Professional Hopes and Goals

During the past 7 weeks as I studied Perspectives on Diversity and Equity,   I feel I have been provided a unique learning experience.  I found myself remembering many situations in my life that I honestly had not thought about in a long time. I also realized how things around me have changed over the years and also how I have changed in terms of diversity and equity.

            In this final post for  this class that helped me look more deeply at the challenges children and families face because of  intolerance and lack of cultural understanding, , it is my hope that through my work as a Head Start program administrator, I am able to make a difference in my community in the following ways : to provide a high quality program with staff that is culturally responsive in meeting the needs of all families, to investigate additional funding sources to provide services to more children,  and  to be more culturally responsive as I interact  with   my staff.

            In a more global sense, it is my hope that  the early childhood field continues to support the efforts around the world that are  addressing   the needs of children in those countries where expectations for children are very different from what we know as childhood in the United States.  It is my hope that advocacy efforts continue to bring social justice that will allow children all over the world to experience childhood and to experience positive educational experiences.

            Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues that have been a part of this learning experience for sharing their personal experiences related to diversity, equity and social justice. Also I appreciated the thoughtful feedback I received to posts I made to our discussions and my blog. I feel that this course, unlike any of the others I have taken on this journey to acquire my Master’s degree has had a personal and professional impact on me. 

 

           

Welcoming Families From Around the World

This assignment comes at an interesting time.  I enjoyed watching the Olympics this past week and reading some interesting stories about athletes from other countries.  One story that caught my attention involved the two women from Saudi Arabia who are the first to ever participate in the Olympics from their country.  Sara Attar participated in a track event and followed the tradition of being completely covered including a head covering called a hijab.  The other woman, Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani   who participated in judo did not.  This is being viewed as a huge step forward for women in Saudi Arabia as well as globally.

                 Having found detailed information on Saudi Arabia on the following website- http://www.everyculture.com, I decided to have my family originate from Saudi Arabia.  Their daughter will be entering my preschool class at a child care facility.  I would prepare for her arrival by in the following ways-

                1- I would learn more about the specific region of the country the family was from since I learned through my research of the country that there are four distinct regions and the lifestyles are different in each one.

                2. I would learn more about the dietary restrictions their culture and religion imposes to be sure to be mindful of this when preparing menus for the lunches served.

                3.  I would read more about the common practices concerning childrearing as related to parent child interactions and expectations.

                4. I would investigate the family’s level of comfort with English to determine if it would be appropriate to bring in a translator for their first visit to the center.

                5.  I would read more about the social etiquette especially concerning gender.  Having read about the Saudi views that are very evident even today concerning gender, I would try to be respectful of their beliefs in my interactions with the family.

                I think learning more about the Saudi Arabian culture in general would help me be prepared to handle some of the differences in a culturally responsive way and help the child and her family feel welcome and comfortable .

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

                Growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I remember clearly the scenes on the evening news of police brutality and race riots across our nation.  It was difficult to watch the treatment people were subjected to especially in the South.  In my community, there was no evidence of segregation and for the most part, there was equality for all.  As a child and even as an adolescent, I had a difficult time understanding what I was seeing.  Sadly, we didn’t discuss it as a family so I was left to try to figure it out on my own.   When I reached high school in the later 60’s, I gained a better understanding of the issues.  In my high school, there seemed to be equal opportunity for all students.  Interracial dating was unusual but it did occur.

                The segregation and unjust treatment of people of color completely diminished equity   which is what I feel led to the demonstrations and eventual riots.   Sadly, it was the only thing left to bring about desperately needed change in our society.

                As a young person watching these things on the news and not having conversations with my parents to help me understand what was happening, I was afraid and confused.  It was difficult to understand why people were treated so differently in other parts of our country. Reflecting back on this now, I realize that it was only when I learned about the issues in school that I found myself developing my own perspective on civil rights and the importance of equality.  That has remained with me throughout my life.

                As a country, those difficult times brought about necessary change.  The government adopted laws that protected all people from being treated so unjustly and proposed equality on all levels. While I know we have made tremendous progress over the past 50 years, as I have gained a deeper understanding of the issues related to diversity through this course and others I have had on this journey toward my Master’s degree.  I have come to realize we are not completely there yet. There are still groups within our country that are subjected to bias, prejudice and oppression in varying degrees. As an early childhood professional, I feel I have a responsibility to the staff I work with, the children and their families to be culturally responsive and respectful of all people and accepting of the elements of their social identity that may be different from mine.