Reflecting on Learning

It is my hope and desire to provide children with quality learning experiences despite of their race or gender. I know that it doing so I must be open-minded so that I do not form opinions or make assumptions of the children and their families. The children within the classroom community will come from various walks of life so I must be open-minded in order to get a full understanding of who they are and what they stand for. With that mind-frame I can help meet the needs of children so that they can excel in and outside of the classroom.

To Dr. Myers and Colleagues,

It has been a pleasure working with and getting to know all of you. Throughout this course I have learned so much from each of you. The blogs and discussion board is where all of our interactions took place. It is always a joyous feeling reading your responses. We all have come thus far and I wish you all the best of luck as we continue this journey. I know that each of us will continue to excel in the program and we must thank Dr. Myers for her hard work and dedication to ensuring that we are anti-bias educators so that we can better serve children and families. Most of the children within our classroom community will come from diverse backgrounds. In order to be anti-bias educators we must be open-minded, optimistic and set aside our biases so that we can display diversity and provide children with quality learning opportunities despite of their culture, race, ethnicity or religion. Through hard work and dedication we are willing to do whatever to support the well being of children. Best wishes to all of you as we continue this journey

Barbados

Share with your colleagues the area of the world you chose and why.

The country that I chose was Barbados. As a child I always wanted to visit the island and just relax with my family. In my adult life I am curious about learning about Barbados and the challenges that the people within the city face.

Describe in detail some of the challenges that children in this region of the world are confronting.

In Barbados the children are born with HIV. It saddens me to hear that at such a young age these small children have to encounter these medicals issues. At some point mothers should not be permitted to conceive knowing that they are HIV positive. It is to much for the children to have to battle with disease because they end up being placed with extended families or in the custody of their state because their parents are not able to care for them.  Another challenge that the children in Barbados face is not attend school because of their parent’s inability to pay for their schooling. They educational system there also encounters challenges with meeting the needs of children with special needs.

Explain how these experiences might have an effect on children’s emotional well-being and development.

Children with special needs will encounter feeling of despair as the educators are not willing to help them excel in their learning by providing better opportunities for them to grown despite of the their special need or learning abilities. It bothers me that they do not see this as a problem. The parents need to pull together and stand up for the well-being of children. You cannot continue to put these children off.  We have to provide better learning opportunities for these children so that they can excel in their learning. The children who are born with HIV we encounter a lot of emotional trauma as they have to deal with feelings of uncertainty as they do not know  how long they have to live. Another problem that these children will face is not fitting in with their social settings.

Include a personal and professional reflection. Explain the insights you gained and the influences they may have on you as a person and as an early childhood professional.

As a future educator I was disturbed by the educator’s unwillingness to work with children with special needs. Many of them do not provide children with quality learning experiences because they are not satisfied with their pay. That simply means that they are not passionate about meeting the needs of children. I will not place a price value on life I can shape as I transition into teaching.

Reference:

http://www.unicef.org/barbados/children.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

Share your reaction to the topic of the sexualization of early childhood. 

The topic of sexualiztion in early childhood really bothers me. I blame the parents because they are responsible for what they children see and hear. Children in today’s society are more in tuned with the things that are portrayed on TV, things they see and hear in their surroundings, and their interactions with their peers. “Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular culture” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, pg. 2). This has been going on for many years and parents are blinded by the negative impact that it can have on their children.

Provide three or more examples, from your personal or professional experience, that further illustrate the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment. 

One thing that really upset me is when they came out with the pregnant Barbie doll. It saddens me as an auntie and my nieces were never allowed to play with Barbie dolls again.  The pregnant Barbie to me simplifies that it is ok to be pregnant. Young children misconceive these messages and want to be like the dolls they play with.

Another thing that get me extremely bothered is when I see young children wearing make -up. This past Christmas I went to my fiancé’s family house and his five year old niece had eye-shadow on. I told him that it makes her look grown. He told me that it is not my child so I do not need to be concerned. We got into a debate about it because I told him that whether it is my child or not, we should not allow children to grow up before their time.

