I have so many things I want to do for children and families. But the one hope I have is for me to be able to serve as a good example and model positive behavior, not just for children but also for their parents and adult family members. My hope is to be able to set aside my beliefs and understand each and every family and child that I encounter. My goal is to form a group of educators to collaborate on more ways to educate others on ways to incorporate diversity, equity and social justice in the ways we teach and care for children. There are a lot of resources already out there, but the world is changing and so are our methods. This course has definitely given me some eye-opening experiences from the journal entries to the discussion groups. I would like to congratulate my colleagues for a great learning experience. A big THANK YOU to Dr. Dassa for all her support and encouragement.

I have posted my Diversity Blog on our Blog Links Board Forum under Group 2. I am a bit technically challenged and was unable to post all my images to showcase my idea and art. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

My children are so boisterous and blunt. I seldom take them with me to the Asian markets because its crowded and there are a lot of interesting things to touch. But when I do take them, it becomes the most embarrassing experience of my life. I don’t cook at home so the strong smell of food cooking or fresh fish and fried egg rolls surely captures my 5-year-old son’s attention. His reactions are innocent but rude. I was that mother who would pull his arm and tell him to hush, but as I get more knowledge regarding diversity, equality and anti-bias education, the more I am able to handle these situations discreetly and calm. Something that I do now is that I educate him at home prior to going to the store about the things he might possibly smell and see. I explain the reasons why we don’t cook at home and purchase it at the Asian store and how important the store and the people who serve in it. I realized that not having the correct information or simple facts is what prompts him to bluntly and loudly react to what he sees, smells and hear around the store when we shop. In the text by Pelo, it is explained that, “it is not the differences in themselves that cause the problems, but how people respond to differences.” (Pelo, 2008, p.9) When my reaction is to hush my child, I just confirmed that what he is saying is wrong and utterly disrespectful. But when I provide him facts and use it as a teaching opportunity, he will grasp the idea, that yes, the food at the Asian store doe not have a pleasant odor but it is good to eat or some foods when they’re are cooking smells bad. Another example is educating him that people look different and not all of us are alike, and that it is okay and acceptable.

References:

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).

Pelo, A. (Ed). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools

The lack of information regarding sexuality issues and non-heterosexual relationships is very evident in our early childhood classrooms. The absence of story books, children movies and toys that depict social justice, equity and sexual identity are also very rampant across the early childhood setting. It is always an issue for administrators, faculty and parents regarding whose responsibility it is to educate children about sex and morality. Some think that the idea of sex and sexuality being incorporated in the early childhood classrooms is not appropriate. Because of this ongoing battle, children receive contradictory messages from institutions and individuals regarding issues on social justice and inequality.

I believe it is important for teachers in the early childhood classrooms to present ideas on diversity and anti-bias education. In the text it talks about the range of roles that both female and male teachers can perform. “It makes a big difference when male and female staff rotate through all the tasks so children see non-sexist roles modeled in every part of the program.” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.93) I also believe it is very important to acknowledge and support children’s choices regarding gender and their personal choices. Although supported by family and school environment, “children may struggle with differences between what they like to do and societal stereotypes or their peers say about what they are “supposed to do.” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.92) When this happens, we need to provide encouragement and openness with regards to their feelings. Allowing children to verbally speak about conflicts and confusion in their minds helps ease their fears and anxiety. We can also provide certain activities so that children can explore their feelings and allow them to sort it out during these activities to alleviate both peer conflict and personal conflict.

Reference:

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).

The decision to pursue my education while serving in the military was not easy. At times the demands of work have taken a toll on my health and time. This course being conducted in the winter months have not contributed to my success due to poor network connections and power outages in my area. It was very difficult to achieve a Bachelors degree and now pursuing a Master’s degree have been even more tedious. But the little success that I have achieved would not have been possible if not for the support of my peers during these courses. A few of them who have reached out in the previous program were the same ones who have supported me emotionally during this course. Your words of encouragement and kindness have helped me during the challenges I have faced while trying to pass this class. You all have been such great examples of what an educator is about. Your personal stories have increased my knowledge on what to do in the classroom and how to properly guide and communicate with the children we serve. Thank you so very much for all the experiences you’ve shared with me. You know who you all are. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart and hopefully our paths will cross again. Good luck and Congratulations on your future success!

