Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is to integrate the community (families and children) in the school setting and make them feel welcomed, as well as creating a reliable environment for them to help each other or let me help them.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to create more opportunities for children and their families to talk about the specific issues in the community and find solutions for them as a whole.

The course has been difficult for me because I had a lot of work and some personal problems as well. I thank all my colleagues and the instructor because I have learned a lot of things about myself and sharing some of my experience has helped understand diversity better. I also have learned from my colleagues experiences and I appreciate everybody for sharing some of the deepest situations.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country of the family that I chose is Russia. Five ways in which I prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the Russian newcomers are:

•          First of all I would ask the admissions office to see what information can be useful from the student’s file.
•          I will buy a book about Russian culture to try to understand their culture.
•          Look up at information at the Russian embassy.
•          I would look up at special holidays and celebrations and integrate in to my lesson planning in order to mention it for other children to know.
•     Ask another coworker if she had experience with treating with a Russian family, and how was her experience.
•     Look up at information at the Russian embassy.
•     Make an interview with the parents to understand their expectations and needs regarding education. It will also be a good opportunity to learn more about their culture and specifics of my new student.

These preparations will help me understand the family’s needs and expectations better, as well as to make them feel welcome.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I haven’t experience any incidents where I was the target of bias, prejudice and/or oppression. I have seen in several movies acts of oppression and biases specially directed to black people, but I think the one that impressed me the most was the treatment that HIV positive people got in public hospital in Mexico. I saw a play that talked about this subject and they represented how this people were treated in the past. They were in the dungeon of the hospital, and the food was left on the floor for them.

This incident diminishes equity because people should be treated equal and they should be able to have the same access to health care, as well as a dignify treatment. I felt bad for the people that have suffered these injustices and I think most of it happened because of ignorance and lack of tolerance towards others.

I think that today we have a better understanding of the HIV disease and how to treat it. Although there are still some people who prejudice towards HIV positive people, I think that thanks to a better knowledge of the disease nowadays people don’t treat HIV positive people as bad as the used to. In this case, what changed was the understanding of the disease and the awareness built up to treat patients with dignity. 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I have been observing more closely if there are microagressions that happen in the school or other places where I work. I didn’t observed many microagressions, although I think they are more common among adults than between an adult and children. This week one teacher make the following comment to another teacher “why do you open the school door so early, you make us look unorganized.” She was implying that the teacher was unorganized and the tone of the comment was pretty aggressive.

I felt insulted and I think the comment was out of line. I knew the teacher who received the aggression felt very uncomfortable and attacked. I wish I could have an answer for this teacher who is constantly very aggressive with other teacers.

My observation this week has made more aware of people’s feelings and the way to treat people and children. I understood more people reactions and I tried to find solutions to their necessities without making inappropriate comments.

My family culture

My Family Culture

If I was evacuated to another country where the culture was totally different from mine, I would take: a) a frame of my family done with silver which is very common in Mexico, b) a jewelry box made with talavera which is a special type of pattern, and c) a Diego Rivera’s painting because he is a very well-known Mexican painter

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I would show others the objects and tell them that: a) the frame has a significant value for me because it has a picture of my family and it also represents a very common craft in my country, b) the jewelry box has a special value for me because I used to use them and it is also a typical craft of a state in my country, and c) a Diego Rivera’s painting because I always like his paintings and they represent specific traditions of my country.

I would feel disappointed and feel that something was take out from me and from my life. I would have to pick the one that has my family and Mexican culture on it, although the others have a lot related to my culture.

I think that as far as insights I would say that my family culture has more than my culture in general, and I think that I would have to get use the other country’s culture and then I would acquire other objects related to culture where I lived.

My supports

I think I’m a lucky person because I have a lot support from my family, colleagues, and friends in a daily basis. I receive a lot of emotional and monetary support from my husband, he’s always there for me when I have an issue and he helps me play the bills. Regarding practical support, I have a person that helps twice a week and she does laundry and cleans the house, she is a great help for me. My colleagues and co-workers are always there for me when I need advice or assistance in certain tasks.

First of all I think everybody needs help from somebody in order to get things accomplish. So I think it will be very difficult to achieve all my goals without the emotional, practical and technical support I receive everyday. I don’t think it will be impossible but it definitely will take me more time and extra efforts to achieve them.

It is difficult to imagine my life without these supports, and especially without these people in y life, both of parents passed away a few years ago and it was really difficult to get used to live without them, but eventually you move forward and cope with it.

The challenge I choose it is something it happened to me last year, I had a sprained ankle and had to use crutches for several weeks. The support I receive was that my husbands took me to the school and cheered me every day, my house help was great doing groceries for me and preparing food, and my colleagues help with materials and to move around the school more easily. I think that without these supports I would be able to get to school every day and do my daily activities.

My connections to play

The two quotes that summarize what play represented for me in my childhood are:

a)      “Play helps children weave together all the elements of life as they experience it.” (Almon, 2002)

b)      “Children do not play for a reward-praise, money, or food. They play because they like it.” (Wardle, 2010)

Essential play items for my younger self.

My mom was a kindergarten teacher, so she played with me in a very educational way. She used to teach my songs and play bingo or memory game. My aunt was a really important person in my childhood, and we used to play hide and seek, as well as hot and cold. I also used to play soccer with my neighbors, jump the rope, and chases with bikes or running.

Some of the play ideas that I mentioned before at not used at all today. Nowadays kids play with electronic items like iPads, or video games. It is not very common that kids have games and use them with their families. Most of the kids play by themselves, and sometimes with family members but they rarely get together with kids their age. I hope that kids could play in different ways without using electronic items, and they have an opportunity to have game nights with friends and family.

Play was very important to me when I was a child because it helped experience by myself issues I could encounter and solve problems when necessary. As an adult I really enjoy playing mostly mind games, and probing myself to complete a challenge.

Almon, K. (2002). The vital role of play in early childhood education. Gateways, 43. Retrieved from http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/pdf/BAPlayAlmon.pdf

Wardle, F. (n.d.). Play as curriculum. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=127