Personalizing Your Blog

 

The title of a children's book that I love is "Clay Boy. " Clay boy is a story about two people who children grew up and they want another child. The man decided to make a boy out of clay. He sat the clay aside and there, clay boy was born. Clay boy was always hungry so he ate anything in sight including the towns people. He saw a goat and wanted to eat the goat. The Goat tricked clay boy by telling him to close his eyes and he will jump into his mouth. Clay did just that and the goat ran into him with his horn and broken clay boy into pieces. The town people were so thankful that they painted the goat's horn goal to match is golden eyes. What I love about this book is how the two adults wanted another child so bad that they made one out of clay not knowing that he would eat up everything in the town. I like how it took a goat to save everyone from the starving clay boy.

What fuels my passion for early childhood education and watching the joy on the children's faces. When the children answer a question correctly, they become extremely excited. I love the fact that I help get them to the level they need to be in their education.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that they feel comfortable around other diverse  individuals. I understand that coming from another country can be hard especially if it is your first time in that country. I would want them to not be scared of a new environment but instead embrace it as their second home.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to have professional accept children and families for who they are and not produce microaggressions. Teachers and professional tend to judge parents based on how they talk, walk, look, or even dress especially families of different cultures and backgrounds. We should make these families feel comfortable and welcomed in the early childhood field. We are educators not judges. Our children deserve the best and we should honor and give them what they deserve.

Since the class is coming to an end, I would like to thank my colleagues for reading and commenting on my blog as well as discussion board post. I have enjoyed commenting on you all posts as well as interacting with you all  through discussion board. You all have educated me on various topics such as culture, diversity, microaggressions, and isms. I want to wish you all the best luck in your careers.

FAmily Country of Origin: Japan

My Family Country of Origin: Japan

Five Ways to prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family
*Research on Japanese cultures including what could be or not be offensive.
*Learn about their popular foods and beverages that families love to eat.
*Take classes on how to speak the language so it can prepare me to communicate with the family.
* Visit families in my local area to gain information on the culture.
*Obtain the family history of the family I am welcoming so I will have some insight on them.

My Statement: As an educator, I like to prepare myself when meeting families for the first time, especially families from other countries. I decided to that my family of choice will come from Japan. I chose Japan because not many early childhood education program have their natives in attendance. Because I am not familiar with the Japanese culture, I would do some research on the country, learn about the culture in regards to what offense them and what they love to see from other countries, learn about their popular food and drinks, take additional courses regarding language development in Japan, visit local families in my area to gain additional information on the culture, and review the family history of the family I will be welcoming. I hope that prepping for the family will benefit both me and the family in the sense of courageous, value, and honor. Courageous for having the courage to step out and learn about the country and  family, the value that I have for the family background, and the honor to know that a individual cares about your family and culture.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

   When I lived in Pooler, GA, a small town outside of Savannah, GA, I remember living in an all white neighborhood. I loved it to a certain extent, but I hated being the only African American student in the neighborhood. I remember one night, a group of Caucasian males set a tree on fire across the street from my house and sent the fire department to my house. If it wasn't for my aunt and uncle being home, proving that I was in the house, I would have been charged with arson and taking into juvenile detention. Another incident I remember was riding the bus to school and being the only African American on the bus. My bus driver put my seat all the way in the back of the bus and I truly got offended. I took that as an insult because they way she did it bring me back to segregation days. I remember my guardians storming into the school wanting answers on why I was being mistreated on the bus due to my race. My aunt received her answers and the school no longer bothered me for the rest of the year.

    The prejudice I went through throughout my eighth grade year diminish equity in the sense of freedom of speech, because every time I tried to tell the bus driver my feelings she would tell me to shut up and sit down, the fact that the fire department though I set the tree on fire due to my race, and the type of prejudice the down showed towards African American people. There were not too many African American people living in the down due to prejudice type of town it was. Many people would rather live outside that town then inside that town.

