Competent Communication

The person that I think about who demonstrates competent communication would be in co-teacher, Annie. She has been in the early childhood field for over 20 years and I respect the knowledge and understandings of the field she holds in the classroom. Annie speaks with other early childhood professionals in an appropriate and respectful manner. She takes the time to share what needs to be expressed in a calm and friendly manner. Then she will take the time for the person she is sharing the information for a moment to process the information before that person responses in a calm and friendly manner in return. Her body language is relaxed and at ease; when she speaks her tone of voice is calm and friendly, and looks at you when expressing her messages towards others. The way she communicates with staff members is the same manner she communicates with families, children, and other early childhood professionals that she works with on a daily basis. I see her confidence and professionalism of understanding and respect for others shine brightly through any conversation she has with another person. Annie greets every person with a “Good Morning,” a warm smile, and will ask you how are you today or how was your weekend?

I try to model similar communication with others that I interact with on a daily basis. I want to feel confident in the information I have to share with others, more specifically with young children, families, and other early childhood professionals. I greet everyone I see with a warm smile and a simple, but meaningful, “Hello, it is nice to meet you.” I try my best to push my shyness away and connect with my self-esteem and confidence when meeting new people. I make sure that I am aware of the tone of voice I use when speaking with others and that it comes across in a neutral understanding without any biases hidden and non-existent as best as possible. I am on a journey of learning about the best way to communicate with others and how to response appropriately to the messages coming my way in a supporting manner of self-discovery. I would like to have the confidence to speak with others that are intimating and closed off as well as those who have similar personalities and passion for working with young children and their families.  

Professional Hopes and Goals

I think about the various ways that I can continue to learn about young children and ways to support their families at the same time. I want to learn as much as I can on different topics in the early childhood field to help support young children and their families to be successful. I feel it is important to help young children and their families truly discover who they are as a person, within their culture, and how their experiences make up who they are in their own skin. The understanding and acceptance of who we are within the world around us will help us begin to discover how to work with others, how to interact with others, and how to response to others in a respectful manner. My one goal for the early childhood field would be to educate young children and their families, including other early childhood professionals the importance of diversity, equity, and social justices are what make a person unique and different from others and to learn from one another. I would make young children, families, and early childhood professionals to share their experiences and their culture with others to learn a way of life that is new to them and how it is important for others in their life in this world they live in. I want each person to know they are unique and valued by others for what makes them who they are is all that matters.

I want to take the time to thank my colleagues and professor for their support and knowledge to help me through this class. I learned by asking questions, sharing personal experiences of diversity and learned to take chances to make a difference by coming out of my shell to fell comfortable to talk about diversity with others. I want to share the knowledge I have gained from this course, my colleagues; thoughts, views, and beliefs on different subjects, and my professor for making me think outside the box. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

As an early childhood educator within an Early Head Start Program, we have seen a great deal of diversities and cultural acceptances. I have seen similar cultures and diversities throughout my years and I have never connected with a family that came from the Philippines. As a teacher within the field, learning about a new child and family coming to the United States and being accepted into my program. There is a five-step preparation I would conduct to prepare for myself, the children, their families, and other early childhood professionals about the new family.

Step One: Research: I would research information regarding their country, their culture, and their customs to get a better sense of understanding about the child and their family. I would research their views and thoughts about education and their educational system to work with the differences between the educational systems in the United States.

Step Two: Language: I would take the time to learn simple words within their language and try my best to pronounce the words with their articulation then my own. I would label the classroom in their language to help support the child and family feel accepted in the classroom and program.

Step Three: Teaching and Learning Moment: I would share with my classroom about the findings of the Philippines and how they are different and similar to the dominant culture. I would collect music, books, and materials that represent the Philippines to the best of my ability. I would have the children in the program explore these materials and feel comfortable with them to support their peer with their transition to the classroom. It will show the family the efforts the teacher and the program put into making the family and child feel comfortable in a new place away from their one and only home.

Step Four: Meet the Family: I would want to meet the family and have an open conversation about their culture and customs that are a part of their live with an interpreter if needed. Share the culture within the program and speak openly about these differences. Take the time to listen to their thoughts, views, and beliefs, and needs of their child and their family.

Step Five: Invite: I would invite the family to the classroom to share their culture, customs, and materials that play a major role within their culture that has meaning to the family. Encourage the family to share their culture and customs with the children and staff within the program.

As an educator, I would hope these preparation steps will benefit myself and the family by beginning on a common ground of understanding one another. The relationship will be strong by the fact I took the time to get to know their culture, their customs, and their educational system to help guide the newest family within the program. It will make the family feel relaxed and comfortable to know a complete stranger took the time to learn about them and make them feel at home even though they feel completely out of their element. This family and educator will have a strong bond and understanding of respect and the knowledge to learn to make the other comfortable by being open and sharing intimate connected conversations to learn as much as they can from one another.  

