Time Well Spent Week 8 EDUC 6990

Time Well Spent 

https://wordart.com/3rausnncjuel/word-art

I decided to start this week’s blog post with a word cloud with all of the interconnections plus some of the concepts that have inspired me over my coursework at Walden. Looking at my word art, I also feel the impact of each of these things and all are a part of my growth.

There are three deeply felt learnings I gained from this program. The first thing is what I learned about myself by creating my diversity profile, social identities, and biases. Looking at my childhood profile and comparing it to my adulthood profile helped me to see what childhood experiences formed who I am today. It also helped me to realize that messages children receive at a young age stay with them and that it is my responsibility to do all I can to ensure that these messages are positive for healthy development. Lastly, by looking at my social identities profile (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 31), I was able to see both the advantages and disadvantages of being who I am.  What I discovered is that I have equal advantages and disadvantages due to my social identities. Some of my advantages include “White, European American, English-speaking, sexual orientation, and education” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 31). Some of my disadvantages include “gender, age, ability, and family structure” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.31). Understanding my social identities has helped me to relate to others’ experiences by doing my best to put myself in their shoes.

This program has also helped me to be a better communicator. The largest obstacle for me was voicing my opinions and thoughts at work. Even though I have a great work environment, there have been times where I wished I would have voiced my opinion or shared an idea. After learning about how to be an effective communicator and how to use nonviolent communication during conflict, I am more confident in sharing my ideas, voicing my opinion, and speaking up respectfully during times of minor conflict.

The last thing I have learned from this program is that passion and vision can lead to positive social change. Working through my challenge has been the most amazing experience. I took my passion for integrating nature-based play, worked through realistic goals, and formed a reliable community of practice. The best part is I get to see my goals turn into reality. The team at my school is already implementing parts of my project. My co-teacher and I have begun implementing nature-based activities such as hatching chicks and going on nature walks. Next is building a chicken coop on campus, remodeling our garden, and attending a week-long nature-based camp.

My long term goal would be to see nature-based play fully integrated into Primavera School and building a long-term partnership with Prescott College. I am also hoping to continue learning about nature-based play through our partnership. I am also envisioning future employment and continuing education with Prescott College.

I want to give my deepest thanks to Dr. Embree. It was a privilege to have you as my first and last instructor. You were there at the beginning to help ease my anxiety in pursuing my degree and at the end to encourage me to think deeply about my passion, how to put it into words, and to help me see it through. I also want to thank my colleagues. Without you all, I would not have grown as an educator. I have learned so much from all of you. Everyone’s support was also invaluable. Many of you were in all of the same courses, discussion groups, and/or blog groups. I love the effective educators that we have all become! I wish all of you my very best. I know you all will rock in whatever your future brings.

I’m going to leave you all with one of my favorite quotes: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.” “It's not” (Dr. Suess, 1971).

If you wish to stay in contact, here is my email address: trishy0302@gmail.com

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally EDUC 6990 Week 6

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first organization I decided to explore was The Academy for Educational Development. The link provided did not work so when I searched for it online, I found it had merged with FHI 360. “FHI 360 works in the United States and throughout the world to create education systems that respond to the needs of the people they serve” (FHI, 360, 2019).The Global Education Department within FHI 360 has over 40 active or recent projects across the globe (FHI 360, 2019). When I conducted a job search I found an Education in Emergencies intern position under the Global Education Department. The position is only for 12 weeks from June-August (FHI 360, 2019). “This internship will have a particular focus on assisting the FHI360 Education in Emergencies (EiE) team in the development of global curriculum and training materials to build on existing materials that are being used by FHI360 in the field” (FHI 360, 2019). The requirements for this job are a minimum of a BA in Education or a related field but would prefer some graduate level work. The applicant should have a working knowledge of several areas such as teacher well-being, Education in Emergencies standards, primary literacy and numeracy, social-emotional learning, and school safety. The position is in Washington, DC. I also decided to look at the people who work for FHI 360 by using their “experts” tab. I clicked on Beth Almeras, MS. She is the Director of Disability Studies and Services, Early Care and Education (FHI 360, 2019). “Her areas of expertise include, U.S. Education, early care and education, environmental education, disability and accessibility, children’s play, inclusive education, nature-based learning, and distance learning” (FHI 360, 2019). I think it would be interesting and enriching to work for and around people in this organization and help them with the positive social change they are striving to accomplish.

