Personal Advocacy Reflection

I was a preschool teacher for 12 years and a teacher for the agency for which I am currently employed for 5.  After going through some personal life changes, I decided to apply for an adminstrative position with the agency.  To my surprise and delight I got the job.  When I became a family educator, I struggled with delivering the material so that parents were interested and excited about being in my class.  My supervisor pushed me to do more by believing that I had what it takes.  She helped me set personal goals for myself as well as for my work as a facilitator.  She advocated that our children and families deserved that best services that we could deliver and saw how I could use my background as a preschool teacher to help parents understand the roles they play in their children's lives.  She pushed me to be more responsive, more personable and helped me understand how to challenge the parents to do things that are possible for them but also different from what they've been doing.  She helped me see my role in their lives and encouraged me to keep setting goals for myself.  She's encouraged me to take trainings, continue with school and further my career by asking what I want for myself and for the children and families I serve.  She sets examples by her leadership, persistance, and loving nature to see our team grow and excel.  She often says that she has a hard time letting her brain shut down from thinking of how we can best serve our clients, even when she goes home!  I've never had a supervisor who puts so much faith and strength into her staff and believes whole heartedly in giving our families the best of the best.  This has fueled me to keep striving to learn all that I can, be self motivated to bring my own style to my work and become as resourceful to families as I possibly can. 

Advocacy In Action

My name is Charlene Montgomery and I was a preschool teacher for twelve years.  I received a promotion with the agency I have worked for since 2004 in August of 2010.  I am currently a parent educator for the same agency and thoroughly enjoy my job.  I advocate for parents everyday by collaborating their success with other members of my team, going to trainings to enhance my facilitators skills and gain updated information on how to provide effective services for the children and families I serve.  I plan the groups using a specified curricula and work hard to help parents understand and learn new ways of communication with others and their children, address stress and anger issues and learn child development and positive discipline strategies.  This job is very challenging and is constantly teaching me new things about myself and pushing me to do more and do better to help decrease instances of child abuse for children.