Hope-Goals & Thanks

       Well I cannot believe that we have come this far together! I remember when I started that I was anxious and stressed just thinking about navigating through and getting everything right! I know that it is because of this awesome community of learners and instructors why I have come this far. I really want to say a big thank you to my instructor and the best colleagues ever. Thanks for your consistent support and encouragement, I could not have made it this far without you. I want to wish you all the very best in all your future courses, I sincerely hope that we successfully complete this journey together. 

      

The Hope that I have when I think about working with families and children who come from diverse backgrounds, is the opportunity that I have to give courage to each child and family and help them believe that they can achieve the best. Being optimistic about the changes that are happening to bring equity, justice and fairness to all children no matter their race, religion, and gender, social or economic status. I think that as an early childhood professional, creating a diverse classroom environment, getting the families involved is hope for each child to achieve their full potential.

      One goal that I have for the early childhood field is, to advocate for classrooms, families and communities to be educated about respecting and appreciating all forms of diversity. Where all families and students are treated fairly, and have equitable access to all available resources. I believe that as professionals we can make this happen and we can teach others to do likewise

Welcoming Families from Around the World

This week’s task is intriguing, we have to step out of our comfort zone and reach beyond the borders to unknown territories. We are about to get as diverse as we possibly can, and host a child from a country that we have no knowledge about. I have to create a plan that demonstrates how we will make this child, and his family, feel welcomed into our program. My new family will be coming in from Republic of Seychelles, which is an island in the western Indian Ocean.

I know nothing about this country or its people, therefore I will have to take steps and do a few things before they arrive, I would like the child to feel welcomed and a part of our program as soon as possible. The five things that I need to do are:

 !) Gather information about the island and its culture, traditions and practices. This I would do so that I can include posters and artifacts in the classroom so he will feel somewhat at home.

2) I would want to look into their education system to see what he will be familiar or unfamiliar with in our system so as to have some kind of continuance for the child.

`3) Find out all that I can about family: Important facts such as the child’s name, who the parents are and their names, where exactly they are from (city or rural) their hobbies if possible. This will help when we plan family night, some things that they are used to, can be incorporated in the activities and foods. We would definitely look forward to the family coming to the classroom to share some stories about their culture in Seychelles, and teaching us to make something that is special to them, like a craft or a dish in a planned activity

4)  I would do some self-reflection to see if I have any biases, stereotypes or prejudices with regards to his culture/heritage, and be aware of them in order to treat him with fairness and justice.

5. Finally, I would have a discussion with my class and their families about this new child that will be joining us. We would talk about how important it is to make him feel welcomed and belonged, and a real part of the group. We would locate the country that he is from on the world map, and talk about the things that are important to their age group, Items such as favorite foods, games they play, and see if there is any similarity to those we have. We would create a big welcome poster of all of us in the class and put it up so he and his family would feel welcomed.

My hope is that these preparations will help the family and their child feel comfortable and welcomed, and experience as smooth a transition as possible in this new environment. The child and family will feel cared for and they may start to develop trust and confidence in me early. This should also give me new experiences as a professional, as I continue on the journey to becoming an effective anti-bias teacher.

Early childhood class in Seychelles

                                            Primary school class in Seychelles

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Bias, prejudice and oppression can be so subtle and can come from even those who are supposed to care and be protective of you. I can think of many stories that could fit, but I am going to share a personal experience. When I was in junior high I did the qualifying exam to enter a very good technical high school and I scored very high. I was so thrilled and excited as my best friend got in as well. It was summer vacation and many of us went away to visit relatives, I did as well. When it was time to go home I was told that I am staying. I was devastated and to make it worse, I was beginning a new school in the middle grade!

 I was placed in the ninth grade where everyone else came up through grades seven and eight and knew one another. I went through a friendless first two weeks being the only new student in the class. A teacher asked my name and when I told him, he said that I pronounced it incorrectly (it was not so nicely said), I had to insist on spelling it for him. When he found that he was wrong, he smirked and dismissed me. On the same day the math teacher asked me to work out a problem on the board which I did. When I was finished, she asked if I thought it was correct, I said yes then she asked again and I got scared. She then shouted for me to sit, stating that I had no sense or confidence in what I do. Right there I was embarrassed and felt belittled, my whole world was crushed in front of strangers who knew how to be cruel! Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) states, “When a teacher acts out of unexamined internalized privilege or internalized oppression, that teacher runs the risk of unintentionally undermining children’s development”.

My dilemma did not stop there, I lived with cousins who suddenly had to make room for me. They made sure that I knew how they felt about it. I struggled at home and school because I did not feel like I belonged, nothing was originally mine. I was often reminded at home of the different last name that I had which made it no easier for me to fit in. In my culture children were seen and not heard so I suffered inside.

I graduated high school a year earlier than many of my peers, because no one went to school to speak on my behalf. Other students who spent another year, (I found this out years later), were a year older than I was but they had representation. Others were in the choir and members of sport teams and other groups. This was a clear example of institutional privileges that I did not have because I was new to this group.

Equity was diminished because everything and everyone was new to me, I did not get a chance to even see the teachers styles or function. I knew nothing about the school, classmates or teachers, I was groping in darkness, navigating my way without a compass so to speak. I was not given a fair chance to show my true potential. Prejudice and bias can be very damaging to ones self-worth and self-esteem.     

For a while I felt like I did not belong, I felt that it was not a wise decision that my guardians made. I believe that they thought that it was the best thing they were doing for my benefit and so I did not complain. Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) puts it this way, “Those advantages encompasses a whole series of rights, expectations and experiences that function as the oil that can make daily life easier”. I would have had a better experience and an easier transition had I gone to the school of my choice, and stayed home with my grandparents where I knew I belonged.

In order to change these incidents into opportunities for greater equity, my guardians and teachers would have to gain knowledge about equity, isms and diversity and how they interface with culture. They would then be able to employ the practices to effect continuity and to positively impact the shaping of my social identity. 

Reference

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.