Reflecting on Learning

During these past 8 weeks, I have really learned a lot about anti-bias education.  How useful it is in the classroom, formulating goals, establishing communication, strategies when working with diverse children (culture, language and economic class), and how to communicate with children about abilities and disabilities.  The most adorning goal I have is communicating with families and providing them with a safe and comfortable environment in the classroom.  I want to be able to show them how breathtaking it is when appreciating our differences.  Diversity is human attributes, such as race, gender, color, religion, age, and disability in which our children need to understand and recognize the differences.  As educators, we have to find a way to improve education for all our children and on the other hand, promoting admiration for each of us as individuals.

I would like to take this time out and thank my colleagues for taking the time out to read my discussions and blog posts.  I would also like to thank Dr. Pickens for commenting on my discussions and giving me feedback after grading.  It has been a pleasure to provide examples and how to include anti-bias in the classroom and I hope you all have found something informative from each other and I wish everyone the best in whatever endeavor. 

“You cannot help someone get up a hill without getting closer to the top yourself.”

- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

Early Emotional Development

I choose to further examine the West and Central Africa region on the UNICEF overview website.  This is one of the regions I have heard a lot about and want to learn more about.  Some of the countries included in this region would be Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo (UNICEF,n.d.)

Some of the challenges the children face in this region would be poverty, in which half of the population lives below the poverty line.  As we notice on television, where children are shown from Africa are hungry and sick.  More that 40% of girls and 30% of boys are not in school, which mean more children without schooling opportunities.  HIV/AIDS is another challenge in West and Central Africa where nearly 1/3 of the 25 million people in Sub Saharan Africa living with HIV.  According to UNICEF, in 2005, 170,000 child deaths were due to AIDS; 1.3 million children are in need of pediatric care and 600,000 women are pregnant with HIV+ and yet only 1.3% receives antiretroviral drugs to prevent the spread (UNICEF, n.d.)  

Many children that live in West and Central Africa is watching their hopes and dream crumble, because many of their family members and teachers has this devastated disease, AIDS.  There are many organizations working together to help the government in this country to put children on the policy agenda.  As an educator we all know that children are at risk and experience problems when having to take on the role of taking care of their parent or sibling with HIV. 

It’s very heart breaking to look and read about the innocent children and their parents caught up in the hardship in Africa.  It’s so very shocking when I hear about violence and sickness going on in Africa, despite alI  the up to date technology and knowledge we have.  I am so thankful to have clean water, food, shelter, and medical care.  As an early childhood educator, I feel very happy to teach my children about what’s going on in other countries, how we are so bless with many things. 

                                                          

                                    Reference:

UNICEF-Children of West and Central Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org

THE SEXUALIZATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

Sexualization of early childhood is one of the most complicated issues that touch the lives of our young children.  This is something that is not taught in the classroom and surely wouldn’t be found in a curriculum.  In today’s society, as educators we encounter more and more issues of homosexuality (gay/lesbian families; masculinity in a child’s sex role; or dealing with aspects of femininity/masculinity) and that’s something we have to deal with.  There are biases in the classroom, children considered to be tomboy or sissies by other children and we must be there to handle such a situation of harassment.  Classrooms are full of children that have to challenge the negative remarks and bullying and we wonder why so much is happening in the class.  

I have a little girl in the classroom and she has a sister in the middle school, around the age of thirteen.  On this particular day, Judy comes to me and told me that her sister had a 13^th birthday party.  She said Ms. Adams, you should have been there, the girls had tiny skirts on and wearing makeup.  This party also included boys that were much older and very little parent involvement.  She saw the boys touching the girls, standing to close, and some even trying to look under their skirts. I listen to some parents when they make the statement, “our children know they are growing up fast”, I wonder why?

Another example that illustrates the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment would be the language I hear boy and girls talk in and out the classroom.  This six year old girl amazed me when she used the sex word and I always say be careful what you say and do around children.  She begin to walk down the hall and as I stood to the side and watched her she quickly grab a little boy penis. I came forward and asked her why she did she do that and she responded because it was on TV.  I pulled her to the side and told her not to do it anymore; she’s just a child and act like one. Many children are exposed to sexual messages through the media, cultures and parents.

The third example comes when me and my best friend was out for lunch, along with her two year old son.  While sitting at the table and looking over the menu, her baby starts to cry and she knew he was hungry.  She gradually pulls her blouse up and put a cover over her breast and let her baby suck her milk.  The two year old starts to star and looks at her and looks back down at the baby covered up and sucking the breast.  He gradually and slowly pulls up the shirt, because he becomes aware that something is going on under there.  This is very normal with a little child being curious and looking at his mother finding a way to sooth his brother crying.

I noticed there are kids that expose themselves to television and radio and that’s the way they value themselves.  Many develop low self-esteem, don’t care about anyone else, and don’t respect each other with bad language.  There are many ways you can help students struggle with this kind of sexual communication.  The school district has a policy for children to wear uniforms every day, from elementary to high school.  For this reason, one child can’t be jealous of the other about the clothing they’re wearing and this also help the little girls when they’re out playing and don’t have to worry about playing on the monkey bar or slide. 

Another idea would be to add such gender roles into the school curriculum.  We should be able to ensure that the parents become involved and more importantly, is able to open up and communicate whenever needed.  As an educator, we need to talk openly to our children about a caring relationship and make sure they are provided with age-appropriate material that will help them explore in a safe environment.  There is so much negative and sexual advances in the media today and as a whole.

Ways in which my awareness of the sexualization of early childhood has been influenced by study the topic this week would be I’m really not surprised about this over-sexualized world.  When I was growing up, I could hear songs by Prince and other music artists and would sing alone without a care in the world.  But this topic has really influenced my way of viewing myself in the world and the upbringing of children today.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Some way or the other we will or have experience “ism(s)” in our life, either through racism, classism, sexism, or other.  I get so angry and feel rejected when I feel as though I’m being discriminated against. Living and growing up in the South, there are always days when you are discriminated against, in the grocery store, mall, or work.  About three months ago, around the holidays I was helping out at a local day care center in which black and white children attend.  I was a fill in for a lady that was out sick, I overheard one white lady say “who is that?” and “I hope she don’t be here all the time?” as she brought her grandchild to the center.  That kind of statement made me feel as though I was in the wrong place and around the wrong type of people.  I know it’s hard to deal with certain situations, but it’s also hard trying to hold your tongue in your mouth; she didn’t know me and I didn’t know her.  I had to stop and think and bring myself back to reality, not knowing that many people intentionally say things to hurt people feelings.  I did bring it to the attention of the supervisor that was on duty at the time and she spoke with the lady. 

 I look at us as being all equal, but some look at us as being less worthy and this can affect our sense of self.

As stated in the text, young children also show signs of absorbing whatever societal norms, stereotypes, and biases surround them concerning various aspects of their own and others’ identities (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  So let’s be mindful and careful about what comes out of our mouth, remember children do listen.

                                                   Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and

Ourselves, NAEYC. Washington, DC.