Week 8-Goals and Gratitude

A goal that I have related to working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is that I would always remember that, in spite of any differences related to color, creed, ideology, and culture, we are all the same and want the same things from life, for ourselves, our children and the world. We all wish for freedom, peace, a good and purposeful life for ourselves and our children, love and to belong.

A goal that I hold for the field of Early Childhood Education related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice is that Anti-Bias Education become cemented as a standard model for Early Childhood Education. I think that, if children are educated according to the anti-bias model, recognizing and appreciating diversity will become a way of life.

To My Colleagues:

Thank you for sharing your opinions, points of view, knowledge and experience with me. Thank you for challenging my thinking with your questions and feedback. Thank you for taking this journey with me. You provide inspiration and your tenacity is admirable. Best wishes to all of you!

Careyann

Week 7-Creating Art

                       Experience
                   (a cinquain poem)
                           


                          Experience
                   Shapes consciousness
               A contextual framework
             For interactions with others
                               Life


I wrote this in reference to Quinn Valentine's account of how his childhood interactions with his parents (specifically his father) and his peers shaped his worldview and relationships as an adult (Laureate Education, 2011).


Reference

Laureate Education (producer)(2011).”Learning From Another’s Life Story: Quinn Valentine”. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_552134_1%26url%3D

Week 6: Start Seeing Diversity: “We Don’t Say Words Like That!”

I live in rural Northern New York. Small town life has its benefits and detriments. One characteristic of life in a small town is that everyone is aware of everyone else’s business. Nine years ago, a local resident began undergoing the process of gender reassignment. He began taking hormones;  dressing and living as a woman. This person, who was known as Francis, sought to be identified as Francine. This was, of course, public knowledge. My then 3 year old son, Jem, and I once shared an elevator with this person in the Medical Arts Building of our local hospital. Jem asked, “Why is that man dressed like a girl?”. To this, I responded that the person was a woman, not a man. Jem insisted that the person was a man dressed like a woman. I remember once again contradicting Jem’s observation and distracting him by giving him a lollipop from my purse. I apologized to Francine. She smiled back at me, but the pained look on her face said it all. I felt horribly for her, but could not be upset with my son for telling the truth. At that time, Francine was a man dressed as a woman. A message that Jem might have received as a result of his interaction with me is the feeling that his instincts were wrong, or that it was okay to not tell the truth. Overall, I think that Jem was confused.

An experienced anti-bias educator might have a conversation with Jem about the characteristics that determine gender; mainly anatomy. Additionally, it would be wise to discuss that identity involves one’s own idea of himself based upon thoughts, feelings and behavior. I think that, although it would be difficult for the child to comprehend fully, an honest answer might be enough to satisfy rather than confuse him (as did the contradiction that I put forth at the time). I should have told Jem that Francine has the same parts as all boys, but feels more comfortable dressing as and identifying as a woman. So, out of respect for Francine and her choice, we should think of her as a woman (Derman, Sparks and Edwards, 2010, pp94-95).

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J.O.(2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. NAEYC: Washington, DC.

Week 3 Blog-Gender, Gender Identity and Heterosexism

Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) assert that "children are influenced by others' attitudes about gender behavior"(p92). Family, friends and society are the biggest influences on children with regard to gender behavior (p92). Because of the powerful influence of these three factors, it is important that children are exposed to and become comfortable with diversity at a young age. I believe that gay and lesbian led families should be represented in the materials and books in early childhood classrooms.To avoid the inclusion of such materials would not only deprive children of the experience and knowledge built as a result of exposure to these populations., but also cause children who are a part of gay and lesbian led families to experience cultural discontinuity. Cultural discontinuity occurs when the values and practices present at home are different or in direct conflict with those values and practices present at the center or program (p 59).

If a parent or family member of a child insisted that they did not anyone who is gay or perceived to be gay to interact with or play with the child, I would assert that each staff member has undergone and passed background and reference checks prior to the beginning of their employment at the center.  Additionally, I would let the parent of family member know that the center does not and never will discriminate against any person based upon race, creed, color, or sexual orientation. Homophobia is prejudice against a person based upon sexual orientation.

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. NAEYC:Washington,DC.

Farewell Fellow Communication and Collaboration Students

To my colleagues,
Thank you so much for your support, feedback, thoughtful queries and for sharing your personal experiences with me so that I could also benefit from them. Thanks for picking up the thread on some of my less than exciting discussion posts so that I could further develop my ideas. :) Also, thanks for your insightful comments on my blog postings

"Communication and Collaboration", along with "Perspectives on Diversity and Equity" have changed my everyday interactions by helping me to be mindful of them. I wish you all the best of luck personally and in the academic world.
Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Careyann

Team Building-Adjourning

When I think about teams that I have worked in that have been difficult to adjourn, I've realized that its the people with whom I've made a personal connection that are difficult to leave. The personal connection can come from being in the thick of things side by side with one's teammates, from both living and working together for a time, or both. A team's ability to triumph in adverse conditions strengthens bonds. Also, teams whose members share aspects of their emotions and experiences become bonded further. The group that I found hardest to leave was when I worked at Camp Jened. This camp was run as a vacation spot for developmentally disabled adults. Staff members worked hard both physically and emotionally. The staff lived communally in large, open cabins. We spent our (few) days off together and worked closely with one another all day. At the end of both summers that I worked at the camp, it was difficult to leave. I had bonded with most of the staff members through work, play, trials and tribulations. Since the staff came from all over the world, it was unlikely that I would ever see any of them again. Our goodbye rituals consisted of bonfires and sentimental statements. No goodbye ceremony was ever adequate and was only cold comfort for the loss that would soon be experienced. I am not sure how we will adjourn from our experience in this educational program. Some people have begun the program and ceased or suspended participation. I've missed them already. I've missed reading their blogs and discussion posts. I think that it is important to adjourn at the end of a team's mission because it provides closure. Closure is necessary so that one is able to move on to new experiences.

Dealing with Conflict

The issue: A younger coworker who has recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree believes and acts as if she knows more about others’ jobs, classrooms and children in their care than they do. This younger co-worker, E, has never worked full time at the center, only returning to work on her breaks from college. This young woman attempts to take over any classroom in which she works by ignoring the schedule and applying her will. Most at the center would prefer not to work with her and few trust her.

The strategies:

                1-I would try to determine if E’s behavior is the result of a need that she is attempting to fulfill. For example, E may feel like she is not a valued part of the group at the center (which, overall, is a fact). Her behaviors may be her attempt to be of value to others. E may also feel that now that she has finished her education, she is entitled to a full-time position at the center as a lead teacher. Her behavior may be the manifestation of her desire to be a lead teacher. Once the source of E’s behavior is determined, I could explain to E how the end result of her behavior is counterproductive to her goals (becoming a valued part of the group and becoming a lead teacher) (http://www.cnvc.org).

                2-In speaking with E, I would focus on the issues, rather than engage in a personal attack on her (in spite of the fact that I don’t particularly enjoy her company). I would tell E that her behavior is unethical , unprofessional  and it causes disruption in any classroom in which she works. In attempting to take over classrooms, she compromises the quality of the children’s experience, the teachers’ efficacy and her own integrity. I would ask E  to mentally switch places with those that she is wronging in order to see her own behavior in another light (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2009, p212).

Do you have any input regarding what I could do to deal with this specific situation?

Reference

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). “Foundations of NVC”.The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

          O’Hair, D., Wiemann, M. (2009). Real Communication: An Introduction. Bedford/St.Martin’s, p212.