Time Well Spent

The most important thing about being a teacher of young children is a willingness to learn about a child by being with a child and responding to a child. 

Leadership is one deeply felt learning opportunity that I experienced from this program. Everything rises and falls with leadership. A great leader spends a great deal of time outside the office walking around, watching each teacher's reactions to the children, listening, and taking mental notes to what each teacher is drawn to and what each one struggles with. 

Another deeply felt learning opportunity that I experienced is an anti-bias curriculum and language diversity. There is not enough training on how to integrate an anti-bias curriculum into the classroom on a daily basis and always seems to be overlooked. The learning environment must have a sense of community as teachers must take into consideration the different cultures, languages, values, and traditions. By doing this, a cultural pluralist environment will evolve and children can work toward a common goal, yet still have their own identity.  

A third deeply felt learning opportunity is the passion that I have for the early childhood profession. My passion and motivation for being in the early childhood field is intrinsic and this is why I have been in this field for thirty-four years. According to Laureate Education, Inc. (2013) the passion to create a safe and just world for children is there. I have the energy, knowledge, and passion, which draws staff to me, which in turn, motivates them to to catch the passion for their job. I want all my teachers to have the deep passion that I feel for the children in my care.  

One long term goal that I want to fulfill is to create SUPER CHILDREN giving them a safe place for growth of the mind, body, and spirit while making a difference in their life. I also want to actually develop an anti-bias curriculum and train other teachers how to integrate this curriculum into everyday activities.   

I would like to thank all my peers and Dr. Darragh for the support, advice, and inspiration throughout my Master's courses. I have enjoyed learning about everyone's work experiences and what they plan to do with their degree. Remember that your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's and everyone's negativity, and I feel that all of you have the enthusiasm to touch the life's of your staff, children, and their parents. Thank you for the stories of your successes and the times that were not so successful. My hope is that everyone will continue to be advocates in the early childhood field and make a difference in the life of a child. My wish is for everyone to smile and laugh; two things that children naturally share and pass on to others as we shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do. Good luck to everyone and thanks!

100 years from now...it will not matter what my bank account was, the type of house I live in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a CHILD.               -Anonymous

I teach with my heart and my soul and not my mouth alone.      -Jaime Escalante

It takes a village to raise a child.             -African Proverb 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2013). (Producer). Merging, Vision, passion, and Practice. [Video]. 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first international organization that I researched was the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This organization was formed to promote policies that will improve economic and social well-being of people around the world. According to OECD (n.d.) we compare how different countries' school systems are readying their young children for modern life. I chose this organization because I will be able to interact with other international organizations across the world while making a difference. The research will be exciting and I will learn best practice from others. The job that I would apply for would be the Thomas J. Alexander fellowship which is a one year fellowship program. If I received this job, I would have to relocate to Paris. I would analyze policy issues related to education and collaborate  with others in organizing conferences and workshops. I would need an advance university degree in education, psychology, social sciences, economics, or a related field. I would also need to learn how to speak French. The job description for this position encourages fellows who have a doctoral degree and familiar with quantitative research methods and has published work in a scientific journal to apply. 

I researched the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This organization interests me because it "works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values" (UNESO, 2011). This organization focuses on two different global priorities; Africa and gender equality. I have a contact in Africa, Eric Atmore, who is an Associate Professor in South Africa. He has published many articles concerning early childhood education and poverty. The job I found working for UNESCO is Education Roster. This position also requires an advance university degree and a knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, or Russian. The job description states that this position requires consultants who are recognized specialists or authorities working in an advisory or consultative capacity. The site lists many different fields that a person could work in and I would choose to work with cultural and linguistic diversity in education and early childhood care and education. This position asks that all applicants have a relevant professional experience at the national, regional, or international level.

A third organization I researched was the International Step By Step Association (ISSA). This organization began in 1994 and is an early childhood reform initiative in fifteen countries in Central Europe and Eurasia. The goal is to improve the lives of young children and families through a learning community active in national and regional reform programs. According to Klaus & Ghent (2014) since its establishment ISSA has developed a number of pedagogical tools and guides designed for teachers and other early childhood stakeholders emphasizing inclusion, diversity, and the values required in open, democratic societies. I would love to be able to develop curriculum for these young children and expanding the program as far as we can go. 


Klaus, S., & Ghent, L. (2014). First steps: A brief history of the step by step program. Retrieved from, http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/first-steps-brief-history-step-step-program  

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.) Retrieved from, http://www.oecd.org/home/0.2987_201185_1_1_1_1_1.00.html

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved from, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/ 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

I researched the Division for Early Childhood (DEC). According to DEC (n.d.) this organization was started in 1973 by a group of volunteers who were advocates for young children with special needs. DEC is one of 17 divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which is the largest professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of children with disabilities and gifted children. The mission for DEC promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of young children (0-8) who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities. DEC is an international membership organization. I chose this organization because of the exceptional children they advocate for. Having a disability, no matter how small, can be traumatic for the child and his family. Even being gifted can make school difficult for children. I found that this organization bridges the gap between research and practice while offering guidance to parents and professionals. One job opportunity that is actually opened that I would be interested in is Instructor, Early Childhood Education. This position would give me the responsibility to participate in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of educational programs and courses. I would need a Master's degree in child development and be sensitive to and understanding the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students. I would need to be a leader and have experience teaching on this level. Salary is open, but I would have to move to sunny California if I received this job.

