Creating Art

This poem is my representation of what I have learned throughout this course while doing application assignments, blog assignments, group discussions, reflective journals, and watching media segments on children's identities and development and how it is impacted by bias and discomfort.

I Wish...
As I look through the eyes of
my young black sister I
noticed her looking at the
white girl with the long
straight hair I wish my hair
looked like that as she go
about her day she hear her
lips are to big, her hips are to
thick and her but is to big and
as she look at the white girl
she says I wish I had her eyes,
her lips, her hips, her butt, I
wish I was white and as her
day close to an end she hears
the white girl mom say I wish
you had lips like that and my
little black sister says to herself
I no longer want what she got
because she wish she could
look like me

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

I cannot think of a specific time, so I asked a family member about a time when she witnessed an adult reprimand or silence a child after he/she pointed out someone they saw as different. She told me that one day that her eight years old nephew has a problem with stuttering when he talks, so her son and him was playing the video game and when they were talking he started stuttering when her son began laughing and mocking him telling his mom this how he be talking. So, she stopped her son right than and there and had a talk with him by telling him that is not nice to make fun of how he talks because he had his cousin crying and she made him apologize for it. Afterwards, her husband came over to her nephew and gave him some advice by telling him to stop talking so fast and take his time talking, so he started to talk slow and it helped him with his speech.

One message that might have been communicated to this child by the adult's response is that his cousin was made to apologize for laughing and mocking at the way he talks. Another message would be that people do care about him even though he has a speech problem. The last message is that if he take his time to speak, then he can stop stuttering.

An example of how an anti-bias educator might have responded to support the child's or classroom's understanding is by having a discussion to make clear to the students that laughing or mocking a child with a speech problem or disability will not be tolerated in the classroom.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation.

• 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

At first I would use to say avoid, but in today's society parents, siblings, and others are willing to buy their children books so that they can read and learn and more than likely the books will depict gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families even if the child might not understand and know what it means. I know that since we live in a diverse world that these books can introduce and teach children to distinguish between men/women through non-stereotypical activities and encouragement to take a variety of roles without the limits of gender bias and also it encourages the transformation of play areas into restaurants, factories, theaters, mechanic shops, construction sites, hospitals, and so forth (Course Media: "Start Seeing Diversity: Gender").

• How you would respond to a parent/family members who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child

I would tell them that they should not be so judgmental towards a person's sexuality because you should get to know them first in order to pass judgment and then you can see from personal experiences how this person truly is which can help you to make your decision about homosexual or transgender without all the rumors. I would ask them what if the shoe was on the other foot and how would you feel? I would explain to them that know matter what sexual orientation a person chooses to be should not give you the privilege to discriminate against. Whatever they do in their personal life is their businesses as long as it is not affecting to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their children.

• If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children?

I use to work for a Boys And Girls Club of the Miss-Lou and these children love to say man you gay and quite acting like a sissy if they got hurt during and was crying during activities such as basketball, dodge-ball, football, kickball, and so on. Sometimes when they be in the classroom and a child spoke intelligent (proper) or if their voice was not deep, then they would bust out laughing saying he/she is gay and if a boy would have a twist with his walk, then they would be laughing and telling the other children he a fag. When the girls would  go in and come out the restroom hugging each other and laughing, then someone would scream ugh you all are lesbians. Back in my days when I was coming up I heard all of these homophobic terms being used as an insult by a child toward another child which seem to be common where as now people act like this is something brand new. These types of comments might influence all children in a different way because some make take it offensive or be on the defensive side. It can have a negative and positive effect on all children because it can either break or make them.

Post of Appreciation

I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues for supporting me with your brilliant ideas, opinions, resources, and personal stories that I will help me in my career, the future, and my life journey. I hope that I have supported you all through my blogs and group discussions which can be useful to share with others what you have learned. I would like like to wish my colleagues a successful continuation on their professional path. We can stay in contact through my blogs. I post my writings on there which are very spiritual and I know that it will encourage and support you all on your move through this program. Feel free to read and give me some feedback which will help me as well. I have enjoyed my colleagues and this course. May God Bless You All!!!!

