Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Throughout my coursework in this Early Childhood Studies program I have learned that situations that have occurred in my personal life, regarding issues related to diversity, can have a positive or negative impact on the way I function in the workplace and interact with children and their families.  I have had to confront issues that I thought I had buried as well as address and deal with any bias I had.  With the insights and strategies I have gained from this course and program, my hope is that I can make all interactions with children and families positive regardless of what I may be experiencing, or may have experienced in my personal life.

An “ism” that I have experienced in the past is racism. Because of the pain I still carried due to racism, I did not allow myself to develop relationships with white people.  I always had my guard up when I was around them and I carried this into my classroom.

I will be honest and say that if I had to deal with racist behavior on a daily basis it would be very difficult for me to do my job.  I work at a predominantly white school and I not sure if I would be able to separate my personal feelings from work.  Thank God that is not the case!

If there was an issue amongst the children in my class that involved any “ism”,   I would encourage discussions, using persona dolls, that would allow me and the children in my class to discuss any racism that we feel we have experienced and how it made us feel.  I could also ask families to send in pictures of them with their child or children to post on bulletin boards or the wall and talk about how each family is different.  These activities and discussions, as well as providing books and other materials for the learning environment, would help me to effectively communicate with children and their families, as well as help children learn to accept and respect racial similarities and differences.

Observing Communication

My observation took place yesterday at Target.  I was shopping for a friend's baby shower and I observed a conversation between a mother and her son.  I am not sure how old he was, but he could not have been any older that 3 or 4.

I overheard her the mother talking to a friend and learned that she was also buying a gift for a baby shower.  The little boy asked her if the baby was a boy or girl and his mother answered that it was a boy.  She told him that the baby's name was going to be Landon and he asked her who picked that name.  He then went on to ask who named him.  Before his mother could answer, he answered his question and said that he was born with his name.  His mother's friend looked at the child and told him that he was being stupid and that the reason he was born with his name was because his mother had chosen it before he was born. His mother said nothing.

The two women continued looking around the baby section and talking about the baby shower.  The child became really quiet and followed behind them.  I continued to observe them from afar but was having a constant battle with myself as to whether i should continue to be silent or speak up for this innocent child.  After a few minutes of being silent, the child asked if he could get a toy and the mother's friend answered first and told him that if he didn't say anything else she would buy him two. His mother laughed and told her that she was crazy.  Again, I watched this precious child withdraw and not utter another sound.

I could not watch them anymore because I was becoming more and more upset.  I kept playing the scene over in my head of this child being told he was stupid.  Honestly the only stupid person I saw was the one doing the name calling.  The definition of "stupid" is lacking intelligence or common sense and in my opinion anyone that would call someone, especially a child stupid fits that description .

The only effective communication I observed was at the beginning when the mother and child were talking about the sex of the baby.  That all changed as soon as the mothers friend became involved.  I don't know the nature of their relationship, but I can't believe this mother stood by and allowed her child to be called stupid.  She should have stood up for her son as soon as the word stupid left her mouth.  My heart broke for this child and I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about him.  I kept asking myself why did she bring him with her if all she was going to do was ignore him.  I pray that this doesn't happen often, but something in my gut tells me that it does.

My communication with children is much better than what I observed.  I strive to be accepting, respectful, and sensitive in my communication with children (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  The one thing that I am working on is to be a more effective and reflective listener.  I want my verbal as well as my nonverbal behavior to reflect that I am interested in what they are saying, and that I am willing to see and try to understand situations from their perspective.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Communicating with young children. [Course media].

Creating Affirming Environments

When I open my Family Childcare Home, I will strive to provide an anti-bias environment where children feel safe, welcome, and supported in all areas of development.  Children will be engaged in one-on-one conversations and interactions as well as group activities to promote that they are valued.   The families will be an integral part of the program with an open door policy and family members will be encouraged to volunteer and share their abilities and talents.  Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) convey “when we reach out to families to include them in every aspect of our program, families feel that they are teachers’ true partners” (p. 42).   Respect and appreciation for individual sociocultural factors will be a priority.            

Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) explain that children need materials that reflect and honor diversity not only from their identity groups, but also from identity groups that are different from theirs.  This will help children, and families, to appreciate, respect, and value similarities and differences.  The large family room will have a dramatic play area with clothing and uniforms representing various careers, diverse foods, and dolls reflecting different racial and ethnic background.  The block area will have various kinds of block and block play people with diverse abilities.  The music center will have diverse child musical instruments and music representing different cultures.  In the art area, there will be construction paper, crayons, multi-colored paints and an easel, as well as play dough for children to express their creativity.  There will also be an area where children can display their artwork.  The goal of my Family Child Care Home will be to promote a child’s healthy self-image and self-confidence and provide optimal opportunities to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.    

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

                                                                      

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.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families. Currently at my center we have two children and they have two mommies. I recently sat down with the leadership team because I felt that we needed to do more to make this family feel included. I received there full support and began researching books to add to my classroom. One of the parents in my classroom overheard me talking my co teacher about and that night I had an email from her. She told me that she thought it was great that these two women had adopted those "poor" boys, but she did not want me to read anything to her child about families with gay parents. I think that I read the email 3 times because I was totally shocked. I wasn't expecting this and didn't know how to handle it. The next day I spoke with the leadership team again and they sent out a school wide email that said that the school acknowledges all families and that we want them to feel included in our school. Shortly after the gmail went out the family that complained gave notice and left the school. If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all child? I am guilty of telling a child to "man up" which basically means to stop acting like a female and to start acting like a man. When I said it, I didn't think about what as coming out of my mouth. I thought about it after the fact and realized how wrong it was. I have caught my niece saying things like "fag" and "sissy". When I asked her where she heard those words her answer was at school. I asked her what other words she had heard and I was shocked to hear "bitch", "slut" and other offensive words. We had a long talk about what these words mean and how offensive they can be to others. We are both working on being more cognizant about the things that we say.