During the course of my study in Child Development, I have built close relationships with students and professors. We all shared a common goal, which is to be the best educators and advocate for very young children. Having open and respectful discussions during the course where students shared their personal experiences. Through words we were able to teach, comfort and learn. It was hard to end each class knowing we were closer towards the end, which was graduating and completing the course. Closing rituals for College degrees usually end with a commencement exercise and awards ceremony. Towards the end of our course we were asked to post a blog thanking all our colleagues and the appreciate all the information they have shared with us during the course. This was a way of “adjourning”. A way in which we as students showed our appreciation with each other, celebrating our success and completion of the course and finally exchanging information to build a network of educators with a shared vision and goal.

Human nature tells us that most cultural groups tend to cling to each other especially when they are overseas or somewhere other than their home country or residence. People tend to get used to familiar faces, food, upbringing and traditions. It is no different in the work place. Spanish speaking people tend to flock towards other Spanish speaking colleagues, because it makes it more comfortable that way. Considering all aspects of culture, I realized that I tend to lean towards people who have similarities with me, either cultural background, taste in music, religion, political affiliation or abilities. I feel unconsciously it is easier and less frightening that way. I tend to be more reserved when it comes to talking and dealing with people of other cultures and backgrounds. I feel safer in a way that whatever conversations I start, or stories I share, there won’t be any contradictions or dislikes towards my words and actions. Unconsciously this is what I do and what others have observed of me. Based on what I have learned this week, it is important to be aware of non-verbal cues when stating feelings and reactions. Some cultures hesitate on commenting or responding but it is obvious in their facial expressions and gestures that they may feel uncomfortable during a conversation. I also learned that I need to set aside my personal biases, withhold judgement until I have a deeper understanding of the message being conveyed. I also cannot assume if I did not understand, and that it is best to get a clarification on what is being said to avoid miscommunication. Last but not the least, understand the other persons perspective.

In the first years of my marriage my husband and I had a lot of arguments about a lot of different things. It was really sad to get into a marriage we both wanted so much just realizing that we did not see eye to eye regarding a variety of issues. A few things I have learned to use to resolve our personal conflicts were mentioned in one of the resources entitled “Conflict Resolution Skills” from the Conflict Resolution Network. At that time, I we both didn’t have a title for the techniques we applied to build that much needed mutual understanding but reading through the text it made sense. One of them is the “Win-win approach”. When we argued it was like wanting to have the last say and win the trophy in the end but applying this approach, we can solve the problem as partners rather than opponents. We also manage to get along by having the willingness to resolve the issue at hand by identifying some emotional and personal issues that cloud our judgment in resolving the problem. It boils down to having mutual respect for each other, setting aside differences and compromising on solutions.

It is so difficult to be one way at work and another way at home with regards to communication. I say this because how I act and speak at work should not be carried on at home. I am an active duty service member. In the Army, especially in certain roles we have to speak assertively and sometimes aggressively. Just like in the movies when the Sergeant just yells out whatever comes to mind and Soldiers listen. But as a mother and a caretaker of young children this doesn’t seem to work. What surprises me is how I was evaluated at work as a communicator and how my children perceive me seems to be one and the same. No matter how much I try to change how I approach discipline or just simple conversations at home, my family says I sound like a Drill Sergeant. This week we were assigned to complete a “Verbal Aggressiveness Scale” and the results were very promising but the reality is I carry over how I communicate at work to home which does not make my children very happy. The good news is based on my “Listening Styles Profile”, I fell under the category of “people oriented”. Being in this category brings me hope that I still have what it takes to listen actively and deliver messages appropriately without sounding like I am forcing people to do whatever I want or actually possess an incurable communication flaw. I realized that I have to be more conscious of how I speak and deliver my messages appropriately to the right audience or receiver.

I enjoy watching Asian dramas on Netflix. Thanks to the availability of subtitles I can enjoy a lot of the foreign dramas available. During this assignment I decided to turn the subtitles off for this new Chinese drama and consider what I have been learning in this communication class. Without hearing and knowing the words it was not hard to judge the relationships of the characters. The scene was the apparent assassination of the emperor that was discovered by his servant. She was in tears while holding his head which showed a lot of concern for the emperor. He seemed to be speaking to her but choking in his words and handing her something. It seemed that he was passing on a message before he died. Like his last words or edict. As I turned the subtitles back on, I was very close to the message being conveyed by their facial expressions and gestures. Actors have this very impressive way of showing what they mean through their eyes and facial expressions that without words the audience can understand what is going on in the movie. Not being an actor, I feel that communication should not just be signs and signals, gestures or actions. If we are able to express our ideas in words accompanied by the proper action it is best to convey those ideas in the form of language.