https://www.fhi360.org/experts/bethe-almeras-ms

https://fhi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FHI_360_External_Career_Portal/job/Washington-DC/Education-in-Emergencies-Intern_Requisition-2019200575

The second organization I decided to explore is UNESCO. “UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015” (UNESCO, 2019). One of their goals is “Education transforms lives and is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission to build peace, eradicate poverty and drive sustainable development” (UNESCO, 2019). The only education-related job I could find on their website is the Head of Learning and Development Unit and is located in Paris, France (UNESCO, 2019). The education requirement is an “Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in adult learning, pedagogy, organizational design, psychology, education, human resources management or related discipline” (UNESCO, 2019). Some of the duties include, “ lead and manage a team to design, deliver and maintain learning programs and ensure that programs are offered on a global scale meeting the needs of the Organization within the allocated budget,  maintain constructive and proactive relationships with managers and experts in UNESCO to facilitate learning needs analysis, appropriate design and to create a network of staff able to support program implementation throughout the Organization, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of staff development programs, oversee impact assessment projects, and recommend ways to enhance effectiveness and impact”, and other duties (UNESCO, 2019).  

 https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl;jsessionid=rRUPwIUfBncHKqOMUopjM0JeAJgjrHM1QeSeMLqaSzn6KsKzEWF4!-254845089

https://en.unesco.org/themes/education

The last organization I chose to explore is Save the Children. They focus on children at risk in the areas of no education, violence, and mortality (Save the Children, 2019). On their website, they state that 1 in 6 children all over the world is not in school (Save the Children, 2019). https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/why-save-the-children

Some of their U.S. programs in education includes kindergarten readiness, early steps to school success, school-age programs, and summer learning (Save the Children, 2019).

https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/us-programs/us-education

Some of their global programs and advocacy in education includes early childhood development, global education research, girls education, literacy and numeracy boost, and school health and nutrition (Save the Children, 2019).

https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/global-programs/education

When I conducted a job search on their website, I found a position for a Diversity & Inclusion Officer.  Some of the essential duties include: 
• Improve organizational success in all staff functions through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion by recommending and assisting with the implementation of best practices, appropriate evaluation processes, and measuring organizational benchmarks as it relates to Diversity and Inclusion.
• Build relationships with and serve as a resource, mentor, and diversity and inclusion subject matter expect to Save the Children US staff
• Recognize and address implicit bias, develop practices, policies, trainings and related materials to create a culture that embraces equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels, highlights the importance of maintaining a culturally sensitive work environment;
• Works with all divisions to create and implement Diversity and Inclusion action plans;
• Conducts an annual diversity, equity, and inclusion State of the Agency survey and report

·         Keeps current on equity, diversity, and inclusion programs and developments by maintaining contact with others in the field (e.g., professional association and educational groups, and professional development efforts) (Save the Children, 2019).

The requirements that resonated with me include at least 7 years of experience in the area of diversity and inclusion or a related field, a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience, a highly collaborative style, action-oriented, and skill-driven.

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/SAV1002STCF/JobBoard/7d92e82b-af74-464d-859b-c5b8cba6e92e/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=998f19b5-6960-4341-8165-a17b72d11023

Researching international organizations showed me all the different ways early childhood professionals are affecting positive social change all over the world. The careers I chose from each organization would be both interesting and rewarding. I am happy to have been able to explore what each organization does and how I could be a part of what they do to affect positive social change.

