I think that as a early childhood educator we experience and see "isms" within our classroom from parents and our students. However, what gets me is the parents that show these prejudice and bias in front of their children. I taught inclusion for four years. I can remeber the second year of teachign inclusion, had a parent of a student who did not want her child in the inclusion class, because she thouhgt that I would"water down" the lessons. This really bothered me in more than one way. First, I wanted her to know that i did not water down any information given. I reassured her that I had high expectations for each student. Second i wanted the parent to understand that her child would learn compassion and understanding from someone who is different and learns things in a different way.
I think that s an ealry childhood educator, sometimes it is hard to be the one in control when issues arise. We must remember that each person has thier own way of thinking. However, when people as the parent from above learn something new it s a great expereince for all.
Joy,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that everyone has their own perspective that influences everyone around them. I often feel that parents don't realize that they use stereotypes in front of their children. Teaching others to be self-reflective and think before they say something can be difficult. It always reminds me of one of my Walden classes in which we learned micro-aggression. Sometimes we offend others without meaning to.
Hi Joy,
ReplyDeleteAs an early childhood professional, we need to be aware of all the families we serve. Sometimes what is normal to us made be very uncomfortable for someone else. I feel that it's important for us to recognize and listen to families concerns and reassure them we want to do what's best for all of our students. I liked your comment stating that you would like for the children to learn from one another. That is a valuable lesson for everyone.