These are five of the persons from my childhood web who helped to shape my character & personality and encouraged me to always be ambitious. They all believed in me and have had a positive influence n me at some point during my childhood.
My Mother
Although I was raised in a household where both parents were present, my mother had the greatest impact on my overall childhood development. My mother was a teacher and had not only the training, but I had whatever tools and learning aides right at home. She always ensured that my homework was completed correctly and she helped me study for all exams. We were never a rich family, but she had a way to not let us feel as if we lacked anything while growing up. She took the time to do many things with us. We cooked together, did many craft activities, went to sporting events, played board games and went to the beach. She was also a great story teller. She found pleasure in reading many childhood stories to us but she also shared many of her own childhood stories which were equally as entertaining. Unlike many of my friends, I never had video games or fancy toys but you cannot put a price tag onthe experiences that I had with my mom and all I discovered and learned from those experiences helped shape who I am today.
My Father
My dad was also a teacher. So even if I wanted to become complacent about school, there was never a chance for that. He also helped with homework and with studying, whenever I had tests. He played a significant part in my childhood, but in a very different way than my mother. My dad taught me to climb trees, build kites and fly them and we played sports &exercised together. I remember when I got my puppy, Chip (Get it? Chip and Dale...), my dad and I built his kennel together using wood and cement. It seems as if the activities I did with my dad were more physical but I benefitted greatly and learned equally as much. I learnt the value of teamwork and synergy at an early age. That day I learned for the first time how 1+1 could equal 3.
My Brother
My brother, Kent and I were close in age so we shared many of the experiences together with both parents. Although he was only a few years older, He had an impact on me also. Kent was the one who taught me how to ride a bicycle. Once I mastered this art, we would ride out to the parks and in the neighborhood and explore the things in the environment. Kent also set the standard for me regarding school and education. He always excelled in school. As expected, there was much sibling rivalry but that pushed me to do equally as well as he did in school or even better. The value of hard work is a lesson that is useful to everyone. The rest of my time was spent chasing him around the house, unless it was 4 o’clock and the cartoons were on.
Ms. Weekes
Ms. Weekes was my favorite teacher in elementary school. She always told me how smart I was and that I would be very successful in life. Ms. Weekes was always happy to see me and always took the time to fully explain the things that I did not understand. I would always enjoy talking to her after school ended. She always listened to what I had to say. She made me a group leader in the classroom on many occasions and gave me certain responsibilities. When I participated in the spelling bee, it was her would coached me and although I was one of the youngest, her confidence in me boosted my self esteem and made me challenge myself to always do better.
Mr. Hutchinson
Mr. Hutchinson was my junior high school teacher. He was very instrumental in preparing me for high school and beyond. He was a very caring teacher but also a firm believer in punishing. Although I was a class monitor, this did not make me exempt from his punishments but pushed me to always be on my toes academically and otherwise. There was always a useful lesson to be learnt when he punished us. For example, if we made simple mistakes on quizzes, we would be given home work which exceeded the regular workload. To avoid this, I would learn to be careful, pay attention to detail and to always double check my work. Little did I know that later on, these skills would be beneficial to me when I worked in retail. I adopted this habit while at work and was rewarded with many promotions for being meticulous and always ensuring that the quality of my work exceeded expectations. I also develop much confidence and stood out as a leader among my coworkers.
“If you do a little bit of looking at books with your children and inspire them to be curious about the pictures and ... what the word means, but don't get into very structured systematic teaching at too early an age, ... and you also interact emotionally and have fun with pretend play ... then you have the best of both worlds.” 
I found this image of a child's artwork and I believe it truly embodies my future professional gal in the field of childhood education. I seek to held eradicate the stereutypes that exist among different races and social groups, and how this negatively impacts a child's learning experience. If each child is given equal opportunities and access to all available resources then he or she can "conquer the world."
