Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practices

I feel like there are consequences that you should expect for the children and their families with whom you work while you experience specific "-ism(s)".For example, if a child sees an interracial couple or parents at school and tells another student that the mommy and daddy is different colors, but they suppose to be the same color. Another example would be a child who has a Black father and a white mother, but when he/she see some Black woman at school and says "I did not know women are Black " which also represents sexism because it was a discrimination against women. The examples of "-ism(s)" that I provide could be happening in my personal life.

I had a personal experience with religionism when I use to work for The Boys & Girls Club of the Miss-Lou and it was two Jehovah Witness's boy who would come majority of the time, but this particular day we where having a Christian Religious Choir that was made of teenagers from different areas of cities/towns who were coming to perform for our children, so when the oldest boy found out that it was a religious group, he then pulled me to the side and said my little brother and I cannot participate. I asked him why and he said that our parents will not allow us because they were a different religion. I had to take both of the boys and put them into another room.

Observing Communication

I was unable to observe an adult and young child communicating in a real-life setting, so I viewed this type of interaction in a book called Helen Keller. An account of my observation was the story of Helen Keller when she was a healthy child until she became both blind and deaf due to a nearly fatal illness (brain fever) or (Historians believe that Helen had contracted either scarlet fever or meningitis) at the age of 19 months until she died on June 01, 1968 at her residence at the age of 87 after suffering from a heart attack. First, I learned and noticed that Helen was a wild child because she would break dishes, and then slap and bite her family members. Secondly, I learned and noticed that Helen Keller meets with Alexander Graham Bell when he advised that her parents write to the director of the Perkins Institute for the Blind and several months later the Kellers finally heard back from the director who had found a teacher name Annie Sullivan for Helen Keller. Thirdly, I learned and noticed that Annie took a job for the course of her life as a teacher to Helen without no knowledge and understanding of formal training to teach a deaf-blind child at the age of 20 (Annie) when she arrived at the Keller's house on March 03, 1987 and Helen called it the day as "my soul's birthday." Fourthly, I learned and noticed that Helen and Annie went through tough times such as battle of wills when the the teacher and pupil were very strong-willed and often clashing, Helen's breakthrough of learning how read and write, fame for Helen and Annie when they became famous overnight due to Annie sending in regularly reports on Helen's progress to the director of Perkins Institute and then he released Helen's story to the press, Helen and Annie go on the road. Lastly, I learned and noticed that Helen Keller was the spokesperson for this newly formed organization called the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), and then afterwards Helen lost Annie (the teacher) because of health deterioration over several years when she completely lost her sight (blind) and could no longer travel.

The connections between what I observed and the effective communication strategies presented in this week's resources was that Annie Sullivan did present an equally irresistible challenge when she dealt with Helen being confused and her doubtful family. Annie was successful in the end when she teaches Helen how to communicate with other their language by including its purpose, power, and how it promotes children's thinking (Rainer, J., & Durden, 2010). Annie taught Helen self-control which help her to be more open to learning. I feel as though nothing should have be done to make the communication more affirming and effective.

My thoughts with regard to how the communication interactions that I observed may have affected the child's feelings and/or any influences it may have had on the child's sense of worth was that Helen was actually affectionate sometimes, but at the same time she had a devilishness side when she smashed continuously to smash the dishes and and bites people. Helen, at heart was a child that desires to be loved and hopes to understand the world in which Annie opens up the door to that world. My insights on how the adult-child communication that I observed this week compares to the ways in which I communicate with the children is that they tend to throw tantrums when things go wrong or they cannot have their way and that is when I find a method/strategy to punish them to let them know that this is the consequences of acting out. What I have learned about myself this week with respect to how well I talk with and listen to young children is that I am easily to get bored sometimes with our conversation because they tend to rumble off or they be like do not worry about just forget it. I can improve by thinking positive when it comes to our conversation because they could teach me something new or I could suggest to them to tell me something exciting that happened to them that day.

Reference:
Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group activities. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74-81. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=47964033&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Creating Affirming Environments

While I was imagining opening my own Family Child Care, my setting would look like a large group home that has a large number of children from the ages of four to six years old (16 children maximum) in which a provider and assistant is present. The rationale for my choices is because I do not want my home to be crowded with cribs, high chairs or booster seats, play pens, and strollers. I tend to be organized and I do not like a cluster of things. My elements that I think I might want to include are: covers on the electrical sockets, smoke detectors throughout my home especially in the rooms where the children are at, a first aid kit, mats for the children to take a nap and rest, a various of age-appropriate toys, games, books, and outdoor equipment and toys. One reason for the use of these items would be to make my Family Child Care Home child safe. Another reason is for my home to be properly equipped for child care which is vital and necessary for the proper growth and development of the children in my program. The first way that I will strive to ensure that every child and family feels welcomed and respected is by accepting and understanding that they are unique and they all learn differently. Another way in which I will strive is to provide a home environment that is fun, but educational as well while receiving the love in which they deserve. A third way for me to strive is for them to develop and mature emotionally, physically, intellectually, and socially through their unique needs and wants which will be met as they grow into individuals. My fourth way of my striving is to provide a safe, well structured, caring, socially active, and a fun environment that is the foundation to being successfully and preparing every child for the future. Lastly, I will strive to provide a happy, fun, safe, caring, and educational environment which builds on children's strengths and weakness while building a strong relationship with their families. I might utilize the ideas from the free play area, the couch, the dolls, and dramatic play area from the tour of Adriana's care home featured in the media segment (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). The aspects that I found in the readings and media segment that inspired me to create "my" environment the way I envision it was that both of them provided similarities and differences of diverse, anti-bias materials such as books, music, DVDs, puzzles, drawing materials, blocks and legos, and wall hangings (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 52 and Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

References
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author

What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when thinking about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that we all need to realize and accept that God made us all different for a reason and we can learn to respect and value people regardless of their race, physical abilities, and the language that they speak. Another goal is that teachers need to address and introduce diversity in the classroom, get to know the children and their families, and learn to appreciate differences.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that parents/teachers should teach children at an early age to recognize their own biases so that they can see the world as anti-bias and then they can achieve their aspirations, dreams, and goals while feeling very confident that whatever they are trying to accomplish in life is possible.

To All Of My Colleagues:
I would like to thank you all for sharing your blog and discussion posts as well as your personal stories. I have learned a lot throughout this course thanks to Dr. Klein for her feedback and resources that will help me to improve in areas where I am weak in. Now, I am more aware of my biases and discomforts that I will definitely be working towards in the near future to change if it is necessary. I wish you all the best in your educational and life journey. May God Bless!!!!

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.