Professional Hopes and Goals

To begin I would like to say that I have learned a lot about myself and things that I needed to be aware of in order to help ensure that I am offering a program that is anti-bias.  This class has really broadened my knowledge and made me aware of topics that I had never heard of in the past.  Microaggressions and isms are so powerful and hurtful towards many individual.  I believe that it is important that we start in the early childhood field and by becoming aware of the multitude of topics that I learned about in this class I strongly believe that I will be able to work towards social justice for all. 

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families that come from diverse backgrounds is that they all feel welcome in my program.  I also hope that I am and I will be able to help them feel comfortable enough to share their needs, feelings, wants for their children and that I will be able to meet their needs and also help them locate any services that they or their children may need. 

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to the issue of diversity, equity, and social justice would be for all individuals who work in the field of early childhood be required to take a class on offering an anti-bias program so that they can be aware of all the different things that they must know about in order to offer a program that is anti-bias. 

I would like to take a moment to thank Dr. Parrish and each and every one of my colleagues as it has been a great eight weeks working with each of you and I hope that I will have the opportunity to work with you again in the future.  I wish all of you the best of luck as you move forward and begin or continue to touch the lives of many children.

Randee 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The Country that my new family has come from is India.   

It is important to be culturally responsive because culture impacts and shapes everything about us such as attitudes, thoughts, feelings and actions (Department of Developmental Services, 2007). Therefore, it is clear that people believe, become who they are and do what they do because of their cultural background. With this in mind is it very important that individuals that work with families in the early childhood field are culturally responsive.  Following are five ways that I will prepare myself to ensure that I am welcoming the family in a culturally responsive manner. 

First, I think just as it is important for me to understand my own biases, I need to be aware of my own cultural background so that I am aware how my own culture affects my attitudes and beliefs.  Knowing and understanding my own culture will help me to not dismiss the importance of others cultures.  Further, being aware will hopefully keep me from focusing on my own culture as the standard and comparing everyone else to it (Department of Developmental Services, 2007).

The second factor that I think would be important would be to research about the family’s home Country, so that I can learn about the country and it characteristics. 

Third, I believe that it is very important to make contact with the family before their first day in my program.  This can be done by telephone, welcome letter and or a home visit.  During this contact I will be able to learn more about the family allowing them to share information about their culture and any other information they feel is important.  I believe that this will help the new family to feel welcome and allow them to be a little less overwhelmed when they come to the program on the first day since they will have met and seen me before. 

The fourth way that I will prepare myself will be to learn some basic words before meeting with the family, which will allow them to know that I care (Department of Developmental Services, 2007).  When I meet with the family, I will ask the family to share any words that are important to them that they would like for me to use in the classroom. 

The fifth factor that I believe will help me to be culturally responsive is to label the classroom in their  language, hang pictures that display their culture and having diverse learning activities that recognize their culture such as but not limited to dolls, play food, dress up clothes, diverse people figures in the block area, puzzles and books . I would also like to include foods on my menu that are from their culture. 

I hope that these steps will make for an easier transition for the family and myself.  Further, I would hope that the family will feel welcome and be excited about the educational experience that their child will gain in their new Country.  I also hope that they will feel comfortable enough to ask any questions or offer an information that they feel is important.  My deepest hope is that the family realizes that they are important for who they are and that they need to stay true to their cultural background, as it is who they are and they should not have to become who they are not! 

Reference

Department of Developmental Services. (2007). How to be Culturally Responsive.  Retrieved from http://www.dds.ca.gov/Publications/docs/Culturally_Responsive.pdf

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

An incident that I can remember where I personally experienced an incidence of bias is when I took a class at a predominantly African American school.  I was one of four Caucasian students in a class of about thirty.   The class was a drama class, therefore, we had to do a bunch of acting and the final assignment was to perform a skit within our group.  There were about eight students in each group.  In this particular class many of the students also worked together.  I did not work with any of them as I work in my own family childcare program and I did not know any of them before the class started. In our skit there was several parts that required dancing and I will never forget one lady saying “girl you just cannot dance can you?”  I believe by saying this too me she was playing upon the stereotype that white people cannot dance.  I had already told the group, when they were assigning parts that I did not want to have the part with dancing, but, for some reason they kept giving me that part.  Luckily, I ended up with a different part before the final skit was performed in front of an audience. 

Equity was diminished, when the lady pointed out that I could not dance after I had mentioned that I did not want a dancing part, I felt that I would not be very helpful in this group.  I wanted to stay quiet and not get in the way.  I felt that I just needed to take the part they gave me and do my best with it.  It was unfair, that I was never given the opportunity to share with my group what I would be good at doing in the skit. 

After this incident, I no longer looked forward to the class, in fact I dreaded having to go.  I continued to worry that I would not do well enough for my group and that I would cause our group grade to be low.  Fortunately, I had made a few friends in the class and one of the ladies that I was able to talk too had worked with the individual who had made me feel so bad.  She explained that this was how this women was and to not let it get to me.  Unfortunately, it continued to bother me and I often wondered how this individual could work with children, if she treated adults like this.  To this day, I often think about this situation and how much it affected me. It is amazing how one incident can affect you throughout your life.

I believe that greater equity could have been a part of this incident if the group would have made sure that all individuals were given the opportunity to share what parts would be best for them in the skit.  Granted, I understand that not everyone could get their first choice, but, surely they would be a part that each person would have been comfortable with.  Further, being singled out and having to do what one does not do well and being called out should be eliminated in order to alleviate breaking down ones self-esteem, confidence and lack of feeling important.