Kids clothing has changed as well. I did not condone children wearing skinny jeans. They fit really tight and show all of the child’s features. When I was in Wal-Mart this young girl was standing in front of me was wearing skinny jeans. This little boy who appeared to be between 14 to 16 years of age was asking the girl her name. Her mother immediately turned around and said that the little girl was only nine and to please quit conversing with her daughter. If she would dress her daughter in age-appropriate clothes then there wouldn’t be any attention drawn to her.

Explain the implications this may have on children’s healthy development.  Include ideas you might have, as an early childhood professional, to best respond to these concerns and to reduce the negative impact on children

We live in a society that paints a picture as this is the acceptable way of living. These young children are growing up to fast and we as a nation must do something about it. Children spend too much time watching TV and do not engage in outdoor play activities like I did when I was a child. This is very unhealthy for children as they mimic everything they see and hear. We do not want our children to carry out behaviors that are not acceptable. Due to socioeconomic class some parents do not see after their children and have no clue about the behavior their children carry out. Educators are stuck trying to rationalize everything. “Parents and professionals everywhere are struggling to deal with this new sexualized environment and often feel confused about how best to respond” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, pg. 7).   As a future educator I will make parents aware of sexualization so that they do not allow their children to grow up so fast. If children carry out sexual behavior within my presence I will address the issue first hand so that children can understand why they must not act in that manner. I will also inform the parents of their behavior so that they can address the issue with their child.

Describe the ways in which your awareness of the sexualization of early childhood has been influenced and/or modified by studying the topic this week.

This topic has really stirred my curiosity about the well being of children. I want to do everything that I possibly can to protect them from harm’s way. Children are being exploited to sexual behavior and violence on a daily basis just by turning on the TV. We must put an end to this nonsense and make children and parents aware of the matter. Society as a whole must come together and do things that are in the best interest of young children. “Society should support you in your efforts rather than set up roadblocks at every turn”. I want to help shape the lives of many children but I cannot do it alone. From this day forward I plan to take a stand by being more observant to children behavior an appearance so I can identify if they are being exploited and address these issues firsthand before they continue to act out in this manner.

Reference:

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids. New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Describe in detail the consequences you might expect for the children and families with whom you work while you experience specific “–ism(s)” in your own life. Include specific examples either those you have and/or are experiencing or ones you would anticipate.

At the current time I am not an educator; however I have encountered some issues with “ISMS” as I did my student teaching.

One day I was asked to assist Mr. Hernandez 3^rd Grade class. As I introduced myself one of the child’s parents interrupted and asked where was I from. I advised her that I was a native Houstonian. She went on to say that my name sound like it can from the motherland implying that my name was from Africa.  I got very upset and asked Mr. Hernandez if I could speak with him outside. I did not want to create a scene in front of the children.

While we were outside the classroom I told Mr. Hernandez that I was offended by the parent’s comment. He first thanked me for not getting upset in front of the students. As a professional I do not like to create conflict and I also like to set positive examples for children who cross my path. Mr. Hernandez did agree that the parent comment was racist and he indicated that he would address the issue with the parent while I carry out the lesson.

When we entered the classroom the students were anxious to get to the learning center as we left them on the carpet tracing their alphabets. While in the learning center one child asked me was I ok. I smiled and said yes Matthew thank you for asking. He said your eyes do not look as bright as they were when we got here this morning. It concerned me that the student was able to see that I was bothered. Mr. Hernandez spoke with the parent  in back of the class then she asked to speak with me. She apologized for her actions and indicated that at the time she said the comment she did not think about what she was saying. As educators we must think things through before responding so that we do not say things that are harmful to others. We must not reference one’s race, ethnicity or culture in an effort to create an anti-bias classroom. As the day went on I smiled so that I would not let my emotions interfere we me providing children with quality learning experiences.