References

FHI 360 (2019). Education in emergencies intern. Retrieved from: https://fhi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FHI_360_External_Career_Portal/job/Washington-DC/Education-in-Emergencies-Intern_Requisition-2019200575

FHI 360. (2019). Experts.  Retrieved from: https://www.fhi360.org/experts/bethe-almeras-ms

Save the Children. (2019). About us. Retrieved from: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/why-save-the-children

Save the Children. (2019). Diversity and inclusion officer. Retrieved from: https://recruiting.ultipro.com/SAV1002STCF/JobBoard/7d92e82b-af74-464d-859b-c5b8cba6e92e/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=998f19b5-6960-4341-8165-a17b72d11023

Save the Children. (2019). What we do-global. Retrieved from: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/global-programs/education

Save the Children. (2019). What we do-US. Retrieved from: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/us-programs/us-education

UNESCO. (2019). Head of Learning and Development Unit. Retrieved from: https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl;jsessionid=rRUPwIUfBncHKqOMUopjM0JeAJgjrHM1QeSeMLqaSzn6KsKzEWF4!-254845089

https://en.unesco.org/themes/education

UNESCO. (2019). What we do- education. Retrieved from: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education

Job Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level EDUC 6990 Week 4

Job/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

This week, we were asked to explore jobs/roles in the ECE community at the national/federal level. Although there are many noteworthy national organizations, I decided to choose two that have intrigued me, piqued my interest, and fueled my passion for equity in early childhood education. The two organizations that I explored further are the HighScope Educational Research Foundation and the Children’s Defense Fund. 

The first organization that I chose to explore further is the HighScope Educational Research Foundation. HighScope is known for the Perry School Project. The Perry Preschool Project was conducted in the 1960s of 123 preschool students that were split into two groups (HighScope, 2019). One group was put into a high-quality preschool program and the other group did not receive a preschool education (HighScope, 2019). They have followed participants in both groups in a longitudinal study to evaluate the value of high-quality early childhood education (HighScope, 2019). They continue to research, educate, and train to provide the most equitable early childhood education for all children. “Every day we focus on the variables that allow all children to be their best selves, regardless of their circumstances. This conviction for equity is at the center of our research and what we practice in the classroom” (HighScope, 2019).

I looked at both the people involved in this organization as well as available careers. It was interesting and intriguing to read about the different people involved in the organization as well as the available careers. Some of the positions that appealed to me were research assistant and early childhood consultant. Neither of these positions is available at this time but based on a few profiles I read, they sound like fulfilling and rewarding positions. As a research assistant, I would be at the ground level of the latest research at HighScope and would be a part of helping early childhood education becoming high-quality and equitable for all children. As an early childhood consultant, I would be able to take what I have learned as a HighSchope consultant and share it with other educators. To qualify for any of their positions, I would have to train to become a HighScope educator. They provide courses on their curriculum as well as training to become a trainer (HighScope, 2019). If I were willing to move to Michigan, they have some interesting positions available. I would love to start in their Demonstration Preschool as their Preschool Teacher before moving on to other positions in their organization. I feel this would be the best course for me to pursue if I wanted to be a valuable part of their team. As the Demonstration Preschool Teacher, my job would be to “work in collaboration with the Early Childhood Applied Practice Group to develop and demonstrate best practices in the HighScope curriculum based on current research in the early childhood field” (HighScope, 2019).

References

HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2019). Demonstration Preschool Teacher. Retrieved from: https://highscope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/43780795_demonstration_preschool_teacher_-_11.2018.pdf

HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2019). Our People. Retrieved from: https://highscope.org/who-we-are/our-people/

HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2019). Perry Preschool Project. Retrieved from: https://highscope.org/perry-preschool-project/

The other organization that I would love to work with is the Children’s Defense Fund. I love the vision and wisdom of Marian Wright Edelman and she is a strong advocate for children’s rights. I am most intrigued by the Cradle to the Prison Pipeline Campaign. Their website has been updated and you can now find their latest research related to this under the tab Youth Justice (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). They state that the problem is the criminalization of our youth and they strive to reform the current system and want to provide a proactive system rather than a reactive one (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). They understand that children are harmed by zero-tolerance policies and reactive policies through the latest research on child development. 

