Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

This week for our blog assignment we are going to discuss the impact on stereotypes and prejudice will have on the teacher. So far in my teaching career I have suffered from one type of prejudice. I had a father tell me basically that I didn’t know how to discipline kids or know anything about behavior, because I was not a parent. This was my first year of teaching and for the most part I think I handled the confrontation well. However, it really upset me and it made me question everything I did with that specific child and family all year. As I said that is the only major issue or “ism”, if you can call it that, that I have dealt with in my teaching career. 

Other “isms” that I can possibly foresee myself having to deal with are sexism, racism,  and ageism. For ageism, I am considered still a young teacher and some see that as a disadvantage. They can possibly think that I might not have enough knowledge or not know how to handle their child. There could be a bunch of different reasons why people think that being young is a disadvantage. However, there are also people out there who think a new young fresh mind is an advantage. For sexism, being a female can come across as a disadvantage to some people. Some might think that I maybe I can’t teach a certain subject because men do a better job at it. Or, that females can’t be physical education teachers because, that is seen as a mans job. Who knows what kind of stereotypes and prejudice people think of. For racism, being white, blond, and female, so people might have prejudice against me, just because of that. 

As I said I have never dealt with any of these ‘isms’, but if I did, I know that I would be greatly upset by it. This would cause me not to want to talk to the families who have an issue with me, or possibly I could get very defensive and fired up and deal with it in a bad way also. Depending on how severe the situation was. I could see it going either way. As I mentioned above I would second guess every decision I made regarding the child as well. Would parents think that I am being racist, or sexist because I chose to do something this way. It would be a very stressful time and I know that it would affect my work and my life. As it would affect other children and families that I am working with and not just the family or child that I am having a problem with. I guess you never really know how it will impact you until it happens though. 

I hope I never have to deal with any of these “isms” or others that I have not mentioned, and I hope that families and children that I work with don’t have to deal with it also, and when they come to my classroom, I hope they feel welcomed, loved, and respected. 

Communication observation

For this week’s blog post we were suppose to observe an adults with a child. Well I had the opportunity to do this observation on a two hour bus trip to see the Mayan ruins in Mexico. The adults and child all spoke Spanish so it was hard for me to understand all of what they were saying, but you could tell that the little girl was the center of attention. By watching the nonverbal cues and facial express they were all having a good time on the bus. My Spanish is limited as I have said before but I could hear that someone was counting with her in Spanish and saying her alphabet. This seemed very appropriatebecause she looked to be about 4 years old. This little girl did very well on the bus with everyone and every now and then she would turn around and I would try to visit with her the best I could, her mother would help me out, because she knew English. This little girl was very animated and was making the adults that she was with laugh and smile. You could tell that she was comfortable with them and with me and who she was. “They need to feel respected, and they need to fee grounded in themselves and accepted for who they are, and heard” (Laureate Education Inc., 2011). I think that the adults that were communicating with the child, did a nice job of making her feel confident and her self-worth was amazing. She knows who she is and is not afraid to show it, even at a young age. The adults knew who to communicate with her, and encourage her, by what she was doing. “ Children communicate, really, all different ways and use their bodies so much that if you’re sensitive, you can really pick up about cues about how to communicate” (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).

I feel that I communicate with children on the same level as the observation I made. Observation of young children is the key to see how to communicate with them. That is a big part of my job. I want to get to know my students so I observe them with other kids and with their family. Making the child feel safe and loved is another part. That is what the adults and mom did for that little girl and that is what I try to do in my classroom. 

Resources: 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Communicating with young children.Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

         For this post we are suppose to write about how we would set up our own Family Child Care Home. Over all like Bj Richards said, “ Children must feel safe, loved, and nurtured, to develop the basic trust they need for healthy development” (Derman-Sparks &Edwards, 2010, pg. 52). To start off, my home is warm and caring and provides a place where children can be loved, feel safe, grow, play and communicate with others. When you come in my entry way is where I would have the check in/check out area. This is where they would sign in and tell us our their child’s night was. Also according to Adriana Castillo (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.). this is a great place to let the parent and child to say good bye as the prepare to separate. This is place is cozy and makes every family feel welcomed. 

Everywhere there will be pictures and books that represent the children and families in my Family Child Care Home, and children and families not represented. “...children also need materials that honor diversity both within and beyond their own identity groups” (Derman-Sparks &Edwards, 2010, pg. 43). However, as we continue through the house we will come to the living room where I would hold circle time and story time. I have seen this in my friend’s house when we were growing up, because her mom had a Child Care Home. There were lots of comfy chairs and pillows for story time. and then there was a big colorful rug that she had and used for circle time. 

Moving on in the house I have another room that is for rest time or if a student needs some quite time. This room has soft music playing and lots of comfy pillows, blankets and mats for children to lay on. I feel that children need a space where they can relax and calm down if they are having a rough day. Adriana Castillo from the video,  (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.) also had a room like this. 

As I envision my Child Care Home, I want a place where families feel welcomed and respected. I want it to be a second home for them, so they can come a share stories and activities with the kids. “Relationships and interactions with children and families, the visual and material environment, and the daily curriculum all come together to create the anti-bias curriculum learning community.” (Derman-Sparks &Edwards, 2010, pg. 51). As I have learned this is going to take some time, and I am going to try things and they are not going to work well, and I am not going to have all the materials right away but, to take small steps. Eventually it will all work out.

Resources: 

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).

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011a). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.