Final Entry

Photo credit: bemorewithless.com

Alecia from Inspiration for Today and Tomorrow - Leading the way for a better tomorrow,
Thank you each week for taking the time to respond in respectful and thought provoking ways. Learning with you these past eight weeks has been so insightful week after week. Taking the time to consider our discussion posts and blog entries has inspired me to think in a manner that has more depth than I previously considered. Best of luck on your next and I am excited for your future.

Janie from Wife, mom, teacher and student,
Thank you for your for always adding to each discussion in a manner that would bring an added thought provoking level. By you taking the time each week to bring another level to each discussion and blog entry, I was able to learn more through you that I did not expect. Best of luck as you enter your next course.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

One hope that I have when it comes to working with young children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that each one feels accepted and respected in the classroom, environment, and community. My heart wants this for each person simply because we are all humans on a basic level and each person should be respected for whom he/she is. I know I want this so why would not every one else which is why I strive each day to offer this to each person I interact with whether on a personal or professional level.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, or social justice would be to ensure that all children are able to access high quality early learning. This can be offered through a variety of means but every person should have access to this opportunity no matter race, gender, socio-economic status, citizenship, etc. All young children have the right to learn.

At the beginning of this course I did not think there was much left to learn on the topic of diversity or bias but now eight weeks later my knowledge base has been expanded and I truly owe each person within my group a load of gratitude. Each week discussing with each of you in group two, I was offered a chance to expanded my understanding further and had other insights brought forth that I would not have initially considered. Thank you each and every colleague of group one because I am truly grateful for each one of you and the discussions and blog entries. Best of luck as you continue your journey.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I choose to focus on Australia.

Photo Credit: living_australian_culture

Five ways I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive to this family and young child:

• First, I will complete a broad search about customs and also the culture of those from Australia.  
• Next, will ask the family to share with me as much as each of member is comfortable about customs and rituals they observe.
• Then I will narrow this search after learning more from the family and child as I get to know more about them as a whole. 
• Also, I will seek materials (books, media, toys, etc) that are familiar to the young child in my care.
• Last, I will follow up with the family continually to ensure the child in my care is comfortable and feeling welcomed into the setting and change anything as needed. 

Taking the time to learn about the culture in a broad spectrum can help me be more understanding as a situation arises when the child enters my child care setting. As it can be frightening to be in a new place with strangers, it can be comforting to have someone who knows a familiar phrase or game to ease the transition. Asking the family prior to the official arrival to share information with me that may aide in the transition and how i can assist them will begin the school to home connection and begin to build the community that will support them as they embark on this journey to a new nation. Taking the time to educate myself will also help me let go of any bias or stereotype I may hold about this nation and the people of this country. I will be able to learn from these and also grow in a manner that will be supportive from the first day. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Photo Credit: movies123.biz

Recently my husband and I watched 'Welcome to Marwen' and now reflecting upon the film, there was a great amount of prejudice about the main character. The bias caused him to be beaten severely and thus lead to a long occurrence of oppression in an indirect manner from the perpetrators. As the oppressors were imprisoned following the assault, the protagonist suffered greatly from the injuries as well as emotional fallout. The incident occurred because one evening at a bar he told a group of men that he liked to wear women's high heels. The group of men then decided that this type of crossdressing meant he was gay, trans, or some ofter perceivable undesirable person in their view. 

The prejudice of a person who wears ladies close as being gay or transgender caused for diminished equity simply because of a choice of the character. He only did this because he felt as those it made him more in touch with what a woman would want (Zemeckis, 2018). While the character was not homosexual and was even married preciously, the judgement of a few men, offered a lifetime of oppression for this character. 

The incident in this film really just offered me the insight that people do things simply because he/she likes the way it makes them feel. I am not one to decide if this is right or wrong in a manner and it does not signify or align the person within one group, it is just who this person is. I prefer to wear my hair up most days, without makeup, and in very comfortable clothes, does this make me someone I am not? Just because someone has experience with another person or group that may share a trait with an individual, this does not mean the person is aligned with this group. 

