Professional Hopes and Goals

     The hope that I have in working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is that we all stop judging based on physical characteristics without becoming attentive to others backgrounds, principles and ways of life.  As educators, we need to view each child’s individuality as an asset and continue to support them, and their families, to celebrate in the richness of their culture.

    

     A goal I have for the early childhood field relating to diversity, equity, and social justice is to use our dissimilarities as a tool to deepen our learning practices which will encompass everyone globally.  Everyone within the field should continually reflect and become awareness of their own biases, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values, and think of how these impact the way they interact with others. 

     As we conclude this course, I want to thank all of my colleagues for pushing, encouraging and aiding me in considering other points of view.  Through your kind words, I have been able step outside of my comfort zone and see through your lenses.  Thank you all for increasing my level of professionalism and I look forward to interacting with you again through our Walden educational journey. As we come to a close, I would like all to consider the fact that diversity is about all of us, and should emcompass each of us.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

     The country from which “my family” originated from is Brazil. The ways in which I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive toward this family and help them adjust to their new surrounds is

1.    Research and find out as much about the country, the traditions, routines, foods, and activities to ensure that they are comfortable within their new setting.

2.    Learn as much as I can about the culture and how diversity they respond to diversity, through the Brazilian Embassy.

3.    Contact a local Brazilian organization and speak to someone about my new family and their recommendations for making them feel content and at ease.

4.    To have a translator available to assist with any language barriers as well as learning a few useful words and phrases to make communication easier.

5.    Be open and convey to my new family that it is a new experience for us both and agree that it is a learning experience for us both.

     This country is particular known for its rich cultural diversity, so I would wish that through this incident my new family and I will benefit in that we have encountered lasting experiences that will make both families fortunate to have discovered and learned something meaningful and valuable.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

     A memory of an experience with involving bias, prejudice, and/or oppression is when I was working in another field and involved in the hiring process for a vacancy within our department.  The candidates had been narrowed down to just two, one white male and one black female.  As each candidate was interviewed, it was agreed that both candidates were highly qualified and ideal for possessing the attributes needed to manage a group of seven.  However, when conversing amongst the decision makers it was stated that the black female was very articulate and could handle the group of seven.  When I asked exactly what that comment meant, the individual stated that being the black female would be better at understanding and talking to the all black group of procurement agents. 

     This specific bias diminished equity verbally and through her behavior while feeling that the only person able to get along and manage the staff was one within the same race and of the same type.  This person’s prejudices and stereotypes were due to lack of knowledge and the reluctancy to get to know those within the group and what would be best for them.  Her belief was that only blacks should be managed by other blacks, who they can identify and relate to and this person being articulate was just icing on the cake.

     This specific prejudice evoked anger beyond belief that one could make such a statement and no one questioned her thinking process.  I knew and had experienced biases within my own life, and was not sure if the disrespect for others or the blatant comments affected me more.

     In order for this incident to turn into an opportunity of greater equity all individuals on the panel would have had to speak up and address the bias being spoken and exposed by the one panel member.  The qualifications and merits of both candidates could have been brought up and compared, not just skin color.  There could have been a dialogue amongst everyone, including the top executive as to their support for the right person where skin color did not make a difference.