What I have Learned!

As I leave this course, my hopes and goals are plentiful. When I think about working with children who come from diverse backgrounds, my hope is that ALL educators strive to be anti-bias educators. An anti-bias approach is beneficial to a child’s overall development. This approach is also very beneficial to our society. The world would be so much more accepting of the people that they encounter. As a result, we wouldn’t allow things such as race, religion or socioeconomic status to hinder us from collaborating with one another and creating greatness.

One goal for the early childhood field is that it becomes mandatory that classes on diversity are taught because everyone, regardless of their specialization within the field, should understand the role of diversity as we interact with children in one way or another.

In the past eight weeks, I have learned a lot from this course as well as my fellow classmates. There have been points within the course where I did not completely understand what a particular assignment asked or how to present the information. In those moments I have turned to my classmates. Through your different insights and perspectives, I have been able to better understand certain concepts. I think that everyone has been an asset to this course and keeping our discussions very informative and respectful. For all of these things, I am thankful for all of you.

Creating Art!

D. I. V. E. R. S. I. T. Y.

Different Individuals Valuing Each other Regardless of Skin, Intellect, Talents/abilities or Years.

We Don't Say Those Words in Class!

I work in a center, that that dominantly serves African American families. We are open to everyone, and definitely do not discriminate, but just recently, we had a Caucasian girl enter our Pre-K class. This has been an adjustment to the class, both teachers and students alike. Only because it is one thing to discuss diversity and inclusion when everyone in the class has so many similarities, but now that we actually have someone of a different ethnicity, we will have to put all that we are learning and have learned about diversity into action.

During the child’s first week in the classroom, one of the boys at her lunch table said, “That’s a white girl.” The teacher serving as a sub within our classroom, told the boy not to say that and that he was being rude. The little boy grabbed his lips, shocked that an adult had heard, and began to look down at the table. I can only imagine that the boy felt embarrassed and in some ways confused. The little girl was indeed “white” so what exactly had he said wrong, I’m sure he thought. He was probably also embarrassed at the idea that he was reprimanded in front of his friends as well.

An anti-biased educator would have used the situation as a teaching moment about the ways in which we are different, which is exactly what we did. And that it is okay to be different from one another as long as we respect one another. It is important not to shame children, but to take the time to correct them and teach them the ways of the world. We have to understand that children have yet to develop the ability to filter. With small children, what comes up, comes out. Instead of acting so quickly to quiet a child though, we should use that time to help them understand to reduce the likelihood of developing bias.

Gender, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

To begin, I have a huge family. Often times the children and tweens in my family consider my home a safe haven. Needless to say, I always have children (covering all age ranges) over. One behavior that I have found myself correcting often is the children calling one another “fags” and or “gay.” I find them doing it every chance they get. If someone says something they feel is not masculine enough, they’re called “gay.” If someone shows emotions, like telling one another, “I love you before going to bed,” they’re called gay. I’m not sure where it has come from, if it’s something they do in school amongst their peers, but we have begun implementing consequences.

I have explained to the children that the terms they are using are offensive and should not be used because of the effects they can have on others. I try to have them understand how it feels to hear offensive terms used towards them. They often tell me that they are not meaning to be offensive and that they are playing around. For me though, it is important that they understand that their words will not always be taken lightly by people that are offended by them. I want them to understand the importance of respecting everyone at all times. Both in private and in public.

Farewell!

With each new course, I have grown to appreciate my colleagues and the many ways that they help me learn within each course. There are some that I turn to when I am unsure of exactly which angle I should take in answering questions. There are others to who provide so much valuable insight from perspectives I may not have otherwise considered. With each new class, I feel like I have grown to know you all personally to some extent. 

 To my colleagues, we've reached our adjourning phase, I wish you all much success in all that you do. For many of us, we have a lot on our plates. We’re working full time jobs, with families that depend on us and so many other things that are required of us, but we are almost at the finish line. I have faith that everyone will successfully complete this program and continue to live out their dreams. 

Continue to positively impact the children that you encounter, because in many cases, we are all these children have!! Take care and be blessed!

