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.
I hope you continue your inspiring journey through this course. As I was reading your post I thought to myself that I want to be that change also, but how do I compete with parents' view of the world if it is negative? I know I will have to try my best and influence them the best I can. But that is where families and early childhood need to join hand in hand in raising children all the while respecting their culture which may be different from ours.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed learning and growing with you in this course. This course for me as well has caused me to do a lot of self reflection. Self reflection is a great thing because it can make us better people and educators. I know we will never be perfect but I hope that I can effectively communicate with children and families and not offend them but offer a wonderful experience.
ReplyDeleteHello Dellarece,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your post throughout this course. We think alike on a lot of issues. A lot of your post helped me think outside of the box, and self reflect. I too aspire to be the change to help children and families understand and respect diversity. However, it's going to take all hands on deck to see these changes through.