1. Commitment to Community and Society
I found this assignment to be very interesting. I wondered how it could possibly be
relevant to early educators but has I listened it begin to make sense. It aims at addressing issues
in our community and what we can do to make our community a better place. I looked at this
approach from two angles; the first being my classroom, which is my immediate community, and
the second being the neighborhood and community we serve.
I want to teach my students to be leaders. All children have the potential to develop
leadership skills. A leader must have the ability to communicate effectively in a wide variety of
situations. Communication is not all verbal. It is important to teach children about eye contact,
body language such as smiling and being responsive listeners. Self-esteem so important and it is
often something that many adults struggle with. Teaching children to have confidence in
themselves and their abilities will assist them in reaching and obtaining their goals as they grow
into adolescence and adulthood. Lastly, I want to instill in a never give up attitude in my
students. When things are overly challenging, I will encourage them to keep a positive attitude
and to have determination to complete their tasks. I will share in their success upon completion.
There are many qualities to being a great leader, it is important to provide children with the tools
necessary to gain independence and do well in the world. Today’s children are tomorrow’s
leaders.
The one thing that stuck with me was a statement about hand ups “vs” handouts. We need
to find a purpose and maximize the potential of individuals in our community. We need to
provide opportunity for individuals to feel successful and vested in their community. We need to
find interactive ways to engage with families taking into consideration culture, socio-economic

2. and different family structures. If we can find ways to empower the people in our community we
can build a stronger community and come together for positive changes. We started a clothing
closet this year where families can have access to free clothes. We provide resources to link our
families to education classes, workshops and other services. We offer monthly workshops on
building parenting skills, positive discipline and strengthening families. We do family reading
nights, game nights and community service projects. The important thing is that as “vested”
members of our community that we continue to work together to reach common goals that
address the issues in our community.
My goals are to empower the children under my care to be responsible, productive members
of their community. Communities are stronger where people work together to find ways to make
contributions and support one another. We need to be able to make informed choices, to take
risks and to experience the consequences of our choices. We must find our purpose and reach our
goals. Together we can make families, neighborhoods and communities strong.