This week our assignment revolved around microaggressions and the unintentional consequences they can have on others. As a grade school student I experienced a microaggression toward one of my best friends who was handicapped. He was often treated differently in scenarios dealing with is mental capabilities, when in reality, he was very intelligent and probably smarter than most of his fellow classmates. I remember people treating him like he had a mental disability even though he had a physical disability. This made me aware of people's misconceptions and how they can negatively affect people.
This week I learned that prejudice occurs in many aspects of life and can come in many forms. It is not always easily to identify and can be unconscious or conscious behaviors. This makes it difficult to try and create a "perfect" learning environment for students. There will be children who grow up with prejudice parents and the prejudice becomes a learned thing in a child's life. We must try to create understanding and equality through practice.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Defining Culture through Another's Eyes
This week we were supposed to call or speak with at least three friends, family members, acquaintances, and/or colleagues about their definitions of culture and diversity. The three people I chose to speak with were 1. my best friend who teaches 2nd grade (age 27, female), 2. my boyfriends mother who ran daycares for over 45 years and 3. my good friend who works for a daycare in Asheville, NC where I currently live.
The aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied and were part of my discussions was the growth of cultural diversity among our classrooms today. For example, my boyfriends mother spoke with me about how she has seen the demographics of early childhood programs shift over the years. It was very interesting to speak with someone who has been so involved in their community for so many years and has seen the changes.
One aspect that was missing was the resources that are available to deal properly with diverse children's' programs. My friend in Asheville spoke of the difficulty she had at times because the director is very busy and has limited time to actively reach out and communicate with individuals. I think this makes it very difficult for a program to run smoothly, however with standards and guidelines that need to be met it is hard to delegate duties effectively at times.
One way thinking about other people's definitions of diversity has influenced my own thinking is that I see how it depends a lot on the community in which you work, the demographics in that community, and the resources that are available to educators and programs. Time seems to be a difficult factor when dealing with a classroom of students and one or two instructors. There is a lack of time to become the professionals we strive to be and more demand of duties and responsibilities than the time to do so.
The aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied and were part of my discussions was the growth of cultural diversity among our classrooms today. For example, my boyfriends mother spoke with me about how she has seen the demographics of early childhood programs shift over the years. It was very interesting to speak with someone who has been so involved in their community for so many years and has seen the changes.
One aspect that was missing was the resources that are available to deal properly with diverse children's' programs. My friend in Asheville spoke of the difficulty she had at times because the director is very busy and has limited time to actively reach out and communicate with individuals. I think this makes it very difficult for a program to run smoothly, however with standards and guidelines that need to be met it is hard to delegate duties effectively at times.
One way thinking about other people's definitions of diversity has influenced my own thinking is that I see how it depends a lot on the community in which you work, the demographics in that community, and the resources that are available to educators and programs. Time seems to be a difficult factor when dealing with a classroom of students and one or two instructors. There is a lack of time to become the professionals we strive to be and more demand of duties and responsibilities than the time to do so.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
My Family Culture: The Beginnings
This week I am starting a new class for my Master's program in Early Childhood Studies. This class is about studying diversity. To begin, the first two weeks we have taken a look at our social identities and our family cultures. Family culture is something that I personally hold dear to my heart because it has made me the successful and caring person I am today.
This blog post is about if some catastrophic event happened and we could only bring 3 items with us that represent our family culture. To begin...my three items would be:
1. My grandmothers, my father's mother, ring that I inherited upon her death. This item is important to me because it is one of the only things I have that connects me to my now deceased grandmother besides my wonderful memories. The ring is beautiful and vintage. There is an Opal in the center that reflects light beautifully and every time I wear it I remember all of the memories growing up of the love she showed my siblings and I, the wonderful meals we cooked, picking apples, veggies, and flowers from her garden, and many many more enjoyable memories!
2. The picture of my entire family in front of the house my mother grew up in Cabin Creek, WV. This is important to me because it reflects a large part of why I am the way I am today. My grandfather ran a coal mine when my mother and her siblings were growing up. We recently went as a family (all 27 of my cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers and sister, and grandparents) and saw the house. We took a picture in front and I hold it so very dear to me because it represents the foundation of family that has been instilled in me since I was a child. My grandparents have always made sure we stay connected and build relationships that last a lifetime.
3. A dish (that I fill with trinkets and such) that I found in my mom's mother's house. This is special to me because I was perusing my grandmothers house one day for no particular reason and came upon this lovely little dish. I went and asked her if it was significant to her and she said she would love for me to have it. It is a reminder of her simple, sweet heart and how much love she has given to my family. She gives her time and commitment to those less fortunate and is always thinking of others and having just one thing that she cherished means so much to me.
If I was told upon arrival to this foreign place that I could keep only one item I would be sad, however I realize that the memories and the person I am are the most important part of family culture. Material possessions are nice reminders and signify a lot, but it is what we hold in our hearts that is the most important.
One insight I gained was how much I appreciate my family and how much I wish and hope for every child to have at least one person in their lives who mean as much to me as the HUGE family that I have. I realize that this is why I enjoy early childhood studies and education and reminds me that I am in the right profession and doing the right thing for me and my life.
This blog post is about if some catastrophic event happened and we could only bring 3 items with us that represent our family culture. To begin...my three items would be:
1. My grandmothers, my father's mother, ring that I inherited upon her death. This item is important to me because it is one of the only things I have that connects me to my now deceased grandmother besides my wonderful memories. The ring is beautiful and vintage. There is an Opal in the center that reflects light beautifully and every time I wear it I remember all of the memories growing up of the love she showed my siblings and I, the wonderful meals we cooked, picking apples, veggies, and flowers from her garden, and many many more enjoyable memories!
2. The picture of my entire family in front of the house my mother grew up in Cabin Creek, WV. This is important to me because it reflects a large part of why I am the way I am today. My grandfather ran a coal mine when my mother and her siblings were growing up. We recently went as a family (all 27 of my cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers and sister, and grandparents) and saw the house. We took a picture in front and I hold it so very dear to me because it represents the foundation of family that has been instilled in me since I was a child. My grandparents have always made sure we stay connected and build relationships that last a lifetime.
3. A dish (that I fill with trinkets and such) that I found in my mom's mother's house. This is special to me because I was perusing my grandmothers house one day for no particular reason and came upon this lovely little dish. I went and asked her if it was significant to her and she said she would love for me to have it. It is a reminder of her simple, sweet heart and how much love she has given to my family. She gives her time and commitment to those less fortunate and is always thinking of others and having just one thing that she cherished means so much to me.
If I was told upon arrival to this foreign place that I could keep only one item I would be sad, however I realize that the memories and the person I am are the most important part of family culture. Material possessions are nice reminders and signify a lot, but it is what we hold in our hearts that is the most important.
One insight I gained was how much I appreciate my family and how much I wish and hope for every child to have at least one person in their lives who mean as much to me as the HUGE family that I have. I realize that this is why I enjoy early childhood studies and education and reminds me that I am in the right profession and doing the right thing for me and my life.
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