Professional Hopes and Goals

As I look back on my time in this course and throughout the program I am grateful for my personal and professional growth. I feel that I have become more aware of what I am saying to others and how a simple statement can turn someone's world upside down. 

The one hope I have for working with children and families that come from a different background than myself is to always communicate with them. It is easy for a family who is "different" or who speaks another language to become overlooked in the classroom. With open communication comes a stronger relationship.

The one hope I have for the early childhood field regarding diversity, equity, and social justice is that our undergraduate programs begin to educate and give strategies for working with families of different backgrounds. I feel that my undergraduate program discussed diversity and its importance but it was not as in-depth. 

I would like to thank my colleagues for their kind words and motivation! This course has helped me to open up about my past with more than just friends/family, which made me realize, again, that I am not alone. We all have our own "backpacks" that are full of our daily/life struggles and we need to be cognizant of that when interact with others. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Family's country of origin

Yemen

Five ways in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the family

1. I will research the country of origin to gain a basic understanding of the culture and language.

2. Through my research I will learn some basic phrases in the families native language. This will show the family that I am invested in them and their success.

3. Once the family has come into my program I will encourage them to join the classroom routine so they feel welcomed and comfortable. Through this engagement I will ask the family to teach the other children about their culture so can incorporate that into our classroom.

4. I would also try and find a translator to help with the important information that needs to be communicated - through the school and family.

5. Finally, I would keep a constant and open line of communication with the family to ensure they have what they need to be successful in the school and in the community.

Brief statement describing in what ways I hope that these preparations will benefit both myself and the family

These preparations will benefit myself and the family in the fact that they will feel respected and understood. These preparations will help the family transition into their new life. 

Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

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? What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

Over the summer I was on our interview panel, including staff and current parents, for hiring a new lead teacher for the upcoming school year, we had five interviews that day. One candidate's only experience in working with children was with upper-class children/families and she had recently graduated with her BA. Once the interview was over the parent immediately said; 

"I don't think she is the best fit for the program. She has only worked with upper-class families and would have no clue how to help our type of family." 

This type of response upset me and caused me to react. It should not have mattered the type of family she had previous experience with when discussing her abilities as a teacher. I mentioned that if that was the reaction to my interview five years ago I would not have the job I do today - my previous experience was with middle to upper-class families but that does not mean I do not have empathy and compassion for those living in poverty. 

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

This diminished equity because this specific candidate was unfairly judged based off her previous job experiences. When considering a candidate to hire we, as the panel, discuss how they could benefit our program. The comment this parent made about the candidate could have altered others opinions of her and caused her to not get the job. 

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

I don't know if any of the individuals in this scenario would have to change necessarily because you cannot change someone's opinion (that's how they feel). However, I do think that the parent should have thought a little more about how that comment would affect others before mentioning it.