Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

     This is my 6^th year teaching preschool in a small town. The topic of gays and/or lesbians has never come up in my classroom. I do not include books depicting gays and/or lesbians in my classroom, because we do not have children from LGBT families. Every year I have students from nontraditional families, therefore I do include books that depict their diverse families. If I were to have a student one year from a LGBT family, then I would approach this topic and use books to help students understand. I would have students discuss their families, what makes a family, and how their family is similar and different from other families. I would hope to help students see that every family is diverse and yet they all include love, support, and respect. The “Start Seeing Diversity” video (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010) demonstrated things teachers could do in the classroom to help students understand sexual orientation better and what they think it means. When an issue arises in the classroom, then I feel it is a good policy to engage the students in conversation and help them understand their own identities and how their actions/words impact others.

      Many times I have seen parents come into my classroom and get upset about their son playing in the housekeeping center where they are cooking, taking care of the babies, playing dress up, etc. I  point out how great it is that they are acting out positive things they have seen at home and explain that he will make a great dad, husband, or whatever role he is pretending. Parents and families can send positive and negative messages to their children that will impact the child’s role and identity. I want my students to feel comfortable in expressing themselves, learning who they are, acting out various roles, and developing a positive self-esteem.

     I had to stop and consider how I would respond to a parent/family member who informed me that they did not want anyone who is perceived homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child. I think I would explain to the parent/family member that they have the right to remove their child from the program if they did not agree with our school policies of hiring teachers and staff members. I would also explain to the family that our school only hires highly qualified teachers and staff to educate and care for the children. I would explain that someone’s sexual orientation does not interfere with their ability to educate, care for, or interact with the children. I would respond by saying that everyone is diverse in their own way and that we cannot discriminate against someone just because we do not agree with their choices, where they are from, or the color of their skin.

 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Start Seeing Diversity. (DVD).  In EDUC 6357 Diversity, Development, and Learning.

Professional Hopes and Goals

 

Looking back over the past 8 weeks, I realize how much I have learned about myself on a professional and personal level. This course has taught me to reflect on who I am, my own identities, and the teacher I hope to be for my students and their families.

One hope I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I hope to value, appreciate, and respect who they are, their identities, and their culture. I want to get to know my students and their families and connect with them. People deserve to be respected and treated with dignity. I hope my students and their families will know I value and respect them.

One goal that I want to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that early childhood professionals empower students, families, and others. Children are learning what they see and hear. I want the early childhood profession to build a foundation where children learn about diversity, social justice, and equity. This means we need to help students ask questions and participate in dialogue about these issues. If we can help children learn at an early age, then they are going to be a part of the change we hope to see in others. They are going to learn the importance of valuing others and they are going to stand up when injustice occurs.

I would like to thank my colleagues for your insights, personal experiences, and knowledge throughout this course. You all have helped me to learn about diversity, equity, and social justice from a personal and professional level. I have learned about the person I am and the teacher I hope to be for my students and their families. I appreciate all your support and guidance along my journey. I wish you all the best!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

It is important for teachers to welcome students and their families to the classroom. I will be receiving a new student from India and want to make them feel welcome.  

Things I would want to do in order to prepare for my new student and his family are:

1. I would research about their country, culture, and customs. I would want to have a little insight into who they are and where they are from.

2. I would talk to an interpreter and learn about the child’s language. I would want to know what their customs were with language and communication in order to prevent from offending the family.

3. I would also want to discuss with the interpreter a time when everyone could meet in the child’s home and have the interpreter communicate in their native language. I feel this would let the family know I valued their culture and identity and hopefully make them more comfortable in communicating their thoughts, opinions, and concerns for their child and his education.

4. I would want to locate some books, posters, music, and materials that were about their country and use them in the classroom. I would want the child and his family to feel welcome when they arrive and come to the classroom.

5. I would learn about their country and then discuss with the family about volunteering in the classroom. I would love for the family and come and share with the class things about their country, culture, and family. I think having the family volunteering in the classroom will help students become more familiar with their culture and their identity. I feel this would allow everyone to learn from each other and to express how we value who they are. I think learning about their family and culture, communicating with them in their native language, and having them be actively involved in the classroom will create a positive relationship with the student and his family.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

       I remember an incident when I was in junior high and we were picking teams for a game of volleyball during our physical education class. The captains took turns picking their teams and there were people that were picked last. Usually the girls and players that were not as athletic as others were picked last. I remember one girl in particular being picked towards the end. I guess to the captains she did not appear to be athletic. As each player was called you could tell her feelings were being hurt more and more. I felt bad for her. I knew they were implying she was not a good player, because she was a girl. You could tell they did not want her on their team. On one level I think the captains would need to change how they picked teams in order for it to be fair. I think picking teams always ends up hurting someone’s feelings and creates opportunities for prejudice, biases, and/or oppression to occur. I think the best way to prevent prejudice, biases, and oppression from occurring in situations like this is for the coach to divide the teams. I think this can be done prior to the students getting to class and that way it will seem more random and students are not standing in front of each other seeing other players chosen before them. I was never athletic and so I could relate to this girl. I did not care that I was picked last, because I knew I was not very good. For some people this was very hurtful and could cause oppression for them.

