Hoping for a world that embraces diversity!

One hope that I have when you think about working with children and families from diverse backgrounds simply put is that I demonstrate to them that I accept them and want to be educated in their differences.  As I reflect on this statement, I am aware that this statement is directed toward every single person I encounter. Sometime these statements seem to be directed toward people with unique backgrounds from your own; however, every person I encounter has a different background. If I treasure, respect, and learn from every single person I encounter even those with the same ethnicity as myself I reflect a person that desires to get to know, support, accept, and understand every person or child as an individual. Individuality is preached about when it comes to the academic learning regularly. If we treat, every aspect of our relationships with the people we work with the same attitude anti-bias curriculum would be a no brainier.

Additionally, I am excited to continue to work with people from diverse backgrounds and not ignore our differences but celebrate them and become educated in various beliefs, attitudes and much more.

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

My goal would be to advocate for equity, tolerance, and anti-bias behaviors within my home, social, and work environment. The first step is to educate the people around me by having training. I believe this is the order in which a training sequence should go.

1.     Understanding Your own Biases
2.     Combating micro aggression
3.     The three E’s of  Diversity: Educate, Experience, and Embrace 
4.      Advocating for Equity and Social Justice

I reflected and created number three I am so excited about it.  I cannot wait to develop this training!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this class, and have learned a great deal about and from all of my colleagues through discussion and blog posts. I want to thank all of you for being transparent with some of your experiences. This really brought some emotional connection to the subject area. For me when my emotions are triggered it is something I remember for a lifetime.

Love and Joy to ALL of you!

Here are a few things I found that I liked.

Preparing for a New Culturally Diverse Family

I have a hypothetical child joining my school who has emigrated from Egypt. I know that I want the child and her family to feel welcomed and comfortable; therefore, I will research her country of origin. Egyptian people are very helpful and friendly, they love to be helpful. I found the following very interesting about Egyptian peoples attitude.

“Egyptian people are generally very helpful, so tourists rarely have trouble finding assistance with directions or recommendations. It is not unusual for an entire crowd of Egyptians to surround you trying to answer a query. They stand very close when speaking, requiring very little personal space. Egyptians are accustomed to refusing every invitation the first time it was offered, so if your offer is genuine, repeat it a second time. The same goes with invitations from Egyptian people. They will offer something once out of politeness, but you know the offer is sincere if it is repeated. If you accept an invitation into an Egyptian home, such as for a meal, and you do not show, the hosts would be humiliated.”

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/culture-egypt-32949.html

1.      The first step to be culturally responsive is to know that I must invite parents more than once to a conference or to ask questions.  This is good to know that sincerity is evident when request or invitation is repeated.

2.      I do not want to just look on the surface, and because website research is generalized, I would have the family fill out a questionnaire. This would help me get information that goes beyond the surface.

I found a few sample questionnaires  here are the websites

·         http://www.stjamesschoolhwd.org/forms/PK_Family_Questionnaire.pdf

·         http://newparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/BT_Questionnaire_online.pdf

·         https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200905/BTJCohen.pdf

·         http://www.keyschool.org/documents/PS%20Family%20Questionnaire%2009-10.pdf

3.      I would learn how to greet in their native tongue it is amazing, but there are numerous ways to greet depending on the circumstance. I found this web site that has numerous phrases and how to pronounce them. http://arabic.desert-sky.net/greetings.html

4.      I would find a translator to assist in our first meeting and future ones if needed.  I found the following website to find translators who speak Arabic in my area. https://www.elance.com/ls/usa/florida/boca-raton/arabic-translation-professionals/

5.      I would schedule of home visit if it they were open to it. Going to a persons home can really assist in getting to know a family better. You can also observe some of their culture. During this visit I would ask the child to create an all about me chart to share with her friends.

I would hope that this preparation would help me and the family feel more comfortable. It would demonstrate professionalism as well as care and concern about the family. These preparations would allow me to be culturally responsive, digging beyond the surface, and confidence to both me and the student.    I would hope these actions would have a positive effect on my relationship with my student.               

Love in Any Lanuage...Religion...and Difference....(List can continue)

To complete this assignment, ask yourself these questions:

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

I was raised in a Christian home and I love and cherish my faith. Throughout my childhood, I often clashed with my mother over our worldviews and Christianity. I have always been an accepting and loving person. I had friends of different faith, color, and sexual orientation. One of my friends whose belief was Mormon gave me a Mormon Bible because I was curious about it. I wondered how their book of Mormon would parallel the bible if at all. My mother found this book and ripped it in half It angered me. I began singing a song from church at the top of my lungs, “love in any language, straight from the heart” I would scream that includes religion and then continue singing, “pulls us all together never apart’. I was furious and could not believe my mother was that intolerant.  We got through it, but I have to say I lost a little respect for her that day.

Although we did not really talk about religious discrimination, this story really surfaced when the above question was asked.

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

I would not want anyone to tear my bible, it would show disrespect for what I believe and would be an insult. Equity is not shown when one person believes they are right and others are wrong in how they believe. Do not get me wrong, I believe that my religion and belief system is the truth, but my truth. I have decided to accept my religion. Every person has the right to choose how he or she believes. No person’s beliefs are better than the next in the equity of this world.

What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

I was angry and alarmed at how my mother responded to finding the book. I believe it was fear, fear that I would stray away from our faith. However, I could stray without viewing the book of Mormon.

I was appalled at the fact that I was taught to love and not judge. I felt that my mother’s reaction was pure hate and intolerant d.

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

I spoke to my mother about the incident how I felt that her actions are the actions that cause war around the world. She listened, but I do not remember her response. In me, personally it created more drive to be accepting and show tolerance. This will create drive for equity in how I go through life in the hopes that I become an example to others and one day maybe we all will start setting examples to change the world around us. I am not naive; I know it will take time but every step counts!

Below is the song I sung at the top of my lungs when the above events happened. I believe the song is talking about more than just language! We all have a heart, we just need to love each other.