Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Children learn from their environment. This includes how they view others in terms of race, gender, socioeconomic status. As a educator it is important to be aware of the differences among children and respond to their actions concerning different -isms. I also have to be aware and prepared to face my own personal challenges as a educator. I come from a racially divided town that is still separated by an invisible "track". Within the black sections, their are subsections that have their own unique characteristics. I was raised in "eastgate." It is known for poverty, crime, dropouts, and high birth rates. As an educator, I must be ready to face those predetermined stereotypes about my community and show how not all people fit the mold that society placed on that section of the town. I have to be prepared to handle my personal issues and not let them affect the way I interact with my students or parents. some parents may have questions or concerns that htey feel they could not address with me. I have to keep the lines of communication open so that they are able to talk to me and see me as an educator. This may not always be easy but I think educating not only the children but even the parents about the effects of discrimination and stereotyping could help with some of the assumptions of my neighborhood.

Observing Communication

This week's topic discusses observing communication. I observed the communication between my sister and her daughter. My niece and sister have a great relationship. They talk about everything and are very open about their feelings. During this observation, my niece was telling my sister about an incident that occurred at school. They were very open with each other about their feelings and my sister allowed my niece to express how she felt about the incident. My sister asked her probing questions so that my niece was able to think about her thinking and why she felt a certain way about the topic being discussed.
    My sister did a great job in communicating with her daughter. She supported her daughter's opinions and gave her the opportunity to express her ideas. This is very important when communicating with children (Laureate Education, 2011). My niece is a very outspoken child and this can be contributed to the encouragement my sister gives her to be herself and be proud of who she is and how she feels. My sister is an educator and she understands the importance of communication in young children. My observation of my niece and sister made me reflect on how I communicate with my own children. I often don't do a good job of supporting their opinions and allowing them to freely express themeself. I no realize how important that is after this week's lesson.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children:Communicating

            with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

When setting up the learning environment of an early education program it is very important for teachers to choose the toys, material, and equipment that ill invite exploration and discovery. I will choose things in which the child is able to see himself in the learning environment. My center itself (welcoming stations and offices) will have posters of different types of families including those from different ethical backgrounds. The way in which parents view the center is very important. The video in this week's resources showed how important it is to support and welcome families inside the program. They should be aware of the things that are going on in the center including the antibias curriculum. Parents and children will be able to relate to the families depicted. These visuals will also depict things such as stereotypes, disabilities, and other nontraditional families.

The materials I will use in my class will follow the same guidelines. My materials will be anti-bias and will include things such as books, music, puzzles, dolls, and drawing materials. I will encourage all children to participate daily in activities and to openly express their thoughts and feelings about different subjects. The timeout/quiet room was also a good idea for a center. When children get frustrated it is important as a teacher to support their feelings and allow theme to express them comfortably.