Creating
Affirming Environments
If I were to open my own Family Child Care Home, I would
want to make sure to include many things to ensure all children and their
families feel welcome and respected. The classroom/childcare environment is vital to the way children and their
families learn and feel and should be built upon mutual respect. The diversity
of each family should be represented in the classroom. Teachers should spend time
at the beginning of each year to learn about the children and their families so
that the classroom or child care environment equally represents this diversity
(Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).
At the beginning of the year, I would have an intake
meeting to get to know each family. Before the intake, each family would
receive an email asking that each family bring in a family picture to display
in the common area or classroom of the child care home. If they were unable to
attend the intake, I would be sure to ask them for a picture at our initial
meeting or on the first day of attendance for their child. I feel that family
pictures not only connect the child to their family, but it also helps the
other children to see the similarities and differences between families
(Laureate Education, 2011). The child care setting would also be full of
pictures depicting cultures from all over the world because children also need
to see and appreciate the diversity that
they do not experience in their community (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards,
2010).
Other than the diverse pictures, I would also have dolls,
toys, and books that also represented the diversity in and out of my child care
setting. Children should be able to see themselves represented throughout the environment
as well as being able to explore other cultures and backgrounds (Derman-Sparks
& Olsen Edwards, 2010). Having all of these things that represent both the
different cultures in and out of the classroom will give the children the
dialogue they will need to speak up for injustices that they may see in the
future (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).
Much like Adriana Castillo in this week’s media segment, I
would also include an area for children and families to go if they need extra
time to join the rest of the children (Laureate Education, 2011). I would have
an area for children and their families to sit and read. This area would also
include information about my child care policies and references to outside
resources (Laureate Education, 2011). I would also have a “quiet area” for
children to go when they are not ready to participate. This area would include
a lot of comfy pillows to relax on and a picture chart depicting several
different emotions that they may be feeling at the time. Being able to see
their emotions in a picture will help them to identify how they are feeling so
they can explain this feeling to the caregiver.
Overall, I would hope that my Family Child Care Home
feels welcoming to all that walk through the door. Adriana Castillo said that “her
best hope is that they can grow up with love, with respect” (Laureate Education,
2011). Her hope summed up my feelings as well. I would want children in my care
to feel love, respect, as well as safe and supported.
Lastly I would post the anti-bias commitment pledge (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2018) in the front area where the families bring in their children to my Family Child Care Home. Not only does it show my commitment to children and their families, but it would also serve as my own reminder of the importance of anti-bias education.
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).
Derman-Sparks, L. & Olsen Edwards, J. (2017). Living our commitments: A pledge to all children and families. Exchange, 39(234), 32-35. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Derman-Sparks, L. & Olsen Edwards, J. (2017). Living our commitments: A pledge to all children and families. Exchange, 39(234), 32-35. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Laureate
Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for
working with diverse children: Welcome
to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author
Trish,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts about your family child care center. I also wrote about including photos of the children and their families, because it's something they can relate to as well as a way to learn about others. You could even post the photos on a tree and label it "family tree" to unite all of the individuals and families in the program. The quiet area you mentioned is essential in a facility like this. I have one in my classroom and the children use it when they need a break or time to calm down. It sounds like you would use it for that as well as a space for families to read together, and I think that's a great idea! :)
Tara
Trish,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your ideas for your child care home. I also wrote about including different materials in the classroom that reflect different cultures. I think this is very important because children need to be exposed to different cultures in order to have open conversations with each other about their observations. I also like your emphasis on family involvement. Having a quiet area for students is a great idea, but also allowing that area as a space where families to read with their child can help that child calm down and get ready for the day. Castillo spoke about how children and parents sometimes have a difficult time parting ways and this calming area could be used as a space for parents and children to say goodbye after reading a story together. Great ideas!
Brianna
Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author