Competent Communication

Competent communication is the ability to get your message across effectively. As I begin learning ways to become a better communicator with the students I teach, the families and community members I partner with, and other educational professionals I interact with, I am eager to learn more of about direct/indirect, verbal/nonverbal concepts of communication. This week I got a chance to observe my communication from colleagues. One of the teachers sent out a letter, to the parents of the students she work with, to inform them that she will be resigning from teaching and transitioning to administration at a different campus. By providing the parents with a letter, showed concern and respect. She also explained, one on one, with her colleagues about the opportunity. Some coworkers were glad for her and expressed how they would miss her but wished her the best on her new job. Other coworkers wasn't too excited about her leaving but were still happy for her. The teacher also discussed her new opportunity with her students. Of course they don't want their teacher to leave. As she reminded them each day leading up to her last day, she introduced their new teacher to them. While she was training the new teacher to replace her, she also allowing the children to familiarize themselves with her. This was to make the transition smoother. I definitely like how she took time to inform the students, parents, and staff of the decision she made to advance in her career. She took time to answer questions and to explain in depth what this means for her and her family. I witnessed the bittersweetness of her having to leave a job she devoted five years to for a major career move to help her continue her devotion to early learning.  I too want to effectively engage in competent communication through the relationships I will encounter as I continue advocating for young learners. 

Professional Hopes and Goals

My Hopes

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that my learning environment not only makes them feel safe, loved, or wanted but also included.  One of my professional goals is to include each individual culture within my classroom into the activities, lessons, centers, etc. through the course of the year.  This is a way to help children learn about other cultures, learn to accept and respect those other cultures, and understand that even though the culture is different from theirs, there are still similarities. 

Another goal I would like to set with ECE in relation to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to increase my awareness of those issues in the classroom.  I want to target the issues that are present in my classroom so I can use those moments as teaching opportunities to show how we should respond and teach others who may look different, act different, or have a difference in opinion from ours.  We all know that the issues exist around us, outside the classroom.  The approach with the families, parents, or other adults will be much different from the approach I will take with the children I work with.  Finding a personal touch in a professional manner to address those issues as well will be crucial because once the child leaves my classroom, his family or parents may not support what I’m sharing and showing in the classroom when it comes to diversity, equity, and social justice.  So, increasing their, the parents, awareness as well will be helpful in building the child’s character development. 

Special Thanks

I want to thank all my colleagues, especially during this course, who took time to read my post and respond.  Thanks for your input or feedback; even through the discussion board.  I really have gained insight on the anti-bias that are present in education.  I hope all of you are much closer to your professional goals and will take what you have learned and apply it to the young children and families you work with daily.  Again thanks for being a part of my educational journey and helping me become a better educator.  

Welcoming Families from Around the World

I’m excited to receive a four year old boy from Panama, into my early learning program. The family is new to our country and has decided to enroll their little one into an in home learning environment. The mother feels this is the best way for her son to adjust to the new transition. I couldn’t agree more since in home care is more intimate and has a lower teacher to child ratio that will help him not only adjust but to work at his own pace, without feeling overwhelmed.

Based on my research of Panama, I have prepared myself to be culturally responsive by:

1. Incorporating their Spanish language into the learning activities. By me learning Spanish, I’m able to better communicate with the child and his family. I can also send written communication in their home language as well.

2. Having the family share with me some of the child's developmental experiences. By probing, I can find out what the child likes to eat, do for fun, and even what signs to look for when the child isn't interested or doesn't feel like participating. This will help me better understand him and help me met his needs, along with make him feel more welcomed.

3. Including Panama specific customs like art, music, and special foods. This will demonstrate to him and his family how my program accepts his culture and renders respect to his country. This will also help me learn more about Panama's history.

4. Gaining a thorough insight on their early education system compared to the U.S. education system. This will help me gauge what the child has already been introduced to in the Panama ECE programs. It will help me better assess him and to know what type of foundation has already been establish so I can continue to build on it.

5. Gaining insight on the national youth organizations of Panama will help me explore the objectives they are trying to meet with helping children with their child development. This will help me to view current research and other projects that are working internationally to build equity and social justice.

I believe from the knowledge I've gained from diversity classes and professional development courses, that the methods I use to work with this child and his family will help the family adjust to the American culture, and most importantly help the child get the early education and child care he needs as he begin a new journey in his life as well. As I continue to advocate for young learners, this will help me explore a new culture and continue to promote social justice for children. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Recently my family and I watched Lee Daniel's The Butler. The movie is about a butler who served seven presidents and what he and his family encountered during the major events that has helped shaped our country. The movie shows the oppression African Americans experienced during slavery. It demonstrated how unfair and unjust the laws were towards blacks and how they were not protected from the violence white people inflicted upon them. As the movie continues it shows the struggles and challenges that blacks encountered during the Civil Rights Movement. Some methods were of love and peace, while other methods where to took a fight fire with fire approach to use violence as well. This movie differently displayed how white people had the mentality that they were right, their way and methods were the best, and they were the only race deserving of what they suggested life is about. There was one scene in the movie where the main character admitted to having to have two identities. He had to pretend to be invisible when he was serving white people while in his butler role. Outside his butler role, like at home, he could be himself and be honest of how he felt about the realities of life. Equity was diminished throughout most the movie. One specific demonstration of inequity was when the butler would ask for a raise for him and other black employees at the white house. Each time he asked for the raise, he was denied it. According to the butler, not only did the black employees not get annual raises, they were not promoted to other positions within the organization, compared to the white employees. When he brought this to his supervisor's attention, not only was he denied or rejected, he was also advised to seek employment elsewhere. 

