Professional Hopes and Goals

 

 

 

 

Professional Hopes and Goals

            This course has changed my perspective on diversity and equity because my thinking was quite narrow before taking this course.  I have now learned that diversity covers various genres such as race, disabilities, gay, lesbian, transgender, and ageism.  This course has provoked my growth personally and professionally and the information I consumed will change my life forever.  I now understand that learning about cultures is more than just recognizing holidays, food, and cultural dress.  You have to look at the deeper aspects of a culture which involves exploring the lifestyles, behaviors, and beliefs.

·       One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse background.

It is my desire to portray a welcoming spirit to diverse families and to discuss what hopes and dreams they have for their children.  I would invite the parents to be involved in the shaping of the classroom by bringing in books, music, and artifacts to represent their culture.  Children learn best when they can see themselves in the learning.

·       One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice

I would like to see the early childhood field make diversity, equity, and social justice the first priority because fair and just education cannot be rendered unless these factors are put in place.  Every teacher should have to take diversity courses and all schools should provide diversity workshops as a part of professional development.  Universities should expose pre-service teachers to diversity classes because it will help them to understand the population they may be teaching.

      I would like to take this time to thank the instructor and my colleagues in this course for inspiring my thought processes with hearty and supportive discussions.  This was a very rich class because we exchanged a wealth of information about ourselves and we are now equipped with the skills to advocate for diversity and justice for all children and families.

 





Welcoming Families From Around the World

 

 

 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

            The family I chose to welcome from around the world is from Somalia, because the people have endured two decades of war and violence which has been devastating to the families because they are poor and hungry and feel hopeless (Mohamud, 2010).  Many Somalia children have been orphaned because of terrorists and tribal violence, so a lot of them have to work full time to help the family situation instead of having the luxury of going to school these families are constantly being displaced and they live in fear.

            Most Somali’s practice the Muslim religion which involves praying five times and not consuming alcohol and pork.  The nuclear family usually lives together and they often share their meals from the same bowl by hand.  Elders in the family are given the utmost respect and adults are addressed by uncle or aunt, which is very different in the US.  Oral communication is considered the highest degree of art forms.  It is important that the male of the household is considered as the head of the household and has total control over the family and decisions.  Men usually work outside of the home while women are expected to be the caretakers of the children and home.  It is customary to exchange handshakes with people of the same sex and say “peace is with you”.  It is not proper for men and women to touch each other outside of the family. Men speak for the women in most households. Most girls in Somalia undergo some form of circumcision before their 10^th birthday and I was surprised to find out that this is also a custom that follows the girls to the US.  Some girls are sent back to Somalia to get this devastating procedure done.

            To help this family adjust to life in the US I would devise a five-part  plan to help the children to adjust to school life by providing  content integration, reducing prejudicial attitudes, equalization in learning, welcoming different cultures, and helping them to socialize in a new environment (Miranda, 2010).  Curriculum should be inclusive of various cultures because this helps children to have a global view of the world and universal acceptance.  This also helps children to view different biases and how these biases can be eradicated (Miranda, 2010).  Differentiation is the key to academic success in the classroom because teachers must recognize that not all children learn the same way but all children have the ability to learn.  I would plan monthly family meetings in the classrooms where students and parents can come together to share various family traditions and cultures and share rituals that are dear to them.  This will establish a learning platform so all parties will be able to understand the richness of a global school community.

            I feel it is very important for teachers to do the research about where families come from in order to obtain an understanding of some of the intricacies of deep culture.  In the case of the Somalia family the teacher will know to respect the male of the family to make the major decisions where children are concerned.  It is not proper to hug people of the opposite sex so the teacher should not make physical contact to children or parents of the opposite sex.  Ramadan is the religious holiday practiced for Muslim children so the holiday needs to be recognized in the classroom.  Shared and oral communication is preferred in this particular culture so the Somali child would probably enjoy cooperative learning and verbal recitations.  Knowing and understanding who you teach can be a rewarding experience for all.

 

References

Miranda, E. (2010). Going global in Arlington, Virginia. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development

            4(2), 219--226.

Mohamud, S. Somalia's Forgotten Children. One World Education, 1-2. Retrieved June 21, 2014,

            from http://www.oneworldeducation.org/somalias-forgotten-children

 



The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

 

 

 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

            My sister and I were in a store and a Hispanic mother walked in with several children and the children started running through the store in different directions.  My sister shook her head and said “look at those people, they have all those children and they can’t control them”.  She also made the comment that the Spanish people are taking all of our jobs.  She stated that African Americans are having problems finding jobs because the Hispanic people are taking over.  I honestly get chills and cringe every time I hear my sister make prejudicial comment because it is very ironic.  Several years ago the same comments were made about my own African American culture and now a new group is now being subjected to the same demeaning comments. 

It is how easy it is for one to forget about how it feels to be ridiculed and be the recipient of verbal attacks in public.  I have to remind my sister constantly of how racist her comments are and that her insensitivity is very disappointing.  She could benefit from taking a diversity class, because the valuable lessons that I have learned will never leave me.  My sister’s attitude should be to help people rather than to hurt and hinder.  Diversity is God’s gift to the world and we should welcome the gift with open arms!