What I Have Learned

My hope that I have for children and families that come from a diverse background, is to create several learning environments to where they feel as though they are at the utmost importance no matter what their circumstance. I want to give everyone that I come across the motivation to be a better person in all aspects of live.

I would like to set a goal for the early childhood field to put aside each and every bias the professionals may come across and be better people, and educators for children and families to look up to. We as professionals set the standard for expectations and how can we expect others to succeed if we ourselves are not successful.

I want to say thank you to all of my colleagues here at Walden and at my Elementary. Being that I am so young in this profession, I truly can say I am learning a lot day by day. I wouldn’t change anything about my experiences. Thank you all for helping me grow into a more aware professional. This journey will soon come to an end for me, yet the everyday experiences will remain near and dear to me. Again thank you.

Creative Art

All the social issues children come across. As professionals we must learn to look past our biases and create learning environments that will help support their not so normal lives.

We must become the professionals that will encourage healthy families that may all look different as well as classrooms that will look different as well. Most importantly always remember early childhood education is the foundation to a child’s healthy beginning.

We Don't Say Those Words in Class

I am the youngest of 3 children and over the past years I have spent a lot of time with my nieces and nephews. I remember one day as we were at the mall hanging out, we were in the food court when a older woman was feeding what looked to be her son, but he was in his 20s or so. He had some type of mental retardation. My 7 year old nephew who is more of the curious type, asked me out loud as we were walking by the mother and son what was wrong with him and why was she feeding him. As I pulled him by his arm quickly and continued to move, I told him I would explain it to him at a different time.

The lesson I hoped to teach him at that moment is to recognize different things happening, but not speak about it to their face and be rude. When we talked about the situation later, he had a lot of questions. I answered them all as best as possible, and then I asked him about different things he has been noticing. As we talked about it all, I started informing him about why it is polite not to stare, point or talk about others that may be different.

As an anti-bias educator, I would explain it to my class the same. I would give them the opportunity to express and ask about previous encounters with differences they have seen. Then after I answer all of their questions as best as possible, I would then begin to explain why it is best and most polite not to point, and stare at those with differences.