One of the positions available is a special assistant in their policy department (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). ” CDF’s Policy Team is responsible for identifying and carrying out, in collaboration with other CDF departments and state offices, CDF’s policy priorities in child poverty, child health, early childhood, education, child welfare, youth justice, gun violence prevention and immigration, all intended to improve the odds for America’s children” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). As the special assistant, I would be responsible for the functioning of the policy department as well as conducting research and gathering information for the website and other publications (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). I would love to be a part of this organization and to be a strong advocate for the well-being of all children.

References

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). Special Assistant, Policy Department. Retrieved from: https://www.childrensdefense.org/connect/join-our-team/jobs-at-cdf/

Children’s Defense Fund. (n.d.) Youth Justice. Retrieved from: https://www.childrensdefense.org/policy/policy-priorities/youth-justice/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels EDUC 6990 Week 2

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

I decided to organize this blog by adding the links to the organizations and the job postings below each one to help locate each one with ease. I began my search with an organization I hope becomes a part of my community of practice then added local schools who focus on the whole child and with an organization that I feel embodies working toward social justice and positive change. I also included each organization’s mission policy, what they strive to accomplish, and employment requirements.

Prescott College

Mission and Philosophy

It is the mission of Prescott College “to educate students of diverse ages and backgrounds to understand, thrive in, and enhance our world community and environment” (Prescott College, 2019).

Prescott College looks at critical thinking as “An organic process, moving almost seamlessly between teachers and students, focused on questions and problems that matter deeply to both. Prescott students learn critical thinking and research and how to apply them to real-life problems and their own passions by living them and testing them out in real time” (Prescott College, 2019).

https://www.prescott.edu/explore/history-values-vision/index.php

Interdisciplinary Associate Faculty Positions

Part of the requirements for this position that intrigued me was to “help students build the academic knowledge, practical abilities, and positive dispositions to collaborate with diverse communities for just and sustainable solutions to international and global realities such as Climate change, and cultural power relations, educational access, quality and transformation with changing demographics, as well as creative expression and communication in the modern age” (Prescott College, 2019)

Another thing I discovered while searching their job postings is that “Prescott College is a member of the Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning (http://www.cielearn.org ) and the Ecoleague (http://www.ecoleague.org )” (Prescott College, 2019). Membership with these two organizations means that Prescott College is student-centered with experiential learning techniques (CIEL, n.d.) and concerned with sustainability and to provide students with “opportunities to prepare to live and work in a global and interconnected world” (Ecoleague, n.d.).

The posting did not give me exact educational or experience requirements. They look for individuals who are experienced in their field to help students learn a wide variety of disciplines to apply in real-world situations.

https://www.prescott.edu/jobs/index.php?action=viewSummary&jobID=299

On the Arizona Workforce Registry, I searched for area jobs that would be of interest to me. I discovered that the registry uses Indeed.com to search for jobs so I posted the links to the jobs directly rather than the link to the Arizona Workforce Registry.

Prescott Valley Charter School (PVS)

On the Indeed posting it stated that Prescott Valley Charter School is a Title 1 school working towards overcoming poverty through educating children in small class-size settings and treating children as individuals rather than numbers (Indeed, 2019). I went to the Prescott Valley Charter School website to see what more I could discover about their school. Part of their mission is “to prepare students to become contributing members of an increasingly global society, by exposing students to relevant 21st-century issues, problem-solving and critical thinking across the rigorous curriculum” (PVS, 2018). 

https://www.pvschool.com/

Early Childhood Educators

$35,000 - $45,000 a year

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=0022cbb4ff551b33&qd=uwKqZpsDtem1u9-SGtacBo5xesAIR6axUzJo1RzFkwe221OUs6subPgf_8gwbKhSoDDLv9AKbM04RHuKofPCx8C1MhQZ-E7vnyzGpd0hGnXxpsH-kIwjaXXttAW7MF6TtPWjeiMODVfD1F8lSNG3KB6nojn63AzuMLy1372sZMY&chnl=azearlychildhood&atk=1d63pofmg0l1i000&jsa=7711&inchal=apiresults&utm_source=publisher&utm_medium=organic_listings&utm_campaign=affiliate

