Reflecting on Learning

My future for my professional career working with children will be a great one because I am speaking it into existence. I would hope to be able to be able to continue to break down the walls surrounding stereotypes, prejudices, and low self esteem. I hope to continue to build confidence in children and families to help them develop pride about themselves and the culture and/or traditions that make up who they are. Children can greatly make a difference in what this world can be if they are given every opportunity to explore the likes and differences between one another. To learn that being different is unique and a wonderful thing to be. I would like to take this time to wish all of my fellow classmates as Merry Christmas as well as much success in their future courses and careers. I hope that through this course we were able to develop a professional connection with one another that will continue to help us grow as Anti-Bias educators. Good Luck!

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

The region that I chose to focus on was the Eastern and Southern Africa region. I decided this based on the recent events of Ebola and the constant plague of HIV/AIDS that still affects are larger portion of this area. This area suffers from drought, floods, and political wars that affects the people who live in this area. In 1990 1 in 6 children died before the age of five but with the help of UNICEF that number has declined to 1 in 13. More than 40 % of child deaths are caused by pneumonia as well as under nutrition which is the biggest factor causing more than half of all deaths. More and more children are being vaccinated which helps to protect them from deadly diseases but there is still 13% who go unprotected every single year and more and more babies are being born. HIV/AIDS  affects 90% of pregnant women and with out medical care this disease can be passed to her unborn child.

I would discuss the events of this region in my classroom and I am sure some students would be saddened by this but it may help to bring some awareness to the those around them that children of other countries are suffering. We can have an open discussion about their advantages living in this country and how other children do not have those same privileges. Children care deeply about one another and I feel that their emotions can bring me and others back to the basics of just caring for others well being.

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/

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The Sexulaization of Early Childhood

I feel that this subject needs to be discussed heavily and at the same time I am almost feel that it is taboo to the words "sex" and "children" in the same sentence. In today's society everything we see is surrounded by sex because let's face it "sex sells". When it comes to the sake of young children we have to be able to step back and really look at the world through their eyes and see if we are putting sex at the headline of everything. Girls and boys constantly encounter messages and images that they cannot understand and that can confuse and even frighten them (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). One event that I can think of on a personal note is the annual Victoria Secret Fashion Show. This airs every year and has done so for the best 10 years more than likely if not more. Young women prance across the walkway in beautiful lingerie/pajamas that reveals all of their curves, flat stomachs, tight rear ends, and long lean legs. It gives the image of what society thinks sexy looks like. If most women are like me and I mean they could lose a few more pounds (or alot more due to children :) ), they be short, flat chested or big breast, and our backside is not our best side then this show does damage to our self image. What do you think young girl feel like? The image is showing that to be attractive you must look a certain way and that is not true. Young boys are taught that men hold power, they are the CEO's of company's, they wear Axe body spray, and drive luxury cars. Can all little boys really hold up to this image?

We are setting our children up for failure without even knowing it. We are making them change their body image to meet a criteria before they fully develop the mindset of who they are. Children are engaging in sexual activity at an earlier age. How often have I heard of a 13 year old girl being pregnant! Too often let me tell you. STDS and HIV are happening at such an alarming rate this is another indicator that sex is being displayed way too much. Children are engaging in conversations and activity that they have not learned how to process yet. A third example that is on a professional level is when I had an encounter with a 7 year old girl. She stated that her boyfriend was cute and his parents had three cars and he lived in a big house in their neighborhood. I asked her if her parents knew she had a "boyfriend" and she replied no that they started dating that day. It blew my mind that at the age of 7 this child had a boyfriend. I believe that we need to make a stand against this over stimulation of sex. As parents we need to monitor more closely what I children are watching, for example, Disney channel is not as child like as it used to be. We need to pay attention to the clothes we by and ask if we are helping to portray the image that society is showcasing. As professionals we need to be able to have an open positive discussion with parents if we hear or see anything alarming in reference to image that a child may be feeling. If we have the discussions early on it may help to benefit that child. Because of this course I am able to look at this issue with a different set of eyes and it has made a great impact on what I will allow my children to engage in. Children need to remain innocent as long as possible until they are able to make sense of the world around them.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Pratice

