Observing Communication

 

 

 

 

Observing Communication

            I was in a preschool classroom and observed Ms. Brown who is a teacher’s assistant interacting with a little boy Chris, who is also a twin.  Chris was working at a table with Ms. Brown during a small group activity and Chris suddenly got up when he had finished the project and walked over to another group’s table.  Ms. Brown got up from her table and re-directed Chris back to her table.  Chris started yelling “No” and told her to leave him alone.  Ms. Brown then raised her voice and told him “stop it”.  Chris ran toward Ms. Brown and started hitting her repeatedly.  She started yelling “stop it”, “I’m tired of you beating on me”.  At that point Chris went full throttle and started running around the room and hitting furniture.  The teacher walked over and spoke to Chris in a low calm voice and asked him to explain to her what happened.  She also pulled a behavior chart she had for him and recounted what happened before the incident occurred and what happened during and after the incident.  She reminded him to use an inside voice and that he had to wait his turn to move to another table.  She also wrote the account of the incident on his behavior chart and explained to him that he would not get a “smiley face” for group time and he would have to improve his behavior if he wanted to ride bikes later on.  Chris began to take deep breaths as instructed by the teacher and he calmed down. The teacher also told him to apologize to Ms. Brown.

            When teachers are communicating with children, children need to feel respected and safe in their environment (Laureate Education, 2011).  In the class scenario Chris was never asked why he wanted to go to another table.  Effective communications with children means taking the time to listen to their thoughts, and then decide what the next step should be in a peaceful manner (Laureate Education, 2011).  Sometimes adults view children as little pawns to be manipulated and they refused to consider that children are human beings with thoughts and feelings.  Teachers need to use teacher-talk and communicate with children and give children the opportunity to ask questions and express thoughts (Dangei & Durden, 2010).  In the case of Ms. Brown and Chris, I think the situation would have been more positive if Ms. Brown had engaged the children more in the activity by asking questions about the project which would have made Chris be more engaged.  The tone of voice makes a difference because when teachers use calm voices when speaking the children feel more relaxed (Dangei & Durden, 2010.  Children should also have the freedom to leave small groups and venture into other interest areas (Dangei & Durden, 2010).  I learned so much from this week’s reading resources and I now know how to better communicate with my students by increasing higher order thinking skills and letting the students lead to help them acquire new knowledge.  Teachers have to take more of a facilitator role which means that we are co-learners with our students.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Communicating

            with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group

            activities. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74-81. Retrieved from the Walden Library using

            the Education Research Complete database.

            http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=47964033&site=ehost-live&scope=site



Creating Affirming Environments

 

 

 

 

Creating Affirming Environments

            When creating the anti-bias classroom children’s needs have to be met by recognizing their social indentify.  I would call my program “We Are a Learning Family” because the word “family” denotes closeness.  Upon entering the center families would see family pictures posted on the wall which would let children know that they are important at school.  Separation of parent and children is often made easier when children can view family pictures throughout the day (Laureate Education, 2011).  I would also have a pictorial schedule for the parents to see when they come in and for the children to follow during the day.  Children feel comforted when they know what is coming next in the day.  There would be a multicultural rug in the morning meeting area so children can appreciate visual pictures of different cultures.   When the children enter in the morning there will be music playing from different cultures daily.  Family pictures would be displayed on the wall and there would be a comfort corner with pillows in order to soothe children that may be having emotional melt downs. 

I would have a large variety of multicultural books in every area in the room in all centers.  I would have a lot of learning materials including skin colored crayons and paints so children create artwork that matches their own skin color.  Families would be invited to come into the classroom once a week to share cultural stories, or share cultural artifacts with the class so the children can learn to appreciate differences.  There would also be a big basket of persona dolls that represent various cultures so children can use in the different interest areas (blocks, dramatic play, library, etc.) in the classroom.  When all cultures are represented in the classroom in a positive way, children and families feel a sense of belonging (Derman -Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  My goal is to provide a welcoming environment where all children can strive and thrive to be respected, proud, intelligent and caring citizens that would advocate for justice around the world.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and

            ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children

            (NAEYC).

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an

            anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author

 



What I Have Learned

 

 

 

 

What I Have Learned

            It is my desire to help children and families of diverse backgrounds by greeting them with a welcoming heart, loving spirit, and a listening ear with the hopes of making their lives better.  I have learned that quality early childhood education is a valuable gift for every child because it enhances cognitive, emotional, and developmental growth.  Anti-bias educators are extremely concerned about the future of all children and making sure that they are respected (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).   I am committed to do the work and make sure these goals are manifested in my personal and professional career.

