Beginning of EDUC 6165 Communication and Collaboration in the ECE Field

Effective communication model in my own life

It is the beginning of a new course.  For this week's assignment I am to describe a person that I know that I believe has very effective communication skills (or not).  For me this is my 2nd level supervisor at work.  I really admire her communication skills.  When speaking to individuals, this person is very responsive.  She gives you her full attention and responds with words like "absolutely" and validates what you are saying to her when she concurs.  When she doesn't agree, she tells you that she doesn't and gives her reasons why without making you feel stupid or wrong.  She will then ask if you agree or understand.  Another thing that she does is that she is very open to feedback when talking to a group.  She gives people room to talk if they have questions or concerns, but at the same time she is able to take control of the situation and get the attention of the group.  Her tone is authoritative, but respectful.  Another thing that I think she does well in terms of communication is that she admits her mistakes.  She acknowledges that she is not perfect and makes mistakes, and will say that she has to find out if she does not know an answer to a question.

These are skills that I try to emulate, especially the tone and manner in which I communicate.  I think that I could use work in the area of my professional tone and I use her as an example when speaking to subordinates.

Professional Hopes and Goals-End of EDUC 6164

As I end this course, my hope is that I have learned the things I need to know in order to go forward and serve the families and staff I work with with fairness, equity and honesty.  I feel like my perspective on diversity and equity has been expanded and broadened in that I have a clearer picture of how people can feel marginalized and how bias and prejudice can lead to injustice.  I have been given some tools to help me navigate these waters and I feel like I have some more tools in my toolbox now. :)

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in regard to diversity, equity and social justice is to see more senior citizens in the early childhood.  I really believe that seniors can bring a great deal to the field and I will try to make opportunities for this to happen in my own environment.

In closing, I want to thank all of my colleagues for their not only their great support during this course, but for the personal information that they shared and for the respect they showed me when I shared my personal stories.  It was not an easy course but the interactions with my colleagues made it easier.

Good luck in the next course everyone!  Hope to see you there!

BethAnn

Welcoming Families From Around the World

This week, I am to imagine a scenario in which I will be receiving a child into my program whose family has recently immigrated to the U.S. from a country I know nothing about and how we will prepare for this. (In this scenario, I can choose the country).  I chose for my immigrant's family Sudan.  I chose Sudan because I know nothing about it except that it is in Northern Africa and is a war torn and extremely impoverished country.  As I read about Sudan, I learned that its people have been experiencing wars, unimaginable poverty and oppression, and countless other human rights violations.  Anyone that is lucky enough to be able to get out of there would probably have a lot of physical, emotional or psychological issues.

To prepare for this family, I would first make sure I understood the region they were coming from and what was happening there.  I would then consult a developmental psychologist for advise on children that come from war torn environments.  I would not assume they are Muslim, because the persecution of Christians there would lead me to wonder if they were religious refugees.  Once I knew for sure their religion, I would make whatever accommodations I could for them if necessary.  Another thing I could do is learn a little of their language and about their surface culture so I could teach the children in the program some things about Sudan which would help to ease the transition for the child a little bit.  If possible, I would try to locate other Sudanese in the area to help bridge the communication gap, as well as create a more familiar atmosphere for the child and family.

I would hope that all of these preparations would benefit the family and child by giving a sense of welcoming, caring and friendship to the new immigrants.  It will also educate the staff by teaching them about a region of the world that they probably never thought about before and that is completely different from the comfortable life they have here in the U.S.

Images of Sudanese Children

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

I have been trying to think of a specific time when I have faced bias, prejudice and oppression.  I can't think one specific instance, but I know that as a young woman I experienced harrasment by boys; as a Mormon I have dealt with people who are completely biased against the LDS church and have crazy, ignorant ideas about my faith; I have had to deal with negative comments about white people, conservatives, adoption, the military, Americans, women (working mothers, stay at home mothers).  The list goes on.  Everything that I am, and everything that I identify as, has at some point been the target of bias and prejudice, no matter how slight.   I carry with me the frustration of not being able to enlighten people of the reality of the facts, but I do not carry with me pain or anger toward those people.  It seems futile to do so.

I have often felt this way from the men I work with.  

As I read the blogs of all my colleagues, I read many different accounts of bias and prejudice, from breastfeeding to overt racism.  I think that as early childhood professionals it behooves us to be aware that no matter what, biases and prejudice will always exist.  We must find a way to deal with it appropriately when we face it, and not dwell on it when it is not present.  We need to teach tolerance and appreciation for others to our children more than anything.