 This incident brought hurt, anger, hatred to my heart against white Americans. I hated talking to Caucasian people, I did not like them looking at me, and I ended up hating the school I attended. It took for me to change my heart in my older years to not have hatred in my heart because all Caucasians are not that way. I had to learn how to forgive those who hurt me and let the lord handle my battles. I am more happier today because I no longer have that grudge in my heart against different race because of what one person did to me. In order to change this incident into an opportunity for greater equity, the bus driver and Caucasian children would have had to change their ways . They were the cause of the hurt and pain and if they wouldn't have done what they did, the opportunity for greater equity would have still been there.  

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I went to a grocery store called "Farm Fresh" with my two year old son. While at the grocery store, I observed a woman with  four children buying a shopping cart full of groceries. A person behind me made a comment saying "I bet she gets a lot of food stamps." My question to myself was, "Did you hear the children call her Mom? What if the children are her step children, or her nieces and nephews? "What if she was  babysitting for a family?" Just because she had four children will her does not make her the mother or even on government assistance.  When the lady paid for her groceries, she used a debit card to buy the basket full of groceries. The person behind me stated, "Uh must be a military family then." The ironic thing about the entire incident was the person  who was behind me was the one using food stamps to buy her groceries.

When I think about the incident, it was sort of disrespectful to assume someone is on assistance because they have a lot of children. I felt embarrassed for the lady behind me, due to the fact that she was using food stamps herself. That's why as an individual, I do not judge people who needs government assistance because I once was on it. I am proud that I do not need to use it anymore because it shows the blessings that God has provided in my life. The woman who was in front of me smiled and walked off, which showed that she got the last laugh after all.

Based on my observation, the effects of stereotyping still exist, and in reality will never die. Stereotyping can ruin a person reputation, especially when you have no clue what a person is going through. Just because a person has a lot of children does not mean they are on government assistance or have a lot of fathers for each child. Assumptions is what hurt a lot of people emotionally because they feel like they are a target of peoples ignorance.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

My mother (Respiratory Therapist) "Diversity mean different and Culture mean belief and behavior."

My Fiancé (Nuclear Insulator) "Culture is something that has been around for many years. For example, race, environment. It is also something you were born into, believe in, and do everyday"

My bestfriend (Extension Assistant for SCSU): "Diversity is different group of people and culture is different backgrounds or nationalities."

When I reviewed the definition above, I realize, these definitions are based on their own belief what culture and diversity mean to them. It is how they view culture in their world versus how other people may perceive culture and diversity. When I look back, I remember the panelist in one of the video stating that culture can be how you dress, the way you eat, your personality and even the way your posture may be.


When thinking of other people definition of culture and diversity, it has influenced me to accept other people views on culture and diversity. It has taught me that not everyone will consider culture or diversity the same, but they may all be similar. I have my views on culture and diversity and my interviewees have their opinion on culture and diversity. All that matters is that we respect each other views and backgrounds.

My Family Cuture

          My family and I now have to move to another country due to a major catastrophe. I am delighted that my family is still with me because they are my heart and soul. I was told that I can only take three small items along with one change of clothes. The three items I chose to take with me is my cell phone, my charger and my iPad mini for son. I chose these items because I will be able to talk to my family members who survived the catastrophe and were sent to other countries and because my two year old son is attached to my iPad and I always want to make my son happy.

          If I arrived to the country and I was told that I had to give up two of the items and could only keep one, I would give up my charger and cell phone because my son is the most important thing and taking his iPad would hurt him deeply. The good thing about his iPad is we are able to face time family members, talk to them when the talk app, watch movies, listen to music, play games, and look at memorable pictures of our family.

        This topic has giving a different view on life. Before my son, I was self centered and didn't care about any one else, but as I look at the previous two paragraphs, I see that my son is very important to me. My son is my world and I would do anything for him. I am a family person and my family mean everything to me so being able to communicate with them means the world to me.  My great grandmother made sure that her children, grand children, great grand children and great great grand children were close so my family culture is to be a tight knit family.