Professional Hopes and Goals

The one hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from divers backgrounds would be that I am able to help them by providing a support system and resources.  By providing these things I would hope that they feel comfortable with me so that they would come talk to me and know that I am working in their behalf and their child's so that they feel welcome to the program and to the community.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice would be that we educate the early childhood teachers on a regular basis on the every changing culture that is around us.  It is so important that they are aware of the diversity of the children in their classroom and how to address questions with parents so that they are able to work with them so their child will feel included in the classroom.  

I would like to thank my colleagues for their insights into culture and diversity and for sharing their experiences.  I have learned a lot from reading posts and gotten some useful information so that I may have a better understanding of how to become more aware of diversity.

"It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the treads of that tapestry are equal in value no matter their color.”
- Maya Angelou, Author

Welcoming Families From Around the World

When I think of having a new family start in our program that is new to this country I feel that I want to help them and their child transition into to the program with as much ease as possible.  A family who has recently immigrated from India would be culture shock for them to come to the United States.  I know nothing about India so in order to prepare for their arrival I would learn some key words and phrases that may help us communicate and understand each other a little better.  I would do research on the culture and religion of India so that as a staff we keep in mind their cultural beliefs and adjust our holiday celebrations to include the new family or to respect them when they are not able to participate.  This will also help me to think of alternative celebrations or themes for the classroom. I would also research the beliefs that the people of India have about children and early childhood education so that I can have a better understanding of what the parents may expect from me as their child's teacher.  I would also try to find a translator who could be present during our initial meeting to go over any questions about the program they may have and that I may ask questions about their religion, traditions and culture so that I can have a better understanding.  I would also look at my curriculum and environment and adjust it to include information about India and the culture so that the family will feel welcome to come in and share about their family with the classroom.

I hope that these preparations would help me to become more aware of the culture of India so that I can create a welcoming environment for the family and their child and that I would have also prepared the other children and families to welcome them to our program as well.  I would hope that my preparation for the family would help them to feel welcome and see that I am making an effort to get to know them and to understand and respect their culture.  I would hope that they would feel comfortable in communicating with me about the program and about their child's success in school.  I would hope that they would also feel comfortable enough to also come in and volunteer in the classroom of come in and share with the class about their culture.

My main goal would be that they feel included and welcome.  Ultimately this is what is important for the child so that they feel that they are part of the classroom and that their culture is respected.   

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

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When reading about our assignment and thinking of an incident where I have seen bias, prejudice, and/or oppression the movie about Erin Brockovich's experience came to mind.  In specifically dealing with Erin, the people who had to change their beliefs and values in order for there to be equity for her were the people with whom she worked. Being a single mother she had to prove to her new boss at a small law firm that she could do a good job and that she was motivated and eager to learn.  Because she dressed differently and did not have the same education as the other staff in the law firm she had to work harder to prove her abilities were a viable part of the firm.  Also because she is a women she had to prove that she did her research so that others, especially the men, would take her seriously.  Once people saw that she was serious their attitudes changed toward her but some still had reservations.  She had to work twice as hard as a man would have had to do in order to be taken seriously at her job and this is what if feel diminished equity for her.    

When watching the movie the feelings about how she as a women was treated were frustrating because you could see the determination she had to succeed and passion for helping other to have equity.  In most cases some women would have conformed to what society thought about them and would not have pursued the career in the law firm.  The determination that Erin has to prove that she could contribute to the firm and that she could work with the clients in a more personal way was encouraging to see.  She did not give up even though at times she felt like it was to hard to continue the up hill battle.  I feel overwhelmed thinking of having to raise children by myself and also have to work extra hard to prove that I could do a good job at work and that being a women is an asset and that it should not be a strike against me. 

Erin is a consumer advocate who believes in helping others and finding the truth.

Erin Brockovich