Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

There are several consequences I expect for the children and families I work while experiencing specific “–ism(s)” in my life.  

One of the biggest consequences would be negative impact on a child’s development and the family’s self-esteem or sense of belonging. For example, if I were to allow my “isms” to take over, I may not provide the child with the resources or attention he or she needs to foster healthy physical, cognitive, or social development. Allowing my “isms” to take over could also allow the family or child to feel inferior, unwanted, or a sense of belonging. 

Another consequence that could be experienced is compromised communications. For example, if I allow my “isms” to take over I may not be able to speak openly and honestly with the child and/or the family. This would lead to many miscommunications and misunderstandings. 

A compromised relationship between the child and the family may also occur if I allow my “isms” to take over. For example, the child and/or family would be hesitant to contact me if there was a problem, would not trust me or value my expertise, or may not wish to leave their child enrolled in the program. 

A final consequences that can be experienced if I allow my “ism’s” to take over are legal actions and termination. For example, if I openly discriminate against a student or family I could be terminated for doing so. I could also subject myself and the educational institution to legal actions. 

Observing Communication

Due to the unseasonably nice weather in Michigan this week, I was able to observe an adult and child in a park.  My observation account was as follows:

A little girl and her mother are meeting some friends in the park to play. The little girl has just gotten a new ball and is happily playing with it by herself. The mother’s friend’s little boy also wants to play with the ball. As the little girl was playing, the boy tries to take it away from her. The boys mom grabs him and tells him “No”. he instantly begins pouting and crying. She then tells her son that he must ask first to play with the ball. By this time, the boy wants nothing to do with the little girl or the ball. He then asks to go play on the slide. The little girl continues to play with the ball. The mom complies with her son and they go over to the slide to play

The main thing that I noticed and learned was that the mother’s tone of voice, word choices, and physical actions created an immediate reaction from her son. Simply, because she communicated to her son in a negative manner, he responded in a negative manner. When the mother communicated to her son in a positive manner, he responded in a positive manner.

Based on the leanings form this week and last, it is believed that the mother could have done some things differently to create a different reaction in her son when communicating with the ball. One thing the mother could have done differently is to lightly tap her son on the shoulder to get his attention instead of grabbing him. Instead of immediately telling him “No”, the mother could have started with “Timmy, I know you want to play with the ball, but you have to ask Missy to play with in instead of taking it”. This would be a more positive approach and the opportunity to turn the situation into a teaching moment about manners and respect.

Overall, I believe that the interactions that I observed had a negative impact on both children and their feelings. The girl may have had her feelings hurt because the boy no longer wanted anything to do with her because of his reactions. The boy would have had his feelings hurt because he was not able to engage and play with his friend.  In turn, this could have compromised both children’s self-worth in the short-term and long-term.

By no means does this interaction compare to how I interact with children. I always ensure that I interact with children in a positive manner with care and thoughtfulness.  One of the biggest things that I have learned is that many parents now-a-days may not have the same knowledge and skills that I possess when interacting with their children. This needs to change within our society to ensure the healthy growth and development of the next generation of children. 

Creating Affirming Environments

In my family child care home, the wall would be painted in different pastel colors. I chose pastel colors because they have a tendency to be bright, engaging, yet comforting. On the walls, I would have different pictures of families and children of different cultures, classes, and countries. This was chosen because it will promote inclusion, allow all children of different backgrounds to feel comfortable, and act as a learning tool. This idea was influenced by the information contained in the book.  Additionally, a large bulletin board would be posted on the wall for the children to bring in pictures of their families, drawings they have made, and fun artifacts of their family culture. This would also promote inclusion, allow children to feel comfortable, and be used as a learning tool. This idea was also influenced by the information contained in the book.

My family child care home would contain seating in a circle for formal learning.  This seating format was selected because it promotes inclusion, engages children, and allows all of them to function as a group. This idea was influenced from previous experiences as well as the book. Within the learning environment, the children will have access to dolls of different ethnicities; coloring books containing children of all backgrounds, and different color crayons. In addition to promoting equity and equality, these items were selected to promote active play, creativity, and could be used as a learning tool. This idea was influenced by the video viewed this week. Some additional items will be contained within the learning environment. These items will include with customized puzzles, children books that promote morality and diversity, and multi-cultural Lego sets. These items will be used as a learning tool, promote active play, facilitate conversations, and allow children to share information about themselves and their family. This idea was influenced from the information contained in the book.  Finally, a cage with different colored hamsters will be located in the learning environment. In addition to teaching children responsibility, the hamsters would demonstrate how people or creatures of different color can live and play together. This idea was influenced from previous experiences, the book, and the video.

Some final items that will be present within the family child care home would be a list of rules, calendars containing holidays from different religions and cultures, song books, and videos that promote diversity. These items were selected as a way to engage children, learn about diversity and inclusion, and learn to follow and embrace the rules of the learning environment. This idea was influenced by the book as well as the video.

Art Gallery: What I have Learned

One hope that I have when working with children and families that come from diverse backgrounds is to meet their unique needs effectively and efficiently in the most professional manner.

One goal that I would like to set for the field of early childhood in terms of diversity, equity, and social justice is to make it mandatory for all professionals to be trained and certified in diversity and anti-bias education.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone in class. Without you, your comments, your feedback, and your insights I do not feel as though I would have learned as much about others and myself. I also believe that you motivated me to address my biases, welcome self-criticism, and make the necessary changes to be on the road to becoming an anti-biased educator.  I look forward to working with all of you again in the future. For all of this I say…….

Virtual Art Gallery

This is a photo collage that I put together to tell the story about how anti-bias and diversity education can have a positive impact on children and societies.

I hope you enjoy.

“We Don’t Say Those Words in Class!”

One example that I witnessed of a child being silenced for pointing out a difference was when I was visiting with a friend while he was rehearsing for a play in his theatre group. Because it was a dress rehearsal, he was wearing stage make-up. As we were talking outside the theatre on his break, a child and her mother walked by. As they passed, I heard the child say, “Mommy, that man is wearing make-up like girls do”. The Mom said “shhhhhh”, grabbed the child by the arm and hurried her along.

Several messages were sent to the child because of the mom’s reaction. The first message was that she was embarrassed by the child’s comments.  The second message was that it is not socially acceptable for men to wear make-up even if they are actors. The final message that was sent was that it was wrong for the child to observe or speak up about these differences.

An anti-bias educator would have acted different in this situation. Instead of “Shhhhh”ing the child, he or she would have explained that he was wearing stage make-up because he was in a play and that without the make-up, you would not be able to see him well on the stage. This individual may have also explained to the child that make-up just isn’t for girls, nor are beauty products. In fact, many men do use beauty products and certain types of make-up for personal and professional reasons…and doing this is ok.