Final Thoughts

Is it that time already?? Time sure does fly when you are having fun!

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is eliminating any biases that will effect my work as a professional. I now understand the significance of reflecting on my personal biases and finding ways to overcome them. Also, one goal I would like to set for the early childhood field is for all professionals to present fairness and treat everyone equally. We often stereotype others based off thoughts of family and friends. The media and society play a huge role as well.

Lastly, I would like to thank each of my colleagues for your inspiring words on my blog and discussion post. Each of you are very strong individuals and I hope that you continue to work towards giving our children the best education possible.

Photo Collage

In this course, I have learned a great deal of valuable information about bias and how it affects children's identities. I will share the key highlights in a photo collage:

In the media segment, we heard how Tina 's thoughts about race was influenced by her family. Her parents did not approve of her interacting with children of color and she could not understand why.

Because of this, Tina was left confused. This interfered with her later in life, as she used a term that was disrespectful to the African American race.

Also, in the media segment, I was very touched by Quinn's story. His father abused him often, leaving him with emotional scars that could last a lifetime. Because of his abuse, Quinn's behavior begin to change and he became very violent. Children who experience child abuse struggle with low self-esteem and a profound "sense of inner badness," which often leads the child to engage in behavior that is not congruent with true self (Reyome, 2010, p. 225).

Quinn mentioned that the abuse left him lonely and afraid. I am sure Quinn felt that he was alone in the world and unprotected.

I have comprehended that young children's book can be very bias. These books rarely show images of African Americans as heroes/heroines. The books also depict beautiful people as nice and unattractive people are shown to be evil. 

Another key highlight for me is the importance of defining family. We define family as any relatively stable group of people bound by ties of blood, marriage, adoption, or by any sexually expressive relationship; or who simply live together, and who are committed to and provide each other with economic and emotional support (Schwartz & Scott, 2007, p. 3). I learned that many families are diverse and have close relationships with people who are not blood related.  It is important to respect the people who children consider family. 

                                                                      References

Reyome, N. D. (2010). Childhood emotional maltreatment and later intimate relationships: Themes from the empirical literature. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19, 224–242.

Schwartz, M. A., & Scott, B. M. (2007). Marriages and families: Diversity and change (5th

             ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Don't Say Those Words!

I can recall when I silenced one of my nephews because of a question that he asked concerning someone. He asked, "Why is that little girl so fat?" I blurted with anger, "Be quiet and do not say anything else!" I was upset and embarrassed by his question because the little girl was watching him, as he began to point his finger at her. After watching him pointing at her, she held her head down with sadness. I believe the messages that he received from my response included: that was not a good question to ask, I should keep my comments to myself, never question why a child is a certain size, and I can get in trouble if I ask the wrong questions. Looking back at it now, I should not have responded that way.

I believe one way an anti-bias educator could respond to this situation is by explaining to the child the affects this could have on the person being talked about. For instance, the educator could tell the child or class that asking a question out loud about their peers' differences could hurt their feelings. The educator could also explain that this could cause the child to have self-esteem issues and distance themselves from everyone. Also, I think it would be wise for the educator to include that all children are shaped differently and should be accepted and treated with fairness. 

I believe responding in a positive manner will build relationships among teachers and students and they will be comfortable asking questions that they may not feel they could ask their parents. Edelman (2004) stated that, "A relationship-based organization is one in which quality relationships characterized by trust, support, and growth exist among and between staff, parents, and children; these relationships form the foundation for all the work that is done," p. 7).

                                                             Reference

Edelman, L. (2004). A relationship-based approach to early intervention. Resources and Connections,   3(2). Retrieved from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms/data/resource/1144/A%20Relationship-                  based%20Approach%20to%20Early%20Intervention.pdf