Competent Communicator

When I read the description for this assignment I knew immediately the person I wanted to talk about.  Yesterday was the 4^th of July and I spent time with my grandmother.  My father’s mother is a feisty woman and always speaks her mind.  In my household growing up there were several topics that were off limits.  I remember wanting to talk to my parents about sex, drugs and life questions and the answers were always short or ignored.  I felt as though I lived in a bubble and when it was time for me to go off to college, I did not feel prepared.  I called my grandmother the day before I left for school and our 3hr conversation changed my life.  She was so open to all my questions and answered all of them thoroughly.  After that conversation I began calling her once a week just to talk.  Over the years I have watched how she communicates with others and I have admired her strength.  Sometimes my granny can be a bit to blunt, but underneath it all is love.  She told once that sometimes the truth hurts but that was a part of life. 

I value the many lessons that I have learned about communication through my grandmother.  In my work with children and families, I have learned how to be gentle when talking to them about sensitive topics, but I have also learned that no matter how sensitive the subject may be I have to be honest.  I think that is so important in our field.  I have worked with educators who only believed in telling the parents good things and never wanted to relay bad news.  In the long run it was the child that suffered because the truth wasn’t being told about the issues he/she was having.   It is a necessity and not an extra to exhibit good communication skills to our parents as well as their children.

Professional Hopes and Goals

This is the last blog post for my Perspective Diversity & Equity class.  I must admit that I am sad this class is over.  I have enjoyed it tremendously and I am a better person and educator because of this class.

One hope I have for working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I give them a sense of belonging.  I want them to feel like they are part of the group, yet they are able to still keep their social identities, which makes them special and diverse to start with.  I want my students and families to know that I understand culture, enjoy learning about it and that I plan on benefiting from each individuals cultural strengths and perspectives.

A goal that I would like to set for the field of early childhood related to diversity, equity, and social justice is that we continue to encourage differences and embrace the characteristics of others. All educators have something special to bring to the field. We all should recognize our skills and bring them to the field. Even if it seems like something so miniscule, every little bit counts!

I want to thank each of you for sharing your lives and stories with me and allowing me to share mine with you.  I opened up in this class and shared some personal experiences and not one time did I feel judged or embarrassed and I am eternally grateful for that.  I wish you all success, as we get closer to completing our Master’s program.  I hope that our paths cross again in the near future.

Dr. Parrish, I think you are an outstanding teacher and I have learned so much from you.  I almost dropped this class because I was feeling like I needed to take a break, but something stopped me from doing it and I am so happy that I didn’t.  I hope that before my program is over I am able to take another class from you.  Thank you so much!

Keli