The Indeed.com posting stated a bachelor’s degree in education as a requirement but did not mention needing a teaching certificate/license but the school website application stated they did require one. A fingerprint clearance card was a requirement on both sites. This is a point of interest and discussion within the state of Arizona with their relaxed rules in teacher certification and licensure within charter and private schools.

Acorn Montessori School

Prescott Valley, AZ

Acorn Montessori School’s mission is “children first, always” (Acorn Montessori School, n.d.) Their preschool and pre-k program “encourages and focuses on learning through play” (Acorn Montessori School, n.d.). Their website did not have actual job postings. They did have information about their school and the benefits of working there.

http://acornmontessori.com/free-charter-school-k-8/

http://acornmontessori.com/preschool/

Elementary Teacher

$38,500 - $44,000 a year

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=7fcc897f5bbbcae6&from=recjobs&vjtk=1d63q2hiqb05v800

The posting states that a bachelor’s degree is required with either a teaching certificate or highly qualified teaching endorsement or the ability to obtain certification. They also had a nice benefits package to include paid time off, insurance, and retirement program.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee is an organization created by Albert Einstein and works towards “better aid” for displaced refugees and humanitarian crises (IRC, 2019). They have offices all over the country and world.

https://www.rescue.org/topic/better-aid

IRC’s mission is to help people who have experienced conflicts to learn how to overcome barriers and with focuses in education, displacement, economic wellbeing, health, safety, empowerment, and stand with women and girls (IRC, 2019).

https://www.rescue.org/what-we-do

On the IRC website, I searched for education jobs in Phoenix, Arizona and found two openings that would be challenging and rewarding. I would classify these two jobs as dream jobs or future goals.

https://www.rescue.org/careers

Education and Learning Manager

https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=1&id=3754

This position requires at least an undergraduate degree in Education, social work, or related field but they prefer a graduate degree. They also prefer three to five years of experience in non-profit work, professional and supervisory work as well as knowledge and experience with K-12 education in Arizona (IRC, 2019).

Senior Youth Program Coordinator

https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=1&id=3733

This position also requires a degree but also prefers the applicant to have an M.A., M.S., or M. Ed or higher. They also want 1-2 years of experience with non-profit work or equivalent and working with multicultural or vulnerable youth. Part of the job requirements includes collaborating with children, parents, and local schools to help all involved to develop a positive partnership. Duties also include advocating and supporting refugee youth (IRC, 2019).

References

Acorn Montessori School. (n.d.) Mission statement preschool/pre-k. Retrieved from: http://acornmontessori.com/preschool/

Acorn Montessori School. (n.d.). Mission statement K-8. Retrieved from: http://acornmontessori.com/free-charter-school-k-8/

Indeed (2019). Early childhood job postings. Retrieved from: https://www.indeed.com

International Rescue Committee (IRC). (2019). Retrieved from: https://www.rescue.org/united-states/phoenix-az

Prescott College. (2019). Mission and philosophy. Retrieved from: https://www.prescott.edu/explore/history-values-vision/index.php

Prescott Valley Charter School. (2018). Mission statement. Retrieved from: https://www.pvschool.com/

Impacts on Early Emotional Development Week 8 EDUC 6358

Impacts on Early Emotional Development:

My Greatest Hope

My greatest hope for that future as an early childhood professional for the children and families with whom I work and will work is for all to see the strength in our diversity. In order to see the strength in our diversity, I will do my best to teach, demonstrate, and emulate compassion, respect, and empathy for all I come in contact with. I want them to see that despite our differences, we also have similarities (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). I want them to see that despite conflicts and differences we all can seek the common ground of respect. We all want to be treated fairly and respectfully.

