The Canvas of Society by Joey Velasco in is just within our realms — a painter’s transformative journey through the children’s afflictions, desires, and deliverance from their circumstance that can reach across generations and cultures.
The likes of Nene, Itok, Imong, Onse, Buknoy, Michael, Joyce, Tinay, Dudoy, Jun at Roselle & Sudan — 12 characters whose cries no one hears, whose scars are already in their being, whose eyes pierce through, whose minds are innocent yet vulnerable to get tempted by the needs unmet, whose character is subject to ridicule … have you ever asked yourself what you can do for them?
“baka may magawa ka pa!”
The likes of them who have the ardent hope that “They have Jesus” — could be there just within the four corners of the classroom. How could you give life to them? How could you reach out to that one soul who still wants to be complete despite being shattered? — that every single soul, longing for one who could listen and understand, who could give guidance and counsel?
What is your commitment then — to them, who are expecting to be noticed while you actually gaze at them in those corners of your eyes?
How could you help calm the storms that others have been through? What could you do to help others’ life not to be wasted?
How much of yourself could you offer to address the needs of those eyes who need not speak?
How much of your time could you share to embrace the situation of those hearts which cannot feel that they are worthy of another’s love and attention?
I know you could be one’s source of hope. This may be the time that while you are challenged to scrutinize your students’ stories to be of significant help, you may as well WORK ON YOUR OWN STORY! For at the bottom of the line, you can never really share what you don’t have.
Let your story be that one which brings inspiration to other’s hopelessness. What you have at hand might just be those five loaves and two fishes — too little as it may seem, but as long as you give God your “Amen”, no amount of yourself will ever be too small. #sunset
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Some business leaders in an International report contended that “Investing in Early Childhood Education is one of the wisest things we can make!”
Considering the fact that “Children from 0 to 5 can’t fight for themselves to get a better start at life,” they say that this is not just an economic issue, but the moral justice issue of our time.
To align with the promotion of Universal Kindergarten, the Philippine Educational System instigated the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program. Supported by UNICEF, such program intends to deliver the best start for all children and to contribute to the Global platform for Primary Education. Collaborations have been in occurrence with government & private associates to promote a holistic approach to early learning and to bring in, series of actions for each child’s progress. Parental Involvement is also enhanced, in coordination with educational advocates, so as to appropriately aid the children in their first five years’ crucial development.
However, despite the investment of time, treasure and effort towards the emerging Four Themes in Early Childhood Education, it turns out that we are still facing major issues that need to be addressed amidst pressing times in terms of: [1] the ethic of social reform, [2] the importance of childhood, [3] transmitting values and [4] a sense of professionalism.
On [1] Ethic of social reform, we are currently experiencing inequities & mediocre child care. There is still the deep need for social justice since the goal of closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority pupils have not been realized as of yet.
On [2] The Importance of childhood, sad to say, children of today have no choice but endure “an endangered childhood” because there is so much emphasis on survival, while kids are chaotically exposed to reality and adult experiences. Families, where they belong are under different forms of stress such as restoration of relationships, too busy working parents who rarely have quality time with them, parents who are working their way to the edge just to fight poverty, and the likes.
On [3] Transmitting values, adults as we are: parents and stakeholders, we more often than not forget that “Early learning is powerful!” In a majority of instances, we are caught unaware by our own reactions and viewpoints along with the confronts of media’s exposure of violence, tragedy & social diversity – with which, children are subconsciously developing some kind of behavior, if not deep scar or trauma, especially if we’ve reacted unconstructively.
On [4] Professionalism, not many of our stakeholders are persistent in an advocacy of passionately fulfilling “a better start at life” service in the field of early childhood. Teachers are not given proper and significant training to help them deal with children when differences arise between the cultural patterns of the home, community and those of the school’s.
Fantasy and reality in the minds of young kids are not separate things. Innocent as they are, they have that strong expectation that adults will respond to what they need – in which case, we’ve got to harness the discrepancies between their make-believe and reality, otherwise, we are not giving them THE BEST START that they should get. However, being confronted with the above-mentioned matters in reality, wouldn’t we worry that we may disappoint the youngs of our time? Would you agree that this is more of a moral justice issue rather than economic?
Being both A FACILITATOR OF LIFE and a CURRICULARIST, would it then still be wise to Invest in Early Childhood Education? Please share your idea.
If we are not prepared, we are going to spend the rest of our time REPAIRING!
What will make education exciting is that we should TALK ABOUT US and OURSELVES!
