Week 8: Reflecting on Learning

       My hope when I started this journey was to learn more about diversity and how to implement strategies in the classroom that will help my diverse learners. My hopes have changed to reflect what I have learned from my colleagues, professors, resources, discussions, and assignments. I have gained lots of insight about diversity, my own biases and attitudes, and strategies that will benefit my students and their families.

 

        My most passionate hope now for my future as an early childhood professional is to be an anti-bias educator where I help empower my students and families. I hope to create a safe, loving, and supportive classroom where my students and families feel welcome, appreciated, and empowered. I hope to help others appreciate diversity and to respect people for who they are. Biases, stereotypes, and attitudes are going to exist. If we can empower our students and families, then they are going to value themselves and reach out to others. This will have a lasting impacting on their lives and those around them.

 

      I want to thank my fellow colleagues and Dr. Weems for all your support, insight, and comments you have given me throughout my personal and professional journey to be an anti-bias educator. Your experiences and advice have helped me to understand the importance of being an anti-bias educator and how I want to impact my students and their families. I wish you all the best in your journey. Thank you and God bless!

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

      I chose the region of South Asia, because I have a student and family this year who are from India. I know very little information about their culture or their country. The child recently told me that his grandparents are now living with them.  I was curious about where they came from and how they are impacted by their culture and country.

      The UNICEF (2013) website had a great deal of information about India and how children are impacted. I discovered that 34% of the population tries to survive on less than $1.00 a day. There are about 45.9% of children under 3 years of age who are underweight. The child mortality is impacted by malnutrition. Teachers know that children’s development socially, emotionally, and academically is impacted by whether or not their basic needs are met. If children are hungry, then it is hard for them to focus and learn. I learned that 2/3 of children have been abused physically while over 50% of children have been faced with sexual abuse. Child labor and trafficking is high in India as well. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 suffer from HIV.  Children who have been abused physically or sexually are going to be impacted socially, emotionally, and academically. Their self-esteem is going to be low while they will have a hard time knowing how to interact with others. Learning is not going to be easy when they lack confidence and struggle with how to interact with other children.  If a child is sick, then they are also going to be impacted developmentally as well. It is hard to imagine how their well-being and emotional development is impacted. I could only imagine how scared children must be on a daily basis. Are they going to have enough to eat? Are they going to have clean water? Are they going to be abused? When those concerns or experiences occur or have occurred, then it is horrifying how they must feel emotionally.

     Natural disasters also impact children in India. They are impacted by flooding, droughts, earthquakes and landslides. These types of issues propose challenges for families when their home is damaged, food supply is decreased, or they suffer from the loss of a family member. Loss of water or sanitation issues can interfere with a healthy development in children as well. UNICEF has been helping people in India with sanitation at home and school.  They try to offer services and education about child protection issues. UNICEF works hard to educate people in order to prevent HIV/AIDS.

      Thinking about the information that I read on the UNICEF website (2013) really opened my eyes to the challenges that children and families face in India. Children deserve to grow and develop in a world where they can reach their full potential. I feel very blessed to live in a country where we try to help others, but my heart goes out to those that are faced with challenges. I do realize that there are children here in our own country and state that suffer from many of these same conditions and challenges. It is scary to think that we expect children to come to school and try to learn and interact with others while they have such turmoil going on in their lives physically, emotionally, and socially. Teachers need to be aware of what challenges children and their families face. We need to get to know the children and their families. Regina Chavez (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) discussed how children need to feel safe, supported and loved. If we want children to learn, then we need to provide an environment where their basic needs are met first. Children deserve to grow and develop and reach their fullest potential.

 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children [DVD]. Learning about fairness: varying abilities. Baltimore, MD: Author

UNICEF. (2013) Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/rosa/index.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

             The issue of sexualization is scary and upsetting to me. It is hard to imagine, but sexualization definitely begins during the early childhood years. I have seen and heard incidences of sexualization with my preschoolers and each time it is upsetting to me. I have always wondered how I should handle the situation to best meet the needs of my students and other children. It is clear that movies, music, advertising, clothing, etc. have really changed over the years. As a child my mother would not allow us to wear provocative clothing, watch inappropriate shows or listen to inappropriate music. It is upsetting that industries are using sex and violence to make money and how they target young children.