Thank you to all of my colleagues. I appreciate all of your input throughout our coursework. I have learned so much from all of you. I also want to thank you all for allowing us to see into your lives and experiences. Sharing our life experiences helped me to not only see and appreciate our diversity but to also appreciate another person’s perspective. It’s through our understanding of others that help us to see the importance of our anti-bias work. I would not have grown into the anti-bias educator I am today without your stories, input, and guidance. I wish all of you the very best in your future endeavors. Julie Olsen Edwards said, “You need a community both of around you at home and online so that you have people to keep you growing as an anti-bias educator” (Laureate Education, 2011). That is what all of you are for me and I cannot thank you enough for the connections we have made with each other.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Your commitment to anti-bias work. Baltimore, MD: Author

Impacts on Early Emotional Development Week 7 EDUC 6358

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

UNICEF Eritrea

I chose to research East Africa on the UNICEF website. I chose the country of Eritrea because I was born there when it was still a part of Ethiopia. They became their own country in 1991 after decades of war. I decided to focus on education and the barriers to education. Along with UNICEF, Eritrea’s government has been working on an education plan to increase the number of children in school, especially girls. Children in Eritrea face many hardships such as being orphans due to losing both parents from the struggles of war and disease or only have one parent for the same reasons. Other children are not in school because they are working to help their families or of marrying age (for girls) between the ages of 11 to 13 (UNICEF Eritrea, 2012). Health concerns such as malaria, HIV/Aids, food security, and malnutrition are other hardships children in Eritrea may face (UNICEF Eritrea, 2012). Children from the nomadic regions of the country are also hard to reach to receive an education and many will walk one to two hours to get to school. Although it isn’t part of UNICEF’s policy to help with infrastructure (building schools), the Eritrean government persuaded UNICEF to help build schools and repair damaged schools and saw a “28% increase in net school enrollment from 1993/1994 to 42% by 2000/2001” (UNICEF Eritrea, 2012). The other notable thing I read was with the help from UNICEF Eritrea (2012) they worked to place orphaned children with other family members and by the end of 2010, “fewer than 500 children were either in orphanages or community-based living nationwide” (UNICEF Eritrea, 2012). In 2006, there were approximately 105,000 orphaned children (UNICEF Eritrea, 2012).

It is extraordinary to hear how hard they have worked to become a more sustainable country and have also worked to be more holistic by recognizing children need an education, family, and better health care. They have also worked to change cultural norms such as children working or marrying early rather than getting an education. Lack of education, family trauma, war trauma, malnutrition, poverty, and lack of health care are all factors that affect emotional development negatively. All of the things I listed lead to toxic stress and affects social-emotional development and brain development (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.). By working to locate homes for the orphaned children, they were able to diffuse most of the toxic stress in their lives assuming they went to homes with supportive families/relationships. I am somewhat relieved that UNICEF has been there to help them recover and build but I am left wondering how well it is still going since the information is from 2012 and later. They’re still a relatively young country so I hope they keep building and working towards a brighter future. Looking at the obstacles that these children have had in their lives and all of the factors that were implemented to improve their lives shows me the importance of effective early childhood and early intervention. Another thing that it brings to mind is resiliency. Even when children are exposed to toxic stressors, if they have loving relationships and early interventions, they are able to repair the damage and will become stronger than they were before (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.).

References

Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.). Toxic Stress. Retrieved from: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/

UNICEF Eritrea. (2012). D’Hnet H’Tsanat: For the welfare of children UNICEF in Eritrea: Two decades of collaboration. UNICEF Eritrea: Publisher. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/eritrea/ECO_resources_20years.pdf

The Sexualization of Early Childhood Week 6 EDUC 6358

 The Sexualization of Early Childhood

While reading the book excerpt, So sexy so soon (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009), there were many things that I found alarming even though I am aware that the various types of media use sex to sell products to even the youngest of consumers. Even with the realization that companies use sex to sell their products, it was still shocking to read the examples of how it has affected our children and how young it occurs. “Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular culture” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2).

