Professional Hopes and Goals

• One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds (any format and any length)

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I will be able to accommodate their expectations and hopes without disappointing them. I know that I would be the able to work with them hand in hand to make the children’s education as well the prosperity of the family with respect and understanding of our cultural differences.

• One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice (any format and any length)

“ISMS” free world for the next generation is my optimistic goal for the early childhood field. The more I learn on the subject of ISMS the more I feel disturbed by the issues that individuals as well as groups of people have to face due to the discriminations based on ISMS. I hope, by the time current children (who are in the early childhood arena) become grown ups there would not be any more of the ISMS issues in the world. The discussion going on in the classroom would not be enough but at least it would be a great start for the children to understand the importance of tolerance. Respecting the individuals for who they uniquely are than paying attention to the differences, would create a much more peaceful environment for all human beings.

• A brief note of thanks to your colleagues

Dear Colleagues,

Struggling the daily life

Fighting the clock for time

We have made it to another milestone of our journey  

We learnt a lot

We changed ourselves for the better

We understand the diversity and tolerance greater

We are passing another milestone

Respect, kindness and understanding

Tolerance, care and knowledge sharing

We worked hard together as a team

We are ready to conquer another mountain peak

I thank you for your kindness, respect and understanding

I thank you sharing of wealth acquaintance

I hope to meet everyone at the next course

I wish everyone best of everything.

Let us all be able to make a difference in the world!!!

Welcoming Families From Around the World 

• The name of “your” family’s country of origin  

                My family’s country of origin is Somalia.

 

• At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family 

                      I will do my own research and learn about the country, culture, and beliefs.

• I will meet with community members who are originally from North East African region if I could not meet a family or more from Somalia
• I will ask questions from the family with much respect and care.
•  I will make sure that the family is welcomed at the program and feel comfortable to be in the program.
• I will incorporate costumes, dolls, pictures, food in to the classroom dramatic play area.
• There will be picture books on the culture, foods as well traditions for children to enjoy.
•  I will try my best to send written communications in their language of preference

• A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family
• I would be a much more confident person to meet the needs of the child as well as the family.
• When I am feeling comfortable, the family is going to be feeling confident to leave the child in the classroom.
• When they see that their culture is included in the environment of the classroom they are going to know that they are welcomed in the program/ classroom.
• When the family receives the communication in the language of preference that helps them to bridge the language barrier.
• If I get to meet the other families of Somalia in the community that is going to be my go to resource for this family.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression 

• What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression?

I am going to share an experience that I had few years back. In my neighboring classroom there was a child raised by two same sex partners. (I will call the child Trek). They were very loving and caring parents, and wonderful human beings. They were no harm to anybody. My classroom children met the neighboring classroom children during everyday outdoor time. The children play together, makes new friends and talk with each other and somehow during one of these conversations, Trek had mentioned about his parents. Few days later a parent from my classroom questioned me about my classroom playing with Trek’s classroom and said she does not want her child to play with Trek and turn in to someone like his parents because they are going to go to ……and burn in there. That comment was really hard for me to hear. I went in to my teacher mode and explained that it is not proven anywhere that there is any affect on a child because he/she played with a child of same sex partners. Moreover, I explained to her that we are all entitled to our beliefs, but it is not respectful or responsible to throw it out in the meanest manner because our words have the greatest ability to stab, hurt and scar someone for life. She acted uncomfortable around me for a while but I did not show any difference, I kept up with my professionalism. The children kept up with their friendship. Even though the children have moved on to elementary schools and I do not see them anymore, the incident is in my memory because of the bias, prejudice, and oppression this situation contained.

• In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

My personal belief is that everyone has the choice of lifestyle, faith, costumes that they want to practice, especially in the United States of America, where individual freedom is highly appreciated. At the same time, we need to be mindful of other human beings and their feelings. We should not take pride in hurting another living being’s emotions or wellbeing. We have to know that our specific biases, prejudice and/or oppression regarding any situation could diminish equity that matters for everyone.

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

Frustration was huge. I could not believe my ears how strongly she talked about her belief, with all respect it made me feel as she did not care about other people’s views or believes at all. It also saddens me due to the fact that how insensitive we are as human beings. It is being shown in the media more often that the individuals are turning in to my way is the only way mentality, and with that comes less tolerance of each other. 

• What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

I believe that we as the human race need to understand the importance of tolerance as well as to be mindful about the examples we are setting for our children who are looking up to us as their heroes. We have the rights, but we should not take them for granted and act ruthless. We have to keep in mind that at the end our goal should not be the use of the words as weapons to hurt someone but to use them to heal someone. To turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity, we all, not just that particular parent, has to improve our knowledge on diversity as well as tolerance of the differences.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

   
One of the microaggressions that I noticed this week at my work environment was a parent making a comment about another co-worker. The parent was very frustrated over her child missing school due to a very late arrival. The parent is a Caucasian person and my co-worker was an African American female. “That black woman at the front did not let me bring her to the classroom because we were 30 minutes late. My alarm did not go off or I did not hear it going off but anyways it was only 30 minutes and she had to miss school because of that woman ”  Even though it is being explained again and again that what time classes begin, and what is the latest arrival time, the parents get mad when it happens to them.

These comments really upset me due to her choice of words, her attitude, and her ignorance. I explained that the Lady in the front is a program manager and she was introduced to the parents at the orientation and her name is …….. Then I took time to use a Parent hand book and reminded those same policies and procedures of the program that we went through at the home visit and parent orientation, one more time.  

According to Dr. Sue (Laureate Education, 2011) microaggression is a verbal behavior towards race, gender, sexual orientation as well as disabilities. When the parent called the program manager as a black woman, for me it is racial and gender microaggression. Even though microaggression could be intentional and unintentional, these comments were clearly intentional.  Her communication of the incident came across as an insult to the program manager. According to Dr. Sue (Laureate Education, 2011), microaggrssions are brief every day: indignities, contains an insulting message, and often causes sever psychological stresses and harm to people. This incident made me disappointed regarding a parent’s behavior and choice of words.

• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people

This incident made me more aware of the power of words, when it comes to intentional insults. At the same time, this incident showed how individuals have the ability to use the words to blame someone else for their own mistake rather than admitting it and taking the steps to not let it happen again. I am glad that my co-worker did not get to hear the insulting words because she does not deserve to be insulted for following the protocol of the program. My best practice is to treat each and every individual, a friend or a stranger, with respect and care. Because, no one deserves to be assumed or accused of something that they are not or they did not do.

Reference:

Laureate Education (2011).  “Microaggressions in Everyday Life”. In this program, Dr. Derald Wing Sue presents a lecture about the concept of microaggression in everyday life.