I love this quote and wanted to share it...
"Teachers cannot hope to begin to understand who sits before them unless they can connect with the families and communities from which their children come. To do that it is vital that teachers and teacher educators explore their own beliefs and attitudes about non-white and non-middle-class people."
—Lisa Delpit
Other People’s Children
I work with children and families from diverse backgrounds teaching in Head Start. I have come to realize through this course how it is even more important to embrace all the cultures we come in contact with. My goal is to rethink different assumptions through the eyes of all the people who come from that cultural background. I also want to go the extra mile and make my classroom full of different items which represent the childrens culture.
My goal as an early childhood educator in regard to social justice and equity is to keep working in programs like Head Start which target low income populations. Many of these children are ELL, EI children, and are lacking in social emotional development. With these type of early childhood programs the children do have the chance to get ready for kindergarten and have a jumpstart on education. These programs are needed for equity and to give all children the chance they deserve.
Thank you for all your support and interaction through this course. I have appreciated learning with you and hope to see you in future classes!
We have to remember that we have to embrace each other's culture. We also have to respect each other's values and beliefs. I'm sure you will reach your goal by giving children their opportunity and giving them what they deserve.
ReplyDeleteAlissa and Vinson,
ReplyDeleteWe have to remember that we all want to be loved and accepted. Children are the exact same way. When we embrace each other and everything that comes along with the individual, we are proving that we respect people for who they are and not for who we want them to be.
There have been several classes where I have taken the information that I've learned and trained my staff accordingly. The materials in this course will definitely be used to train my teachers on the effectiveness of being culturally diverse and creating and environment where all children and families are treated equally with the upmost respect.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us throughout this class.
Hi Alissa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the quote. We never fully relate to another culture but the more knowledge we have about it helps us to better understand the families and gives us insights into their culture. We are not perfect but the fact that we are partnering with them on behalf of their child will go along way in creating a welcoming environment for them.