One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I am patient and do my own research to have a better understanding of their diverse backgrounds such as studying their surface and deep cultures.
"The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: They are unique manifestations of the human spirit."
-(Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)
"The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: They are unique manifestations of the human spirit."
-(Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)
One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to have more training and professional development opportunities available to support their staff with communicating, working, and building relationships with colleagues, children, and families. We work in an environment that is so diverse and it is essential that we have the resources available to effectively communicate and build a positive rapport with others to support children and their families be successful!
Thank you to my colleagues for learning and growing with me over the last 8 weeks. It has been a challenging and fulfilling journey. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences regarding culture and diversity. I hope together we can create a positive change in society. Good luck to you!
~Jamie
Reference:
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).
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate your insightful posts as well as discussions about culture and diversity. There are many early childhood educators who will benefit from a professional development on building connections with colleagues, children, and families. I believe ongoing training will improve the overall moral of the school. As an extension, perhaps parents could receive insight on how to successfully build a relationship with educators as well. Best wishes to you in your future courses.
Hello Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI do agree, it is time for progress in all diversity for marginalized groups.” If we can make our own classroom instruction and content inclusive and also help prospective and practicing teachers do the same, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive social order. Teaching toward a more inclusive social order or teaching for humanity means working toward reducing our peculiar ethnocentrism so that we can appreciate humanity in its many dimensions” (Boutte, 2008).
Reference
Boutte, G. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. Social Studies, 99(4), 165-173.
I wish you all the best with your continued success!
ReplyDeleteJamie,
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Thank you for sharing this week. I enjoyed the quotes that you used. I hope that more resources become available for us in the near future. Thank you for the discussions and posts the past eight weeks. I wish you the best for the future!
-Heather