I enjoyed the movie and it is more than just entertainment for me and my family. This movie shared insight of African American history. It exposed the in depth experiences blacks faced in our country trying to get equal rights. Another scene shared how the Black Panther Party was formed. I even got a glimpse of what the Freedom Riders experienced. I'm definitely glad times have changed and my race of people, and others have rights and legal privileges now that they didn't have 60 years ago. I'm proud of those who faced those discriminators and demanded change. I'm also glad that I didn't live in that era and have to either suffer or fight along with others during that time.

It took one of the President's to help the black employees get their raise and promotions. Just think if he had of gotten it two president's sooner. A lot of changes have occurred since the butler first started working at the white house. In fact, he was able to witness President Barrack Obama become the first black president. Even though he had retired and wasn't able to serve during his administration, I'm sure after living through the struggle and now witnessing the power of those sacrifices made it worth it. Then compared to now, and knowing that racism still exist, just in different forms, we must still work towards diminishing those inequalities so history won't repeat itself.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

During this week, I witnessed a form of microinsults and/or microinvalidation.  One of the parents decided to correct the assigned teacher and her assistant about the pronunciation of her child’s name.  As Americans, and having a thorough knowledge of English grammar and phonics, the teachers that interact with her son, were pronouncing his name without the Latin accent.  The teacher disregarded it as being unimportant.  She stated, “Why didn't she inform us of that at the beginning of the school year.  Why now?”  The assistant teacher felt like the child doesn't know the difference anyway.  “Besides we are not Spanish speaking people; everyone can’t roll their tongues”.    These are the hidden messages that Dr. Sue was referring to in the Microaggressions video.  I’m not sure if it was intentional or unintentional, because the teachers didn't express this to the parent.  They only discussed it in private, but their attitude of not rendering respect to the parent’s wishes and the child’s identity was shocking.  I definitely disagree with both because they can at least put forth the effort to try to pronounce the child’s name correctly and even though the child is only 2, he is picking up on different behaviors within his learning environment and with the attitudes of these teachers, it could cause an early onset of psychological stress (Microaggression in Everyday Life).  As he develops, he could become embarrassed by his culture or heritage and lose that part of his identity in order to fit in with society or people who share their attitude.   From this observation experience, I see how easily it is to engage in microaggression, as adults, and use it towards children regardless of their age.  This also was an indication of how we must improve our professional development requirements.  If I was the administrator, and this was brought to my attention, both of them would be attending Anti-Bias Educational Classes.    

Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011).  Microaggressions in Everyday Life.  (Mulitmedia Presentation).

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I recently asked the following people about their definition of culture and diversity.  Their responses are:

Ruthie, my 58 year old mother:  "A person’s way of life; their lifestyle, beliefs, values, and what is the norm for them is their culture.  Diversity is just a fancy word for being different."

Kyna, a 36 year old friend:  "I look at diversity as being a part of their race. but a person’s culture helps identify them.  How you are raised also defines your culture.  Depending on the country you leave in determines your own culture.  It's just a lot of things."

 

Brianna, my 9 year old daughter:  "A person’s culture is proof of people being different (diversity) from other people.  Culture includes things around you like your family.  Describing culture is really hard." 

I chose different age ranges to demonstrate how over time people's concepts of diversity and culture develops.  As I reflect on what I've learned and listen to what my friends and family have shared with me, I’m reminded of how complex culture can be.  According to Chapter 5 of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, culture refers to how particular groups of people live (Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Everything we do reflects our individual cultures.  Mostly people view culture as the difference between ethnic groups but it is possible for the Asian culture to share some of the same beliefs as a non Asian culture.  It’s even possible for African American families to share the same ethnicity but have different approaches to their everyday living.  By listening to how others define diversity, I perceive that diversity goes hand in hand with culture because of the uniqueness of it.  There’s no way to identify culture but not recognize diversity.

Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. O. (2010).  Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C.

My Family Culture

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

• A description of the three items you would choose

The three items I would take with me will be identification documents, valuable family heirlooms, and pictures. 

• How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

The legal documents may be useful in the new country and if I'm ever to return to my previous country, I will have them to help me transition. Having anything of value will help me to survive in the new country. I can use things of value to barter with. Taking pictures with me will help me remember and express our family history. It will remind us of what life was like before the catastrophe and help gives us hope for what we will return to one day. 

• Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

It would sadden me even more to have to give up the little I have left. I probably would give up the legal documents that identify me since now that I'm in a new country, they will want to recreate that information for me based on their classification system. I would hold on to what is valuable and as many keepsake items I have. 

•       Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise.

I am closer with my immediate family versus my entire family. I rarely see and interact with them unless its holiday functions, graduations, wedding or funeral ceremonies, etc. Losing my immediate family will be more devastating and have a greater impact on me than losing a distant relative. So, it definitely makes a difference not having a relationship with someone but being related to them. Even within your family their can be a culture diversity.