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Looking back at my life and the experiences I have had throughout my early childhood career, I have experienced bias over a position I held on a professional level. I took a chance of becoming a leader and supporting those who are teachers to be the best they can be professionally and personally. I was offered the position and was excited to prove that I could handle the position at a young age, late twenties. I supported and helped the teachers overcome and deal with challenging behaviors and struggles they were having in the classroom. I took the time to train the teachers on various topics within the early childhood field and encouraged then to complete the assigned chapter within a month’s time. This is all supported by the Director of the company until some of the teachers brought their complaints to the Director about my performance. The teachers complained that I was spying on them when I entered the classroom and observe what was happening in the classroom. The teachers complained that I was not helpful when they needed help with a challenging situation. The teachers complained that I got special treatment compared to the other staff members in the program. I spoke with my supervisor, who is the Director of the program. We spoke about the various complaints and how to work on them. I was told I should be helpful and supportive when needed and not to push the staff in a negative way. I should always keep myself available to help in the classrooms because that is what an Assistant Director did within any early childhood program. I questioned her about my position and expressed my thoughts on the position, I was turned down and encouraged to make the changes. I felt degraded about my performance and experience within the early childhood field after 10 years. I felt my experience within the field was belittled and what I learned meant nothing. I felt that I still needed to learn more about the early childhood field and was looking towards my supervisor to help me grow professionally in the field. I felt as if I was a teacher instead of an Assistant Director. It made me want to work back in the classroom as a teacher. I felt like I was not being supported in my role as Assistant Director and my supervisor was not guiding me through trainings and support.

The feelings this brought up throughout this situation was heartbreaking. I felt that all the education I had was inferior and I want to the wrong type of school. It made me feel that I what have learned based upon my education, failed me and it was not acceptable to be an Assistant Director. I felt that the years of being in the field, working with young children and their families, would not benefit my ability to be an Assistant Director.  I felt lost and worried about my ability to perform the tasks needed to be the Assistant Director, including my role as a teacher. It made me want to go back to school and gain more knowledge about the early childhood field to achieve my goal of becoming a Director of an early childhood program someday.

I think both parties and individuals should be able to sit down and discuss the situation and how my made each of us feel at the moment. If I had more confidence in expressing my feelings to my supervisor, I would have expressed the way she made me feel whether or not she intentionally meant to come across in a certain manner. I would want others to feel confident to share their thoughts and views on a situation that has made them feel belittled, degraded, and inferior towards another person. The ability to speak clearly about how you feel and how a situation made you feel should be a topic to speak about and discussion. Each situation we are in, we can learn from; learn how to deal with situations based on cultural differences and coming together to make a difference.   

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I remember a moment that I was a target of microaggression within the workplace. My early childhood program was trying to achieve NAEYC accreditation. In order for early childhood programs to receive this form of accreditation the program needs to create portfolios about the center, the classrooms, and the entire program. My team was working together on the Toddler Classroom portfolio together and supported each other’s work to complete it to be assessed. I was having trouble with a few questions and my team found it difficult as well, they suggested I speak with the director, my supervisor, and ask her for some help and support. I remember asking her help with a specific question and the response I got from her was, “Well, read this section again and the items that you need for it is here in the require materials. It’s all right there in front of you.” I thanked her for the help and asked a completely different team member for her insight, thoughts, and feelings regarding the question at hand. I few weeks later I asked my supervisor the same question and her response was, “It’s right there in black and white.  It states exactly what is needed.” I tried to express myself about how I was feeling and she continued, “Erin, its right there. Look at the suggestions and collect the materials for the section.” I completed the section and a week later I was spoken directly about the work I completed. “Erin, this work is a half ass job. I need you to go back and look it over before handing it in again next week.” I expressed myself that I worked very hard on the section I was assigned and asked multiple times for help and was pushed aside regarding the questions I was asking. I was the target of racial microaggression, more specifically microinsults and microinvalidation (Laureate Education, 2011). My work was being subjected and invalid of the hard work I put into completely the section in the more successful manner to achieve the accreditation. I felt that I was not capable of completing the assignment I was given and that I was not intelligent enough to complete the task. I felt insults at how my supervisor was treating me with regards to an assignment that I was given to complete. My supervisor always states that the teachers can go to her for anything and ask questions whenever we need any help. Well clearly when I asked for help it was not returned in a manner of understanding and support.

            I made observation this week regarding culture and microaggressions that affected my perception on discrimination. It opened my eyes to know that it’s not all about culture or diversity, but power and superiority over others is what I took away from this experience (Laureate Education, 2011). I never felt so degraded in my life by the way my supervisor spoke towards me. I felt like I was a little child being scolded by my mother. It was embarrassing and I wanted to express myself and be heard.  I was made to feel inferior and to understand my boss was the superior and to listen to every detail and suggestion that came from her whether it was right or wrong. I was able to have a voice when I spoke with the Director of the company about my feelings regarding the way I am treated as an employee. It was nice to share my feelings and finally be heard, but I want it to be with my supervisor. After learning about ways to change microaggression, I will try to have a more intimate connected relationship with her to avoid and prevent any form of microaggressions with her in the future (Laureate Education, 2011).    