          One goal that I would like to see take place in the early childhood field is the acceptance of an anti-bias curriculum because it makes children’s lives to become whole.  Every child deserves the right to live a quality life without biases and free from exploitation and unsafe environments (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Family culture needs to be recognized in the learning environment so children can feel a home/school connection and take pride in their cultural identity and customs (Woodward & Oates, 2010).  It is very important for students to hear their home language in the classroom when experiencing early education because it strengthens them socially and academically because it creates self-worth (Woodward & Oates, 2010).  I will continue to be a strong advocate for social justice and equity for all children and families from diverse backgrounds so they can have feelings of belonging to society.

          I wish my colleagues continued success in the field of anti-bias education and I am thankful that they freely shared personal experiences during this journey.  My outlook on life has been positively impacted because of the classroom interactions and I am a better person for it.  Collaboration makes us stronger because when we share with another person, we become a part of their story and their experience.

 

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children

          and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Woodhead, M., & Oates, J. (Eds.) (2010). Early childhood in focus 6: Culture and Learning.

            Milton Keynes: The Open University

 

 

 

 

 



Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All ( Live in 1987 at the Grammys)

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

 

 

 

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

            I can recall greeting my Hispanic neighbor Maria about a month ago with my 5 year old niece Haidyn in tow.  Neighbor stopped down and in a friendly manner she greeted Haidyn and said “Hi! How are you doing?”  Haidyn remarked “I can’t understand what she’s saying because she talks funny”.  Maria explained to Haidyn that she was not talking funny and that she was speaking English.  I was so embarrassed and shocked at that moment but I did correct Haidyn and I told her that what she said was inappropriate and not nice.  Haidyn had a puzzled look on her face because she felt that she was just being honest but now she realized that she did something wrong but really had no explanation of why what she said was wrong. 

In retrospect I guess I should have shared with Haidyn different examples of various people who speak English with different accents explaining the beauty of diversity.  According to Harro’s "Cycle of Liberation" there is a continuous cycle that we endure when we are trying to break down our stereotypes and trying to rid ourselves of oppression (Harro, 2008).  As an anti-bias early childhood educator the teacher needs to listen to children and when they voice stereotypes it is helpful to address the issue right away and supply the student with resources (books, movies, recordings) that will help children to analyze the issue (Laureate Education, n.d.).   If a group of Caucasian girls announce that they are excluding an African American girl from playing with them because they feel she is not pretty enough.  The anti-bias teacher needs to step in and show them pictures of multicultural children playing together and do role play with persona dolls of various cultures in order to show these girls the correct way to welcome children that may not look like them.  Teacher’s can utilize read-alouds in the classroom to promote cultural diversity by selecting books that represent different cultures in the classroom and beyond because children really pay attention to what books teachers select (Hall, 2008).

 

 

References

Hall, K. W. (2008). Reflecting on our read-aloud practices: The importance of including culturally

            authentic literature. Young Children, 63(1), 80–86. Retrieved from the Walden Library

using the Education Search Complete database.
        http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=28334270&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Harro, Bobbie (2008). Readings For Diversity and Social Justice, Figure 7.1 on p. 53

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Race/ethnicity [Video file].

            Retrieved from https://class.waldenu

 

 





Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

 

 

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

            Children start to formulate ideas about sexual identity as young as 3 years of age and they attach certain attitudes and behaviors to what toys should be played with for boys versus girls (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Universally gender anatomy is viewed as the same but the designated roles that males and females associate can differ culture to culture (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Early childhood teachers should encourage children to explore freely in the classroom without gender biases in order to become emotionally and academically prepared for the world (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

·       Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families:

      The family structures are rapidly changing in the US and the early childhood field needs to be welcoming to all diverse families gay, heterosexual, and lesbian in order to uplift children.  Classrooms should have books that portray diverse families in order to show validation to the children that it is perfectly fine to come from a diverse family (Laureate Education, n.d.).  When teachers have an open discussion about sexual orientation in the classroom it opens the students’ mind to universal acceptance.

·       If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children?

       I remember several years ago when I had a little boy in my classroom that loved to put on a pink hat and play with dolls.  When his mother would come into the classroom she would demand that he remove the hat because she did not want a “sissy” and she would also fill the same way about him playing with doll.  I explained to her that he was just practicing his parenting skills and learning how to be a caring father.  After a while the boy would sneak to play with a doll and to wear his favorite hat until one day he stopped playing with both items because ultimately he wanted to please his mother.  There were also teachers at the same school who would talk about my student in a negative way because he liked pink hats and dolls.  So while parents need to be educated about anti-bias play, some teachers also need to be educated about the anti-bias classroom so they will not perpetuate such bias and harmful attitudes that stifle our children.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and

            ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Sexual orientation [Video file].

            Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu