Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds:

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I provide them a diversely rich environment where they feel welcome and can thrive and succeed in all that they do. I hope that I can enrich the lives of my students that they “will express comfort and joy with human diversity; [utilize] accurate language for human differences; and [acquire] deep, caring human connections” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 4). Every person is different we should learn from our differences and celebrate the things we have in common.

One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice:

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice would be more educational learning opportunities for early childhood professional and parents. “Most of the time, people do not even notice their culture, just as we do not notice we live in a sea of air. We only notice when something changes or makes us uncomfortable…When we find ourselves in the midst of another culture…we discover that the way we do things is not the only way” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 55). Bringing this awareness of one’s own culture and the other cultures out there will help prevent conflicts when people encounter them unawares.

I would like to say “Thank You” to all my colleagues. I have learned a great deal from you all through your discussion and blog posts. I wish you all luck as you continue you educational journey and hope to “see” you in future courses.

Happy Holidays,

Brandie

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

For this assignment, imagine the following scenario:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

The name of “your” family’s country of origin: India

At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

1.      I will learn some of their customs to help them feel welcome. For example, when Indian people greet each other they place their hands together and say ‘Namaste’. 

2.      I will incorporate some of India’s music into my program. The unique sound of India's music is often created with an Indian instrument called a sitar.  This instrument looks similar to a guitar, except that it has a very long neck.

3.      I would learn more about what types of food and drink they like. Many of India's people are vegetarians, meaning they don't eat meat.   Hindus believe that the cow is a sacred animal and never eat beef.

4.      I would learn about their holidays and celebrations, like Diwali. Diwali is a joyous celebration that takes place on the last day of the last month in the lunar calendar.  This is usually at the end of October.  During this five day holiday, people light oil lamps and set off fireworks.

5.      I will learn about family structures and how they are the same and/or different then family structures in America.

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family.

Taking the time to learn about the family and their culture will help them feel welcome and be the building blocks to the positive relationships needed to help the children learn and grow to the best of their ability. It will benefit me because I will be learning how to incorporate new family’s from diverse backgrounds into my classroom.

Brandie

References

Zimmerman, K. A. (2015). Indian Culture: Traditions and Customs of India. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

• What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

I do not have any personal incidents when I personally experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression. When I think of those things the movie that springs straight to mind is Forrest Gump, one of my all time favorite movies. All throughout the movie Forrest is overcoming bias, prejudice and oppression because of who he is. In the beginning of the movie his mom is being told he can't go to public school because his IQ test he scored just under the norm. He was picked on and bullied but still accomplished great things in his life because he never gave up.

• In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

Equity was diminished in the movie because every time you turned around Forest was being treated as if he was not good enough. Every person deserves the right to an education and to be treated with respect. 

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

This movie mad me angry whenever Forrest wasn't being treated fairly. It made me want to be in the movie so that I could let him sit on the bus next to me! No person should be made to feel less than another.

• What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

I would have educated the teachers and students that different does not equal wrong. 

Brandie