Practicing Awareness of Micro Agressions

According to our video presentation this week micro-agressions are "brief, everyday indignities that may be verbal, behavioral or environmental, are communicated intentionally or unintentionally and contain an insulting message toward any marginalized group" (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).   When I think about myself as the target of micro-agressions, I have a hard time coming up with them, because I don't really put too much weight in what people say, and I usually forget about it.  

The only time I really worry about it is when it involves my children.  

My family is a multi racial family.  

In the United States today, it is a fairly common thing to see, whether it is children of mixed race parentage living with their biological parent(s) or adopted/foster children living with parents of a different race. Seeing these types of families should not really be that shocking.  But unbelievably, we do get comments from time to time.  Most are positive, but some not so much.  

Some of the more negative/micro-aggressive comments (and their hidden meanings) we have gotten are as follows:

"Do they speak Chinese?" (They are Taiwanese, so they must speak Chinese and not the perfect English of their American culture)

"Where are they from?" (They are Asian, so they aren't really Americans)

"Are they related?" (Adoption does not create "real" relationships)

"They are so lucky!" (They were rescued from a dire situation by rich, white westerners)

"How much did they cost?" (They were bought and paid for like goods).
Probably the worst: "Are you going to have kids of your own?"  (These are not your real children).  

I think that the many of these comments speak to the ignorance people still have when it comes to not only Asians immigrants, but adoption and what makes a family.  I think the worst thing about these comments is that as my children grow up, they will begin to understand their hidden meanings, where as before I could shelter them from it.  I do not yet know how they will take these comments, but I am trying to impart to them that people do and say things sometimes that are not OK, but we don't let it bother us and we should try to move on.  I do not want them to ever question the love their family, both adopted and biological, have for them, who they are, or that they were and are wanted, and most of all, that their mom and dad are really the lucky ones.  

References:

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. 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_4855814_1%26url%3D

Perspectives on diversity and culture...A survey

This week, our assignment was to ask 3 people to define what they thought culture and diversity are.

"What is culture?"
My husband: The traditions, customs that are passed down over time that define a group of people.
My sister:  A group of people who are, because of geography or religion, similar in belief and social understanding.
My daughter (5.5 years old): It means you speak a language, like Chinese, and have special clothes and traditions, like Chinese New Year.

"What is diversity?"
My husband: Something that is not homogenous.
My sister: A group of items or people that are different.
My daughter: It's like Helen Keller.  She was blind and deaf and she learned sign language. People are different and special.  

It is always interesting when you ask people what culture is, and what diversity is.  Often they have stop and think about it, and they may not even think they know the answer.  I chose these three people because they represent interesting differences.  My husband, is also American, but grew up in a very different family culture than mine.  My sister grew up with me, but I was curious what she would say, because her life experience has not been mine.  My daughter has been learning about culture and diversity at school, so I thought her answer would be interesting.

I think that I got some relevant, accurate descriptions of culture, although diversity was a bit harder for them to define in detail.  What I learned from the answers I received is that even though we do not think about it, culture and diversity are concepts that we clearly understand, even from a young age.

My daughter Sydney at a Hula performance

Beginning of EDUC 6164: Perspectives on Equity and Diversity

My Family Culture

This week we were given a scenario to answer:  A major catastrophe has struck our country and the emergency government has decided to evacuate us to other countries willing to take refugees, but we have no choice in where we will go.  The culture will be completely different from ours and we may have to stay permanently.  Evacuees may take one change of clothes and 3 small items.  The items I take are those that I hold dear and represent my family culture.

The three items I would take are my iPad, my favorite book and a piece of jewelry from my mother.
I would take my iPad (assuming it was useable) in order to have my family pictures, access to my genealogy and family tree, as well as access to information about  the culture and country I am going to.  I would take my favorite book as a link to my culture and to have entertainment I am familiar with.  I would take a piece of jewelry from my mother in order to have something to pass on to my children and give them a connection to their family and culture.  If I had to give up all but one item, I would keep the jewelry.  I honestly could live without any of these things, but the jewelry holds the most sentimental value to me.

As I was thinking about this scenario, I thought of my relatives who left their home cultures and families to move to this country, leaving everything they knew behind.  They had to learn a new language and assimilate to a new culture, but they also carried with them the knowledge and customs of their home countries and passed it down to their children.  I would hope that I could do this if I had to face the same situation.