         I also think situations like this are going to take place, but can be dealt with in a better way. I think this would be a great opportunity for the coach to address how everyone has different talents and skills. Some players might be better at volleyball, while other students are better at something else. Our coaches/teacher did try to include a variety of activities that would provide students with opportunities to learn what activities they were better at and enjoyed more.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I observed people’s interactions and tried to detect examples of microaggression. I really did not know what to expect in the beginning. I was at a local fast food restaurant and noticed a lady in front of me ordering several meals. The man at the register said “wow, someone must be hungry”. The lady placing the order did not say anything, only looked down towards the ground. I noticed as she was getting into her car with her order, that she had a car full of people. People are quick to judge people based on their size and/or appearance. The message the cashier sent to the lady was that she eats a lot of food. I felt like he was insinuating that she should not be eating that much food. I felt bad for her; because I could tell he hurt her feelings. I do not think the cashier intended to insult her or assume anything, but his words and behavior were disrespectful and hurtful.

After observing people in public situations, I realized how often people discriminate against others. I do not think people intend to be prejudice or stereotypical towards others, but their actions and behaviors definitely impact those around them. This exercise was definitely an eye opener for me.

Perspectives on Divsersity and Culture

I asked a colleague, a friend, and a family member the definition of diversity and culture. They each did not respond right away. They were trying to think about how they would answer my question.

My friend answered with culture and diversity are defined by a person’s religion, ethnicity, lifestyle, and values. People are influenced by the details of their life – the past and present.

My colleague responded with culture is defined by how a person behaves and their beliefs based on where a person lives. Diversity is the differences in people. People are different based on economic status, race, gender, and religion.

My family member said that culture and diversity defines oneself. We are all diverse and from different cultures. Culture is defined as one’s religion, beliefs, race, and gender. Culture is the things that influence a person such as traditions and where they live. Diversity is simply what makes people different from each other.  A variety of things determine how we are diverse from each other.

I think all these definitions are accurate on some level, but culture and diversity are a combination of these definitions. I have learned that culture and diversity is more than what we can see about a person. Culture is a person’s traditions, beliefs, religion, gender, race, values, and their lifestyle. Diversity is how we are different defined by one’s culture and the many things that define our culture. Two people from the same family are diverse based on their personal experiences, values, and gender. One example is a friend and her siblings are from the same family, but they moved to different states. They each make different salaries and live different lifestyles.

Listening to others define and reflect on culture and diversity really supports how everyone is different and how we are defined by these differences. We all value our culture and how it impacts our lives.

My Family Culture

      Three items that I would choose in the event of an emergency are my Bible, my family photo album, and a family quilt. I would choose the Bible, because it is a major part of who I am, how I was raised, and how I want my children to be raised. My faith, religion, and culture come from God and His blessings in my life. I feel it is important to teach my children and others about God’s promises and His word. I would take my family photo album, because there are numerous pictures of relatives and important events in the photo album. I feel these pictures help explain who we are based on our past and our family’s past. The photos capture memories of relatives who are no longer living so that we can share stories about them with our children. The photos also capture memories of births, birthdays, holidays, vacations, and other special events that explain who we are as a family and our culture. The third item I would take is a quilt that my mother-in-law hand made and then gave to my husband. This quilt is compiled of 12 different squares. She created this quilt where every square is a scene and tells a story about her family and childhood. For example, one of the squares on the quilt is a scene from her childhood where she attended a small country church.  Below each square is a sewn description that explains the scene such as who is involved and where it took place. I want to pass this quilt on to my children because it captures who their grandmother is and has memories about family we never knew. It helps explain how and where she grew up. It is a beautiful quilt that demonstrates her talent and is part of my family's culture.

      If upon arrival I was told I could only keep one of these three items, then I would feel as if they were taking part of my culture  away from me. I would feel that they did not value who I was or my family culture. It would be very difficult to pick only one item and leave the other things behind.

      The insight I gained from this exercise is that my values, beliefs, and family are very important to me. I thought it was difficult to only choose three items to take with me to represent my family culture. There are other items that I feel are important and I hope never to be put in that position. Things that I feel are most important are things that capture memories from the past and describe who we are as a family. I would choose items that helped explain to others who I am, who my family is and was. We all take pride in sharing with others about our family and culture, because they make up who we are.