Your Feedback on Leadership, Iraq, and Sleep

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty and charm and adventure.  There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.  So many people seem to go about their life’s business with their eyes shut.  Indeed, they object to other people keeping their eyes open.  Unable to play themselves, they dislike the play of others." - Jawaharlal Nehru

YOUR FEEDBACK ON LEADERSHIP, IRAQ, AND SLEEP

One of the wonderful unexpected benefits of sending out ExchangeEveryDay is the constant stream of passionate feedback we receive every day from readers.  We want to share a few recent thought-provoking examples today and tomorrow:

In response to "On Leading in a Diverse World" (July 22), Nancie Tonner-West commented . . .
"Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan has offered an unique way of seeing the concept of diversity. I will add this to my file for sharing with others. I would like to offer the following challenge to this author and other early educators in positions of leadership: let's have a dialogue on leadership and emphasize the act of leading. If children are to have quality experiences, everyone must be aware of leadership opportunities: teachers and assistant teachers, bus drivers, parents, custodians, and volunteers. We all impact children's lives. In these positions we must make significant decisions (exercising leadership) that affects the daily life of the child. Too often our choice of words perpetuates the myth that the leader is the person with the position of authority and all the rest of the team are followers. In our complex world, teams require leadership from each individual working together and individually 'taking the lead' for specific situations. When we have a conversation about leadership and 'how I can be a leader in my role' we change the typical perception of leader and follower.

"Harrison Owen states, 'The role of leadership is to engage in the quest (pose the question) for the realization of human potential. And the goal of leadership is not the establishment of some perfect state ( the Right Thing), but rather the heightened quality of the journey itself. The secret is out. We are all leaders, and there are plenty of us. At least, that is this story'  (Leadership Is - 1989)."

In response to "Report from Iraq" (July 21) Bonnie Cummings, ECE Instructor at Northampton Community College and mother of three, observes . . .
"As I read the report on Iraq, I was devastated to hear of the conditions for these poor children.  But I had a second thought‹many children in our own country live under these same conditions. I am in support of offering help where needed, but I feel pretty strongly that the children in our country deserve our help first.  I wish our country, and all of us could see that our children, their child care programs and other institutions, and many families need our support. When we have addressed the needs of our own country‹then we will be able to help others.  The current situation makes me think of parents putting the needs of their own family second, in order to help other families.  Our own need to be fed well, provided safe living conditions and supported properly by our country‹if they are not, how will we expect them to show the same empathy for others that we now expect?"

In response to "Sleep Key to Learning" (June 20) Kathy Baumgart from Wild Things Childcare in Coon Rapids, Minnesota (with a great logo: "nature ~ nonsense ~ nurturing") commented . . .
"Thank you for spreading the word some school districts are taking the lead and putting the needs of the students before extracurricular activities!  I live in one of those school districts which adopted a later starting time. As a child care provider, I noticed a big difference when parents shifted their work starting hours and now have an 'easier' time with their children in the morning and the children are eating better breakfasts, either at home-with parents (!)‹or here at their childcare home . . . a point not realized in the article.  Our elementary children go to school at 9 a.m. now‹and they are fully awake, well-fed, and better rested. (Junior High and High School students have starting times a bit earlier than that.) I expect that long-range a change such as this will improve overall negative behavior and fighting among the children. A later start is also a safety measure: children are not standing out on corners waiting for buses or walking to school in the dark in the winter months."

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