Communication Idol

The person I think demonstrates effective communication is my supervisor. I feel that she is an effective communicator because she is always keeping us informed of what is going on, she makes herself available questions, is open suggestions, and gives great constructive criticism during evaluations (never once has her suggestions for improvement, made me feel like I am a bad teacher, unlike my previous supervisor). Also, she does not make assumptions, and makes sure she has all the facts first before talking to someone. She knows there are two sides to every story. I would definitely model some of my own communication behaviors after her because she has developed great, trusting relationships among her staff, and people are respectful of her. Two things I would like to do better.  

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I can learn from them, just as much as they can learn from me. I hope they can also have an open mind about the different backgrounds as I do, and that we can recognize each other's differences, and develop a respectful relationship.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to continue promoting equity and diversity in the classroom. We learned that children start to develop prejudice and bias at a young age, so if we can end these, then our children will help end discrimination in our world, and will then pass their knowledge onto their children and future generations.

I wanted to thanks all my colleagues for all the support and ideas you brought to the table throughout this class. I always enjoy learning from you, and hearing your personal stories. Hearing some of your stories about how people discriminated you broke my heart, and I don't understand how people can be so cruel sometimes. We all now have a better understanding about diversity and equity, and hopefully we can help end discrimination and prejudice in our world! Best of luck as we continue on this journey!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country of origin my family is coming from is China.

In order to prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family I will:

1)      Research information about China, their culture, religion, language, traditions, and foods, to get a better understand of the family and their culture they were accustomed to.

2)      Also, by researching information about their culture, I can incorporate toys, books, and other activities into my classroom lessons in order to make them feel comfortable, and also teach the other student about the new student’s family culture.

3)      Prepare information for them in Chinese in case they are not fluent in English, and have either a translator or technology, such as an iPad with a translation app, in order to communicate with the child and family.

4)      Arrange a time where I can visit them in their new home and they can show me some of their culture traditions and I can better understand their culture and see it firsthand.

5)      Have the family fill out a questionnaire in additional to get an even better idea about the family.

I am hoping that by making these preparations I am helping the family make their move to the United States easier, and feel more comfortable that I understand what they are going through, and trying not to make it so overwhelming. It will also show the family that I care, and thus hopefully be the first step in developing a good relationship with the family. I will benefit from this because I would have to learn more about a culture that I’m not too familiar with, and be able to incorporate this new culture into the classroom, and teach other children about them. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Teaching in a school district where there are many different types of culture, religion, and sexual orientation, I have seem many examples of bias, prejudice, and oppression. One example of prejudice that I have experience was when students make fun of my hearing. I often have students tell me I need hearing aides (before they know I have them) or tell me I have to turn them up. A lot of times I just a laugh it off, but sometimes it upsets me. They don't understand the concept that I have a heredity hearing loss and that they need to speak clearly to me instead of mumbling their words or speaking very softly. I get frustrated with myself when I have to have them repeat what they are saying or I saying something wrong because I fully didn't hear them. I also get embarrass. I know these are high school kids and I'm the adult, but sometimes, because of my hearing, they don't take me seriously or see me as a teaching authority figure.

In order to change this incident into an opportunity for greater equity, I would explain to the students hearing aide usage is on the rise because of all the loud music people listen to these days and with their headphones. Therefore, there are more people out there with hearing issues, but that doesn't make them less equal. I would tell the kids that we all have something wrong with us, but I don't make fun of them for it. We have to learn to respect people that are different from each other, and that next time they encounter someone who has hearing aides to speak slowly and clearly in order for the person to fully understand them, and to be patient with them, instead of making fun of them.