Passion

My passion is to make all children's learning experience a positive one.  I want to make all the kids I come encounter with to feel safe and accepted.  When parents drop their child off in my care, I want them to be able to go off and feel confident and assured that their child is in a nurturing environement.

I feel that with my own experience of teasing and bullying, that I have followed the correct career path.  It is my goal to prevent the ridicule and humiliation that can sometimes go along with being different.  I can help even one student feel confident about him/her self, than I am happy with that. 

This course has helped me to realize and put in perspective why I chose diversity education.  I feel more confident in my abilities to accomplish my goals and dreams.
Along this path, I have read many blogs by my fellow colleagues, and it has been a pleasure to take this course with all of you.  I wish everyone the best of luck in your future endeavors and maybe someday our paths will cross again.

Sexualization for Early Childhood

This weeks article did not surprise me much.  Unfortuantely, I have seen so many children wearing provocative cloathes.  With the role models children have to pick from it is not surprising that we are seeing this at such young ages.  Just recently, I had a fifth grade girl that was standing in bus line and singing lyrics from a song that I was not famliar with.  I asked her what the words meant, and she said she's not sure she just likes saying the lyrics.  Unforunately, this happens so many times.  Kids  repeat what they hear without fully understanding what it is.  
If the music industry isn't bad enough, we have the reality tv shows!  I despise the show with the little girls all made up in makeup and dancing provocatively...I don't know the name but it's something Tiaras.  This show is degrading to these beautiful little girls, I think it is more the mothers living  a fantasy through their child...sick! What is more despicable, is that these little girls think that they are so much better and prettier than other girls...now we are raising and promoting bullies!  Just last year I had a first grade student that after lunch would come in the classroom and stick her fingers down her throat to make herself sick!  When confronted about it she said she was fat and needed to get thin...the girl was perfect weight for her height.  As a society we have put way to much emphasis on appearance and image.  People have now developed a model for Barbie - because according to men she has the perfect figure, but realistically it's not possible, but our young children don't understand that. 
As educators, we need to help our students build and maintain a healthy image of themselves.  I truly believe that it is never to young to promote positive self esteem in any child. 

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

 

Growing up I experienced ableism.   My family is from the south and although I was born and raised in Michigan, I have a southern accent.  Many people make comments and tease me about the way I say certain things.  Sometimes this bothers me and other times I just ignore them.  Growing up I had severe speech impediments, classmates would say and make fun of me and say I was dumb because I couldn’t talk properly.  As a result, I now find as a teacher that I am very partial to students who receive speech services.  I can understand their fears and the shame they feel.  When dealing with any type of “ism” you feel isolated.  I remember I would feel angry towards those that would tease and mimic me.  I hated going to school and always had severe stomachaches because of the stress. 

I think that this experience has been beneficial to me though in that I can relate to families with speech impaired children.  I can discuss with them that the support they give the child and the necessary services are all important for helping the child become successful.  I am also finding that I need to be careful with my bias of children who tease other students.  I have found that I am more strict with them and have little tolerance for the behavior.  I think this also leads me to be unfriendly to the parents when discussing the issues. 

Observing Communication

For this blog assignment, I chose to observe our new kindergarten teacher.  She had taken her class to the restrooms for a quick bathroom break. She had some boys that were not following the procedures for the hallway.  I observed her getting down at their level, asking them to tell her what it was they were suppose to be doing, and explaning to them why it is important to follow procedures.  During this time, she maintained a very calm and pleasant voice, she also was very direct with her responses.   I think this helped the children understand why it was important to do the right thing.  Because she was using a calm voice, the boys did not act fearful of her. 
When I use to work in daycare and kindergarten, I would also get at the child's level.  I think it is important to make eye contact with them when you are talking.  Sometimes though, I would get a little louder than I should and I think that this may have scared some kids. When dealing with young children, we need to make sure we explain why we don't want them to do something instead of just telling them not to do it. I liked how she held the kids accountable by asking them what they were suppose to be doing instead of just telling them.
I think for the most part I am a good communicator with young children.  One area I would like to strengthen on is rushing.  Since there is so much that has to be taught in a day's time, I rush kids to tell me things or I may just give quick, short blurts as answeres.  I need to slow sown and really show the kids that I am interested in what they have to say.

