Expanded Learning

“I think... if it is true that 
there are as many minds as there 
are heads, then there are as many 
kinds of love as there are hearts.” 
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

I have learned so much about myself these past eight weeks, some information shocking in terms of biases that I had developed through hearing my own parents talk about other people and some insights regarding my own behavior as it pertained to those hidden biases.  Even if those thoughts are not verbally shared, one is still has bias and prejudice and until that is recognized one cannot move ahead to interact and work with individuals who are culturally, racially, linguistically, and sexually diverse.  I am working on getting to the root of those feelings I have as well as examining past and present behavior to see if my ideas have impacted other people in an adverse manner.  I hope to be able to free my mind of these types of negative thoughts and biases so that I can improve in my work and improve in my relationships with children and families.  With that said I must ask questions and do my homework if you will about people who are different so that I can gain greater understanding of their story as well as dispelling my own biases.

 

In terms of the early childhood education field those same principals apply and I would like to create a program for people like myself as well as teaching teams to have a safe environment so as to share their feelings and ideas about culturally diverse populations.  We need to be able to say to staff, “It is okay to have these thoughts, but it is not okay to act based on those biases”.  I would like to then assist staff with identifying important methods to working with families with diverse backgrounds. 

All of you have helped me grow and thrive during our time together; you have afforded me the opportunity to share personal information about myself and you have never judged me.  I have also learned much about all of you and have been able to gather from you useful, practical information that can be put into practice immediately.  I wish all of you the very best, and I look forward to future classes with all of you.

Artist

Distance

Standing, anticipating, yearning

So much desolation

So much abundance

So much affirmation

Can anyone see Me?

Pieces of me scatter, weave, journey

Pieces of you connect, isolate, encounter

How did we come to be?

Eyes welled up with tears

Excitement, delight, wonder

Pieces of me, pieces of you, multiply, bridge,

Sundered yet again

Resplendence fills my face

Discord drifts away

Sameness, peace, connection

Reaching, longing, together we journey

Growth, expansion, cultivation

Together we sculpted you

Pieces of me, pieces of you

Connect, melt, coalesce

Wide world; must I send you there?

Eyes welled up with tears

Fear, difference, the tether no longer holds

Splitting, tearing, fingertips retreating

Barrenness, darkness, solitude

Richness, promise, hope

The window is open

The heart is wide

This is a painting I did a few years ago, however it inspired me to write this poem about identity, diversity and parenthood.  

We Don't Say Those Words in Class...

There is 5-year-old boy with autism in my program.  Thomas has been in the program since he was two and developmentally he has not changed a great deal.  Thomas has no language, is unable to sit still, interact with the other children in the classroom and he loves pulling things off the shelf as well as banging objects on various surfaces.  When Thomas is walking around the classroom, he is moving his hands up and down, grunting in a singsong manner.  When Thomas does sit, his hands still move about, and he attempts to get close to the other children, hitting them with his hands as they exchange space.  On one particular day, one of the children said to her mom, “look, mommy, that’s Thomas, he’s bad because he hits us all the time”.  The parent ignored the comment, rather rushing her child out the building, grabbing the child’s hand leading her towards the door.  The other children heard her, but remained silent.  In situations like this ignorance is not bliss, but ignorance breeds more harmful ignorance.  I believe the parent did not know what to say or how to address her child regarding a child with a disability, however the fact that the statement was left unaddressed only re-affirmed what the child believed to be true but also perpetuated this idea that children with differing abilities are less than normal.  “A color blind approach that does not acknowledge” difference, “…teaches children that something is wrong with the differences they do see” (Wolpert, 2005). 

The teachers in the classroom decided to do a special circle time to discuss how we are all different, but how we are all the same.  The teachers decided to be “…proactive…to challenge bias…children are likely to be exposed to” (Wolpert, 2005).  The teaching team focused on communication and the methods by which we all communicate, focusing on the fact that although Thomas did not have language, he did use his hand to communicate; when Thomas reached out hitting the other children he was not trying to be hurtful or bad, but trying to make a connection with his peers.  The teachers further empowered the children by showing them ways they could help Thomas use gentle hands to communicate. 

The teachers believed in the social competence of the children and their “…ability to interact effectively and maintain positive relationships with others” (Han, 2010).  They sought to create an environment of trust not only for Thomas, but also for all the children in their care.  To further enhance the experience, the teaching team could have invited Thomas’ mom to the classroom so she could share information about Thomas and how she and her family communicate at home.  Parents are a wealth of information and should be utilized as a resource (Han, 2010).  In addition, the children could go on a trip and visit other children with disabilities, expanding their social focus towards a bigger existence, and helping them recognize “the existence of diverse cultural practices and diverse perspectives” (Wolpert, 2005).  Educators need to believe children are capable to talk about the things they visually see every day that call attention to differences. 

References

Han, S. H. (2010). Sociocultural influence on children’s social competence: A close look at kindergarten teachers’ beliefs. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 24, 80–96. Retrieved from http://find.galegroup.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/

Wolpert, E. (2005). [Video]. “Start Seeing Diversity: Race/Ethnicity”