Model Communicators

I fortunately have several people who I can refer to as model communicators, but the first person that comes to mind would be my supervisor of the Head Start center where I am employed here in Georgia! When having meetings she is always sure to make eye contact, her voice is always pleasant not aggressive, and she gives everyone a chance to voice their opinions. If parents or staff members at any given time are irate or unreasonable, she always has what it takes to calm the situation down! She is very respectful of what everyone says, even if our thoughts are different than hers! She stands up for her staff when it comes to higher authority..... If the situation grants being stood up for.... and she does so in a very appropriate manner. Because of these things, she is definitely one that I would look up to as a great communicator or as a communication model.

Hopes in ECE and Diversity

Hopes for the future when working with kids who may be from diverse areas of the world would be for them to feel as welcome as possible. I hope that the atmosphere would be one that's inviting. I pray that all families and children will feel welcomed when entering my classroom. I hope that the activities that I present for my children will be ones that supports and promotes differences in cultures. I hope that I will forever teach children to embrace differences instead of mocking or being intimidated by those differences.
The hope that I have for ECE is that we not forget how important it is To our families or children we serve. I must admit that I had not had a class that went this deep into diversity issues as this class. I think ECE programs in colleges should include a diversity class as in depth as this one!
Finally, I would like to give thanks to all of my colleagues who have supported me along the way in the form of commenting, reading, or just enjoying my blog! Good luck to you all!!

Welcoming Families from Around the World

The country that I have chosen is China. The educational setting that I have chosen is an early childhood classroom setting. The five ways that I would ensure cultural responsiveness for the Chinese family would include;
* Reshaping the curriculum so that it is culturally responsive to the child's background. I would do this by including things that I have learned within the curriculum.
*Build a bridge of connection between home and school. If I know ahead of time that interpretation is needed, I should seek ahead of time to find it.
*Include multicultural cultural information in all areas of development.
*Allow the child and family to share some control within the school environment. For example, parents could volunteer at the school and show myself and the class some Chinese traditions that relates to various areas of development with young children.
*When celebrating various things within the classroom, be sure to include various Chinese themes, holidays, traditions, etc.
These are all things that I would do to ensure a successful transition into my classroom. I feel that constant research as well as a close connection with the child and family will help make the transition here in America even smoother.

The Personal Side of Bias

Thankfully, I have never been subjected to any type of personal bias but I have witnessed plenty of episodes from those close to me as well as on the Internet and television.  The experience that I am choosing to focus on will be that of a friend/family member. She was my best friend before I married into her family, so now we're like sisters! In high school, I was the first of many to find out that she was gay. I actually found out by mistake. She, I, and a few of our other closest friends would often share lockers in high school. We both had a notebook that was similar and I accidentally picked up her notebook instead of my own. I realized this once I opened it up and noticed a letter written to a female detailing how she was in love with her. It was a total shock but I was determined to be there for my friend regardless! When people at school found out they treated her SO BAD! Calling her all types of cruel names, etc. Her family wasn't very accepting at first either.  Her mother threw her out of the house and she had to live with her grandmother until her mother realized she had made a huge mistake. Even today,  she still gets a few whispers, stares, and negative comments but our community has grown to love her for who she truly is.....not who she chooses to love!
The fact that she is gay has truly affected her equity. People definitely look at and treat her differently in some situations. For example. She and her girlfriend started to attend my church. A few others who attend my church are gay as well. Not soon after, other people from other churches were saying that our preacher was starting to cater to gay people because we had church full of them. I feel this was sad because we come to church to praise the Lord and not too be judged. Equity is treating others fairly and equally. I feel that others trying to speak negatively of those trying to serve God is definitely not fair or equal. How fair is it too be judged in the house of the Lord?