My Childcare Center

If I were to open my open family childcare center I would make it very inviting and warm to all families.  In the video, I liked how Adriana had a whiteboard upon entrance that said good morning in English and Spanish.  This sent a message right away that she is aware of the languages her families speak.  I think that this is very important.  Along side of this I would also include a newsletter that was written  in the different languages of my families.  I am fortunate enough to know students in high school and colleagues that are fluent in various languages.  I also would utilize a website that I have heard about that takes English and translates it into other languages.  This would allow all my families to feel connected to the center and to be up to date on current and future happenings.

 

In my center, I would have bright, warm colors that were soothing and inviting.  Everything would be at child's level, just like Adriana had things low for the kids to reach.  The walls would have portraits made by the kids as well as portraits depicting diverse cultures.  I think it would be fun to have a mural somewhere at the center with different cultures and languages.  I am a person that loves music, therefore I would be softly playing various types of music in the background. 

 

Children would have different centers to explore.  In the  dramatic play area, there would be numerous items for dress up clothes, ethnic foods for pretend cooking/eating, babies of various races. 

In the library, I would include books that had main characters of different races and genders.  I was recently thrilled to find a Red Riding Hood book for my class in which the main character was an African American girl.  The kids were very surprised to see it.  I also encountered a Three Little Pigs book that portrays the pigs as 2 boys and 1 girl…can you guess which one built their house of bricks?  I love picture books because young children can read the pictures and make their own stories.  This is a great way to have conversation with them about what they are thinking.

 

To help children feel safe, I would have a room set aside for those not feeling well.  This would allow them to rest comfortably until a parent could come and take them home.  This room would have stuff animals for the child to cuddle with on cots. 

 

Parent involvement would be encouraged.  I understand that parents are working, but I would try to encourage them to come in for a short time to help in the center.  Even if a parent could only spare 30 minutes, that is enough time to sit and read a book to a group of children.  Parent involvement is crucial to build a positive relationship between daycare and home.

 

Upon check-in, I would have notebooks available.  These would be used by parents to ask questions or make comments.  I know from my previous experience that as a director, you are not always available to talk to parents when they arrive.  This allows them to leave me a brief message so that I can ensure I make time available to meet with them or contact them throughout the day.  Open communication is very important and I find this to be a valuable tool. 

 

Time Well Spent

Three Learning Topics

During this journey at Walden, I have learned many things.  The most beneficial learning that occurred for me is that I now have the confidence to help children and families.  Prior to this program, I had very little knowledge and experience with understanding diversity and differences.  Now that the school year is starting up, I am incorporating things that I have learned in my room setup.

Secondly, I feel more confident in my ability to become an advocate for children.  This program has taught me that there are many ways that I can become involved.  Being on the timid side, I will look for ways that are suitable for me and still be able to make a contribution to help kids and their families.

Lastly, working on the final project has helped me in understanding ways make a stand on challenges that are facing many families.  The research has taught me the importance of team building to incorporate individuals that can help with my cause and make changes to benefit others.

Long Term Goal

My long term goal is to put my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood to use.  I plan on opening my own childcare/preschool program.  It is my intent, to provide quality education to all, and to provide assistance to families that struggle to afford childcare and preschool. 

Final Farewell

I can’t believe that our time together has come to an end.  It has been an honor and privilege to work and learn from each and every one of you.  It has also been a wonderful experience to have great instructors throughout the entire program.  I feel that each of you is part of an extended family because I have gotten to know each of you personally.  I wish all of you the best of luck with your goals and dreams.  I hope that our paths will cross again in another journey.

ECE Community: Internationally

 This week I took a look at three international organizations that help fight world hunger. 

