Professional Hopes and Goals

First and foremost I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your continued support as I move throughout this program with you.  Having your insights have given me new knowledge on how to make professional goals and different aspects to becoming a positive role model for children.  I look forward to working with all of you in the next course.

A goal that I would like to set for my career in the early childhood field related to diversity, equity, and social justice:

I will make all families and children feel welcome and secure in the education setting in which we are in (classroom, center, etc.).  I will ensure that all families feel like part of the family and welcome their culture into our learning community. 

One hope that I have for working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds:

  I hope that I can eliminate any form of micoraggressions that I may have, subconscious or conscious, and welcome any child into my classroom.  I want my community to be positive and I hope that every family and child that I work with feels the warmth and a sense of belonging in my community.  I also hope to learn about the many cultures that will be coming to me.  

My family is from the country of Egypt.

At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family (child care setting)

1.       Ask how the family handles rewards/consequences for behavior.

2.       Get to know the family and child (children) through discussions.  Ask questions about family, culture, heritage, and traditions. 

3.       Include the family in a visit to the classroom to observe how culture is integrated into the daily work of the children. 

4.       Explain rules/procedures/consequences to the family and express the importance of justice to the parents.

5.       Before the family arrives, talk to the other students and families about the new family joining our mini society.  Give a brief history of the country from what I know and have researched.

6.       Inform the family that they are welcome at any time to share artifacts that relate to what we are doing in class.

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family

With these preparations, I hope that the family will feel welcomed and comfortable to be included in our mini society.  We have created a classroom of productive members of society in which they are accepting of all.  I hope that this family will feel the warmth and ease into the transition of their move to this country.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Opression

An incident of bias that I can recall was in my orientation class with an African American professor.  This was a full class with new students and it was a mixture of all races.  This particular teacher though was very biased towards students of African American descent.  At first I brushed it off as a personality conflict and I was being overly sensitive.  However as the course progressed, the teacher became more aggressive towards the rest of the students in the class.  She became insulting and extremely mean towards us.  However, the African American students were always talking with her before and after class, she spoke "their language" and would never make them turn in work or if they did it could be late.  

  We were not treated equally for the entire course; fifteen weeks of this discrimination.  At first I was angry, then I became sad because here is an adult that is a role model and educating children and she is exhibiting biased behaviors.  There was a great group of adults for this woman to work with and get to know, but she refused because we did not fit in with her.  

  In order for this incident to turn into an opportunity of greater equity, this teacher would have to change her view point on people of other races and cultures.  Her biases could be relayed to the other adults in the room and reinforce negative behaviors.  If she could change her thoughts and views, then perhaps she would be open and meet new people and gain new insight to the world.