Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Working with a diverse group of children and families, I encounter various consequences when "isms" surface in the classroom and in parent interactions.  In one case, a child used classism to degrade another child. Classism occurs when people discriminated against others because of social status.  In this case, the child told the other child that his clothes were cheap and dirty because he was poor.  The child comes from a low socioeconomic background and does not have the best shoes or clothing.  As a result, the child’s feelings were hurt.  I immediately addressed the young girl who made the comment and explained that it was not nice to talk negatively about other people.  I also explained to the class that bullying and teasing was inappropriate behavior.  Although I addressed the situation, the child was still hurt.  I attempted to comfort the child and explain that he was a good student; therefore, he should not allow others to tear him down.  I also explained that his parents were doing the best for him and that some people will always have negative things to say. 

Another “ism” is LGBTism.  Sue (2010) stated that “LGBT-ism creates oppression for LGBT parents” (p. 187).  I can relate to this because I have had subconscious thoughts about gay parents.  This can hinder my ability to communicate with them, especially when I have hidden issues about homosexuality.  I do not openly discriminate against homosexuals; however, I do not agree with the lifestyle or practices.  I have learned that I must accept others and create change in myself.  Therefore, I must continue to work on this to avoid negative situations in the classroom.  I understand that slang and slurs can occur in the classroom, and children are often brutally open and honest about things they have learned at home.  As a result, I have heard children call other children’s parents “homos”.  I have always addressed this as bullying and made every effort to explain the differences in society to children.  Therefore, I must become more aware of diversity for myself to become a better educator.

Reference

Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. New York, NY: Wiley

Observing Communication

Currently, I work in Head Start and I see children communicate with adults on a regular basis.  In one conversation, the teacher was explaining to a three year old child that hitting was wrong.  The child kept saying that “he hit me first”; however, the teacher kept implying that hitting is wrong and it was against school rules.  In this situation, I realized that the conversation was one sided, and the teacher was failing to listen.  Stephenson (2009) stated that “stepping back meant not only slowing down and really listening, but also consciously shifting my mind from the immediacy of the conversation to consider it from other perspectives” (p. 90). The teacher never looked at the situation from the child’s perspective.  Some parents tell children to hit back.  As a result, the teacher should have asked the child, “What should you do if someone hits you?”  This would have given the child a chance to further the conversation.  In this case, I believe the teacher insulted the child and made the child feel ashamed and threatened.   I do not like it when teachers do not consider the child’s feelings and stick hard to the rules.  Sometimes, you have to hear the child out and find out why the behavior started.

References

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95.

Creating Affirming Environments

I would create an environment that had images of diverse families and people on the wall.  For example, I would have images of a group of people in different fields from different races.  I currently have this poster in my class and it shows minorities in a range of jobs including women in jobs typically assigned to men.  Derman-Sparks and Olsen Edwards (2010) stated that it is important that “an anti-bias environment is culturally consistent for the children and families it serves” (p. 43).  The majority of the children are from minority families.  Therefore, it is necessary to have positive images for the children.

I would also have diverse reading materials that can be used at reading time.  I would create a play area that had a range of toys and games.  I would not limit children to a boys’ or girls’ area.  Instead, the toys would encourage play for all students.  I would also have arts and crafts in the class to encourage students to draw pictures relevant to their culture and cultural diversity.  Derman-Sparks and Olsen Edwards (2010) stated that “an environment rich in anti-bias materials invites exploration and discovery and support play and conversation in both emergent and planned activities” (p. 43). Therefore, I would use play to teach diversity and anti-bias education in the class.

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

What I Have Learned

My hope is to work with diverse families and children to help them understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, and to provide them with the services and assistance that they need for their children to be productive in school and society.

My goal as an educator is to provide more diversity training and education in the classroom.  I realize that I have a chance to impact the lives of students and to provide them with a better understanding of diverse families and biases in society.  I also plan to incorporate more anti-bias education into the classroom.

I would like to send a personal thanks to everyone that has contributed to my blog and worked with me on this journey.

Debra Morgan.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: Creating Art

In this course, I have learned a lot about diversity and how it applies to child development. Children have diverse issues and needs, and educators have to address those needs. I have learned about my own biases and ways to improve my understanding of diversity.  As a result, I have created a collage that illustrates my view of diversity.  The image includes gay parents.  This was an issue for me and one of my biases that I have learned to overcome.  I also include pictures of diverse children.  My goal in education is to promote diversity and inclusion and to overcome all biases.

We Don't Say Those Words in Class!

I witnessed a child say "Look how fat that woman is".  When the child said this, the parent was ashamed. I heard the parent tell the child to shut up and be quiet.  Oddly the child tried to defend himself by saying that the woman is fat.  In response, the parent told the child that it was wrong to say that about people.  The child stopped and was quiet. 

In this situation, I would have explained to the child that it is wrong to speak ill of others or to be judgmental.  I would also inform the child that it is important to consider other people's feelings when making verbal statements.  In this situation, the parent communicated that calling someone fat was wrong.  However, the parent failed to explain why it was wrong.  As a result, I would take the time to explain to children proper behavior and speech in ptiublic settings.  I would also explain the importance of considering etiquette, diversity, and personal feelings in others.

Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

•Some of the ways you noticed that homophobia and heterosexism permeate the world of young children including books, movies, toys, stores, culture of early childhood centers, and schools

Homophobia is any “attitude, action, or institution that subordinates people because of their sexual orientation” (Laureate Education, 2011).  Homophobia is a type of discrimination that is used to mistreat, exclude, or promote bias against homosexual and lesbian people. Heterosexism is promoted mostly in books, toys, stores, and early childhood centers.  People often refer to parents as the mother and father, and family units are often considered to contain heterosexual parents.  In movies, homophobia is promoted by demeaning homosexuals or making them comical characters.  As a result, children are often exposed to homophobia in their communities.

•Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families

The inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals and same-sex partner families is essential to the development of children.  Children need to be exposed to diversity and learn to accept all types of families.  Teaching children about homosexual parents and same-sex partners “helps them to understand and relate to these people when they meet children with same-sex parents” (Laureate Education, 2011).  Homosexuality is a part of the world; therefore, children need to be taught what it is and how to understand its impact on families.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). “Start Seeing Diversity: Sexual Orientation”.