The Adjourning Phase

I was in this Christian group called Women of Faith (WOF). I feel like the adjourning aspect of this group was the hardest to say good-bye because we had established a spiritual connection and friendships amongst us and other colleagues. It allowed us to fellowship through bible study, extra-curricular activities, and programs on campus. Most of us stayed in the same dorms and others stayed in different ones, but we would meet in the lobby of the dorm in which I was living in. We stayed in touch with each other by cell phones and email addresses because we knew that this group would end when we all graduated. Our ritual was that we meet at church and have a banquet which involved dinner, preaching, socialization, and reminiscing about the good/bad times in which we all shared.

I think that high-performing groups and groups with the clearest established norms are the hardest to leave because it is about helping each other, learning from failure, sharing information, and trust. They are firm believers when it comes to their vision and being successful. I will adjourn from the group of colleagues in which I have formed while working on my master's degree in this program by wishing everyone the best in their education and life journey. The only communication that I would have with my colleagues is through a social network such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or if they continue to respond to my blogs. Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions (Abudi, G., 2010).

Disagreement or Conflicts Between Sisters

I recently experienced a disagreement through a message on a social network called Facebook. It was someone that I knew in my personal life in which we called each other sisters. This how the conversation began:
Me: Hello funny acting person lol
Her: Hello, no
Me: Yes, but anyways how are you doing?
Her: Acting funny
Me: Exactly
Her: Hey Casa! You ok now, but you was tripping last night
Me: Hey! I'm good and how was I tripping last night because I said you were funny acting
Her: Yes because that's not true
Me: Why that's not true
Her: Because how I am being funny with you and what reason would I have to be acting funny with you None what so ever
Me: So that is when I told her how I felt and how I don't get attached to people too quick, but I really do like her as a sister, but we don't talk like we use to and I know that she be busy with the kids, church, and her husband, but a text or phone call wouldn't hurt sometimes. It's like she had distant herself from me and I didn't know why.
Her: She told me how she felt and then said well you are going to have to get over that feeling because it is not like that at all.
Me: Oh, trust me I will get over it.
Her: You are making a big deal out of nothing and she is sorry if I feel that way and she hate that I am offended about her response.
Me: I'm not making a big deal out of it I just see it as expressing how I feel. Why you say that I'm offended by your response
Her: Because you said oh trust me I will get over it
Me: You said I need to get over that feeling so that's why I said oh trust me I will get over it
Her: Ok
Me: I'm about to leave it along and I don't want you to have a bad day or be in bad mood
Her: Ok
Me: K, well hopefully you will have a better day
Her: Ok
The End

I felt like I did make a compromise when I said that I would let it be and I told her to have a better day. The two strategies that I have learned about that might help to manage or resolve the conflict more productively would be to be carefully about the choice of words I choose to use and to stop being in my feelings so much. These strategies might be effective because it can stop me from having another disagreement over petite stuff as people would see it. I feel as though our disagreement was deeper than that because later on I found out that she was not only doing me like that, but other closer friends as well.

To my colleagues, I would like you all input and advice regarding my disagreement. How have you all learned to be more effective communicators as it relates to conflict resolution skills?

Evaluation

The similarities in how I evaluate myself as a communicator and how others evaluated me is that we both say that I am a good communicator, humble, and a God given talent to help children. I try to keep a creative mind to expand the growth of communicating with the youth. I take my own life experiences and incorporate it into the lives of others. I strive daily to better myself by improving my communication skills by not talking in slang which is a challenge and to stop texting in slang as well. The differences would be that I over think myself when it comes to situations as far as public speaking or being in a small group in which we have to stand in front of the class and give a summary of what we have learned. The one thing that surprised me the most was when they said that I am good communicator because I tend to underestimate how well I can communicate with others. I feel like sometimes when I be communicating with people that my eye contact be off because I have a tendency to look down or away. The new insight that I gained this week about communication is that sometimes we beat upon ourselves because we think that people see us in a negative perspective when in reality they might see us as being more positive.