One hope I have when I think about
working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is to
always have an open mind and heart and to always focus on the whole child. “Young
children need caring adults to help them construct a positive sense of self and
respectful understanding of others (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p.11).
As an early childhood professional I have the opportunity to help children
flourish while finding their own unique strengths and identity. I want every
child in my classroom to feel as if he/she belongs, is respected, and is valued.
We can all learn from each other. I want my children to know that they are okay
“just the way they are”.
Goal
One goal
I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of
diversity, equity, and social justice is to be an advocate for early childhood
professionals. We all should be provided with “a way to examine and transform
our understanding of children’s lives and also do self-reflective work to more
deeply understand our own lives” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 2).
This course has taught me that self-reflection is a way to stop and look deep
within our inner core to learn about our own biases and how they formed as we
proceed on our journey of being effective anti-bias educators. “Ultimately, the most important thing we bring
to our teaching is who we are. Deepening our understanding of who we are now
and how we came to be that person is at the heart of becoming a strong
anti-bias teacher” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 22). As early
childhood professionals we have the power to shape young minds. This power is a
tremendous responsibility and one that should be taken seriously. “To teach is
to touch a life, forever.”
Thank-you
I would
like to thank all my colleagues for sharing experiences, beliefs, and opinions
during this eight-week course. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you
through blogs and discussion board postings. Your professionalism and commitment to the
early childhood field is evident. Reading your blogs and discussions encouraged
me to reflect on the course materials along with my own personal experiences.
Thank you for allowing me to learn alongside you during this course. I wish you
all the best of luck as you continue on in your Master’s program and
profession!
References
Derman-Sparks,
L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias
education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Hello Staci,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, we as early childhood professionals can shape young children’s minds in a diverse world. We together, can make it happen. I wish you good luck on your future. I created a “Wordle” last week by using a word art website. The link is attached below.
https://wordart.com/
Purvi M
Staci,
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head when you said children need to know that they are appreciated for the way they are. I hope to be an effective and positive influence in the lives of children with all the knowledge I have gained in this program thus far. I wish you well in future courses!
Cynthia
Staci,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading on your goals for the early childhood field as well as your hopes. Being that we are educators in the field it is very important o self reflect it betters our own understanding of children and allows us to grow ourselves from the children and learn new ways to help with their growth and development because we do have the power to change a child's life. Thank you for sharing and I wish you the best of luck in your future courses and beyond.
Staci,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading on your goals for the early childhood field as well as your hopes. Being that we are educators in the field it is very important o self reflect it betters our own understanding of children and allows us to grow ourselves from the children and learn new ways to help with their growth and development because we do have the power to change a child's life. Thank you for sharing and I wish you the best of luck in your future courses and beyond.