            Levin and Kilbourne (2009) gave several examples of sexualization and at first I could not believe what I was reading. It was hard to imagine young children doing or saying such inappropriate things. After thinking about it, I realized I have seen and heard things similar to the examples provided. One thing I thought about was how young girls dress today. They are encouraged to dress like certain characters. Preschool aged girls want to look sexy and provocative because they have seen certain characters dress the same way. I have heard boys in preschool refer to girls as being “sexy”. My first reaction was shock, because my 11 year old son does not even use that term and here is a 4 year old saying “sexy”. I can also remember a young girl in preschool saying sexual comments while holding herself inappropriately. I realized these children had to hear it from somewhere else. Television shows, movies, songs and even commercials are filled with words like “sexy” and actions that are even worse.  I also think certain extreme beauty pageants are encouraging children to dress and act inappropriately for their age. I remember one time seeing a documentary on young girl beauty pageants and I could not believe the way the little girls were dressing and dancing. They were dancing in a very suggestive manner. The message these girls were receiving is that if they do not act sexually and dress provocatively, then they were not going to win the contest. It is sad that children receive messages that their inner beauty was not enough to win, but instead they have to act older and be something they are not in order to win.

         Girls receive messages that their worth is determined by how “hot”, sexy, thin, or beautiful they are (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). This type of message encourages girls to stress about their looks rather than being themselves. Boys receive a poor definition of masculinity that only promotes insensitivity and macho behaviors (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). This type of message encourages boys to be violent and try to be in control. The messages children are receiving will impact their gender identity, self-esteem, and relationships for years to come. Children are going to be confused about what is important and how they are supposed to act. I feel creating a safe and loving environment is very important. Children need to feel safe and comfortable in being themselves and communicating with us. I think providing age appropriate activities, books, toys, music, and media allow children to act like children rather than like teens or adults.  I want my students to interact with each other in ways that encourage healthy relationships.  I want to help students have a positive self-image and encourage them to support each other. I feel using resources, activities, and discussions will help children gain insight on age appropriate behaviors, and will allow them to develop socially, emotionally, and cognitively in a healthy manner.  This topic is definitely an eye opener for me. I am more aware of the impacts sexualization can have on young children and how it can impact them for years to come. I want to build a classroom where children are encouraged to be themselves. The seriousness yet sensitive nature of this topic only means that I will need to address issues that occur carefully.  

 

Reference:

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

 

 

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

We all experience some type of “ism” in our lives. My family was considered to be poor growing up and this impacted how I was treated as a child. I was often times excluded from activities, because my family did not have much money or because we were not in the same class as my peers. This impacted who I was and the person I am today. There were a couple people in my childhood who insinuated that I would never have anything or be anyone, but there were many people in my life that believed in me and encouraged me to follow my dreams. When I was young it was easier to believe the negative things, but as I grew older I started to push aside all the negative messages. Emotionally I was uncertain what I could do, but I felt I had to prove something to others and myself. Socially I did not want to be in charge or stand out in the crowd. I always wanted to make sure others were happy.

 I also experienced gender stereotyping as a child. People treated me differently, because I was a girl. I was not allowed to do certain activities as a child, because I was a girl and I was supposed to do “little girl” things. This only made me angry and I would try to prove to others that I could climb trees, go fishing, and hang with the boys. I remember when I was a teenager that someone basically sent me the message that I should not go to college. I was supposed to be a stay at home wife and mom. I was very reluctant to start college, because I felt guilty. I was also concerned that I would not be able to finish. Those negative messages/stereotypes could have prevented me from doing the things I wanted in my life, but fortunately I chose to listen to the positive influences in my life.  

These messages impacted me emotionally, socially, and cognitively. Reflecting on what I have learned helps me realize that the different messages I received in my life impacted me in one way or another. The messages and attitudes helped me be who I am today. Looking back on my own life only confirms that the messages we send children and their families are very powerful. I think the “isms” that I experienced have shaped me into the teacher I am today with my students and their families. I know first-hand how it feels to be judged on my class and gender. I think that is why I strive to not judge my students or their families. I can relate to where they are coming from and I try to encourage them. As a teacher, I have had many diverse students and families in my classroom. I want to ensure that I consider where they are coming from and what they have experienced. I want to consider what messages I am sending my students and their families.

