1. Introduction to EDU 671 Hello Instructor and classmates. My name is Lawanda Emory and I have on white. That is my daughter with the braids.

2. Introduction My name is LaWanda Emory. I have worked with young children for many years. I started out at Pre-k where I worked for 4 years and then I moved on to work for Head Start for 15 years and that’s where I am at this point. I have learned and experienced a lot over the many years that I have been working with children but there is always room for growth.

3. Professional Background Since I have been at Head Start, I have earned a CDA in early childhood education. I am also a CDA advisor for Head Start. I obtained an associate degree in early childhood education in 2005 and continued my studies to earn a bachelor’s in 2013. That was still not enough so I decided to further my education and pursue a Master’s Degree in Special Education where I hope to finished in Feb. 2014.

4. Personal Background I am a native of the Peach State (Georgia) where I live with my 13 year old daughter. I enjoy reading, cooking, walking, and doing crossword puzzles. My daughter and I have lived in Macon, Ga. For six years but before that we lived in a much smaller town in GA.

5. K-12 Background As I was growing up in school, I was quiet for the most part but I enjoyed school and my friends. I was the kind of student who always did her work (my mama didn’t have it any other way). I can remember getting in trouble one time and that was in the 2 nd grade. I was an only child for about 10 years and then my brother came along so I was glad to go to school and be around others my age.

6. Life’s Influence My mother had a great influence on me because she always encouraged me to do my best at whatever I did. My mother was also a single parent so she taught me the values of working hard for what I wanted in life. Linda, a family friend, was also a great influence on my life. She was in the military but she took up a lot of time with me and encouraged me to make good choices in life.

7. Future Position After receiving my Master’s in Education, I hope to find a job working with children who have disabilities. I want to come out of the classroom and work with children in a different capacity. One day I may even consider opening my own center for children with disabilities.

8. Impact on obtaining a Master’s Degree I believe that by obtaining this Master’s Degree, I will be able to better serve the children that I care for on a daily basis. It has always been a goal of mine to help all of my students but being able to help a child who has special needs would really make my job worth it.

9. LaWanda’s favorite Quote A quote that stands out in my mind that I have remembered for years is “Attitude plus effort equals my level of success”. Out of all the quotes that this teacher wrote on the board, this was the one that stuck and I think that it is so true and will take you a long way in life. I do not remember who the author but this is a great quote to live by.