Team Building and Collaboration, Part I

As I think of the adjourning phase of groups, the thought of leaving a job comes to mind. Regardless of the field of work, when you work for a corporation, organization or whatever, you work as a part of a team. When a person has to leave that team for whatever reason, unless it is abrupt, there is an adjourning phase. Thus far in my life, I have had about five different jobs, currently employed with the fifth. For each job I had stayed for at least 2 years, sometimes overlapping. Each time that I left a job for one reason or another, I was able to provide notices well ahead of time, rather it was relocating or finding a better paying position. With each group, there was an adjourning phase and within that phase there was a termination ritual of some sort. In one case where we gathered to celebrate our achievements and relationships developed during our time together, my job through me a surprise going away party. I had worked within the Health Services program of my college since late in my freshman year of school and throughout college. During that time, I made a lot of life long lasting relationships. As the youngest employee within the office, I was able to take in a lot from the people around me. Working within the program was a great overall experience and I hated leaving, but I knew it was time to spread my wings. It was really hard to leave this group in particular, but they were very supportive and we all kept in touch well after I left, even up to now. The adjourning phase was necessary for this situation, because during out termination ritual, I was reassured that they had my best interest at heart. They were able to provide words of encouragement and shed light on the skills and assets they felt I brought to the table, which helped to build my self-confidence.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Managemen

A conflict that I am currently experiencing is a struggle with grades. For the last year and a half, I have had custody of my niece, now 14, and my nephew, soon to be 12. My nephew is currently in the 7th grade, but last year, his first year in middle school, he struggled a bit. It was my belief that he was trying to find his way in a new school setting, with new teachers and more advanced requirements. It was rough at first, but he made it through the school year passing all of his courses with a B average and passing all of his required state required testing as well. This year, he is doing awesome academically, it is still very early on, but I have faith that he will finish strong. My niece on the other hand, is more social and has always struggled academically. Last year she made it out of the eighth grade by the skin of her teeth and even had to retake some of her state required testing to be promoted to the ninth grade. She is now struggling in the ninth grade and though it is still early, I want her to understand the importance of getting good grades in the beginning and keeping them up because it is hard to pull up failing grades. I want to consider the fact that her brother struggled his first year in middle school and this is her first year in high school. The only issue with that is their two very different children with too different drives. She is showing improvement, staying after school, completing extra credit assignments, but I just want her to understand the idea that it is so much easier if you get it right the first time around. I have tried everything from getting her a tutor to grounding her from her cell phone. She is a very sweet, very mannerable child, but I need her to understand how important her education is and push her to value that. Within our conflict, I am always sure to communicate to her how I feel about her grades, I congratulate her on her progress, but I also stress to her that I want her to understand why her grades should be more important to her than they are to me. I am sure to communicate to her that I believe in her and what she is capable of, but this conflict is one that I cannot wait to wave goodbye to.

Is Your Communication Effective?

I took the time to use this evaluation as a fun exercise for my husband and my close coworker. My husband was reluctant, but I really wanted to know the results. To both our surprise, he ranked me just as I ranked myself. We were a few points off here and there, but still fell within the same category on each skills test. It made me feel as though we were on the same page in regards to my communication skills and it made me feel as though I am effectively communicating with him as we should. We plan to complete the assessment on him for fun. My coworker’s assessment of me was also very similar to my own. We work very closely with one another and I feel as though she knows me pretty well. Our results, were also dead on. Her results helped me to realize that though I may use different channels of communication in different situations, I am still the same in many ways. Both my husband and my coworker helped me to realize that I am pretty consistent with the way that I communicate. I would like to strive to be even better and even more effective within my home, my workplace and my community.

Communication within Diverse Cultural Settings

When I think of the diverse cultures that I regularly encounter, and look into my behavior within these cultures, I do believe that my behavior changes, to some extent depending on the culture. When I am with people who are not within my culture, i.e., my religion, my traditions, my ethnicity, my profession, I feel that I am guarded and very cautious of my actions and the message I convey be it verbal or nonverbal. In many cases, I am guarded because I want to be a positive reflection of my culture. Most specifically, my African American culture. This is important to me because though culture is about more than my race or color, it is the most obvious at first glance. In so many cases I believe that people often get the wrong perception of my African American culture, so whenever I encounter someone new I feel obligated to show people that we are so much more than our common stereotypes and misperceptions. After a few encounters though, I feel that a person knows me well enough to no longer even consider the typical stereotypes and appreciate me more as an individual. In regards to my effectively communicating, I am learning more and more how important it is to listen, not only to respond, but to actual hear and receive the message that is being delivered. I plan to be more conscious of this concept. Though I believe I speak pretty well, it is important to appreciate the role of listener. This stands out to me a lot because in so many cases, I am listening, hearing the context of the conversation, then considering schemas that have developed along the way, assuming that I know the outcome and that is not the way effective communicators, listen. I am working to focus more within a conversation on what is being said right then rather than the similar stories I may have heard in the past.

