Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

My personal life affects my professional life. This is something that is good for early childhood professionals to always be conscious of as they work with children and families. I have not personally dealt with any “-ism’s” that have affected me a great deal. This is something though that is good for me to be aware of in case I do deal with “-ism’s” in my personal life.

            Consequences that I might expect for the children and families with whom I work as I am experiencing an “ism” could be of a sensitive nature. My lack of knowledge to the types of “ism’s” affects my work with children and families. Although I am learning more than I ever have before about poverty, I am not very familiar with the culture of poverty. I am not yet in the best place to serve poor families. That is until I gain some knowledge about and experience with the lower class. The preschool where I currently work serves middle to high class families. Some other consequences that I would expect for the children and families I serve is a lack of feeling of community. If I were to be suffering from low self-esteem because of my personal experiences with people who discriminate against my ethnicity, I might not be inclined to encourage community involvement and connections. The children also might notice my unhappiness and would be distracted from learning.

            I learn things from each family I meet. I will continue to learn and grow in my personal and professional life. The more I recognize how my personal life affects my job and the others around me, the better I can be at trying to deter the consequences. 

Observation at school

           This week I observed my assistant director interacting with a new child. I enjoyed their conversation very much because it was so effective. Beth, the assistant director, wanted to make sure April felt comfortable on her first day.

                When April walked in, Beth put her arms to her side and addressed the girl in a very sweet high pitched voice. Beth said, “Hey April! How are you ?” April said, “Good.” Beth said, “We are so excited to have you here at our preschool! Is that your lovely?” April said, “Hmmhmm”. Beth responded by letting her know that she is welcome to bring other things from home that she likes to play with. April smiled. Beth then asked April is she wanted to go to her classroom and meet her new friends. April agreed. While they walked Beth held April’s hand and told her that if she needs anything she will be right here in the office. Icould tell the girl felt comfortable and secure with Beth and was ready for the transition.

                One thing that stuck out to me and taught me something about making children feel comfortable is letting them understand that they can bring pieces of themselves with them to school, i.e toys, dolls or lovies. That is probably one of the best things you can do to help someone feel welcome. It may be a little more more work for the teachers and directors to keep up with the items and make sure they arent destroyed but it helps when their name is on it it and it means so much to the child while they are transitioning. When Beth told the girl that she is so excited she is here, it helped the girl feel that she is of value to the center. Beth’s use of open arms and offereing her hand to walk with her made the girl feel more self-assured and accepted.

                One way I have improved by observing this interaction is I want to do more to help new children no matter how much of a hard time they are having. This girl did not have a very hard time and Beth did a great job with helping her on her first day. There are some chilodren that take it harder but I aim to work through that challenge and remind myself that it is about the children and they need me at this time.

Creating Affirming Environments

            I would love to one day open my own Family Child Care Home. With the right resources and support it is very possible. There are many elements to think about to ensure a welcoming, anti-bias, and developmentally appropriate environment.

I would first have a welcoming entrance that has flowers and greenery to give an esthetic and bright appeal. I would make sure to have posters, images, and wall decorations that reflect various people of different cultures and abilities. The music I play will be diverse and reflect the families I serve. It will allow for plenty of space and options for children to learn and develop in a multicultural setting. Through the use of toys, dress-up clothes, books, artwork, games, and languages, the environment will support all the children’s cultures, language, and backgrounds and I will make sure everyone can feel comfortable and safe being themselves. Chairs, tables, and tools are adapted to fit children according to their size and abilities. Books, music, and other media will be carefully reviewed before given to children to examine any prejudice, discrimination, or stereotypes that may be incorrectly conveyed. At the beginning of each day that a new child starts, I will ask her family to create a family tree that has pictures and names of the people in the child’s family. These will be displayed on the walls on eye level. This will hopefully help comfort the child and help others discover about their new friend. Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) states that having parents help create the curriculum by including their own personal culture and customs helps create a more anti-bias environment. This is one element I would add to my preparations. It will be my main goal to make sure each child that comes to my home feels that they can see themselves in the environment.  In my Family Child Care Home, I want all the children to feel comfortable doing their daily routines, customs, and behaviors that they do at their home. Through positive interactions and anti-bias approaches, each child will be respected and loved for who they are no matter how different. 

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and

ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).