The first organization is UNICEF.    This organization was founded in 1946 by the United Nations.  This organization believes that the early years of a childs life are the most important in building a secure foundation.  UNICEF offers many programs that help children including immunizations, education and child protection.  Their mission statement is "to advocate for the protection of childrens rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand thier opportunities to reach their fullest potential" (UNICEF).  I chose this organization, because they do so much to help children around the world to get what they require for a healthy life.

Jobs:  They currently have many postings available.  The position I was most interested in was Consultancy-Proofreading Immunization Summary.  This person is to proofread and do quality control on the new edition of Immunization Summary which is to be published this year.  This positon is a temporary position. 

Qualifications include proficiency in English, attention to detail, able to analyze materials and information, and be able to work in a multicultural environment.

The next organization I chose was the World Food Programme (WFP).  This organization was established in 1961.   They are the world's largest humanitarian organizatiin fighting hunger.  Thier vision is a "world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life" (WFP).  I chose this group because  they are very devoted to ending world hunger.  I found on their site a link for teachers.  In here I found many lessons I can use in class to help students learn about hunger around the world and how we can help.  These lessons were intended for grades 4 and up but with some modifications I think students in grade 2 could benefit also.

Jobs:  on their website they have various categories to choose from.  These include professionals, short term, locals and internships.  When I clicked on short term there were currently no positions available.  The other links prompted me to complete an online application before viewing any available jobs.

The final organization I chose was the Action Against Hunger/ACF International organization.   This is a global humanitarian organization that is committed to ending world hunger.  They currently operate in 40 countries and benefit the lives of approximately 5 million people annually.  One of the reasons why I chose this group is that not only do they help families with food and water, but they also teach communities solutions to hunger. I think this is important for the people to learn.  Not only does this organization help provide the necessities but they also show people how they can be helping themselves and giving them the skills to provide for their families and community.

Just like WFP, this site has a link for the student center.  Here I found information for teachers to share with students and activities that can be done in the class and the community to bring about hunger awareness.

Jobs:  This site has many offerings including internships.  The most appealing position to me was for Food Security and Livlihoods Program Manager.  This person basically reports interventions to help end hunger.  They would work closely with the coordinator in developing a team to run the facility.  The manager would be in charge of monitoring, evaluating and reporting monthly on such things as donors, staff and budget summaries. 

In order to be successful with this position, the individaul would need the followung skills:  self sufficient and motivated, able to work with a diverse group of people, good people skills, organized and able to supervise others.  This position would be stressful, so the person should be able to cope with stress appropriately and willing to work long hours.

Resources

Action Against Hunger/ACF International.  Retrieved at :  www.actionagainsthunger.org

UNICEF.  Retrieved at: www.unicef.org

World Food Programme.  Retrieved at:   www.wfp.org

ECE Community: Natinal/Federal Level

This week I had to find 3 national organizations that appealed to me in regards to homelessness.  The following three organizations are ranked in order from my top preference to the least.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.   The mission of this organization is to be the voice for the education of homeless children.  They unite educators, researchers, parents, advocates and service providers.    This uniting helps ensure that homeless children are enrolled and attend school.  It also ensures success of their educational outcome.

I like this organization because it really focuses on what is best for the child, and gives them the voice that is needed.  Children have rights and unfortunately, they are not strong enough to fight for them.  This organization does that for them.

The current position available is for a board member.  The position requires that the candidate be committed to working on behalf of homeless children and youths.  This position requires flexibility and willingness to attend conferences. 

www.naehyc.org

The next organization is National Center on Family Homelessness.   This organization conducts studies and writes reports that provide local and national leaders with valuable information to help them create effective policies on homelessness.    This organization appealed to me because we have a group of individuals who conduct the studies and give legislators accurate, up to date facts that will help our children. 

A current position they have is for an Administrative Assistant for Contracts and Grant Management.   This person needs excellent computer skills, able to meet deadlines, highly organized and self-motivated.   Knowledge of grants would be helpful.

www.familyhomelessness.org

The third organization is the National Coalition for the Homeless.    Their mission is “prevent and end homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights protected.”  

