PROFESSIONAL HOPES AND GOALS

First I would like to thank all of my classmates and our professor for such a great learning experience!  I look forward to learning/working with those who are on the same specialization track as I am in the future.  For everyone else, best of luck in your future endeavors!  It is always a pleasure to get to know/see how others think feel as well as learn from each other’s experiences.

As this course draws to a close, I have revisited my original goals chosen during the start of our reflective journal as well as those I wrote during the end of the reflective journal assignment. 

Professionally as well as personally my hopes and goals for the future include, but not limited to:  continuing finding ways to further my understanding of diversity; continuing finding ways to better understand the role that our social identity plays in our lives; and to put this acquired knowledge (both from this course and what I learn in the future) into practice (i.e. professionally and personally).

These are categories that I know I need to continuously work on in regards to changing demographics and diversity.  It is so important to make sure everyone feels respected and included in their community and with their child’s education.  I say this because as the demographics and diversity change in my child care and community, so must I.  Fortunately, working with exchange students has really opened my eyes to this issue and allowed me to understand that I can keep growing and learning along with the families/students/community.  The students are always willing to educate me on their cultures, customs, etc…  All I have to do is ask.  If I do not know something I make sure I ask the families to educate me.

According to Santamaria (2009), challenges inherent in serving multiple students with diverse needs (i.e. academic, cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, etc.) have been the preoccupation of educators since the identification of academic achievement gaps in research studies and by school districts (Santamaria, 2009).  In order to be an effective educator, regardless of what field of education we are working in, we need to be culturally competent communicators.  According to Le Roux (2002), education is not just about understanding the curriculum and achieving good grades.  It is also about teaching and learning about values, assumptions, feelings, perceptions and relationships (Le Roux, 2002).  

The goal I would like to see set for the early childhood field in general is that each educator/administrator/politician involved in the early childhood field be exposed to mandatory courses/workshops in order to address diversity, equity, and social justice.  I also would like to see some type of plan put in place when each of us has to take the time to look at our own biases.  It is very important to look at our own biases as we have learned in order to make sure we can ask the questions needed to educate ourselves as well as make our classrooms, child cares, etc… the best environments for learning that we can.  If we do not address these attitudes/biases, we will not be able to establish an environment that is welcoming for everyone.  Educators, as stated above, must genuinely examine their attitudes and assumptions not only about diverse cultures but also about the diverse types of families the children live in.  These attitudes and assumptions will not allow us, as educators, to reach the point of genuine openness to others and therefore, not make our classrooms/child cares an inviting place for others to want to become involved.  Also, once we examine our attitudes and assumptions, it allows us, as individuals as well as educators, to feel comfortable in asking questions and finding out answers from others in how to improve our programs, curriculums, etc… (Gestwicki, 2007).

References

Gestwicki, C. (2007). Home, school, and community relations. Clifton Park,

          NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.

Le Roux, J. (2002). Effective educators are culturally competent

          communicators. Intercultural Education, 13(1), 37-48.

          doi:10.1080/14675980120112922

Santamaria, L. J. (2009). Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction:

          Narrowing Gaps between Best Pedagogical Practices Benefiting

          All Learners. Teachers College Record,   111(1), 214-247.

WELCOMING FAMILIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

When I read the blog assignment for this week I had to really think which country I knew nothing about because of my work with exchange students.  I also wanted to find a country that I have never heard of before and would entail research on my end to learn more about.  I finally chose the country of Brunei. 

The scenario for this week’s blog assignment is:  I am working in an early childhood setting (my own licensed child care) and have received word after conducting an interview with a recently emigrated family from Brunei that they would like their child to attend my child care.  This being said, what can I do to prepare myself as well as the children currently in my child care for our new addition to our group?  What can we do to make the new addition to our group feel comfortable in our environment?

Five ways in which I would prepare myself and the children in my child care for our new student would be, but not limited to:

1.  First and foremost it is important to research as much as I can about the history of Brunei; find out its customs; learn about the family culture/environment; and any other information I think is relevant to my level of understanding and that of the children’s understanding for a smooth transition.  I would do this by purchasing a variety of books; using the university library to find articles, etc… about Brunei.

