What I Have Learned

What I Have Learned

One of my most passionate hopes when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that we as educators would ensure that they have a value system. This is a value system that will nurture all “children’s healthy identity and their positive attitudes towards others” (Derman-Sparks, & Edwards, 2010, p.7). It is a value system that will “pay attention to the realities of children’s lives” (2010, p.7) and “build strong relationships with the staff as well as families” (2010, p.9). From both these ideas, it is my firm belief that when my children and their families recognize that I genuinely care and value them as people, they will thrive and develop. I am positive too that they will have a different mindset towards education, themselves and others.  

In light of the early childhood field, one goal that I would set for issues relating to diversity, equity, and social justice is the idea of not allowing oneself to be a victim of any circumstances. No child or family should be caught up in this mindset because they will start making excuses for what they could or could not achieve because of their circumstances. It was Dr. Benjamin Carson, M.D. Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, at the John Hopkins Hospital who ignited this idea as I listened to his speech at the Fellowship Foundation National Prayer Breakfast on the following website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdQK9sLdYvs . I have taken to heart from his speech the beautiful thought that our children need to see the connecting thread between who they are and what they can accomplish. When they can see this, they will not allow themselves to be “victims, nor will they make excuses, but they will start looking for solutions to their problems” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdQK9sLdYvs. It is therefore my responsibility as an anti-bias educator, to give all children this hope, that regardless of diversity, inequity or any form of injustice, they all can be liberated and realize their full potential as members of the human race.

At this point, I wish to thank all my colleagues and Dr. Klein for their input in how much I have learnt from this course.  I hope that my colleagues will have the time to visit the website to listen to the speech of Dr. Carson. He had some interesting points on the education system that we could utilize as educators.

Reference

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).

Start Seeing Diversity: Creating Art

D- Divided we are on everything

I- Including life, love and the color of our skin

 

V –Very biased we are-

  E- Even resentful too-what a broken identity!

R- Ready to kill the vulnerable – children?

S- Stereotyping, traumatizing …WE MUST STOP! THINK TO

I-Integrate and stop the hate!

 

T-Think to inspire peace and love!

 Y-Yearn to embrace respect and build a better world for our children to

Thrive and develop into great human beings.

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

Blog Assignment: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

It is amazingly unusual, how young children will notice differences in each other and often, to the consternation of the adults around them, have no problem vocalizing these differences in a blatant manner. I can remember Lori (not her real name) a student in one of the pre-k 3 classes shouting at Ms. Aberdeen (not her real name), “you ugly, you ugly, and you ugly.”  We tried to ignore it, but she kept on saying it. We were taken aback by her persistence.  I knew too that Ms. Aberdeen was so hurt, that she could only respond by saying, “that is not nice, Lori, you should not say that to anyone.”

Realizing Ms. Aberdeen’s hurt, I decided to take Lori aside and to talk to her about “name-calling” and its effects on others. I also used the incident as an opportunity to discuss with the class how to use polite and kind words to our friends and teachers. This I reminded them is how we show respect to our friends and teachers. In big things and little things (Derman-Sparks, & Edwards, 2010, p.83) emphatically warns us that “what may seem like “a little thing” by itself to you [us] can add up with other little things to cause serious harm-so don’t ignore it.” They further state that as educators we have to “be alert for indicators of discomfort or potential bias (e.g., anxiety, teasing, name calling or exclusion) and be sure to learn more about possible underlying causes as you [we] plan further action”(2010, p. 83).

By our responding firmly to Lori’s name-calling we may have communicated that she was doing something to make her teacher hurt or sad. We hoped too as (Pelo, 2008) suggests in the days to come we would have equipped our students with the “skills and strategies” they will need to develop more understanding and respect for differences in their lives.

Therefore, as the course media on “Start Seeing Diversity: Physical Ability and Characteristics" points out we can support children like Lori to view differences in people by using a variety of pictures of people to point out that people come in different shapes, looks and sizes. As we help them to sort these pictures we ourselves as educators can tell them that we have friends and even family members that shape and look differently from each other. The work of the anti-bias educator is ongoing and never –ending and even when it may seem impossible to achieve, it is hoped that in every classroom where the work is carried out by modeling respect and acceptance for each other, our children will be able to counteract their own biases (Pelo, 2008).

References

Course Media: "Start Seeing Diversity: Physical Ability and Characteristics"

https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2F

blackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4067587_1%26url%3D

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).

Pelo, A. (Ed.) (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

The world is now opening up to diversity than it has ever done during former years. As I viewed both videos on “Start Seeing Diversity: Gender, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation,” my own social identity lenses are now more clearer in understanding  how important it is to be supportive of our children in their early childhood development. As an early childhood educator, I am more aware that homophobia and heterosexism permeate the world of young children in the language that they use towards each other. If our children see two boys embracing each other or two girls hugging each other, they start pointing fingers at them and hurled comments like “gay” and “lesbian” at these children. The term, “that’s so gay” or “he gay” is the most familiar term I have heard. The culture of most early childhood centers do not accommodate all family types either. I have come to realize that when the children in my center go the dramatic play area, the boys tend to play more as “daddies,”  “truck drivers,” and “builders” while the girls get the dolls and play the “mommies” with ease and comfort. There are not enough books supporting diversity as well.

It is against the above-mentioned background that I realize that we as early childhood educators, as (Pelo, 2008) suggests, need to do more active intervention work “if our children are to develop positive attitudes about people of different races and background” (2008). The toy stores and movies still continue to exhibit “the sex-role stereotypes” of the macho man and fantasy world of glittering, giggling princesses who are waiting to be validated by the men in their lives (Pelo, 2008). It becomes imperative that we start or continue to open up conversations with our families with regard to what is happening in our societies and around the world as it relates to gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. When these conversations begin, they will assist us as educators to provide opportunities not only for our students but also our parents to explore their ideas on gender identity and sexual orientation. It is my firm belief that when parents are fully informed on the importance of being respectful and of valuing everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender, it would not be difficult to help them to understand that their children’s educational goals would be met even if it is being carried out by a person perceived as a homosexual or transgender (Derman-Sparks, & Olsen Edwards, (2010).

References

Course Media: "Start Seeing Diversity: Gender" Retrieved from

https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2

Course Media: "Start Seeing Diversity: Sexual Orientation" Retrieved from

https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Pelo, A. (Ed.). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.