As an educator I would assume that we will all end up dealing with some very difficult points in our lives. Family and work can sometimes bring out some very stressful situations but we learn how to deal with issues and keep moving forward. When outside issues from society present themselves at your front door, how do you react? Family you can chose to ignore or face but society is something totally different. You don't have a personal connection with society like you do with family and work. In my years within my career the most difficult time I had ever faced was when my race and job title was questioned. I am an African American woman with a college degree and I supervise a group of 7 individuals. In my mind 7 is not a huge number but it was the race and sex of the 7 that I was questioned on. I had a relative of a client of mine become offended when he realized what position I held. Now mind you my client is an adult but she is was in need of family support so I asked her if there was someone close to her that she could call on if she needed anything. The next time we met she brought in her relative to meet me that way he could have a face when he heard my name. He was a nice gentleman, well dressed, and educated. To break the ice I informed him where I was originally from and where I went to school. He asked how long I had been with the agency and if I liked my line of work. As the conversation continued I spoke of my title and his faced changed immediately. He stated, "Wait a minute, so you supervise white men?" I was puzzled but answered "Yes I do". Before I could continue he chuckled to himself that he didn't think that I would be able to hold a position like this. When I asked why he thought that way he stated, "No offense I know that you have the educational background but a woman being the boss over a man seems backwards" My client's eyes were wide as she looked at me as if she was so embarassed. I tried not to become upset but I did and I had to excuse myself from the room for a minute.

If a parent would feel this way about you as a teacher than I am sure it would make it difficult to keep a straight face and level head. Children can sense tension and will often respond to situations like their parents or caregivers. If this would happen while working with a child I would more than likely ask the parents to meet for a conference where their concerns can be expressed and I can answer any questions they might have. Prejudice of any kind usually occurs when there is not enough information shared. Although this prejudices won't change over night or through one meeting I would hope to change their perception over the coming weeks.

Observing Communication

I was in Target earlier this week as usual picking up a few things for my house as well as getting a start on Christmas shopping. As I walked down each aisle grabbing what I needed I came across a lady and a young girl. The little girl was sitting in the shopping cart playing with a doll that resembled one of the characters from the Disney movie "Frozen". I could not tell if the lady pushing the cart was her mother but I just assumed it was someone close to the child. As the lady grabbed items off the shelf I noticed that she would address the child by name and then tell her what the item was she was placing in the cart. I did not think much of it at first but then I reflected on the assignment for this week. The child looked as if she was only 2 or 3 but she would try to repeat the name of the item as they went into the basket. I immediately refelected on the articles we read this week and I knew that this lady used her shopping experience as a teachable moment. In the media segment Lisa Kolbeck made a point to address both children by name as well as the animal they wanted to be during action play. Addressing the child by name helped them to understand that they were important to the conversation and what they had to say wanted to be heard. Children will engage in conversation if they know that they are important to what is going on and if there is someone there that will listen.



Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Communicating with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

For my Family Care Home Program I would choose to have it in a setting that looks like a home. I would greet the children every morning at the front door and ask their parents to join in the morning welcome activity. The children would place their items (jackets, change of clothes, etc) in a small cubby with their name. If I child were to become upset or afraid to seperate from the parent I would take that child and parent into the relaxation room. In the media segment Adriana had a room where the child was able to express their feelings and emotions. The child would be able to sit with the childcare worker and calm down on their own or read a book. I would try to imitate this same idea in the relaxation room. If the parent is able to stay around to help their child process the emotions then I would allow the parent and child to sit together while I or the other child care worker to sit next to them in the chair. Once the morning activity is done then I would move on to circle time where the children would be able to listen to a story or song. We would then discuss the activities for the day and the helpers would be named for snack time. Everyday the children names would be rotated in regards to helping for snack time. Parents would be allowed bring one item from home and the child will be able to explain what the item is and why it is important to them and their family.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: 

Start Seeing Diversity Video" Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

As a human being I believe we all have a right to happiness and we must respect that. In schools we teach about differences in race, culture, traditions, as religions, and I think that we should not exclude sexual orientation. I have come across a few children who have had parents of the same sex and I treated them as I would with any other child. Those who feel that books and material that include gay and lesbian individuals should be aware that at one point African American and Caucasians were not allowed to attend school together and look how much has changed. We have to be able to show children that we all have differences and unique qualities. Sexual orientation does not make us who we are, it is just apart of our lives. Excluding books about gay and lesbian will not make the issue go away because one day they will learn about it.

If a parent told me that they did want their child being taught by someone who self reported being homosexual I would explain that the teacher is only their to educate their child and not to push his beliefs of sexual orientation on them. He or she is certified in educating young children and that the parent is more than welcome to observe their child's interaction with that teacher if they still feel uncomfortable.