New Class

Test post for EDUC6358

Hopes and Goals

When considering working with a diverse population in the field of early childhood education, my hope is that one day, the need to teach anti-bias would be a reality--that everyone will view all persons just as they are, with total acceptance and love.

My goal is to continue to teach young children to do just that--one small group at a time. If I can help my students to be open and caring, and to befriend everyone regardless of race, or religion, or gender, or any of the other hundreds of labels designed to divide us, then I will consider my career as a teacher to have been successful.

Thank you to all of the students as well as Dr. Dartt who helped me to grow and learn this course. Also a huge thank you to my husband John, who has, for the length of this journey, helped pick up the slack around the house while I devoted time to my studies, and has given up spending time with me so that I could complete my many homework assignments. Without his support, I would have never made it this far!

Start Seeing Diversity Art

For my art project I am posting a collection of photographs of my students (and yes, their parents all signed photography waivers). Children see the beauty in each and every one of us, until someone teaches them otherwise. They don't judge each other by culture, or language, or gender, or skin color. They see friends--period. These kids are my inspiration each and every day.....

We Don't Say Those Words in Class

It's funny how the topics we discuss in class so often can be tied into what is going on in my life.

Just this week, a teacher was fired from our center causing major shifting of staff to make sure we meet all requirements. My co-teacher has been moved into the young preschoolers room, and the new hire--the school aged teacher--has been placed with me temporarily until we find a replacement for the young preschool room. Rhonda hasn't been with us very long--less than a month--and isn't familiar with my classroom or my teaching methods, so it has been a week of adjustment.

Anyway, our color of the week this week was brown. We did experiments on how to make the color brown, and went on scavenger hunts looking for brown items in our room. On Thursday, I told the kids that anyone who was wearing the color of the week should go line up. A few kids got into line, and then one child raised her hand and said "Miss Kathy!!! MY SKIN is brown and I am wearing my skin!!!" Miss Rhonda immediately said "We don't talk about our skin color. That's not nice." The little girl's face fell. I stated "Your skin IS brown Sophie, and that's the color of the week. You are right. You can get in line." At that point 3 other children in the class raised their hands to say their skin was brown too. Then a little boy said "I wish my skin was brown too!" I told him that his skin was just perfect for him and he was very handsome in it--and then pointed out his shoes were brown and he should go get in line. We continued to get in line by calling out different colors and went outside to play.

I later spoke with Miss Rhonda and explained that we don't brush aside the children's observations, but instead discuss them--on a level that they can understand--in an open and accepting manner. Miss Rhonda, who happens to be a woman of color herself, said she wished when she was growing up that more people spoke that way. She was always told to "Hush up" and "Don't be rude" when she asked questions about differences among people. She said that being told that always made her feel bad, like she had done something wrong just by asking a question.