Week 8 - What I Have Learned

What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when I think about my work with children and their families from diverse backgrounds is that they feel respected, appreciated, and welcomed in the classroom. I want them to realize that they bring value to the classroom and that I learn as much from them as they do me. I also want to make sure that their needs are met through open and honest communication. I hope that when both the child and the family leave my classroom that they feel empowered to accomplish whatever they set out to do because I have done my best and have given them the tools to do so.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field in regards to the issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice is that the entire field comes together to realize the importance of anti-bias education. All early childhood programs should be in the practice of teaching tolerance and acceptance of all children and their families. Until we all see the value of all people, we will not see the social change we so desire. I look at early childhood as the foundation for all other growth. So as early childhood educators, we are working at the ground level where all great things will be built upon if we teach equity and social justice. If we show children that we know that they are smart and kind, then they will grow up to be smart and kind and will be more likely to thrive (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 1). Nothing is more important than making sure all children are able to succeed and are able to live in a more just world.

I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your hard work and dedication to the early childhood field. I also want to thank you for the kind words, input, and insights you have shared with me throughout this course. I have had many of you in every single course here at Walden and I have enjoyed sharing this journey with you. I wish each and every one of you continued success. See you in the New Year!

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children

and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Week 7 Diversity Poem-Creating Art

Diversity

Diversity is within us.

Diversity is around us.

Diversity is what makes us unique.

Diversity is what binds us together.

Diversity is what makes us whole and strong.

Diversity is to invite love and understanding and

Diversity is acceptance of our differences into our lives and into our world.

Diversity is work, resiliency, and perseverance.

I wrote this poem based on my perceptions of diversity and based on what I have learned during this course. In this course and throughout my coursework at Walden University, I have learned the importance of understanding my own diversity and biases and how they play a role in the way I perceive others and how I communicate with them. I have a deeper understanding that even though I want to be accepting of all walks of life, my biases can hold me back from acting or behaving in the most appropriate ways. This is why I mentioned acceptance, work, resiliency, and perseverance. I should have also added acknowledgment to my poem. I have learned that it is okay to admit you do not fully understand someone else's viewpoint or that you do not agree with that viewpoint but can still accept them for who they are. Harro's (2010) cycles of socialization and liberation really helped me to see the ways I have changed and the ways I need to improve to make positive changes. 

References

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W.

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W.

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 6.1 on p. 46, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Start Seeing Diversity Week 6 EDUC 6357

Start Seeing Diversity 

It is natural for children to notice the differences around them. It is their way of figuring out the world around them and where they fit in. It is often our reactions to their questions that send them the wrong messages about what they see.

I witnessed a child asking her mother why another child was in a wheelchair. The mother did not answer her, Instead of answering her, she told her child not to stare at the child in the wheelchair. I had my youngest daughter with me and she immediately asked me why that mother did that. I told that my daughter that some people are not sure how to handle those types of situations. My daughter looked at the child in the wheelchair and the mother, smiled, then said and waved hello to them.

What I know from this experience is that children learn about our differences through what they learn from the adults around them. The child who asked why the other child was in a wheelchair was just noticing these differences and trying to make sense between what she knows and what she sees. The child had not yet formed any judgments/biases about these differences until the mother confirmed that noticing differences is shameful or wrong. It also marginalizes the group of people who are differently-abled by making them seem not “normal” and dehumanizes them.

If this child were one of my students and told me about this situation, I would have used what I have learned through my experiences and through what I have learned about anti-bias education to guide the child to better understand the differences around us and that it is okay to explore these differences. I would let this child know that he was not wrong in noticing that the child in the wheelchair was different from him (Laureate Education, n.d.). Instead of noticing differences as something shameful, we could begin to explore people with varying abilities through books, picture cards (Laureate Education, n.d.), and through answering children’s questions (Hall, 2008). Through my experiences with working with people with varying disabilities, I would be able to explain to my students how much they have in common with them. All children want to learn, play, and to be loved and appreciated. They have family, friends, and classmates. I feel by making these connections would help children see them as people rather than something taboo that they should not notice or talk about. We want children to feel that they are free to ask questions in order to create a world with less bias and prejudice. Until we show children we need to change how we value others, we will not be able to move towards creating change (Harro, 2010).

References

Hall, K. W. (2008). Reflecting on our read-aloud practices: The importance of including

culturally authentic literature. Young Children, 63(1), 80–86.

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H.

W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social

justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics [Video

            file]. Retrieved from:

https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Race/ethnicity [Video file]. Retrieved from:

https://class.waldenu.edu

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families

If someone told me that they believed early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families, I would have to disagree with them. All families should be equally represented and in a positive way regardless of the center’s beliefs or the beliefs of the teachers in the classroom (Laureate Education, 2010). Equal and positive representation ensures that each child’s identity is positively developed, accepted, and validated.