Observing Communication

          This week I observed a teacher communicating with a child in the classroom during center time. The child was playing in the block center. The adult was standing at the entrance of the center and asking the child to tell her about what he was building. The adult would pause and allow the child to speak. She would ask the child questions about the different animals. The child would answer and then the teacher would provide more information and comments about his construction. He was telling the teacher that he was building a zoo with Legos and the animal that lived at the zoo. She asked the child specific questions about the animals and he would tell her what each animal liked to eat. He would proceed to speak for the animals and make animal like sounds. This communication was effective because the teacher would allow the child to speak and answer questions. This made the child feel important and allowed the child to provide information about animals. The teacher did not dominate the conversation which let the child know what he was saying was important. I always try to balance my listening and speaking time with my students. I want to let them know what they are saying is important by listening and engaging in their conversation. One thing that I do is try to make eye contact with them and get at eye level with them. This teacher could have been more effective if she would have been at eye level with the student.

           It is important for children to feel safe and comfortable so that they will communicate with others in their classroom environment (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). It is very important to ask children questions and really listen to what they say. When I am communicating with children and/or giving instruction, then I need to be more aware of the child’s perspective because this will make my instruction more effective. I want to continue to get at the child's eye level, but I want to ensure that the child realizes I am engaged in whatever he/she is telling me.

 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc.(Producer). (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children [DVD]. Communicating with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

My vision of an anti-bias learning environment would involve making sure all parents and their children felt welcome in the center. I would post a bulletin board entitled “Our Family”. The bulletin board would be visible upon entering the center. I would have pictures of each child and teacher’s family posted on the bulletin board. I would want this bulletin board to reflect every person and their family in order to demonstrate that we are one big family. I would display pictures and posters around the room that reflect the children and families in the center and from the community. I would want to post information where parents will remain informed on a regular basis. I thought it was very interesting how Adrianna Castillo (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) used a message board for parents to write down important information that was to be shared with the teacher. I would adapt this by placing a clipboard at the entrance where parents could write important notes or information to be viewed by the teacher. I would hope that parents felt comfortable talking with me or writing me notes of anything they felt I needed to know about their child. I would want to use materials that encourage the children to explore and engage in their learning environment. Materials should invite children to explore and discover and should support children’s play and conversations (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

 

Materials:

Books – I would purchase books about diverse families, cultures, identities that reflected children/families in the center and in the community. I would use books that were interesting, colorful, and inviting to the children. I would also use books that we created as a class. I think it is important for children to be part of the process of designing books that reflect who they are, what they know, and their interests.

Music – I would use a variety of music that reflecting my students’ interests and their cultures.

Dolls, Puppets, and People – I would use a variety of dolls/people from various cultures, races, and abilities. Dolls, puppets, and people help children engage in conversations and help them ask questions about things they do not understand or feelings they may have.

Puzzles – I would place a variety of puzzles in the centers where diverse people and families are represented. These also encourage children to engage in conversations about people, families, and cultures.

Art Supplies – I would place a variety of art tools and materials in the art center. I would use colors, markers, paints, pencils, scissors, and glue. Paper, paint, yarn, and crayons would include skin tone colors. I want my students to create art where they feel they are truly represented and valued.

Dress Up Clothes – I would place a variety of clothes and accessories in the dramatic play area where students can dress up in garments from various cultures and identities. I would also include costumes that represent various roles and occupations.

 

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.(Producer). (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children [DVD]. Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author

What I Have Learned ~

My hope is that my students and their families realize how much they are appreciated and valued in our classroom and community. I want my classroom environment to be welcoming to all my students and their families. I want my words and actions to reflect how much I respect and appreciate them. I want my students and their families to feel comfortable sharing their identities, backgrounds, and cultures in our classroom and with others.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to diversity, equity, and social justice is that teachers realize how important it is to value every child and his/her family. In order to meet this goal, I feel educators need to set aside their biases and prejudices and appreciate children for their differences. I would like for all educators to realize how our actions, words, and attitudes impact our students’ identities and development. Early childhood professionals have an important responsibility because we are usually the first experience these families have in the education program. We need to create a positive learning experience for our students and their families so they will feel empowered for years to come.

I would like to thank my fellow colleagues and Dr. Kien for your words of wisdom and encouragement. Throughout this course you all have helped me to reflect on who I am and understand the importance of being an anti-bias educator.  I wish you all much success in completing your journey.