This appealed to me because in order to help children that are homeless, we need to look out for the whole family also.  This organization helps families with making sure they are provided with all services that they are entitled to.  Many people who are homeless, are taken advantage of, and with this group, their rights are protected.

There were no positions listed for this group, but on the website it offers many ways that you can help.  These include job training sessions, working at local shelters and tutoring children.

www.nationalhomeless.org

State and Local Agencies

For this blog I looked up different agencies in the state of Michigan. I found three agencies that were of interest to me.

The first agency is the MiAEYC ( Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children).  This organization is committed to improving the education and welfare of children from birth thriugh age eight. This woild be my second favorite organization to work for.  I think they do a wonderful job with training and implementing professional developoment for staff in the early childhood field.

The job posting that interested me was Early learning communities hub trainer.  This person woild delover training and support services.  The goal is to work witrh United Way in SE in Michigan in implementing early Learning Communities.

The skills for this job would include strong communication to explain services and materials.  Knowledge about early childhood education would be necessary also. 


The second organization I found was Michigan Federation for Children and Families.  Their vision statement is to assure that the most vulnerable children and families have access to quality services supported by private and public funding.

Job that was interesting to me but not qualified for was that of a care manager.  This position needs a bachelors of Human Services.  The job entailed working with a clinician and taking down information to help individuals be part of the community.    This person need to have good written and verbal skills.  Should be peoole oriented and willing to work as part of a team.


The final organization I found was Michigan Headstart.  This organization provides quality instruction and education to prepare children for school.  The program is also appropriate for the developmental , ethnic and cultural heritage of the families.  Of the three I have listd, this is my favorite.  I feel that this organization does a superb job in helping children and families with appropriate services.It would also require that the individual be knowledgeable about the local services that are available to families and the qualifications to meet thoise needs. Collaboration amongst other agencies would be necessary as well as team oriented.  Individual would need to be highly organized.

What I Learned

A hope that I have for children and families from diverse backgrounds is that I can make them feel comfortable, valued and accepted in the classroom.  I hope that people I encounter and talk with can learn to put differences aside and get to know a person for who they are and not what they wear, or hiw they dress. 

A goal that I have for the ECF in regards to diversity, is to help new educators become comfortable discussing differences with children.  I feel that at the beginning, new teachers are not taught enough about diversity.  I would like to see more workshops and opprtunities for professional growth in this area.

I have enjoyed this course with all my fellow classmates.  As in the past, I feel that I have grown so much professionaly and personally through all the great discussions and sharings offered.  I look forward to having you in future courses.   God Bless you all!

Alisa Smith

DIVERSITY IS A GOOD THING

As I read this poem, it really made me think of everything we have learned in this course!  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Diversity is a Good Thing

Where would we be without diversity
Something that includes not only them, but both you and me
We wouldn’t have variety, or change or ethnic differences
We wouldn’t be able to enjoy each other’s accomplishments
Importance would be diminished of what each person has to say
We wouldn’t be able to flourish in an environment like the USA
Without all of the different people we encounter where would we be
We certainly wouldn’t enjoy celebrating events like Hispanic Heritage or Black History
No matter where you are, diversity is in your face
It’s in our neighborhoods, our churches and in the marketplace
We need to have awareness of others all around us
Something we must all learn and practice is others’ acceptance
What if you couldn’t share your ideas, your thoughts or your dreams
You would slowly die inside, feeling your life lacks any meaning
Without diversity, there would not have been people like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead the way
Nor would we have a Black man, Barak Obama or a woman, Hillary Rodham-Clinton, campaigning in a presidential election today
We can’t just talk about diversity, but it must be in our thinking and in our actions
No one group of people can get in their mind that they are the main attraction
It is a wonderful thing to live where there is such diversity
It’s part of why this nation, America, is called the home of the brave and the land of the free
Diversity is a good thing!

Deidre Blair

We Don't Say Those Words In Class!