You can make that difference when you’re already THERE “in that position”!
— but DO NOW while you’re still WHERE YOU ARE!
Modernization of Times, as well as Global Alignments both demand Education to be “exciting” — yet Stakeholders and Cohorts do not really succeed as they should! – don’t you think so? – but WHY?
Millennial generation wants EDUCATION TO BE EXCITING! They “do not do well being passive learners” (Starlink, 2004). A group of students born between 1982 and 2000, they are also dubbed as “Millennials”. They have the characteristics unique to the digital age. Their comfort level of technology is on ipod, laptop, cell phones, computers and the Internet – at which, the students that we actually have at present are already so much exposed and even addicted to.
Institutions cannot deny the point that the “digital age” could possibly cause GAP between expectancy & actuality. The reality that education could be creating may not be what Millennials are expecting – which could be the reason why even at this point, some of our learners would still not have enough motivation to battle against their “night afters”.
Meeting students’ needs should be very crucial and should be the optimum goal of stakeholders and every educational entrepreneur.
Educational Organizers & Managers may have all the skills thereat required to get promoted to a position level after gathering years of experience in service; they may have gone through the tedious process & flow of the Essential Fundamentals of Management; and they may even have gotten several trainings on School Leadership – but what could have been wrong, or what could have been the “missing link” why the MILLENIAL GENERATION still do not get the help that they need that would make them totally engaged in their learning?
Reality & Expectations -– where will both ends meet?
“We cannot move forward if we allow the past to pull us back.
It is the present that we are concerned with
and the future that we should take care of.”
– Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte, 1st SONA, 25 July 2016
The response and performance of a TEAM is the REFLECTION of its Manager’s ATTITUDE! – would you believe so?
If “Management” is the judicious use of means/resources to achieve goals; and having commands of the whole range of management skills, what can you say about Pres. Duterte’s statement which gained applause during his 1st SONA — what “manager’s ATTITUDE” is he trying to portray?
Any institution could only have worthwhile accomplishment if the one leading it has a healthy concept of what he should FIRST & FOREMOST DO to eventually meet a successful end!
With every MAN leading for a certain cause, CHANGE is not always easy – BUT it is something that we always seek out in different areas of life: in any group, in any institution, in whatever situation. Hence, one can never really EFFECT CHANGE if he does not INFLUENCE anyone.
What does it take then to be an “effective influencer”?
Making a RECALL of the activity that we did in class: [you can insert a picture of your output] the various dots that you have placed all over the sheet which you preferred to work on, how you’ve plotted/organized your dots, the innate skills that you can share, the responsibilities which you’ve accepted to fulfill, and the four quadrants where unaware as you were you’ve placed those “life elements” – what does it tell about you as a “manager of your own life”? How do you think could it help you AFFECT INFLUENCE?
MANAGEMENT may never be an easy task though; but so long as you would strive to experience it FOREMOST TO YOUR “SELF” even with struggles, you would eventually realize that with the way you ORGANIZE your thoughts and your actions, you can certainly TAKE CARE not only OF YOUR FUTURE – but of your CHILD’S & others’ LIFETIME too.
“Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little,
has its stages of drudgery and triumph;
a beginning, a struggle and a victory.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
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Selfies, status posts, tweets, blogs, #hugotlines, captured vids and the likes — name it, the Social Media contain variations and a lot more! Whatever there are, one and all would always be excited to keep on going back to their posts and see how many likes, reactions & hits they’ve got!
Exciting, isn’t it? — but it’s all somewhere OUT THERE!
YET, THE IRONY! — deep within each show-offs are actually searching souls. Lonesome SOMEWHERE “IN THERE”! — longing deep within!
Such a vast world with interconnected connections — yet, VOID OF MEANING! And yes, for the longest time of existence of Facebook, Instagram, You Tube, Tweeter, Google, Linkedin, Tumbler, Blogger and the likes, that same longing for affirmations still go on and on and on …
Technology has all been set, Apps keep on growing in variations; sometimes we no longer even know what alternative would best fit our convenience, yet still, some vastness remain not-filled-in!
But what do you think is the “WHY”?
What is there that we actually need to evaluate?
How do you give meaning to a meaningless world?
What message should come across?
What should be your technology? … How would you INSPIRE through it?
What’s YOUR CALL? 🙂
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This site hopes to inspire YOU to think and "voice out" straight from the heart. Feel the need of making yourself INSPIRE INFLUENCE as you meet people half way.
InspiringInfluence.com 