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children? (Note: if you have not had a personal experience, ask a family member, friend, or colleague)

I have never used these terms but I have heard them used and I have had my own children come home and tell me that they have heard these terms or have been told they are these things. My youngest daughter has been called a lesbian quite often at school because of her short hair and her athleticism. Because one of her older sisters is a lesbian, we have been able to have open and honest discussions about being gay/lesbian and that we are accepting of all of our children’s choices. We also discuss the unfairness of such prejudices and misconceptions and how to handle them. So far, she has handled these situations in stride. She also gets called a boy quite often by adults. With her peers, she sets them straight in various ways. Sometimes she lets them know that she donated her hair to children with hair loss and now likes her short hair. Other times she says she likes her short hair because she competes in jiu-jitsu. If they’re being rude, she just tells laughs them off and tells them how ridiculous their thinking is or will ask why it matters to them anyway. With adults, she doesn’t correct them. We let her guide us when it comes to correcting adults. The only time I correct an adult is when it is necessary such as when she is competing in jiu-jitsu and mistake her for a boy because the rules are different for what they can wear under the gi.

These types of comments influence all children because it gives them misinformation that divides them into groups of acceptance and unacceptance which in turn gives them a feeling of being superior over a marginalized group of people. Children absorb the prejudices and biases that surround them and begin to understand the power dynamics that come with certain social identities (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, pp. 15-16). It is sad to know that this is occurring in schools, that children are being bullied, and that some children choose to commit suicide over their struggle with their identity and the struggle of being accepted by society. ”Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average” and they are also five times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth (The Trevor Project, n.d.).

As early childhood educators, we need to teach acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion of all children in hopes that we can stop all instances of bullying and prejudice for a better future for our children.

References

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

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Sexual orientation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

The Trevor Project. (n.d.). Preventing suicide. Facts about suicide. Retrieved from: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/#sm.000tsf8a6zb6ctt1150261l4anghx

Thank all of you in EDUC 6165 Comm & Collab

I wanted to take the time to say a huge thank you to all of you! Many of us have been in all of the same courses throughout our Walden journey. Some of us have had a couple courses together or this was our first course together. Regardless of when or how often we have worked together, your input and support has been invaluable. All of you have helped me look at issues in ways I did not consider or you helped me expand on my current thinking.  I truly appreciate each and every one of you!
Feel free to stop by my blog anytime to say hi, ask a question, or to work on something together. You can also reach me using my email address: trishy0302@gmail.com 

 I hope to see some of you in future courses.

I wish all of you the best!
Trish

Adjourning

Adjourning

Adjourning is the final stage of a group where the group members move off into different directions (Abudi, 2010). Groups that make it to the fourth stage of performing will have formed strong bonds with each other and will feel a sense of sadness before moving on to other things (Abudi, 2010).

Looking back at all the different groups I was a part of, I feel like the hardest thing to do was to move on from the friendships I made during my early college days. Some of my closest friendships are from this time. We did everything together to include studying and hanging out. Through these bonds, we learned how to navigate life together. Because we were all growing into who we are today, I feel like we were a high-performing group. We are like family because we supported each other through the good and the bad and we never judged each other for our mistakes or differences. Each of us moved away to pursue our own paths and we were able to say our goodbyes. I am happy that even though we do not see each other on a regular basis, most of us have been able to keep in touch through phone calls, sending cards, and social media. Regardless of the time that has passed between us, I know this group of friends will always be a part of my foundation. Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it gives us time to reflect on both the positive and the negative things that occurred during that time. It also gives us an opportunity to have a sense of closure of one time or project and an opening to something new.

Many of you have been in every class with me here at Walden University. Although we do not know each other personally, I feel like I have learned so much about each of you and from each of you. The feedback we give one another has been invaluable and I will miss our weekly communications. I hope as we part ways (adjourn) that the experiences we have shared carry all of us into our next adventures! I would love to hear from any of you in the future!

References

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution

My professional conflict has to do with a discussion between my immediate supervisor who is also my co-teacher, my director, and I. Apparently, they had a discussion without me and decided together new ideas regarding classroom management. Instead of collaborating and working to resolve an issue with classroom management, I was told about the changes. Maybe because I am people-oriented, I took this as a personal attack because I was unable to give my input at the time since I was not included in the conversation, just the end result. At the end of the day, my director came to me and thanked me for a good day and that she liked what she heard from our classroom from her office.  My co-teacher and I need to sit down and discuss the changes further than she wants to work with the older children while I work with the younger children. I am okay with each of us teaching to our strengths but I felt a little left out of the loop since we were not able to discuss this as a team.

What I have learned from this week is that this discussion did not resolve the conflict. Rather it was just an attempt to fix a problem instead of following the 3 R’s: respect, response, and relationship (Cheshire, 2007). This conversation did not show any of the 3 R’s because I was not asked for my input, it came from a place of control, and it did not feel like a co-teacher relationship. As this evolves over the next few days, I will have to go against my desire to avoid conflict so my thoughts can be heard while also understanding the needs of my co-teacher so we can come to a mutual agreement (Center for Nonviolent Communication, n.d.).

For my colleagues who are not people-oriented, what suggestions do you have to help me resolve this issue? 

For my colleagues who are people-oriented, what tools have you used to overcome being emotionally charged during times of conflict?

All input is appreciated. Thank you!

Trish

References

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.).  The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from:  http://www.cnvc.org/

Cheshire, N. (2007). The 3 R’s: Gateway to infant toddler learning. Dimensions of Early Childhood. Volume 35, No. 3.