As an Anti-bias Edcuator

 As an Anti-bias educator, I hope that I make every child and his or her family feel that that have  gotton a wonderful school experience. I want the child and family to feel that they were a part of something that will help change their feeling toward education. I want to make the child and family feel proud of their hertiage, culture and most important of who they are within our society.

 I want to  THANK all of you for such wonderful information.  As we come to the end of our journey for our Masters I want to wish each and every one of you the best  in  your future edcuational plans. I hope to keep in touch.
 THANKS AGAIN
 Joy

Emotional Distress in Africa

 I chose to  search West and Central Africa. The children here are in great emotional distress every day. There is sickness ranging from malaria , AIDS, to  preventable diseases like measels. The children here are under fed due to lack of food. There  is also child trafficking and child labor. Sad but children are force to particpate in war activitities.
 The  Challenges these children face are horrible. They are not vaccinated with the child vaccines to prevent childhood disease. They  lose family members due to AIDS, war and malnutrition. The emotional  damage could have lfe long issues. MAny of the children especially the girls are not allowed  to go to school and sometimes if they go to schoo, they could be sexually assaulted.
 In America we are constantly complaining about  our nation, however, I beleieve that we live in a great nation. As I viewed, this information, I find myself  very thankful yet sadden for the children in Africa. I think as an educator, I should  discuss this issue with my fellow teachers  to make sure that are  children are safe within our community and school.

Children Growing up too fast

  I was very shocked as I read the scenarios in the So Sexy So Soon byLevin and kilborne. I totally agree with the statement that our children are growing up and turning into sex symbols at a very young age. As a teacher I see many examples of this within our school system.   I see young girls in second and thrid grade wearing veryshort skirts to school. This is also a major problem within our highschool. However, I know teachers who dress a little flirty  to be working at school. I hear songs in which some of the Pre-K and Kindergarten students sing.  When I ask where they heard that song, they say my mom and dad listens to it in the car. Another example is when a Kindergarten student discussed that she was going to marry another student and what all they had to do before  she got pregnant.

 I think that  eventhough there are  guidelines and age limits in tv. I blame many parents for allowing thier children  to watch such stuff on tv.  Ibeleive that these sexual messages can damage a child self worth. We have  live girls acting as they are 20 , dressing in provockative clothings. I also think that beauty pagnants are somewhat sending the same message to our young girls.  I do believe that there is more pressure on the girls than the boys.
 As a teacher I  want to persuade and show my girls that they all are beautiful just the way they are. They do not have to put on a show  for others to like them. I also think that teachers need to help inforce the schools dress code. Also Teachers need to set a great lady like example for the young girls.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

 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.

Adult and child communication

 I observed an adult child conversation outside on a p;ayground. The child had hit another and the paretn was very upset with the child.  The mother made the child apoloze to the other, but then the mother continued to talk to her child in a rather uncalming voice. As I continued to observe, I notice that the child was trying to tell his mother something. Finally she hushed and asked the child what was it. The child answer "I hit him because he hot me first."  The mother had this look of   surprise.
 I think that the parent felt embarassed that her child hit. I think that for the communication between an  adult to be more reaffirming, the adult must first find out why the behavior happened, before talking harshly and discussing punishment. Children are smaller versions of adults, they can tell you why they did something, however, it is up to  the adult to say why the reason was  a good or bad one.  i think in our society today with all the stress, adults automatically start with the punishment talk due to emotionsthey are felling at that moment. However, after out emotions have calmed, that is when we finally decide to find out why did you do that.
 I believe that as adults when we talk harsh and punish our children before we find out all the details, that we are telling our children that we do not trust their problem solving skills. Do not get me wrong I do not support hitting at all, But I do think that when children do not take up from themself, this leads to being bullied..
 As I watched this communication, I began to think about how I talk to my own children. I must confess that I tend to talk harsh and discuss punishment before i ask why did you do that. What I have learned from this conversation is that I need to make my conversation with my children and students  meaningful. There needs to be purpose within the communication. But more important, the communicatiion between an adult and a child needs  does not need to be one sided.

Childcare center

 I would love to have my own childcare center. I would have colorful rooms but also a nap room that was painted with soothing and calming colors.  In the rooms, I would have multi-cultural books, posters of cultures from around the world, cultural language posted on items and workers who are proud to work with diverse groups of children and families.  I like what Mrs. Castillo said about the schedule being posted for the parents.  
i would love to have days set aside when familes and childrens can come in mingle with each other. I would also love to incorporate culture day where families can come in and maybecook their childs favorite food or discuss something that is unique about their culture. The main thing I would like  for my childcare center to experience is being known as the place wher all children and their familes as well as worker cooperate to enhance childrens learning.

Ending of class

 First I want to say thank you to all  my classmates. This has been a great learning expereince for me. I believe that all of our  insights have lead to some great discussion post.

 A goal I would like to sit for the  Early Childhood field about diversity would be to help children understand that being different is a great attribute.  I think that teachers not meaning sometime   show favor to one student over others.

 A hope I have for  helping families and children.  would that they help pass the knowledge of a peaceful community and nation on for generations to come. I as an educator  I need to help parents  understand varing cultures  which will allow them to  correctly answer questions that their children may have about other cultures and races.