Welcoming Families From Around the World

As a child care director I feel it is so important to know the children and families before they start attending your center. In order to properly teach and care for their child there are many aspects of their family life, child behaviors and characteristics that need to be known. Reading the fact that was shared with us that the U.S. population includes families from 150 different countries I would love to include a section in our center newsletter where we highlight a particular country. This way the other families that attend our center can also become aware and knowledgeable of the different countries our country populates. Not just the teachers and staff members in the center should be knowledgeable of the diversity in our school, but the families should also get to know the other family cultures that exist in their child’s daily life. This is an opportunity for everyone to become more culturally aware and diverse.

The family that will be joining our center is from the country of Guyana. In order to familiarize myself with the culture, beliefs, religions, and languages spoken in Guyana I would love to be able to make a home visit to learn the behaviors and characteristics of this particular family. It would be important to learn their religion in order to accommodate their beliefs inside the child’s classroom and if they have any days of observance that they will be absent from school. In order to communicate with the family in their native language I would learn some of the basic words needed to speak to the child and family in certain circumstances, based on how much English they knew. Their native language would also need to be known in case an interpreter needs to be found. It would be important for me to also learn what family members I will be in contact with on a daily basis, whether it is at pick up or drop off time. Learning that family is very important to the Guyanese culture, I know that there will be members of the extended family that I may see every day. The child’s teacher will also need to be aware of the individuals that belong to the child’s family, and the information that can be shared with the family members. Males have more power than the women in Guyana, so I would want to be aware of the roles the parents take on in their child’s life and education and with whom important information needs to be shared with.  Also learning that the children have more responsibility in the family and when old enough do odd jobs around the house, I would like to know what the child is involved in within the family and their strengths and weaknesses. 

All staff members, not just the child’s teacher should be knowledgeable of the families that enter the school and so a notice will be given to all staff members introducing them to the country and culture of Guyana as well as the basic words needed to learn in order to communicate with the family. This way all members become more culturally diverse by learning about all the different countries our school populates. I would make sure that the child’s classroom provides a welcoming atmosphere for the child and family and where the classroom represents their culture in certain aspects (ie. Pictures, words, books etc). I would want the family to know that our center respects their culture and beliefs and feels a sense of comfort when leaving their child in my care. The child should know they will not be judged for being different than other students and that they will be welcomed and cared for. I would also want the family to fill out a welcome packet that includes questions specific to their family and information that needs to be known to properly care for their child. I would want the parents to think about what our center staff should know about their family in order to meet their needs. This information will be shared with all members that will be involved in this child’s education.

All this preparation made will hopefully help myself and my staff to be more aware of this particular family’s needs and characteristics. I want the family to see that we take the education of children very seriously in our center and that we welcome families of all cultures and accept the diversity of others. Coming to the U.S. for the first time and being away from what has been familiar to them can be a shock and cause negative feelings. We want to provide a family atmosphere where there are positive experiences for all involved.  I would want the family to feel comfortable speaking to myself and the staff in regards to any questions and concerns they may have. I want no one to feel left out or in the dark about procedures and the curriculum we possess in the center, so open communication is important.

http://www.ncolonie.com/ESL/Guyana%20Culture.html

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When ageism was brought up during this course I immediately thought about a situation that I came across working at my last child care center. We had a staff member named Grandma Cookie that used to work and float in every classroom we had in the center for a few hours every day. She was a wonderful retired school teacher in her late 70’s that brought a smile to all the children’s faces. Due to safety issues Grandma Cookie was never left in a classroom by herself and always had a teacher working with her. While she was in the classrooms she would tell the children stories, help with projects, read them books, and most of all gave all the children love and care like they deserved. While I was sitting in my office one day I had a parent come in with a concern she’s been meaning to discuss with me. She proceeded to tell me that Grandma Cookie is too old to be working here, that it’s not safe for her or the children due to her age and does not want her working in her daughter’s classroom. She continued by announcing that she is retired and should be home gardening or knitting blankets. I was so taken back by her comments that at first I didn't know what to say. She also told me that she had been speaking to other parent’s and they feel the same way and that they will be speaking to me as well. I addressed this parent by relaying to her all of the wonderful things Grandma Cookie has done for this school as well as every single child that attends the school. I tried to speak about her age in regards to the fact that she is always working with another teacher and for her safety as well as all others she is not left alone with the children.  I pretty much tried to explain to her that she enjoys her time here and chooses to continue to work with children as she had done for many years prior. She has many years of experience and the teachers love to hear how teaching was for her when she first started and the challenges that she had to face. After spending quite some time trying to get this parent to realize the joy Grandma Cookie brings to the school and the children she works with on a daily basis, she still was adamant in believing she belongs at home and not working anymore.

