What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that my attitude and behavior will always demonstrate acceptance and respect for all types of diversity. This course has provided me the opportunity to examine myself in a way that I had not done in previous years. Through reflection and some reexamination, I have learned a lot about myself and now know what I need to do to call myself an anti-bias educator.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field is to make sure that all early childhood professionals and staff be trained and educated on issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.  I think it is essential for everyone in the field of education and early childhood to be aware of how biases influence our society and everyone in it. If we all do our part to make education more equitable and just for people from all types of backgrounds, then we will be able to make a tremendous impact on the lives of children and their families.  As educators, we can’t control what is being taught at home, but we can set criteria of respect and tolerance when our students are in our classrooms.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleges for their input and support throughout this learning process that we have undergone together. This class has been a great learning experience. It has been so wonderful to have the support of my classmates through this class. I have enjoyed the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with my peers throughout this class. I appreciate all the responses and comments they have helped me look deeper and think harder.  Thank you so much for everything, and I hope to see you all in the next class on our journey!!

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: Creating Art

Below is a photo collage of what diversity mean to me, as well as, a beautiful poem"Can A White Boy Dream Like Martin Luther King?", written by Patrick M. Shutt.

I looked at myself in the mirror today. There were no lies in the eyes of the truth that was being conveyed. He told me something so simple and yet so sound and profound. He said that it was okay for a white boy to dream like Martin Luther King. But then. I excused, stated, and proclaimed, I am not black, for I am white, surely this cannot be my fight." "Your epidermis may be light. You bleed in humanity's colors." He explains Your blood pumps blue through your heart and in your veins. It oxidizes red when it exits your wounds. You don't see in gray. You feel in hot and cold. You see in only black and white, with no lukewarm in sight. Yes, a white boy can dream like Martin Luther King. Your momma didn't raise no fool, Your DNA is interwoven with the talent and the tools, capable of the same type of change that MLK orchestrated in decades past. You don't bundle up in tattered rags of hate. You are clothed in unity, Embroidered in equality, Tattooed in diversity, but most importantly- You are saturated in purity and grace. From the blackest coal, into the brightest, shiniest, sharpest, strongest diamond, is a "so-called lowly white boy who can dream big like Martin Luther King.

 Patrick M. Shutt


 I decided to add this video of Christopher Duffy. This is from 2010 and at the time he was 10 years old. I was overcome with emotion as I watched it and the tears I shed were of pure joy. Christopher is blind and also autistic and expresses himself clearly through song. As a musician, I know how powerful music is and the affects that it can have on both the musician and the listener.

The video has a long introduction.  If you don't want to watch it scroll to 3:05, this is right before Christopher begins singing.

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

In this blog, I was asked to identify a time when I witnessed an adult (or myself) reprimand or silence a child after he or she pointed out someone they saw as different. I often talk about experiences that I have had with my niece Kalynn. We spend a lot of time together, and I have watched her grow and develop into a sting willed, independent 10-year-old. When Kalynn was five years old, we would spend every weekend in the park. I have three dogs, and she loved to run around with them. On this particular day, we decided to go to Piedmont Park, located in Midtown Atlanta. Midtown Atlanta has a reputation for its large gay community, and I did not think that Kalynn would notice because I wasn't paying attention to the people around us. We ventured to Piedmont on a Sunday, and I learned later that Sundays at Piedmont has been called Gay Sundays. Kalynn and I were walking around trying to locate the playground and were approached by a group of guys that wanted a closer look at the dogs. Kalynn became extremely uncomfortable and grabbed my hand and moved as close to me as possible. I looked down to see what was going on with her, and she looked so scared. I asked her what was wrong, and she replied that she did not want to go to hell for speaking to "faggots." To say that I was shocked is an understatement. The guys playing with my dogs heard her and so did the people walking nearby. For about 15 seconds I had no clue how to handle this situation. I believe the first thing I said to her was that we did not use that word. I apologized to the men and went to sit on a bench with Kalynn. At the time, she was going to a Christian school, and I wanted to know where she had heard that word. Kalynn informed me that she heard her friends brother telling someone that if he saw two men holding hands or kissing then they were "faggots". She also said that her friends father had told his son that those people go straight to hell, and so did anyone that spoke to them. I thanked Kalynn for sharing that with me and told her that she was not in trouble. Instead of staying on the bench, I decided that the best way to teach her about homosexuality would be to walk around and talk about what we saw. We located the playground, and there was a couple there with their two children. I asked Kalynn to describe what she saw, and she said that she saw two little girls and two men. I then asked her who did she think the two men were, and she seemed confused. I explained to her that they were the girl's fathers. I then compared the relationship that we had. I am not Kalynn's mother, but for the first several years of her life neither her mother or father were present in her life and I became her mother figure. I explained to her that even though I was not the woman that gave birth to her that I loved her like she was my daughter. We talked more about it and before long Kalynn was on the playground with the two girls and I was talking to their dads. I explained to them what had happened, and they told me that they had had to deal with situations like that often at their kids school. The advised me to continue having conversations with Kalynn about differences and to let her ask all the questions she wanted. Now five years later, Kalynn and I have an amazing relationship, and I am glad that she feels comfortable in knowing that she can talk to me about anything. It is important as anti-bias educators to encourage and support children sharing what they think and how they feel (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Encouraging this openness will “help teachers to asses each child’s cognitive and emotional development, thereby strengthening our ability to provide accurate information and to teach respectful ways for interacting which in turn, creates a sense of community among the children” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 129). Reference: Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.