2.  Once this information is researched it would be important to sit down with the children currently attending my child care and explain that we will be having a new friend coming in.  I would then explain that our new friend is from a different part of the world and as the children if they would like to learn about our new friend’s country of Brunei.

3.  I would then make sure there were pictures, posters, and other materials which reflect the cultures and ethnic backgrounds of all of the children and families who attend my program.  If we have none of these items to represent our new friend, I would then order some to be delivered before their first day of attendance.

4.  I would also make sure there were appropriate props for the dramatic play/housekeeping area which are culturally diverse enough to include items representative of Brunei as well.  This would also include books/literacy items in order to make our new friend feel welcomed.

5.  I would also find out about what types of food are a favorite of our new friend and plan a special menu for the first week they are attending.  Since I cook all the meals for the children and the children help make the menus as well as help prepare the food when they can, this would be a great learning activity before and after our new friend’s arrival into our group.  One the second week we could plan a special menu of foods our new friend would like to try out.  We could also plan an International week were each child would think of a menu representing their own culture to share with the other students.

6.  I would also make a welcome packet and send it home for our new friend.  This way the new student would be a little more familiar with the group before attending full-time.  I would include (with parental permission) photos of the children and myself along with drawings/cards welcoming our new friend made by the other children.

I feel by making these preparations the lines of communication would be open in both directions and we would have a greater chance of a smooth transition.  The more familiar everyone is with each other, the more comfortable everyone will be in asking questions of the family and our new friend.

One of the issues which we, as educators, need to continuously work on in regards to changing demographics and diversity, is making sure everyone feels respected and included in their community and their child’s education.  I say this because as the demographics and diversity change in my child care and community, so must I.  Fortunately, working with exchange students has really opened my eyes to this issue and allowed me to understand that I can keep growing and learning along with the families/students/community.  The students are always willing to educate me on their cultures, customs, etc…  All I have to do is ask.  If I do not know something I make sure I ask the families to educate me.

It is always important to remember the following:  respect that each student and their family have a culture that is to be valued and affirmed; allow students and families to fully participate in the educational process – keep communication open in both directions; reflect on our own definition of diversity and educate ourselves in any areas in which we, as educator’s, need more information in (Salend, 2008).

Reference

Salend, S. J. (2008). Creating inclusive classrooms: effective and reflective

          practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

THE PERSONAL SIDE OF BIAS, PREJUDICE, AND OPPRESSION

The insights I gained while reading about privilege really surprised me.  I count my blessings each day for the opportunities I am given.  However, the reality is that because I am Caucasian, Heterosexual, of European American heritage, speak English and have a college degree, I have actually reaped the rewards of privilege.  I realize this has all been possible because of specific privileges.  Because I am Caucasian and grew up in a middle class family environment, I was able to attend more forward thinking schools with much more resources than many of my peers.  Without this education I would not have been able to reach the goals I set for myself.  Until I read about privilege I never realized the scope of how truly lucky I am.

In regards to institutional inequities and sexism the insight/example which comes to mind of being discriminated against because I was a female and a self-employed child care provider occurred when I was 36 and my husband had just been killed.  When my husband died the courts decided I needed to prove I could continue to raise my children (ages 14, 16 and almost 18 at the time).  I was told this was because I did not work for a living and that my husband was the breadwinner of the family.  Now that he was gone I needed to find a “real job” or remarry relatively quickly.  When I asked if he would be questioning my husband if it was me who had passed away, the reply was no, why would I?  The fact that I had run my licensed family home child care for the previous 13 years did not seem to make a difference nor did it matter that we were together for 22 years and I had no desire to remarry (especially when this happened just weeks after his death).  To say it was a fight to get the courts to see reason, is an understatement.  I remember feeling so alone and that these “authority figures” (i.e. court; court appointed Guardian Ad Litem; and social security personnel) did not see me as a person.  They also each discounted my work as an early childhood educator as well as a parent.  Fortunately for me I found my voice and even though it was not easy finally proved my point to all involved.  The person in charge of my case in the social security sector actually told me that I could collect my husband’s benefits when I was 65 but he doubted that I would even make it a year without remarrying.  At the time I just felt these individuals were just being unreasonable, now I see this experience actually falls under sexism and institutional inequities.