The question that I had in the back of my mind during this conversation was….Are you saying that all adults who are retired and in their 70’s and 80’s can’t work a part time job and still be involved in the workforce? If there are individuals that believe they cannot work nor shouldn't they quite possibly could be taking away a person’s happiness and drive to get through the day. What I didn't share with the parent because I didn't feel that she needed to know all about Grandma Cookie’s personal life is that she is all alone. Her husband had passed away a few years before and unfortunately she does not have a relationship with her one son anymore, so this was her enjoyment she had in life, working with the children is what kept her going. Why should I take that away from her? Individuals need to realize that older adults still have lives and just like Grandma Cookie she strives on helping others and knowing she can give those children the love they need. There are so many stereotypes against older adults and if we continue to have the view that they are frail and old and should be confined to a house all day, we are depriving adults the chance to be happy. Who are we to decide how senior citizens choose to live the last few years here on earth they have?

This parent and the others that complained about Grandma Cookie are not treating her as an equal. Just because she is older this parent thought she knew what was best for Grandma Cookie and didn't agree with how she chose to live her life. Yes, there may be older individuals that need to be confined to a house because of health issues but there are many more that are independent and choose to be involved in the workforce until their health does get in the way. I do want to mention I did have parents praise me for having employed Grandma Cookie and loved that she is involved in their child’s days at the center. Sometimes it’s Grandma Cookie that is the topic of conversation at many dinner tables, according to a few parents.

Awareness of Microaggressions

I observed a racial micro-aggression that involved a micro-insult this week while I was observing an accident that had just occurred outside my house. After I heard the accident I had went outside to see what had happened and to make sure everyone was alright. After a few moments some other people had come down the block and outside of the surrounding homes to see what had happened as well. Well as I was standing there with a few other acquaintances from the block an older man (a Caucasian man) came up next to us and said… “It doesn't surprise me it was an Indian that caused the accident, they can’t drive”. I looked next to me at my friend with a stunned look on my face; I couldn't believe he had just said that. He had just implied that all Indian people can’t drive because in this particular crash an Indian person did cause the accident. He had just made the assumption, he didn't even know if it could have been a malfunction to his car that caused the crash. Why was he making this assumption? How did he come to this conclusion? Does he just have something against Indian people? If so, why? These were the questions that were running through my head. I probably would have asked him if he hadn't walked away by the time I had turned around from looking at my friend.

This situation really made me wonder where people get these stereotypes they blurt out. How did all these assumptions and stereotypes of other people of different cultures, meaning different from the dominant culture, come about? It just makes me mad to hear people talk of others in a negative way when they don’t know the person at all. How can they make these sorts of judgments when they don’t even know these individuals on any sort of level? As you can see I have many questions and get upset when I hear individuals make negative remarks against others. I am not racists nor do I judge others for being different than myself. I often wonder how others come to believe these negative assumptions of others. If others choose to believe these stereotypes and see others as below them then we will never end this cycle of micro-aggressions and biases of others. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

With everything that I have learned so far in this course about culture and diversity, I was very curious to hear what others would have to say about these topics. Honestly, before I took this course this is something that would take me a minute to talk about so I could gather my thoughts. I think culture and diversity is something we come in contact with on a daily basis but not topics we tend to talk about all the time. Or maybe I should say they are topics that hit us in the face but not something we think deeply about. Each one of the people I contacted was different in their age, religion, and ethnicity. One of my friends I had to email and when I received her response I really enjoyed reading it and how she viewed culture and diversity. I wanted to share the email and her response to everyone. Here it is:

“When I think of "culture" I visualize different races, their customs and beliefs.  My family is of Italian descent and examples of our culture are large Sunday family dinners consisting of macaroni and gravy, loud conversations that may appear to others as arguing, and a lot of affection and love.  I live in a neighborhood which is primarily occupied by those of Indian descent.  I enjoy observing their culture.  I see women who are attentive mothers and wives. Women who seem to be more passive than American women and men who work hard to provide for their families. Their dress, their cooking, religion and their language are all part of their culture. “

“Diversity is the differences in our cultures.  Diversity, in the recent years, has become a word synonymous with "tolerance for differences in people."  I am a strong proponent of loving people for who they are, and not judging on cultural differences.  I believe that you can learn from, teach and love people from all walks of life.”

