Observing Communication

This past week, I observed my husband read to our daughter (age 3yrs) and reinforce her number recognition. This account stood out to me, because I was in the process of completing an assignment for the class as my daughter made multiple attempts to "play school" with me. I tried, but failed to remain attentive to her efforts. She finally threw in the towel on me and moved on to her dad.

I had to pause as I noticed how gentle and sensitive he was with her. He provided a safe play-learning space. His tone was perfect; soft yet firm. He listened carefully as she talked, repeating information as necessary which showed he was actively listening to her. The book that they read was based on items found in New York. The book allowed her to count objects in the case that she did not recognize a particular number. When she struggled, he did not get upset with her. He was very patient from beginning to end. When she got mixed up or irritated he reassured her that she could do it and encouraged her to take her time. Through his effective communication, he kept her engaged throughout the book which provided a successful learning experience which on the other hand can be a bit stressful for her and me.

As I observed my daughter’s body language, I could see that she felt secure and she lay nestled in her father’s arms. She felt confident and accomplished as she correctly identified the numbers.

This week I have noticed that I seem to be shorter and less patient with my daughter in comparison to the children within the classroom. This is an observation that makes me sad, but ready and willing to put forth the effort to change; effective immediately. My daughter and I have lots of fun together, but when it comes to learning I can be a bit militant. Though I come from a good place, simply because I want the best for her, I do not want to communicate to her in a manner that is stressful or cause her to lose interest in learning.

My goal is to make more conscious efforts to be more patient with my daughter. I want to communicate to her that she has my support and that I believe in her. I want to communicate to her that I proud of all that she has already accomplished as she learns and all that she will continue to learn. 

Creating Affirming Enviroments

     When considering the setting of a child care home one of the first things that come to mind a very obvious very direct method of making children feel visible within the classroom. I consider pictures. For me, it is important to have pictures of the children with their families. We would display them on a tree, the classroom family tree. By doing so, we also encourage interaction and dialogue between the children where they are now introducing their families, family roles and traditions or the norms within their families.
       In addition to the family photos, it is important to incorporate different people, of different genders, race and physical abilities participating in different jobs as well as different extracurricular activities. It is important for children to see beyond stereotypical ideas of what certain people should or should not be doing. It is important that children understand that there aren't any limitations to what we can do within this world.
       Puzzles are a great way to make different families and abilities visible within the classroom. Puzzles are perfect visual tools for children. They are also beneficial in the development of children's fine motor and cognitive development.
        It is also important that children have materials and furniture within the classroom that promotes independent exploration. It is also important that the layout is carefully organized for the children within the classroom. For instance, it is important to have shelves, pictures etc, at eye level for the children so it is not uncomfortable for children to maneuver around the classroom. When the children are comfortable and can move most freely within the material they are more likely to stay interested in materials for a longer period of time.
        Overall, it is important that children as well as their families are represented within their classroom. It is also important that children are exposed to people different from themselves to gain better insights of the world around them

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!