I think better empathy towards others needs to be taught. We all have our own quirks and interest and taking the times to learn from one another or simply ignoring the aspect if you do not agree with it. The tolerance aspect in life needs to be modeled for many people. While I do not like every thing about every person, I respect that person as a person and I go about my business. I will end this with some wise words from a young man. I often share this with others on social media because tolerance is something that encompasses both respect and empathy and I want everyone to understand this. 

Photo credit: www.theodysseyonline.com

Reference

Zemeckis, Robert (Producer). (2018). Welcome to Marwen [DVD]. 

Adjourning

One group that was significant when the adjourning phase came about would be the cohort I was part of when earning my bachelors degree. We were a group of eight ladies all working toward a common goal. All of us are high achievers and we worked hard to be the best professional possible but also supporting one another along the way, even celebrating new babies and birthdays along the way. While one graduated a year early and then two of the ladies graduated in the winter, the last of us graduated in May 2016, one could not attend due to other obligations out of state and she was sorely missed.

The closing ritual for us was the graduation ceremony. We all were in touch the weeks leading up and attended a dinner together and spent time after the ceremony together, and with out professor who came to present our diploma's. It was one of those experiences that I am glad I did because it bought closure to the group and also the sense of accomplishment of the long evening classes and student teaching hours. While we still all maintain contact with one another and sometimes lean on each other for professional advice, the group is not as close knit as it was for that two years.

Comparing this group to others, graduations are common in my adjourning phase. From other colleges to military training, the graduation is what signifies I am moving on. I think it is the best way to conclude something and also celebrate all the hard work that was required to get to that point. I think groups that inspire me to be myself at the most difficult to let go. I like to be pushed to do my best and being a part of a group that does this does cause me to reflect more. I often keep in touch of a couple people from each group simply because that person/people are the ones that I worked the most with. 

I can hope that I am able to meet up with some of my colleagues from this program at graduation when the time comes. As I have accelerated my path by taking two courses concurrently, I am not taking courses with those who I began this journey with. I think when ti comes to the capstone course, those colleagues are the ones who I will make that meaningful connection with since that is the end. 

As everything in life does come to an end eventually, it is important to honor that time and also those who you worked with. Aubudi (2010) explains how this "provides the team the opportunity to say good-bye to each other and wish each other luck as they pursue their next endeavor" (sec. 5). Taking this time gives the group the chance to reflect and also celebrate the accomplishment. 

Reference

Aubdi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Communication and Conflict Management

Currently I have a student who has many development and physical delays. While my co-teacher and I identified these early in the year and even made the suggestion of him being more comfortable in a younger classroom, the parents insisted he remain in our class. We have pulled as many resources as well as educated ourselves all year long to support him the best we can but he is still not at the level of being fully ready for kindergarten like some of his peers. When conferences occurred a few weeks ago, we made the recommendation that he enter a developmental pre-kindergarten program that can offer all of the full supports he needs to thrive and grow in an education setting but the parents do not feel the same way and wish for him to remain in our program for another year. As we are a small private setting, we simply do not have the assets to provide him with the full supports he needs and so the determination has been made amongst staff to seek alternatives settings to provide the family. 

Thinking of this instance and the best way to ensure conflict does not arise, my co-teacher and I have have been very empathetic with our listening to ensure we are listening to the needs and also requests from the family (The Center for Nonviolent Communication, n.d.). We understand the hesitation of the family when it comes to placing the child in the public school system as they have not had good experiences thus far trying to coordinate screenings and other appointments when their home district. In the fall during our initial conference of explaining how a younger class could benefit their son better, this opened up the opportunity to form a relationship with the family that opened the lines of communication to not only be positive but also open about the child and any services or needs he has. Understanding the importance this relationship plays as explained by Cherise (2007) that "not only does the well-prepared teacher need to develop a relationship with each child, but the teacher must also form a relationship with the family"(p. 38). We took the time to establish and foster this since getting to know the full aspect of needs of this child. Had we not taken the time to do this, communication could have easily broken down and not been positive this school year. While we are still looking for solutions for the child, we are able to have respectful and meaningful conversations with the family about the future placement of their child.

Reference

Chesire, N. (2007). The 3 R's: Gaeway to Infant Toddler Learning. Dimensions of Early Childhood. Volume 35, No. 3. 

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from www.cnvc.org