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved

from https://class.waldenu.edu

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I asked 3 different friends from different cultures about their thoughts and views on culture and diversity.

One friend stated, “Social customs and beliefs of a group of people. Diversity is different was a group adapts to culture” (Hardy, Personal Interview).

Another friend said, “Culture is what makes you, you. Example, your beliefs, Jewish, Christian, Muslim. Diversity different like biracial not races open to all sexes, no discrimination” (Ansara-Burns, Personal Interview).

Another friend shared, “Culture is your upbringing, traditions, and values. Diversity is individuality, to be different and unique” (Bauchman, Personal Interview).

Reviewing my thoughts on culture and diversity. To me, culture is the values, beliefs, and traditions within my own family. My race, ethnicity, religious views, and customs. Diversity to me is all of the aspects of my culture, including the social identities that make up who I am as a person. The community I am a part of and belong to, how I respond in a situation, and interact with other people.

The aspects of culture and diversity that I have learned in this courses is culture and diversity mean so much more than I ever thought it would mean. Culture and diversity is the most majority reasoning behind every person’s responses, actions, and interactions. It’s the way people live their lives and all the hopes and dreams they want for their child and family. Even early childhood professionals want the same thing and to support families and young children to feel comfortable in the world around them. Reviewing the answers I have collected about culture, they each shared how it was connected to our customs, beliefs, values, and traditions. These terms are divided between the surface culture and deep culture of how people define culture (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 56). We are all different and everyone will define culture and diversity in their own way, but everyone is able to share the same views and thoughts about what culture and diversity mean to each and every one person. Their thoughts on diversity is about each person’s individuality, being unique from others, being different, the ability to adapt. Diversity is about belonging and feeling comfortable in our own shoes for being different. To help support others to understand and accept the differences between my culture and diversity with others (Laureate Education, 2011).   

The aspects that were omitted from culture are holidays, artifacts, language, gender roles, showing of emotion, and the importance of culture (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 56). I find this items as important as the aspects that were received. I do not think the importance of gender roles and the show of emotion is not important as the other aspects. I find it more as the topics of not wanting to offend anyone on their views and thoughts about gender roles and the values of showing emotions or the lack of showing emotions. The same thought process happens with diversity of not wanting to offend anyone on the way they are and the importance of their own culture and diversity means to them for years to come (Laureate Education, 2011).  

Taking the time to listen to my friends’ thoughts and definition on culture and diversity has helped influence my thoughts about culture and diversity as a whole. I have to say, I never really took the time to see how much culture and diversity play a key role into teaching young children and their families in the early childhood field.  Culture and diversity play a key role on how we treat others, how we interact with others, and how we reaction to different situations we experience on a daily basis (Laureate Education, 2011). It makes me want to learn more about culture and diversity from others perspectives because it makes us unique and different from each other, but we are very similar the more we realize. Every culture and diversity stands out and unique in their own way, but they are similar in the hopes and dreams everyone is striving to achieve.

References:

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Learning about culture, language, and fairness.

Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves (pp. 55-60). National Association for the Education of Young Children: Washington, DC.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions [video file].

Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

My Family Culture

The three items I would bring with me that are most dear to my heart and soul would be my cross necklace, my Teddy Bear, and a small photo album.

I have a gold cross with a diamond in the middle of the cross on a gold chain, 18 inches long. The chain has loops and the chain is circular compared to being flat. The reason why I would take my cross necklace because of my deep Catholic faith. I was very involved in the events and activities that were held at the church. My love for my Lord and Savior. The cross reminds me of my love to my Lord Savior, Jesus, and how much he shows me his love in return. 

I have a stuffed animal; a teddy bear.  He is brown, soft, and lays flat compared to being round and overstuffed with stuffing.  Easy to hold for comfort and to lay on to fall asleep. The whispers are no longer on the stuffed animal and could be stuffed to its original form. The reason I would take my teddy bear with me to a foreign land for the comfort it offers me. I have had this teddy bear for a long time and it follows me where ever I go. It is a reminder of home and those who gave it to me, my parents.  

I have a small flower photo album that holds up to 12 pictures. I would have pictures of myself and my family in the photo album. The photo album holds memories that I can look back at and share those stories with my family and others I meet a long on the journey.

If I had to chose one item and give up the other items, I would have to say my teddy bear. I can always keep those memories held in pictures and make new pictures with new memories. My cross necklace could be sold for money and the symbolic mean could have changed due to the unexpected change of moving to a new country. Keeping the faith will always be carried in my heart, I would not need a reminder of a symbolic to know how much love and faith I have for my chosen and family culture of religion. My teddy bear is something that can not be replaced by another stuff animal teddy bear. The bear could be a different color and rough. It just would not be the same. The teddy bear is something I can hold on to and find comfort in a new land with my family. Knowing my family is struggling with the change as well.

I would have a hard time adjusting to the new land and afraid to speak with others that have lived their all their lives. For my family culture and for myself there are things in life that can not be replaced while other items will always be with you.  Items are passed down from generation to generation and its token of love is within each heirloom.  I would love to do the same and continue on with my families traditions.