So far I have not had any experience with ageism but I am sure it is coming in the near future.  Every now and then my children have a few things to say but, of course, they feel the need to tease their mom.  One of the best comments was my daughter’s response to the decision to go for my second master’s degree.  She asked me if I had decided what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Her point was that I am not getting any younger and need to make a decision.  All kidding aside, I discovered that there needs to be more research conducted and published in regards to privilege, institutional inequities, sexism, heterosexism, LGBT-ism and ageism.  Since these topics are so different depending on which country/culture is being discussed, I would find it very interesting to see a greater variety of research.

The incidents mentioned above diminished equity because of the treatment I received.  This treatment by figures of authority, insinuated that because I was a newly widowed woman with children to finish raising, I was a lesser person.  The only way I can think of to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity is to find a way to educate those in these positions of authority to treat everyone with the respect due to them as individuals regardless of their gender, socio-economic situation, etc…  I think in many ways these situations have opened my eyes up wider and I, therefore, chose to make sure I had the education I need in order to advocate for those who are in need of a voice.  Where this determination takes me is still a mystery but it is currently headed in a positive direction.

PRACTICING AWARENESS OF MICROAGGRESSIONS

When I read the blog assignment for this week, I decided to observe (basically) the world around me.  This included everyone I came in contact with each day as well as those who communicated electronically with me (email, chat, and instant messages).  What I observed was a mixture of totally blatant comments which I would consider to be inappropriate in many ways as well as those which would be examples of microaggressions. 

An example of the blatant comments included one made by a neighbor about individuals who were looking to possibly buy a house for sale in the neighborhood.  The comment was “Oh no I hope those foreigners don’t buy the house.”  The family which was looking at the home was of mid-eastern descent according to this individual.  Personally, I see no problem with who buys the house.  But I am realizing in more clarity after my observation of this past week that others definitely have their biases and are not afraid to voice them.

An example of a microaggression in which I was on the receiving end of this past week was a comment made in general conversation with a friend I had not seen in a very long time.  To set up the scenario once my husband passed away a big majority of our friends and even some of his family members have chosen not come on the property since they state it is too hard for them to deal with.  This one friend had come to talk to my youngest son about something and we got into a conversation where he started asking how things were going etc… I explained things are going well and that I am still working on my second master’s, still running the child care, etc…  The look of surprise and comments made concerning how I was able to accomplish my goals without my husband or being remarried was the microaggression.  I know he did not mean anything by his comments but they still felt like a knife that people still saw me as someone who had lower intelligence and needed to be taken care of by a man because I could not succeed without one.  I suppose I should be used to these types of microaggressions since they are still pretty common even after being a widow for almost nine years, but these comments still hurt in many ways.  I am proud of what I have accomplished but it is tough to deal with those who inadvertently come across as critical of these accomplishments in some way, shape or form.

By focusing on being an observer this past week, it gave me the opportunity to really see how many examples of blatant bias and inadvertent microaggressions are actually said in a weekly period of time.  This realization has made me more aware of my own comments and words I choose in communicating when working with a diverse group of individuals.  It also has made me more aware of others around me and their comments.  I will certainly take this opportunity to be more careful in the future with my choice of words (both verbally as well as written).

PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY AND CULTURE

When I first saw this blog assignment I figured it would be easy to get people to tell me their definitions of culture and diversity.  Boy was I wrong.  I even posted the question for my Facebook friends and only got three replies.  So these are the ones I will use for this assignment and I thank them for their replies to my request.

The first reply I received came from a former exchange student I hosted and am still in almost weekly contact with from Azerbaijan.  She is now 19 years old but has the wisdom of someone a lot older than she is.  Her definition of culture is that it is the common beliefs and values that unite people.  Her definition of diversity is the elements of culture that set people apart.

