Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have for diverse families is that all families receive the highest quality education for all their children through respect and advocacy from educators.

One goal I have as an early childhood educator is to provide the highest quality education and to be an advocate for all families.

I woud like to personally thank  everyone for their contribution to my blog.  I look forward to working with all of you in the future.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I would prepare to welcome a child and family from Australia.  I have never worked with a child or family from this part of the world.  Therefore, I would prepare by:

1.    Researching the country

2.    Researching the language

3.    Learning about the culture

4.    Gathering facts about customs and the country

5.    Learning about the culture, religion, and beliefs of the family.

 

 

I believe that preparing to work with the family will help me to establish strategies for communicating with and working with the family.  Understanding the cultural background, values, and beliefs of the family will enable me to establish a productive relationship with the family.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

In one personal experience, I was the target of bias and prejudice.  I was about twenty years old when I tried to get my first apartment.  The day I went to get the apartment, I was very excited about getting my own place.  I had talked with the manager on the phone, and was told to bring a security deposit and one month's rent.  The manager scheduled the meeting at three o'clock and I was there on time.  When the manager saw that I was an African American, he told me that no apartments were available.  I complained that I was told that there were three apartments open.  Finally, the manager stated that the tenants do not want "you people" in the apartments and it would be best for me to go somewhere else.

This was a common practice in Mississippi, so I did not pursue a case.  If I had done so, the manager would have said that my credit was not good enough or the apartments had been rented before I came.  In this type of situation, the manager would have to change for the situation to be positive. The manager was racist and his attitude was negative toward African Americans.  Thankfully, this does not occur in my hometown anymore.  People are less prejudiced and the laws ensure equity in housing.  However, this incident haunted me for years, and made me feel like less than a citizen.