I have observed sexualization of early childhood in my own personal and professional experiences. I have raised four girls and now have three young adults and one still living at home. I have witnessed the progression of sexualization and how it has affected my own children. My oldest child is now 23 and went through the Bratz doll stage. She also liked Britney Spears. Luckily, we had open communication and often had talks, mostly about how body-conscious she was compared to her friends. Because she felt safe to talk to me, I was able to guide and support her through the confusing world she lived in. Fast forward to my youngest and I can see a huge difference especially in how much younger she was exposed to sexual messages. We contributed some of this due to having three older sisters and we would have family talks about what they were allowed to do and say in front of our youngest. I feel having the early experiences with our older girls and seeing what I have seen in my professional life has helped me to raise our children to see sex and violence so prevalent in popular culture. In my professional life, I have seen girls as young as 4 have their hair highlighted and wearing clothes that are not age appropriate. I did not witness boys expressing any negative views but I did witness other girls idolizing or looking up to the girls who had highlighted hair and “sexy” clothes.

“Gender roles modeled for children have become increasingly polarized and rigid” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 2). Like the example above where the two girls dressed and accessorized their hair as a teenager or adult might do, girls learn that the way they look and dress equals to success (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). Boys learn to judge girls based on this ideal and become insensitive (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). The messages they receive about their gender roles and the sexualization related to these roles deeply affects later relationships, attitudes, and identity (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). Without proper nurturance and guidance, children grow up lacking “healthy attitudes about themselves and their bodies, and to have caring relationships in which sex is an important part” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p. 4). After reading this, I can remember examples from my youngest daughter that she tells me about friends at school being sexually active or wanting that type of attention from boys. These kids are around 11 to 12 years old. I am happy that she talks to us about what she hears so we can help her understand what she hears and why it is unhealthy. We also let her know that we are saddened to hear what her friends are going through. It is really difficult to tell her what to do or to tell her that it is unhealthy for her to maintain close relationships with friends who exhibit sexual behaviors. We also tell her how important it is to report things that seem unsafe or abusive to school officials.

Another thing I have noticed in my professional life is how young children seem to become attracted to others by saying things like “he/she is cute” and “I like him/her”, or wanting to kiss another child. I have never looked at this as harmless and have done what I can to curtail such behavior by letting children know that these things are not appropriate for them to say and do. After reading So sexy so soon (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009), I have a deeper understanding that they are repeating what they hear from popular culture, advertisements, television, and movies.

 Curious about what more I could do besides having honest conversations with my own children, making my classroom environment safe, and having honest conversations with families in my program, I looked on the So sexy so soon website for more ideas. While the suggestions are for parents, I feel some of them could apply to teachers in early childhood programs. What I found to be most important is to go beyond saying no because it can be harsh, does not tell them why it is wrong and can cause harm through shaming them (So Sexy So Soon, 2010). Their tips to help parents and teachers to work together include, “Build parent-teacher relationships based on mutual respect and collaboration, share concerns with each other when problems come up in the classroom with individual children or a larger group, work to create a school-wide community that makes dealing with the sexualization of childhood a community-wide affair, and to ask your children’s teachers and school to keep parents informed about issues that come up in school related to the sexualized culture and what is being done about them” (So Sexy So Soon, 2010).

My views about the effects of sexualization presented in media and popular culture have broadened because while I did understand that the issues I raised in the blog are troublesome, I did not fully understand the complexity and severity of such issues. I also have a better understanding of how to deal with issues that arise in an early childhood setting. Just like any other issue in the classroom, we cannot brush them off because we are unsure of how to deal with it in the classroom or how to handle later conversations with the families. We need to be able to provide our families with resources on this topic just like we do with many other topics.

References

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

So Sexy So Soon (2010) Proactive Parenting Tips for Counteracting the Sexualization of Children and Teenagers. Retrieved from: http://sosexysosoon.com/tips.html