The second reply was from a really good friend of mine who has adopted three children from Russia and has hosted many exchange students as well.  Her reply was “I would say that 'culture' is an environment that creates a shared experience by people...which could be by events (think 9/11), circumstances (working together as teachers, policemen, etc) or the place they are in (such as living in a cold or warm climate). I think of diversity as any aspect that makes people different from each other...whether it's race, age, sexuality, background, beliefs, etc.”

The third reply was from another former exchange student from Pakistan.  She keeps in contact when she can.  She is also 19 years old now – almost 20 as her birthday is in April.  Her definitions were pretty close to those of the first reply I received.  She believes that culture contains all people with common beliefs and values of their society.  She believes that diversity is the elements within the culture which shows the differences in people.

Each of the answers I received was interesting as they focused on just a basic description of what culture and diversity are.  From what we have studied so far these definitions are just the tip of the iceberg in reference to the complex nature of defining culture and diversity – let alone understanding the complex aspects of both.  It is important to hear/read other individual’s opinions and definitions of culture and diversity since we each have our own understanding based on our own experiences.  In my opinion this added information helps us learn how to listen to others more and give us pause to stop and think our own definitions and beliefs.

MY FAMILY CULTURE

The assignment for this week’s blog posting was a really tough one.  I have worked with exchange students who lived in Gaza and were forcibly evacuated with little of their personal items.  During my conversations with this young man it amazed me how well his family adapted to living in a refugee camp for so long.  Especially with the knowledge that all that was left behind was probably stolen or destroyed.  How difficult would it be to pass down the family culture to future generations?  This young man wisely told me that, though difficult, it is not impossible.  He said they all had their stories in their hearts and minds and could pass these onto each of the future generations as they were to him and his generation.  How wise is this young man at the age of 15 (at the time of this conversation)?

Upon reflecting on this conversation the three items I would choose would be my children’s baby books, a DVD of photos, and a blank journal with a pen/pencil.  I would bring the baby books since these represent the first eight years of my children’s lives so they would be able to reflect back and share with others.  The DVD of photos would hold visual representation of our family culture to go along with the verbal sharing of stories they represent.  The blank journal with the pen/pencil would be the perfect tools to write down the memories in order for them to be shared in the future as they are remembered.  

If, upon arrival, I was told only one item would be allowed to be kept, the item I would choose would be the journal with the pen/pencil.  Since I would not have my computer, this is the next best way I can think of to share the family culture and our life in general with those we are just meeting as well as future generations of family and friends.  I am pretty much attached to my computer and my life is pretty well organized around what I can do with it, so this would definitely be a reality check for me.

The insights I have learned through this assignment is to stop and take the time to figure out who I am, who are we as a family, and how to reflect back on the past; view the present; and move into the future while keeping our beliefs; culture; and diversity.  It is always an eye opener to reflect back and think about what could be.  I have had to do this a few times and it does not get any easier with practice.

REFLECTION - BUILDING RESEARCH COMPETENCIES (EDUC - 6163 - 1)

First I would like to thank everyone for all of their help and support through this past eight weeks of the course.  Without all of you I also look forward to continue working with those who will be in future classes with me as well.  Great luck to everyone on your future endeavors.

The insights I have gained about research this past eight weeks has been more of a refinement for me as well as seeing research through a different lens.  I previous had taken a research course for my first master of science (which was in Psychology) and found this course to be both a refresher as well as adding a new twist to how to think about research.  Also it was good to learn more about how to design and focus on a research study when working specifically with children and their families.  The challenges for me will more than likely always be the same - not to try and research to broad of a subject and which method to use when planning.  This is something that I had to work on little by little throughout the course and am confident that I did pretty well at overcoming these challenges this time at least.  Knowing myself as well as I do, I will always struggle with certain aspects since I seem to always go down the toughest road to get to my goal.  However, I am used to it and now feel I have more confidence in my abilities in the area of research.  Time will tell.

Once again good luck everyone!  Keep in touch!