daughter after work. Her daughter was at this center she had never slept at until almost 530am. The sad part – the child knew she was forgotten. There were two children in her class that had younger siblings. When parents picked them up that afternoon – this little girl repeatedly said “don’t forget to pick up your brother/sister or they’ll be really sad.”

[Tiffany]

One time I have seen a child be most impacted was when my own child began school. He struggles with emotional regulation, and instead of helping him stay on task or provide ways to help him, they made him feel “different” or out of place and it has affected his feelings towards school.

[Lexi]

My first grade teacher had a positive impact on me and those around me because of her caring and kind nature. She always went above and beyond to provide hands on learning activities for us and deeply cared about each child in her care. This kind of demeanor and attitude lead her to have a very successful career.

[Julie Hood]

I never had any positive role models for teachers growing up. I never seen myself being in the childcare industry, but now I cannot see myself doing anything different. Using my experience and knowledge and helping children bloom. Showing them how to work through their emotions.

[Kalima Gilkes]

Looking back, some of my early childhood experiences taught me to be adaptable and persevere through challenges. Those lessons still influence how I lead, how I work with children, and how I approach difficult situations. They helped shape the person and educator I am today.

[delki]

My first interaction with children was a total disaster. I was very confident my first day of school, but someone mocked me for having an eye patch. Today I struggle with social interactions but I’m slowly getting better at making friends and keeping my relationships with people. I love the people around me, so I made a vow to myself to make myself better so I can interact more with them.

[Timothy Dailey Jr]

Yes I had a teacher encourage me to just be me and don’t change who i am for anyone no matter who they are. that stuck with me until this day now being an adult.

[Catie]

I think of my family friend, who had a hard time in school with her peers and teachers really stepped in for her and helped. It showed her at a young age that the teachers do care and you can rely on them for help.

[Gabriela Rodriguez]

My Sister

[Gabriela Rodriguez]

One of My Workers Had Great Impact with Me since Day One, but it was Bad and Since then it has been rough because they treated me differently but I manage to work hard and just talk through it with My Boss and talk with them but I just focus on my Job and speak up and just do what I do every day at the Daycare.

[Elizabeth]

My Grandfather was a wonderful man, who always made me feel special, and listened to. I rarely spent much time with him growing up, but, his smile, warm voice, and reassurances have lasted over 50 years of my life.

[Briana]

I don’t personally know anyone who I can think of but my teacher has a friend who’s experience was negative in her childhood and she has trauma related issues as an adult that has impacted how she has responded and felt safe.

[Ella]

I worked at the same preschool my son went to a few years ago. His first teacher was not a kind woman and my son became someone completely else, very difficult behaviors for the next years. I later had to work in the class with her and realized how badly she was treating the kids and what had happened to my son. She was later fired for yelling at the children and how she treated them.

[Emily]

I had a wonderful teacher for preschool that essentially didn’t try to force me into the classroom and to do things when I wasn’t ready. They recognized me and let me warm up on my own

[Briele]

I think of my own mother. Abandoned by her biological father and horrifically abused by her stepfather. She grew up as a sad, broken and confused little girl. As a naive teen she became a teen mother. But she decided as that sixteen-year-old that she would build a life for her child that she had never experienced in her own childhood. And that she did. Beyond that, she built a business, wrote a book, and has done so many other things. If her mother were still alive, she would be so proud.