I love the example she gave of her loud conversations with her family and how it could be seen by others as arguing. Without knowing her family and her culture it is impossible to know that is normal conversation to them and nothing is wrong. This is why I feel it is so important to take the time to get to know others that are different, inquire about their culture and ask questions. We will never know anything unless questions are asked. Someone could go their whole life thinking this family hated one another because they assumed what they heard was arguing.

The other two people involved in this assignment gave an answer about culture and diversity that were very similar. They defined culture as the traditions people hold, how they celebrate holidays and which ones they do, where they come from, meaning race and ethnicity and the language they speak. They spoke about diversity as the differences between people and how we come together and accept everyone. I received the old saying “we all put our pants on one leg at a time” which I think fits pretty well. They both also said they wouldn’t live their lives as certain people chose to, but they respect them and accept them for who they are.  

I got the impression that we still think a lot about surface culture when asked how you define culture. We instantly think about the holidays people celebrate and the language they speak, as did two of the people I spoke to instantly said. We don’t tend to see deep culture because we don’t take the time to see that far into people’s lives and families.  I agree with the last sentence written by my friend in her email, “I believe that you can learn from, teach and love people from all walks of life”. I just don’t think we take the time to learn from others and dig deeper into the lives of others to expand our knowledge of the diversity and cultures around us. 

My Family Culture

There are so many items from my childhood growing up that I keep dear to my heart and are a part of my German heritage. Three small items that I treasure are my Christkind ornament, a Hummel, and a harmonica. The Christkind ornament is a Christmas ornament that my family has always included on their tree. She is a fairy like being dressed in gold and white robes and wears a crown upon her golden hair. In most German speaking countries she is the bearer of gifts, just like Santa Clause is to the children here in the United States. Gifts are exchanged on December 24^th, delivered by the Christkind who leaves gifts under the Christmas tree and disappears before the children can see her. Hummels are porcelain figurines originated in Germany in the 1930’s based on the sketch art of Sister Maria. The hummel that I have is a little girl holding a basket of flowers that was passed down to me from my mother, which was given to her by my Oma from Germany. My harmonica is pretty self explanatory; its silver, very old, made in Germany, and was my fathers.

Growing up I never usually saw my extended family but on holidays, such as Christmas. Christmas was always a time that brought me great happiness and I always treasured the traditions we had growing up. As I stated in the previous description of the Christkind, gifts come on Christmas Eve as did our tree in my house. We very much followed my father’s German tradition for Christmas as my mother celebrated the same way. My fondest memories as a child was going to bed on Christmas Eve evening and being wakened by my mother later that night to walk down the stairs and be amazed by what I saw in front of me, an amazingly decorated Christmas tree and presents galore. Of course I knew about Santa Clause and even left him milk and cookies, but I always knew of the Christkind and somehow believed in both as a child. The Christkind ornament brings me back to great memories I had during Christmas and the wonderful stories and traditions my father brought into the house.

My mother had started collecting Hummels after she visited my father’s family in Germany for the first time. My Oma was a huge collector, and on my parent’s last trip before I was born she gave my mom one to take home. Up to this point my mom had my two brothers and had always wished for a girl. The hummel, which was a little girl was supposed to be a symbol of what was to come. When my parent’s got back from that trip to Germany my mom found out she was pregnant with me, 12 years after she had had my younger brother. My mother always treasured the hummel, and a few years ago she gave it to me in hopes that one day I will have a girl of my own.

My father and I always had a connection to music when I was younger. He hardly ever spoke to me in German, but he would sing to me in German to teach me certain words and phrases. My father plays many instruments, such as the guitar and accordion, but the one that intrigued me the most was his harmonica. He had so many that he brought with him to Germany, but one shiny silver one always stood out to me. This was the one he would let me use when I was little and wanted to try. Two years ago for Christmas he gave me that very shiny silver harmonica. I have it displayed in my house and every time I look at it I remember the great times I had with my father listening to him play.