Observing Communication

Today I went into the local Kroger’s Grocery store to buy some milk. As I was about to enter the store there was some Girl Scouts selling cookies. I observed the communication between the Girl Scouts and their potential customers. There was one lady standing there as the Girl Scout asked her if she wanted to buy some cookies. The lady decided to take a look at the cookies. When the Girl Scouts asked her if she wanted to buy any of the cookies that she saw the lady was too busy text messaging on her cell phone and did not respond. She was not paying any attention to the Girl Scouts so the Girl Scout asked her the same question again. The lady was not being attentive and continued text messaging on her phone as she stood in front of the cookie stand.

Another customer walked up so the Girl Scout asked the man if he wanted to buy cookies. The man said yes and asked for three boxes of cookies. When the Girl Scout was about to reach the man the cookies, the lady who was standing there previously started getting upset because she was there first.  The Girl Scout explained to the lady that she asked her several times if she wanted cookies and she did not respond. The Girl Scout assumed that the woman did not want the cookies because she ignored her. “When you ignore babies, you tell them that they are not valued” (Kovach & Da Ros-Voseles , 2011). This is why the Girl Scout went on and began helping the other customer. If the lady would have been attentive in the beginning she could have purchased the cookies then left the stand. The lady began telling and saying mean things to the Girls Scout. The Girl Scout began crying and went sat in her chair near the stand. The scout’s sponsor walked over to the woman and advised her that her behavior is inappropriate. She also went on to explain how the Girl Scout asked her several times if she wanted anything. The lady walked to the Girl Scout and apologized for her behavior. She did not want any cookies but did make a donation to the Girl Scout.

After reading this week’s resources I must keep in mind that all people are important and we must treat people how we would like to be treated.  If you make people feel less than who they are then there will be ongoing conflict. This can hinder children’s self esteem because they do not feel significant. It is also important to be respectful of others and show them attention as you would want the same thing if someone was listening to you.

Reference:

Kovach, B., & Da Ros-Voseles, D. (2011). Communicating with babies. YC: Young Children, 66(2), 48–50. 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=60001533&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Creating Affirming Environment

Within my family childcare home, I would have all the walls painted in loud bright colors. The bright colors would make children and families alert when they enter the classroom. The walls would be covered with posters of families from all ethnicity so that every culture can be represented within my classroom community. I hope to provide an environment that supports all cultures so that children can feel welcomed and respected within the classroom community. I want the environment to be welcoming to all children and families. Bulletin boards, illustration boards, and canvas boards would be displayed throughout the classroom so that children can sketch their own images of people who are significant to them. Through art children are able to express themselves. I would also incorporate a wall for children to bring photos of anything that they wish so that they can feel belonged. Children imitate those people who are close to them. I would have them bring weekly photos of their choice to get an overall idea of what is important to them. “A culturally consistent environment also reflects the children’s real lives, families and communities” (Sparks& Edwards, 2010, pg.49). From the photos I would be able to learn so much about the children and the people and things in their home environment.

I would have my classroom setup in learning centers. At each center there will be a table with chairs for children to sit in.  The children will rotate centers throughout the day. The assignments at each center would challenge the students to work together and create a sense of community by building positive relationships with one another.  Children would always sit in groups and not seat individually so that they could learn from one another. There will also be a carpet in the middle of the classroom from educator and student interaction during reading time. I would allow children to use puppets and dolls of all races to represent diversity as they re-enact what they have read. “Many anti-bias educators use storytelling with persona dolls to introduce stories related to children lives, as well as to broaden their awareness of various aspects of diversity” (Sparks& Edwards, 2010, pg.44). From that educators can keep the child’s attention though interactions about the lessons being studied.

Additional things within my classroom would be a conference center where I sit with parents to discuss their children progress within my classroom community. Educators should collaborate with the families to ensure that they are addressing the needs of the children and have the available resources needed to care for the child. Parents would also be able to come in and observe their children.

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). “Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community.” Baltimore, MD: Author