Interpreting Communication

This past Friday, as my husband sat down to watch one of his shows, I had a chance to take a break from my typical list of things to do and sit down to watch a round with him. While getting settled before the show started, my one year old found the remote and decided we should watch a different show Extreme Fear Factor: Siblings. (Impromptu movie night with our one year old, this is the life!) Since the show was new to the both of us, I thought what a perfect time to make my observation of the way we interpret nonverbal communication. We watched the show without audio and it was actually pretty neat, these were my observations!

**Without audio**

-Three sets of sibling pairs: two males, two females and one male and one female

-I could not have made a definite call on how the individuals were related, but it is evident that they are familiar with one another and came into the show together, or have really strong chemistry

-competitions are fierce, but the pairs are at least attempting the challenges

-the pairs are real team players cheering one another on; they are jumping up and down cheering one another on

-[Sidebar: What the heck are they supposed to be doing with that?!?!?]

**With audio**

Had my husband, not told me the relation between the pairs, I definitely would not have been able to determine that these people were siblings. Though some of them were same sex, they could have very well have been affectionate, but not over the top, couples. Something that tickled me about watching with audio vs. without audio was the fact that I believed the other teams were cheering them on, when in reality, they were cheering for them to quit so they would have a better chance at winning the $50k cash prize. Though I knew there was a reward of some sort attached to the challenge, had I known there was a $50, 000 reward, I probably would have developed a scenario other than them cheering one another on.

After completing the assignment, I have come to better understand the way that our perception of a person or situation can change based on our level of familiarity. When I have encountered a person or situation on multiple occasions, I have a more accurate perspective of what to expect and how to handle certain situations, but it is not always that simple. We have to be aware that not every person or situation will be the same, and it does not benefit anyone when we make assumptions and treat people based on those assumptions. We have to remain open minded to receiving the message being delivered.

Demonstrating Competent Communication

President Barack Obama is one of the greatest speakers of our time. When he speaks, his poise and charisma is almost hypnotizing. Regardless of the topic being discussed, President Obama’s tone and body language are always appropriate. He is also always sure to make full eye contact with his audience. President Obama is sincere and his approach is captivating. Rather you are watching him live or on television, he makes you feel whichever emotion he is expressing.

Regardless of the topic or real time situations thrown at him when he is addressing an audience, President Obama always handles himself with dignity and respect, he is focused and certain to get his point across.

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds, my ultimate hope is for myself. My hope is that I am able to effectively advocate for the children and families that I encounter. As an early childhood educator, our environment and the children/families that we serve are forever changing. It is my hope that I that am able to promote feelings of respect, security, and feelings of empowerment with each child, and their family, that I serve; regardless their race color or creed.

If I had to set a goal for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice, it would be to put forth the necessary efforts to teach young children to appreciate differences between themselves and others. It is my belief that if we use teaching moments to address stereotypes and prejudice with very small children, we will see huge differences around us. The children that we serve will be able to go out and teach lessons of acknowledging and understanding our differences without even trying. If believe that if we teach children early on, stereotypes and prejudice among adults would also be reduced dramatically.

I would like to say thank you to each and every one of my classmates within this course. I have learned, through your posts, about how people can receive one topic and have such different perceptions. It has been awesome and I appreciate each and every one of you for the role that you have played throughout this course. The best of wishes to!!! Be blessed!!

Welcoming Families from Around the World

The child joining my group has emigrated from Haiti with his family. I have heard a lot about the country of Haiti, some good and some bad. Nevertheless, I am excited to learn all that I can about the country before my new child and his family arrives. I do not have any firsthand information on the country, so I have got to do my research.

I plan to read a few articles from credible resources on the country in itself. From the article, I will be able to gather information regarding current issues in Haiti. With that information, I may be able to better understand my family, and some of the hardships they may have encountered. I will also be able to better guide my conversation with the family, because I will know which topics to steer clear of due to sensitivity. In addition, I will be able to learn about the school system in Haiti and from that information work to make the student’s transition, as well as the parents, as smooth as possible.

From the credible resources, I plan to learn about the native language, holidays, etc. where I can check out books from the local library regarding those topics specifically. By doing so, I can make direct reference to those holidays and use a few common terms from time to time. By showing the new child, and his family, that I am making an effort to learn most about their country of origin, it will help to begin the foundation for a healthy relationship.

Next, I have a few friends and church members who have traveled to Haiti on mission work. I plan to speak with those people who have visited Haiti and have firsthand experience with the country. From them I plan to gather more upfront, non-sugar coated descriptions of the parts of the country that they have witnessed. They may have picked up a song or two that they may be willing to share that I can then sing for the child. I’m sure that would truly remind him of happy times back home. It would also help to promote our relationship because he would then feel as though we have something in common.