I would be crushed if I was only allowed one of these items to come with me. It was hard enough to just choose these three. It would have to think even deeper into my thoughts about my culture and what is most dear to me. I would try to think about what would give me the happiest memories about my childhood and that shows my pride regarding my culture.

This assignment has brought me back to my childhood and the ways in which my culture has shaped the way I live my life and the thoughts about diversity. I would not consider my life as to be part of the dominant culture and I know what it is like to be looked at differently. I hope my work so far and the work I tend to do in the field of early childhood shows children just how special they are even if they are not like everyone else. Our differences make us unique and showed be something to be proud of.

When I think of research...

With this being my first research course, it was a real eye opener for me. I knew coming in I would gain a great deal of knowledge regarding the research process itself. There is so much involved from start to finish that it does get overwhelming at times. All the technical terms that go along with research was very intimidating for me as well.  I believe my biggest struggle during this course was choosing a topic to research that sparks my interest (there is a lot!), and narrowing it down into a question to study. Research is a wonderful tool that gives us insight into early childhood and helps us to build quality programs for our children. Although, it is a very complex process that requires much knowledge and careful planning in order to successfully validate your research in the end. I feel in the beginning of this course I underestimated the array of challenges that researchers face throughout the study. It is so important to take into consideration all of the ethical issues that could arise in your research design. Making sure your participants are fully informed of all knowledge regarding the study is extremely important as well as confidentiality. When children are involved in the research process, even though they are not at legal age to consent to the research, they need to be aware of what they are going to be involved in.

I knew research was a huge part of our knowledge of the early childhood field, but thinking I could be a part of it never crossed my mind. I feel much more comfortable in my understanding of research and the design process, but know I will need more practice in order to be truly comfortable. I have gained a better understanding of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research and when it benefits to use each one.  I have so much more respect for EC professionals that work so hard to bring to us this wonderful insight into the development and care of our young ones.  Their work is never ending.

I appreciate all of the knowledge and insight my classmates have brought to this course. I have learned so much just from the discussions of others alone. Having the support of others has really helped me to continuing my journey in early childhood and has made it much more enjoyable. I hope to work with you all again, and I wish everyone much success in the future!

Research Around the World

For this assignment I chose to explore Early Childhood Australia. There are many resources available and listed on the main page of the website. One of the studies I found searching through their website was on a children’s sense of belonging when they enter Kindergarten. This research article caught my attention because I was a Kindergarten teacher and I know how difficult it can be for children to transition into a full ‘classroom’ experience. This time is an important one in the lives of children and their parents; a process Joerdans (2014) calls it rather than just a one-off event.  Being aware of the children’s feelings and well-being during this period is critical to know what needs to be done in order for them to become and feel a part of the school community.

Another research article that I found studied the professional challenges of 87 preschool teachers at a major time of a policy change in Australia. A program was designed to look at the existing skills and knowledge of current teachers against 4 year graduate proficiency standards. As these teachers entered this university learning environment they faced many challenges, where lecturers noticed a difficulty in re-engaging in the study of early childhood. This study concluded that in order engage effectively in ongoing professional development teachers need inbuilt ‘slow time’ (Whittington, Shore, Thompson 2014).

I also found a few studies on the use of technology in the early years, specifically with the use of musical learning. With my own research question focusing on parental involvement I was excited to see a study on parents as activists for equitable high quality early childhood education in Australia. Through much of my research in both U.S. and international searches, I find that we are all studying much of the same topics in early childhood. We are all concerned with the well-being of children while providing them with quality programs. While providing these programs for children we need to make sure that our teachers are re-educating themselves on practices and procedures needed in order to maintain these programs as high quality. Concerning ourselves with challenges teachers and professionals face in the classrooms, will lead us to ways in which we can support teachers and help them in their struggles.

I will definitely be visiting this website again as I did not get too many of the articles that I would have liked. So many of the research titles caught my interest and I know would expand my knowledge in early childhood. I enjoy gaining all of these resources so I can go back and revisit to gain more and more information and keep up to date on current news, which is so important in the world of early childhood.

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/