An incident I remember about a child making a comment about another individual was my second year of teaching.  I had a very mixed group of children, and there was one boy who was from a bi-racial family.  One day his mom came to volunteer in the classroom and the child ran up to give her a kiss.  A little girl shouts out "you can't kiss her.. your black and she's white!"  My mouth about hit the floor and before I could say anything ( I was fumbling for words), the mother said to the child, that it was okay that she was his mommy and that his family is made up of African American and Whites.  The girl was confused but she let it go.

I think the message that this sent was that the little girl had never seen a mixed family before and she was surprised by it.  With the mother's reaction in a calm voice, the girl felt as though her curiosity had been acknowledged and she got an answer that she kind of understood.

I talked to the girls parents later that night and explained what happened in case she had further questions, they may be able to discuss it further with her.  I think this would be a great opportunity for an educator to introduce a lesson on family makeup and how families can be different.

Gender, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

In responding to a parent that was opposed or concerned about books depicting gays/lesbians I would first start with acknowledging their concerns.  I would then continue to discuss with them that as educators we teach about diversified cultures and that it is important for children to understand not all families are the same.  By teaching at a young age, we are hopefully minimizing stereotyping later in life.  I would assure the parents that these books are to introduce the concept of different family structures.  The parents would need to understand that the books are age appropriate and that we are not preferring one style over the other.   I think if parents had the opportunity to look at, read and ask questions about the books that we would be able to soothe their concerns.

I have worked in daycares and schools that have had caregivers/teachers that are homosexuals.  Some parents have had concerns over this.  In response to their concerns, I would assure them that their child is in safe hands.  In any type of childcare facility, individuals must have thorough background checks.  This would eliminate any fear of these individuals having any type of felons or misdemeanors against them.  I would also stress that even though a person may be a homosexual, their main priority is for the education, safety and well- being of the children. 

Note of Thanks

This semester has been very challenging for me due to personal battles I am undergoing.  It has been wonderful having classmates and an instructor who have strenghtened me through conversations and postings.  I feel that even though I have had issues, I have learned so much in this course.  Thanks to all for wonderful discussions.  I hope to have you all in the next course.  Good luck and God Bless!

Week 6: Team Building and Collaboration

The hardest group I ever had to leave was one of my previous jobs.  When I started my student teaching experience I had to give up my position as a Daycare Director.  I worked with a group of 8 women and we all had become great friends - it was a family.  The respect that we had for each other is one that I have yet to find again.

On my last day, we made it a point to all go out for dinner after work.  Little did I know that they had gifts for me also for teaching.  This was an opportunity for us to talk about the funny things that happened during my time there and and to talk about the tryng times also. 

I think the adjourning process is necessary for a sense of closure.  I still keep in touch with most of these women.  We get together and talk about what has happened in our lives and things that we are looking forward to.  Even the people that made my job difficult I still have contact with, and the adjourning just reminds us that rude remarks and harsh words are just part of the job and that we need to carry on.

Week 5: Conflict Resolution

Recently I had a  conflict with a colleague...actually it was the principal.  Her and I did not see eye to eye on the issue at hand.  When we met one on one, we were very respectful to each other and things were going good.  When the assistant principal joined in, then it was a different story.  She was quick to lay blame and was not open to my side of the problem.

I think the best coommunciation technique that would have worked hear was the 3 R's.  The principal and I was doing a great job with this; however, the assistant was not willing to be respectful or reciprocal.  I therefore, listened to what she had to say but turned my responses to the principal.  This allowed me to address questions and concerns of one person.  Since the principal was willing to listen to my points, we were able to respond to each other's requests and to solve the problem calmly and rationally.
For this conflict we were able to communicate verbally to each other and also our nonverbal skills played a role.  The principal and I were both sitting next to each with our hands in our laps, making eye contact with each other.  We listened to each other until that person was finished before we spoke (no interrupting each other).  The assistant principal had different nonverbal skills that made it more tense.  As I talked she recorded everything onto her IPOD.  When she spoke she would point her finger and shake her head.  This just made me want to go on the defensive with her. 
Since I had to deal with two completely different types of communicators, this was an interesting learning experience for me.  I was able to evaluate both pros and cons of effective communication.  It also helped me to become more aware of how my body language makes others feel.