In my spare time, I will view blogs of people that have traveled to Haiti. This process will provide even more candid information on the country and what is to be expected. I may even be able to pick up on culture and traditions that stand out, but other may have failed to mention. The more resources and different perspectives, the better.

Lastly, I’m going to be sure to read over current course materials in addition to simply implementing what I have learned in the course thus far. With the information, I will be able to strategize the best approach for making sure the child and his family are comfortable within my classroom and the center overall. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

**Disclaimer: This post describes a memory that is very touchy for me. In it, I may state my feelings and/or perception, but it is not, in any way, to spark debate. Due to my sensitivity on the subject matter, I stay far away from debates on the topic. I feel that I should be able to share my memory without engaging in debates of any kind, for any reason. Please respect that.

As I reflect on the past few weeks of my current course on Perspective Diversity and Equity, I realize that this course has stirred up so many real, raw emotions in me. There are times where I feel as though my timing for the course is wrong. At a time where media sources are covering so many police shootings of men who look like me and could so easily be my son, husband, father, cousin, etc; just about every topic that we’ve covered, can be related to the subject of race, police brutality, and minority groups in general in one way or another. Unfortunately for me, I have a memory, which I will carry forever, where I witnessed someone very near to me be the target of prejudice.

It’s just like it was yesterday. I had fallen asleep with no worries only to wake up with my life in shambles. “David is dead,” my cousin yelled at me as I awoke completely confused and uncertain about what I was hearing. I thought it was a dream. But, within minutes my mom had confirmed that it was true. My first cousin, the closest person I had to a biological brother had been shot and killed.

My cousin had been coming from a night at the bowling alley with friends, was stopped in what was supposed to be a routine traffic stop (“broken tail light”) and murdered as a result. “Lil David,” as our family lovingly called him had been killed and we could not understand why. His hands were up, he did not have any weapons, four other people in the car riddled with bullets including his five month old daughter, but no one on the police force could explain why. It’s been nine years now, the officer was acquitted and my family has yet to receive any answers.

After hearing and understanding the details of the case, I felt that my cousin was murdered as a result of prejudice. A young, black male, with a head of locs, riding after midnight, with more than one passenger in the ghettos of Savannah, GA, had to be up to no good. Is what I picture them saying to themselves. The tags were registered, no stolen plate, no warrants associated with the tags, there’s got to be something. His tail light! I picture them saying. He never stepped out of his car. Though he was hit multiple times, the fatal gunshot was one that passed through his wrist (that were up, as advised) and into his neck. He laid on the ground and bled out, the friends in the car unable to assist him, hug him, or even just let them know that they were there with him as his last breath left his body.

I was completely upset by the situation. I cried. I was angry. I wanted to fight. I asked why. I prayed for understanding. I prayed for him to come back. Nothing worked though, at the end of the day, he was definitely gone and never coming back. Through personal faith in the Lord, the support of my family and the love that we showed to one another, is what got us through one of the most difficult times in our lives. Nine years later, it still hurts to relive this memory, and even though the situation tears me to pieces, I continue to live life without hatred or prejudice in my heart for anyone.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This past week I watched Zootopia with my children, ages 2 and 1. Within the first 20 minutes of the movie Officer Hop, a female rabbit had an encounter with another officer, not sure of his name, but he was an over sized Cheetah. In the midst of their conversation, the Cheetah officer said that the bunny was cute. Officer Hop immediately replied that when a bunny calls another bunny cute, it’s ok, but when another species referred to them as cute it was offensive. The Cheetah apologized for offending the bunny.

This stuck out to me because prior to her encounter with the Cheetah, Officer Hop had been assigned to parking patrol. Officer Hop mentioned the fact that there were multiple cases to be solved and that she had graduated at the top of her class within the academy. Even with that information though, the assigning officer told Officer Hop that she could not handle those cases, [because she was a bunny, and too cute], and would remain on Parking patrol.

Both incidents are examples of microagression. Even within a children’s movie, there were visible examples of stereotypes of what a woman, often small and cute was capable. This image was portrayed through a rabbit that ultimately, proved everyone and their stereotypes about her, wrong.

Perpectives on Diversity and Culture

Interviewee #1: To me, culture is your way of life, your traditions and values that are instilled in you when growing up. It is all you learn and share such as beliefs, knowledge, values, attitudes, behavior, and language.
Diversity is a mixture of people that represent cultures, color, religion, etc. It is also having knowledge that each person is unique and recognizing each others differences.

Interviwee #2: Culture is how you were brought up. Its how you were raised within the community.

