Demonstrating Competent Communication Skills

The person that I chose for this assignment was my educational trainer who taught me everything I know about being a director. She had amazing communication skills and always knew the correct words to use in order for you to really understand what she was saying. She always had strong eye contact and was confident in the way she spoke and with the information she was relaying to you. You could tell this confidence just by the way she stood in front of you or how she sat in her chair. She was very logical and approachable, and you knew you would be receiving the correct answers and if she didn't have the answers she would try her hardest to obtain them for you and then some. Listening was one of her finest traits and I strive to have that quality within myself.

I work every day to build myself up to the communicator that my educational trainer is. I still communicate with her today if I need some pointers, tips, or just someone to listen to me rant. There are times when I still struggle in getting my entire point across the way I want, but I work on it every chance I get. Having the opportunity to have worked with my trainer has given me the confidence to work toward being a better communicator, especially with my staff and parents. 

Professional Hopes & Goals

I hope that through my newly gained knowledge of diversity and the effects of prejudice and discrimination on individuals from outside the dominant culture, I will be better equipped to help families in my center and make them feel welcomed and accepted. Students will feel accepted without the fear of judgment by their classmates and work together to make a unified classroom. I hope that I can express to my teachers the importance of anti-bias education, why it needs to be done, and the great achievements to be made.

My goal for early childhood education is for all teachers and professionals to self-reflect on their own biases and judgments of others to be able to effectively teach and support the diverse students they are working with. Classrooms should be equipped with materials to accommodate and celebrate children of all backgrounds and ethnicities. I know there are early childhood centers that are making strides towards the progression of anti-bias education, but it need to reach all of them not just some.

This has been one of my favorite courses I have taken so far at Walden. I have learned so much from all of my colleagues, about cultures, how we interpret the idea of diversity, and how we've come to realize who we are today. Throughout this course I have come to realize more about whom I am as a person and who I want to strive to be in the field of early childhood. I love learning about other cultures and ethnicities, to me it is so interesting to learn about ideas, beliefs and traditions other than what I am used to seeing and hearing. This will only help in my goal of achieving acceptance for all. The more knowledge I have about other cultures, the better I am to help families in my center and where ever my career takes me.  I thank all of my wonderful colleagues for sharing their information and experiences with me throughout this course. I have learned so much from everyone and wish you all the best moving forward in the Master’s program and in your careers as EC professionals.

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.