Professional Hopes & Goals

Taking the course Perspectives in Diversity, Equity and Social Justice has definitely opened my view of professionalism in Early Childhood to a dimension I never had a clue about. Am glad about this new exposure and hope it infuses my immediate environment with a rippling effect. 

My hope as a result of this learning, when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds, is to create an environment where every child has an opportunity to be visible in their learning environment and to feel a sense of belonging, connectedness and security as they develop. 

For the field of Early childhood,  in which a lot of work is already on going, ( I am an evidence), I hope for more of this work to go round everyone who works with young children. I believe that if the teachers and early childhood workers are adequately equipped, then the children on our care will get what we hope for- that is ANTI BIAS EDUCATION. Such that whether the child be in our care of in their parents' care; they fit (Laureate Education).


                                   I want to express profound gratitude to every one of you in my class        because you have contributed to my learning immensely as I read through your posts. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from your cited examples and I it was wonderful to be in class with you. 
If I had a way of expressing gratitude to the four professionals who shared knowledge with us in the course media, then I would say to them: You are simply wonderful, thank you for sharing and I wish you all the best as you continue your professional and personal pursuits.
Of course, Dr Williams, You made the journey easier, experiential and impacting. Thanks ma, for all your guides and comments; may I quickly use this medium to say thanks for the complements too.


Reference

Laureate Education Inc, 2011 (DVD) Perspective on diversity and equity.                                                                
                                                                

FAMILIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

                                                                 

I work with a child care center in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and a parent has referred a new family to us from  China.


1. I will research on line to gather information and to know about the county generally.

2. I will get an interpreter to serve as a mediator in case they do not speak English so that we can establish a ground for conversation which is key to the relationship that we are about to give birth to.

3. I will also seek to introduce into our work force, a Chinese, although this is not an easy task because I have not seen such around before.

4. I will make a list of learning materials that will be relevant to the child's age and class that will be both educationally and culturally adaptive to meet his needs.

5. I will get age appropriate multicultural books and pedagogues that represent Africans, Chinese, and probably other nationals to the classroom and the school environment at large.

6. I will educate the existing class about diversity with a supportive approach and objectively too.

7. I will reach out to know the family's culture, perhaps begin with the surface and then, detailed and specific too. I will ask to know about the child's likes and dislikes.

8. I will learn a some basic terms like greeting, water, food, sleep, thank you, welcome etc in the language of the family.

9. I will ask the family to let me know all that they think I can support them with

10. After all the listening, I will tell the family about our program and our institutional culture and dialogue with them on how we can partner together.


I believe that these steps will help us synchronize both cultures and give the family all the support they require to settle in and have the assurance that the choice they have made for their child is one great decision they have made about their trip to my country.

THE PERSONAL SIDE OF BIAS

 The New Family in Preschool 

The story that hit me most when I found this assignment was the scene about a family who was coming to the school for the first time. The child is already 4 Years of age and the staff of the school are already experts, trained and skilled at ensuring that children gain independence as early as possible. This is the message of the dominant culture of both the school and I suppose, the nation at large where the school is located.

Now, this new child approached the school, the classroom, being totted by the mum, and in addition, is feeding from the bottle.  

The teacher's welcome message was "Oooh, This child is way too big to be doing that".  Facing the mother, she continued " You do not need to be carrying them around, if you keep doing that they are never going to learn and they will not become independent". She went on to support this claim with the writing of renown child development authors such as Piaget and Erickson. Adapted from Laureate education, 2011

Analysis

This family was a target of bias and it was a very rude and stack version. the child is being attacked and so are his parents. Worse of all was to make the parents feel dis-empowered right before the child, and to make the child wonder at his parents and probably, loose some confidence in his home and family culture. 

Equity projects fairness and justice. The teacher has no clue why this family has adopted this feeding style, and why they choose to still cuddle and carry their child at age 4. There was a need to know before that prejudiced expression.  Prejudice is an attitude, an opinion or feeling formed without adequate prior knowledge, thought or reasoning (Derman- Sparks & Olsen Edwards 2012 ). It is obvious that the teacher has judged the parents as incapable of quality parenting and also the child as never going to learn and be independent.
 As long as the parents were not heard, this experience diminishes equity.

This incidence brings up to me the fact that there are many good intentions that are not needed because they would not meet the required need. Actions, some tagged interventions, may be borne out of good intention, but as long as the teacher is not in awareness of how her privileges and bias play at others who do not carry the notions that are acceptable to her, she will continue to make this mistakes.  So the summary of this is that anti bias education is a must for everyone who work with children.

This incidence could have been turned into an opportunity for greater equity if the teacher received the family first, without any micro aggression expressed. Then listen and take time to know the family, their values, beliefs and a little history of the child. She could then tell the family about the program's culture, their practice and standards,; then propose workability, present partnership and empower the parents on how to support the child so that he 'she can succeed in his new environment. 

With this suggestions and proposal, the family is empowered to support transition and cultural continuity is allowed to blossom. The child will adapt better and the program will flourish better. Greater equity is realized, of course, the family's need is better met!


References

Laureate Education Inc, 2011 (DVD) Perspective on diversity and equity.                                                             

 

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 (NAEYC).