Your diversity is interacting with different culture.

Interview#3: Culture is composed of our traditions and our beliefs. Our culture is how we view the world and in many cases how the world views us.

Diversity is the representation of the differences among cultures.

After interviewing everyone, I came across the reoccurring idea that culture is multifaceted and complex. Culture is deeper than ones physical characteristics may portray. In reference to diversity, I recieved the common message that diversity and culture goes hand in hand. Diversity encompasses our differences.

As I spoke to the interviewees, my own ideas of culture and diversity were only made more concrete.

My Family Culture

       I would hope that I would never have to uproot my family and move to a foreign country. Moving to a place where the culture is unknown and we would not have any idea as to what we would be waking into would be terrifying. In the case of an extreme emergency though, which is not too far fetched from the current state of America, I would be willing to move in the case that my family were able to remain together as stated.

      I had to think long and hard, but if I could only take three things to describe my family culture, those three things would be: a small piece of tree bark, family bible, and handmade quilt.

I would explain that the tree bark is from the tree my father and I planted when we moved into our first home. When we initially planted the tree, the tree was smaller than myself and I had to be about six years old. Now that I am grown, with a family of my own, the tree has grown to be huge. The tree has become a centerpiece of our lives. We have used the tree for everything from base for games of hide and seek, a parking marker, to a shield during stormy weather making it to and from the house, the tree has been shade during family functions and always a great conversation starter. This tree is a part of my family culture because it has become such a huge part of our lives and it brings back memories of my family, and our time spent together. This tree reminds me of how important it is for my family to gather in love, the importance of unity and uplifting one another even in the hardest of times. The tree bark will symbolize my family’s strength.

       I would take with me our family’s bible. Our bible will represent our family’s religion as well as the strength of our faith. Our bible will serve to remind me that even when I get weak and want to give up, to remain steadfast and headstrong. Also in the bible are personal notes from the family members who have owned it. Those notes will serve as personal motivation for me as I try to survive and uplift my family’s culture in country completely different from my own.

       Lastly, I would take with me a handmade quilt passed from generation to generation. This quilt is important because it has contains culture far beyond my time. The quilt will serve as a constant, visual reminder of the comfort my family and our culture brings simply because it is all that I know.

      If I could only keep one item from the three, I would probably go with the bible. I would go with the bible simply because the bible and the personal entries would make me feel as though my family was speaking directly to me and pushing me through my journey of life as I adjust to a new country.

       As I thought about my family and our culture, it was difficult for me to choose items that would remind me of our culture. The idea of the tree made me somewhat emotional because it represents so much for my family and our culture and though I knew that to some extent previously, I didn't realize to what extent.

When I think of research…

I think of all that it entails. Research is essential in understanding the world around us. There has been limitless amounts of research completed to date, but I am now able to better understand the process and the efforts needed to complete a successful research study.

The planning stage is one of the longest processes within a study because there is so much that goes into it. It is important that researchers are clear in their overall goal or purpose for research and develop a research design that will ensure that the study is valid.

The significance of planning is what has stood out to me most and will stick with me in my own research. I have come to realize that though the planning stage can be tedious, and in some cases overwhelming, it is the most beneficial to the study. A researcher can save themselves time and money if they are thorough in their planning.  At this point in the study, one can detect any issues that may arise and strategize solutions to quickly resolve those issues.

To the members of my Building Research Competency Course, thank you for your participation throughout the course. Through your discussion posts, blogs and responses, I have had to push harder and dig deeper within myself for my own personal understanding. Though difficult at times, I am thankful that this is yet another class under my belt. I’m sure I will encounter you guys again at some point or another as we continue our journey in completing our program. Take care and be blessed!!

Research Around the World

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) is an independent, self-governing, international association that promotes multi-disciplinary research on early childhood’s policy and practice. EECERA’s Annual Conference is the largest early childhood research conference in Europe which provides networking for scholars, policy makers, researchers and practitioners. The Journal of the Association (EECERJ) is the only European early childhood research cited in the prestigious Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) and is issued 5 times per year. (http://www.eecera.org/) 

While exploring this website I surprisingly found that EECERA looks for different like-minded organizations for mutual support and information sharing. Before becoming a partner, the Board of Trustees has to ensure that they have similar aims and values by meeting certain criteria. Current links include:

·       The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education

·       Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association

These different links gives information that is beneficial to help us learn about their approaches, perspectives, and solutions to many similar situations that we may face. It also helps us to avoid different situations in general and promotes cultural diversity. (http://www.eecera.org/)

Reference

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA
http://www.eecera.org/