Profession Hopes and Dreams

As I think about working with children and families that come from diverse

backgrounds I hope to have a level of awareness and skills to successfully relate

to the different cultures that are represented. With this awareness, I will also be able to

help the children to grow and thrive as we synchronize the home and school cultures.

                                               

My goal as it relates to the issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice in the

early childhood field is to be the change I want to see. Children are great imitators of

what they see and hear, especially from the significant adults in their lives. As I learned

about microaggressions, I realized that I was guilty of using them against others. So, as I

seek to help my students develop, I intend to model thoughtful respect for the cultures and differences in others. This must be evident in words and actions. As I demonstrate positive acceptance, my students will be more likely to do so as well, and together we will produce

the first ripple that results in a bias-free school and community.

At this time I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues. Thank you for your words of encouragement, and your thoughtful post on my blog entries. You have also given me much food for thought during our weekly discussions, and for that I must also say thank you. I would like to single out Laura, Taylor, and Jessica for their posts that really challenged me to think before speaking.

Dr. Davenna, I must say that I have enjoyed this course and have learned a lot in it. Your posts during our discussion have added to my understanding of the concepts being reviewed, especially when I had to go back to reread or listen to the weekly resources for a better grasp. Thank you for your hands-on approach during this course.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I am the teacher of 4-year-olds in a preschool. I have just been informed that I will be adding a little girl to my classroom. Her family has recently emigrated from Curacao. As I prepare to be culturally responsive towards this family here are some of the things that I would need to do:

 I do not know anything about this country so right away I have to do some research as I prepare for the little girl.  Curacao is a small country in South America.  Knowing where the family is coming from is important in understanding the culture they would belong to.

As I seek to make the child feel welcome in my classroom, I would find out the colors of her country, and pictures of significant places that she may be familiar with. I would make a display of the national symbols of her country.

I would have to find out the language spoken in the country.  If I cannot speak this language then I would have to find someone on my staff, or a resource person if possible who speaks the language. If possible, I would have this person available for when the child and her family comes to school, to welcome them in their own language. I would also endeavor to learn some basic words in the language in order to communicate with the little girl.

I would also try to find out how they greet each other in this culture. For example, do they shake hands or kiss cheeks, do they make eye contact or bow their heads, or do they speak firmly or with a whisper? This is important as I would not want to offend, or to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

I would also try to learn about religious customs and practices that they may ascribe to. I would want to know if there are any holy days that they adhere to or customs that are celebrated in my country that they would not be comfortable taking part in.

Finally, I would need to learn which of the parents or family members I should communicate with if possible, in relation to the little girl.  In some cultures, the mother would be responsible for everything concerning the children, while in others the fathers speak to persons outside the family. It would be important to know which parent I should be addressing. 

As I seek to prepare myself and my classroom, it is in an effort to be welcoming to the new family. I hope to help them realize that they would be accepted just as they are. I would not want to do anything that the family would find offensive as they join our school family. I hope the displays from their country of origin would help them to feel a little bit at home although they may be far away. They should be able to see that their country will be one of many different countries and cultures represented and respected in my class. Also, I believe that my attempts to use their language will help them to see that they are welcomed.  

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

It is more than 150 years since the abolition of slavery yet racism and prejudice are still rampant and sometimes it seems to be increasing. The most overt demonstration of racism that I have witnessed was targeted towards some of my family members. My sister and I were vacationing in South Florida some years ago when our children were still very young. We were at a lovely resort and my sister was taking the children to play in one of the kiddie pools while I relaxed on a lounge chair nearby. As they approached the pool, we all noticed a white woman with two children already in the pool. My sister took the baby with her into the water and our other two children followed close behind her. As they entered one side of the pool, the lady called her children over and motioned for them to quickly come out of the pool. I was shocked to hear her tell those children to come out of the pool before it gets dirty. They left the pool area completely and went inside. I have never been so humiliated in my life. My sister and I still laugh about the incident to this day. The only bright side to that story was that our children were too young to understand what was happening.

In the scenario mentioned the women wanted obviously felt as though she and her children were better than we were. We know differently, but it does leave a stain if repeated over and over in an individual’s life. I may be able to laugh now at the ignorance demonstrated by the lady, but at the time I was very angry. This was more so because the children were with my sister and me, and I did not want them tainted with the stains and stench that racism brings. For the incident to be converted into an opportunity for greater equity the mindset of the woman would have to change. She was demonstrating a belief that she was superior to us and I know that all are created equal in the sight of God. The scenario could have been quite different if she had allowed the children, in their innocence to interact with each other as children do. It is only when we as adult interfere, influencing the children with our biases and hidden agendas that we perpetuate racism to the next generation.