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
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
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!
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
Sunday, April 8, 2012
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.
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.
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