Communication and Collabortion in ECE

As soon as I read this blog assignment, I knew immediately who I was going to write about.  I have been working for the same company for the past 8 years and have always looked up to one person for their leadership.  Caryn demonstrates exceptional communication skills in regards to the field of early childhood.  She speaks clearly and confidently about the subject.  During discussions she listens intently, repeats her understanding of your point of view, and makes the environment feel safe for opening up during dialogue.  Caryn asks many questions during conversations to ensure her understanding as well as to involve you in the discussion.  She makes you think about your views and opinions and does not instill her own opinions upon you.  

I would very much like to be an effective communicator like Caryn.  She exudes confidence and makes all participants of a conversation feel at ease.  I am excited to gain some exceptional communication behaviors through this course as well as by learning though my peers.

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families that come from diverse backgrounds, the one hope that I have is that they are able to preserve their cultural identity in all settings.  When working with children and families, we encounter a wide range of cultures.  Maintaining their cultural identity is important for feeling valued and excepted.  

Because culture is complex, all educators need to be open to the fact that we are all different and learn to ask questions in order to open up cultural backgrounds.  Building awareness and valuing identity is critical to the world of education.  It is important not to make assumptions, but to promote equity and stand up against oppression and social injustice. 

I want to send out a huge thank you to all my colleagues.  It is through your posts and comments that I continue to grow in the field of education.  It has been a pleasure working with each of you over the last 8 weeks.  I look forward to having future classes with many of you.  Good luck to everyone as you continue your journey. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

    As the center director of a child care facility, I have been informed that a child of a family has recently emigrated from Africa and will be joining our group soon.  I only have a few weeks to prepare for the educational success of the child and to ensure the family is confident in my center’s ability to care for and educate their child competently. 

    As I prepare myself and my staff to be culturally responsive towards the family I take many precautions and steps to guarantee success.  The first step I would take is to educate myself and my staff in regards to what challenges the family may face as a result of moving to the USA.  There may be a language barrier, a feeling of loss of identity, fear of the unknown, and other countless struggles. 

Create a rich anti-bias learning environment is essential to all children’s success.  An environment needs to be one in which the new child joining our center can feel safe and secure.  The environment should be one that is full of opportunities for the children to discuss and engage in activities about racial and other physical differences and similarities. 

    I would compile a list of questions to ask the family once I had the opportunity to sit down with them about their fears and struggles as well as what opportunities they are most excited about or looking forward to as a result of moving. 

    Another step that I believe as critical in the preparation and in order to be culturally responsive towards this family is to foster a respectful relationship.  I would begin to foster the relationship by sitting down with the family and asking questions in regards to what is important to them for their child to experience in our care.  It is critical to collaborate with the family and ask clarifying questions in order to understand their goals and work together in order for success to occur. 

    The final step I would take is to have follow-up meetings/conferences with the family to ensure that they are satisfied with the care being provided and to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.  Follow up is always the key to success.

    I would hope that through the preparations taken prior to the family arriving and the actions taken once the family arrives that our center will be prepared to care for the whole-child and meet the family’s expectations.  The benefits for me and my staff that would come from these preparations are unlimited.  We would be able to gain a sense of Africa’s culture in order to make a new child feel more at ease entering a new environment.  We would also be able to showcase to the family how we integrate all family’s cultures, language, and identity into our classroom and curriculum.  The family will also experience many benefits through the preparation and interactions.  My hopes would be to show that family that we care about them as individuals and about the educational success of their child. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I was told my uncle was gay at a very young age.  I remember feeling uncomfortable about the information I was given due to the fact that being gay was so looked down upon.  I remember clearly one summer we took a vacation to see my uncle who lived in Florida.  On one occasion when we were out to eat with him and his partner, a man walk by our table and made several rude comments about how being gay was a sin and they should not be allowed to show affection in public.  The man stated additional comments that should never have been said, especially in the presence of a child. 

This display of hate diminished my uncle’s rights and equity.  My uncle and his partner have just as many rights to go out to eat dinner as anyone else.  The incident was very prejudice and was clear that gay rights were not where they are today.

I remember feeling very uncomfortable and scared during this confrontation.  I also felt a sense of sadness and began to understand the feelings of others on a deeper level.  This one incident made such an impact on me.  I cannot imagine how often of an occurrence this must have been for my uncle and the struggles he encountered to feel visible and validated.  

Everyone needs to become more aware and more educated of the differences of others.  In this particular case, the language that was used was very demeaning and derogatory.  Looking back, I do not feel that my uncle handled himself in a very positive manner either.   I think the situation could have been less elevated if he would have spoken calmly to the man and asked him to be considerate due to the fact that there was a child present.  Instead their voices were raised and it created an uneasy scene in the restaurant.