What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is to be able to be understanding and accepting of their diversity.  I hope to learn from them and I hope to inspire them to be understanding and accepting as well.  Through our efforts “not only do we help change the world but also we deepen other people’s understanding of the unique needs of young children and their families” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 160). 

  

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to be the seed from where all positivity grows from.  When we think about diversity, equity, and social justice the topics become more serious and challenging as we get older.  When we can start influencing children to be positive individuals at an early age the better chance we have to create a more positive future for all. 

I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues for engaging in insightful discussions, posting personal stories and sharing your knowledge with me.  This course was very special as it has led us all to reflect on ourselves and our views of others.  Thank you and I hope to see you all again in future courses.

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Creating Art

Differences we can learn to celebrate

Inward looking to uncover biases

Valuing all races, abilities, classes, sexes  

Education that is Anti-bias

Resilience in the face of trauma and disruptive life events

Sending positive messages

Influences that build our identities

Types of positive behaviors and beliefs

Young children learning to be accepting of themselves and others

Start Seeing Diversity

I witnessed an adult reprimand and silence a child after he asked, “Why are those two ladies holding hands?”  The adult said, “Shhhhh, don’t say that”.  The message that might have been communicated to this child by the adult’s response is that it is not okay to talk about it and makes the topic of homosexuality seem taboo.  The adult’s response conveys to the child that this not acceptable to talk about and that it is out of the norm.  Although the child and all children are naturally curious, they learn that they are not allowed to be curious about some things when they are silenced.  Reprimanding them reinforces the idea that it is inappropriate to talk about.  When we tell children, “We don’t say those words in class!” or “don’t say that” we give them the impression that it is a “bad word” or a bad thing to speak about which is not supportive of anti-bias.  An anti-bias educator might have responded to support the child’s understanding by not reprimanding them but addressing their concerns and thoughts.  The first thing to do is let the child know that we do not want to hurt people’s feelings when we talk about them.  Then talk to the child about diversity and how couples and families can be different and just because they’re different does not mean that they are wrong.  Using a direct positive statement about diversity both addresses the child’s comment and redirects them towards new information (Laureate Education, n.d.).  This way they can build their own ideas from a more knowledgeable standpoint.

Reference

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Some of the ways I have noticed how homophobia and heterosexism permeate the world of young children is by depicting very little diversity.  Most children books, movies, toys, stores, culture of early childhood centers, and schools portray the image of families that have heterosexual parents.  Play houses often come with mother and father dolls.  Even fictional characters like Arthur and Olivia the pig have heterosexual parents.  Superhero movies all contain a love story with a member of the opposite sex.   Also, if parents have negative views of homosexuality then they might influence the views of their children.  The truth is that children are not exposed to diverse families or individuals enough to build awareness and acceptance.  Heterosexism is very apparent in the world and homosexuality is not.  Until then, homosexuality will always be seen as “different” or “opposite” and it is these types of views that can lead children to develop homophobia.

I have heard a child use the homophobic word “gay” as an insult.  It was used in reference to something that they did not like.  When I heard it I asked where they had learned that word and the child said they had heard it from their father.  These types of comments influence all children because since it was used in a negative way by an adult the children repeat it with the same reference.  Although they may not know what it means to be gay they will continue to use it with that connotation.  It saddens me to think that even family members are sometimes spreading hate like this to their children.  What is worse is that then these children can unknowingly spread hate themselves when they use the term as they socialize with other children.  When children start using homophobic terms it means that either someone has taught them or someone has not taken the times to help them understand.  I truly believe that knowledge is the first step to addressing any bias.

Collaborative Learning Community

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to the classroom and congratulate everyone as well for making it this far.  It has not been easy juggling the different hats that we wear in our lives but we all managed to make it work and as I continue I am reminded that if all of you can do it as mothers, directors, grandmothers, teachers and spouses then I can too.  Your stories of success have been examples of hope for me and your challenges have helped me be a better problem solver.  I have gained a lot form the content in each course but I believe I have learned even more from the interactions with instructors and class mates.  Thank you for your hard work and I wish you all the best as you continue on your professional path.  I would like to stay in touch so feel free to email me anytime at rosana.covarrubias2@waldenu.edu

And now a poem…

As we end the course collaboration and communication

We reach the final stretch towards graduation

With knowledge in our mind and passion in our heart

And the guidance of Dr. Dartt

We learned how to speak and listen better

When working with others together

With the lessons in our head all whirled

Just remember that if you can change your words you can change your world

Thank you all and good luck!

Team Development

When I think about groups in which I have been involved, in the hardest good byes were the ones where I really connected and made friends in.  There are conflicts and problems within every group but the ones that had the fewest negative experiences made the experience all the more positive and the team more memorable.  In this way, I do believe that high-performing groups are the hardest to leave.  Since everything is going more smoothly due to strong and positive communication the tone is presumably less stressful and more joyful.  Establishing clear norms although well intended might not necessarily help maintain a pleasant environment.  In fact, it may do the opposite.  If group members feel like they are being monitored or directed they will feel more individual responsibility therefore deteriorating the team mentality. 

The group that was hardest for me to leave was the after school program team.  I felt like I was respected for my ideas and enjoyed collaborating with the other staff members.  It was a group that confided in each other professionally and personally.  The group celebrated it successes and reflected on its failures always keeping in mind the vision of creating a fun and safe program for the children.  Closing rituals I have experienced included official meetings to de-brief and non-official staff dinners and gatherings.  These helped solidify the relationships in and out of work as we got to learn about each other in different contexts. 

From the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my master’s degree program I would love to be able to meet face to face sometime, especially at the end.  It has meant so much to me to have like-minded people that I can talk to as I continue my educational journey. 

I feel that adjourning an essential stage of teamwork because it is a chance to support each other one last time.  To thank others for their help and to realize all that you have accomplished together and individually.  Furthermore, the experience becomes a resource to learn best practices and lessons learned to use for future projects (Abudi, 2010).

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

I have learned strategies that might help me manage or resolve conflict more productively.  The first would be to empathetically listen to the requests of others when they honestly express their needs.  This method helps clarify what the disagreement or conflict is about and can lead to a better understanding of every ones feelings.  I think whenever you can put yourself in the same state of mind or emotion of another person you can more easily see things from their point of view which can ultimately assist in the better management of conflicts.  The second strategy would be to have more responsive interactions.  I feel that what people want most is to be heard and by responding that assures them that you were listening.  There is a better chance of managing, resolving, and even avoiding conflict if it is discussed in a responsive manner where everyone has the opportunity to express and listen.  

These strategies are effective because they can both lead to solutions or a compromise where everyone’s views were considered.  The potential for tensions to rise and conflict to escalate might have been great but everyone can feel accomplished in the fact that it did not get to that level.  Also, everyone could feel like they were effective communicators by using appropriate skills.  I feel that there is a lot to learn about others and ourselves in these types of situations