My name is Sheri Bradshaw. I am 32 years old and I live in Atlantic, Iowa.
I was born and raised in Des Moines. I began working with children when I was 15, volunteering at Methodist Medical center's Day care during the summer between my sophmore and Junior year in High school. During my Junior year at North High school in Des Moines I attended half days at Central Campus where I completely a course called Child Care Occupations. My instructor was Mrs. VanDyke. She was a teacher like no other, I still miss her from time to time. Especially now as I am setting up my own Child Care in my home...I think of her on a daily basis. She inspired and cheared, she listened and most importantly she was a fabulous example to us of what a "Child Care Person" was. While in Mrs. VanDyke's class we were sent to three different day care centers during part of our class time. We spent a few weeks in each assisting the teachers and working in various age groups to get a feel of different teaching styles and center set ups. She taught us all the basics of planning a curriculum, using weekly themes to write daily lesson plans, the importance of play in a child's learning process and the variety of activities that teach children important concepts while they are having fun. She also taught us the importance of teachable moments, those delightful unexpected opportunities for learning.
After I graduated I earned my Child Care Specialist 1 Certificate from DMACC, attending classes at the Urban and Ankeny campus. I studied specific child care related courses, child development and psychology. There are three levels of certificates for Child Care Specialist, I still intend to complete Child Care Specialist 2 and 3. Life changes quickly sometimes and after I finished my first certificate I got married and didn't go on to complete the other two certificates.
I was married for three years and worked privately, caring for children in my home. I was widowed in 1995. I began working at Aliber Child Development Center located in the YWCA, down town Des Moines. I "floated" for a while, working in all the age groups from infants to school age and finally settled into the four year old room (the kangaroos) as an assistance teacher. Eventually a position opened up next door in the three year old room (the giraffes) with a dear friend who I met in Mrs. VanDyke's class in high school. Instead of becoming my peers assitant teacher, we were co-lead teachers in the three year old room. Similar philosophies and teaching styles made this arrangement work beautifully.
I left child care in 1996 (unfortunately) for economic reasons. Child care providers and preschool teacher...actually all teachers don't earn what they are worth and I was having difficulties supporting myself. I had a good opportunity for higher income at US West and took an entry level position in the repair department. I remained in repair for a little over six years, just leaving recently due to down sizing after they illiminated the repair department.
Although I have been out of the "paid" child care field for the last few years, there have always been children in my life. I am really looking forward to stretching my wings and teaching in a child care setting again. Although I left that part of my life for a while, somehow I always knew it would be a part of my life. I kept all of the resources I had gathered during my child care years neatly packed away and it's been a blast pulling them out of storage and organizing them in a room of my own design.
I think this will be a great experience and I hope to do Mrs. VanDyke proud.
There is a special teacher
Who touches that child's life
And makes all the difference
A teacher who's belief in that child
Helps her to believe in herself
-S Bradshaw