Evaluation

 Do we consider how others may view us? Do we assume that they way we view ourselves is the same way that others view us? These are questions that I ponder on often.

When I think about the differences and similarities between how I evaluated myself as a communicator and how my sister and colleague evaluated me, I am most surprised about how they both viewed me as a person that loves to speak out at group meetings. I am surprised because I am not comfortable with speaking in front of a small or large group of people. In fact, I usually sit in the back of group meetings, but I allow my voice to be heard when the opportunity presents itself.

Here are two insights I have learned about communication this week:

1. You never know how others may perceive you as a communicator
2. We decide how we want to communicate with others based on their appearance


Each of the insights bring awareness to my professional work and personal life. It is essential to be careful with verbal and nonverbal cues because others could take it out of context. I may assume that I am a positive communicator but others may perceive me differently based on my attitude and body language. Also, I must be very careful when judging others based on their appearance because this has had an affect on my communication skills in the past. It is important to communicate with everyone with fairness and with a positive attitude.

Communicating Differently

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from other groups and cultures?

Yes!

I find myself communicating differently with Caucasians. As an African American woman who grew up in a poverty environment, I was told that some whites believe that blacks are uneducated and guilty of being involved with criminal acts. For that reason, I feel that I have to prove that stereotype to be incorrect whenever I converse with a white person.

I find myself to be more of an attentive listener when I communicate with a white person. I also find myself using "big words" that I would never use while talking with family and friends. I smile more than usual because I want to eliminate the assumptions that black women have bad attitudes and are very angry people. I use less humor. In fact, I become a little nervous while communicating with Caucasians because I feel that I have to prove a point; which is very unfortunate.

So, what are three strategies that can help me to communicate more effectively with this race?

*Relax. People can tell when others are nervous. Try to find comfort and refrain from proving a point.
*Use humor. Use humor when the opportunity is presented. Let's face it, we all love to laugh. However, be careful to not offend anyone.
*Stop using "big words." This could really cause friction in communication. I can not assume that all white are comfortable with using these types of words in a relaxed setting. Also, I can not assume that all white people may know the meaning to those choice of words.

I need to relax more, geesh!

Bad Girls Club

A television show that I do not watch is Bad Girls Club. After I turned the sound off, I could tell that some good relationships were established between a few of the girls. They were laughing and smiling with each other. They were sharing food and used calm faces while conversing together in their bedrooms. I could also tell that the group who had a good relationship with each other did not like one of the girls in the house. They were rolling their eyes at the young lady and it appeared that they were yelling while throwing food at her.

I assumed that the characters were hostile and bullies based on observing them torturing the young lady. My assumptions were right as I witnessed three of the girls fighting on her. My assumptions would have still been correct even if I had watched a show that I knew well.  Reason being is that the way people display their nonverbal communication towards each other pretty much sums up the type of relationship they have.

My experience with watching this show was not a good one. I am really surprised that so much violence is being aired on television. I have learned that you can get an idea of a person's character just by watching their facial expressions and body languages.

A Fireman at Work

My boyfriend is a firefighter and is an excellent competent communicator within a particular context. He is often invited to speak at functions, events, and school environments. I have witnessed him communicate with children and teachers in a classroom setting. He was very relaxed and calm while speaking, as he smiled often and used direct eye contact.  He was very friendly and polite and used phrases such as, "that is a wonderful question," referring to the questions that were asked by children and teachers. He would sometimes use humor to keep the children engaged and focused on his topic.

I would love to model some of his communication behaviors. Reason being is that his politeness and friendliness kept everyone engaged on his topic. His eye contact was fluent and made everyone feel comfortable while using a calm voice. He was very professional while communicating with the students and teachers and was an effective listener. The students loved that their voices were heard during the question and answer portion and was even more excited that a fireman was willing to listen.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Being respectful and supportive are the hopes that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds. I want families to feel comfortable communicating with me regarding any topics. I aim to build great relationships with both children and their families. In addition, one goal that I would like to set for the early childhood education field is to prepare and train all professionals of the importance to be responsive to diverse backgrounds. It is essential to react swiftly to issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice.

To my colleagues and instructor, thank you for your effortless support. Each of you have influenced me in various ways and I am very thankful to have experienced this course with you. I wish the best for everyone and hope that you will achieve your goals.

Keep this in mind:

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." -Rabindranath Tagore

Shine Bright!

Welcoming a Family: Thailand

The population for children in different countries continues to grow rapidly in the U.S. For that reason, there is no surprise that I will be involved with diverse students during my journey as an early childhood professional.

I am going to imagine that I am a worker in the early childhood setting who has been notified that I will be working with a child who is from another country. The classroom is the early childhood setting I have chosen to work for and Thailand is the family's country. Here are the five ways I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

* Research the family's country. Learn the language they speak and how they communicate, activities they engage in, and the types of food they eat.
* Ask other professionals for their opinions and experiences about teaching diverse children. Find out their challenges and what strategies worked for them.
*Revisit personal biases. By doing so, this will allow me to provide the family with fair opportunities.
*Include pictures and activities in the classroom that are related to the family's country. This will bring comfort to the child and also awareness to the child's classmates.
*Set an appointment to speak with the family before hand. Understand what their goals are for their child.

I can only hope that this preparation can bring peace to myself and the family. I want them to feel comfortable, respected, and included. If the family feels comfortable, they may be motivated to communicate with me about anything and be involved in their child's education. I also hope that I can establish trust and a great relationship with the child and family. If the preparation shows to be successful, I will share them with professionals and other workers who work in an early childhood setting.

Prejudice

I have witnessed one of my friends as a target of prejudice. While enrolled in a graduate school in Missouri, I met a wonderful person by the name of Samantha. Samantha is Caucasian and is a very kind person. Whenever I needed help or guidance, she was always there to lend her support. One night, Samantha and I decided to go to a party. Once we were inside the party, I saw some of my classmates on the dance floor having a good time. As Samantha and I were walking towards them, I noticed they began to whisper and rolled their eyes. I pulled one of my classmates to the side and the conversation went as followed;

Me: What's wrong?
Kasey: Why did you bring her to this party? All of the white people in this town are racist and arrogant.
Me: No. She is very nice and so is her family.
Kasey: Well I don't like her and she looks stuck up anyway, but I guess you guys can hand around us.

After they continued to have a negative attitude towards her, we decided to leave and headed back to our dorm rooms. Fairness was indeed diminished in this incident.They formed an opinion about her without knowing who she really was. They did not try to get to know Samantha and judged her based off her appearance and skin color. They assumed that all white people were the same.

This incident brought a great deal of sadness to me. I could tell that Samantha was embarrassed and upset by the way my classmates treated her. We never really addressed the issue but at this point, I feel that we should have. In order for this incident to have changed into an opportunity for greater equity, my classmates would need a different mindset. They would have to change the way they think of others race and not judge others based on their skin color.

Question:

Do you think we did the right thing by leaving the party? Or should we have stayed and ignored the attitudes?