Communicating Week 4

This week I evaluated myself as a communicator and also had my mom and friend evaluate me.  My mom scored me almost exactly as I scored myself in the anxiety section.  I hate public speaking and speaking in small groups.  I feel that I do a terrible job at it and leave an awful impression.  It surprised me to see my mom thinking I leave a positive impression.  Our biggest discrepancy was in the aggressive session.  I have a temper and my mom knows it, but she has not seen it in full swing!  I tend to be more aggressive with people I have known for a long time and not newly met people.

My friend was very much on target with me.  She has been my best friend for about 30 years!  She knows me better than I know myself.  Like my mom she thinks I do well with public speaking, even though my voice is cracking and my body is shaking!

This assignment was very  insightful.  Where I think I lack confidence others see as positive outcomes.  I'm hoping knowing this will help me become more comfortable when I need to speak in public, but this is still something I will never volunteer to do!

Communicating with different groups

I find that I do communicate differently with people of other groups or cultures.  I notice that I tend to be different towards people with a higher status than I.  This is evident in my workplace.  I can have a normal, talk about anything conversation with my colleagues.  When I have to discuss things with the principals, or have meetings with them,I am very uncomfortable and I tend to pay more attention to my body language and grammar.  Sometimes I feel that this hinders me in that I am not showing them my knowledge and confidence because I feel intimidated.

Three strategies that I try to use when communicating with higher status individuals are:
1)  To overlook who they are and talk to them as normal people. 
2)  I need to respect their position but also be open and honest about my views and to communicate that in a respectful manner.
3)  Be open to their ideas, suggestions and/or criticisms. 

Nonverbal Communication

For this assignment, I chose to view the show Hot in Cleveland.  I have never seen this show before but heard of it.  For the first part of the lesson, I watched it with no sound.  It started off with one of the characters on the phone and two other females sitting at the table.   The person on the phone was obviously very upset about something.  This was obvious to me because she had her free hand waving in the air and her facial expression was very apparent.  Betty White was then shown talking to another girl that had come down stairs dressed in a robe.  It appeared that Betty White, who plays Elka, made a sarcastic remark to Joy.  I noticed that Elka moved in closer to Joy when she spoke to her and did some pointing with her fingers.  The other characters faces showed a stunned look which led me to believe that a sarcastic or rude remark had been made.

When I watched the show again with the sound on, I found my assumptions to be correct.  Melanie was on the phone with the drycleaner.  She was upset because the drycleaner lost her favorite dress.  After Melanie hung up the phone, you could hear Joy upstairs getting ready to come down.  Melanie and Victoria said to be nice to Joy because it was the anniversary of Joy being left at the altar.  When Joy sat down next to Elka, she had a dried bouquet of flowers, and Elka made the comment “what are you doing with that old dried up thing?”  Joy said they were her flowers and Elka commented that she was talking to the flowers.   

Even though I am not familiar with this program, I found it easy to figure out what was happening with the body language.  I learned from this assignment that facial expressions really tell us what a person is thinking or feeling.

Competent Communicator

The person I chose to write about is my RVP at my second job.  He is a fabulous communicator.  The following traits make him great:
1)  He is personable.
2)  He is passionate about his career.
3)  He brings in life experience and shares it with the other agents and clients.
4)  He brings humor to the conversation.
5)  He listens.
6)  He is very knowledgeable about the job and can ask/answer questions with confidence.

I am still new in this business, but I look forward to our weekly meetings, just to get pumped up by his enthusiasm.  He is so willing to help people out and to take them under his wing to give the support necessary.  I definitely want to become a great communicator like him.  I am developing the enthusiasm about the company, and in time I will  have the  confidence and knowledge to be more comfortable talking with clients.