Another organization I researched is The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Their mission statement is to conduct and communicate research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. According to NIEER (2015) such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and the subsequent success in school and later life. I chose this organization because I am an advocate for high-quality care in all early childhood facilities and feel that these facilities should have someone to help stimulate national and state discussions of early education policy. To partner with other organizations to help develop a national research agenda to deliver important information about early education in a way that is not confusing for the director, teachers, and parents is important. The job that I found is Data Collector. A data collector would train others to administer standard preschool evaluation measures, child assessment as well as classroom observation instruments. The education needed is a BA with a focus on child development and experience working in a classroom setting. This job stresses that the candidate must demonstrate an excellent academic record, and that Spanish speakers are needed. 

A third organization that I was interested in is Zero To Three. I have used this website for many years and find it invaluable for my needs. Zero To Three is a national center for Infants, toddlers, and their families. According to Zero To Three (2014) it is the nation's leading nonprofit for advancing the importance of the first three years of life. This organization was established in 1977 and its multicultural and diverse environment encourages the exchange of ideas. The job I found here will also send me to sunny California and the job title is Senior Training Specialist. The position will have me being responsible for project activities including content development, training, and facilitation. I would also train trainers and contribute to high quality written content, research and facilitate workshops, and collect and organize data. I would need a Master's degree in early childhood education with extensive knowledge of infants' and toddlers' development and behavior. Also a minimum of eight years of experience in the field and at least four years of experience as a trainer is needed. 

Out of these three jobs, I would enjoy working at Zero To Three the most. I like to train teachers and develop new curriculum and programs, and I understand the importance of the first three years of a child's life. 

Division for Early Childhood. (n. d.). Retrieved from, http://www.dec-sped.org

National Institute for Early Education Research. (2015). Retrieved from, http://www.nieer.org/about/vision

Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and families. (2014). Retrieved from, http://www.zerotothree.org/  

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels


One organization that appeals to me is a local group from Butler Community College. They have started a student organization called Butler Community College Association for Early Childhood Education (BCCECE). This organization is also for other early childhood professionals. I am an alumni of this college and still keep in touch with many instructors. The group meets at different centers every month with guest speakers that talk about new trends and other issues in the early childhood field. It is a great organization to network and find teachers for the center and this is one reason I chose to be a part of BCCECE. 

Another organization is our local Early Childhood Directors Organization. This organization is for directors, assistant directors, and retired directors. It is also a great organization to network and learn about current trends. We also meet monthly, have guest speakers, and have a licensing liaison to the health department. This organization is beneficial to both my professional and personal life as I have made some great friends, and mentors, and have learned strategies for different issues.  

A third local organization that appeals to me is Child Care Aware of Kansas. I network with this organization with it's many programs. I have had a Community of Practice develop from my contacts at Child Care Aware and am thankful for the knowledge and extra resources I have received from this. In turn, I can share with the other organizations that I am a member of. 

One job opportunity that interests me is teaching at a university. With early childhood education becoming more important to the community, area universities are now developing programs that teach and support early childhood education. I would love to be able to share my passion so others can get excited and want to join this filed. Another job opportunity I would love to explore is to consult with other centers in setting up their own centers.

Skills and experience that I would need would be actually working in a center as a teacher and director. I feel that everyone needs to experience all parts of the daycare. The education that I would need, I am doing now. Because of the changing trends and issues, I will always be reading, researching, and being a part of CoP's. I feel that I have the skills needed to fulfill either one of these jobs; communication skills, social and cognitive skills, and my passion for early childhood education.  

Good-Bye and Thank-You!

I would like to thank everyone for their support and confidence in the discussions and blogs. I appreciate the feedback and ideas that were shared. It is nice to know that I am not alone when I have an issue to resolve and I enjoyed sharing my insights. I also hope that I have helped in a small way through my discussions and blog. I am sure this course has helped all of you as much as it has helped me to communicate more effectively in both my personal and professional life. My wish is for everyone to use what they have learned from Walden University as they pursue their goals. I personally have another four courses to get through before I finally graduate with my MS in Early Childhood Education. I hope to "see" some of you in the next course; good luck and best wishes to all.

My contact information is as follows so feel free to use it!

     Jill Grimes
     Trinity Daycare & Preschool
     2402 N. Arkansas
     PO Box 4449
     Wichita, KS  67204
     316-838-0909
     jillosaurs@juno.com

  

Adjourning; Saying Good-Bye

I have been involved in many meetings and break-out committees in my career in early childhood education. Some were unproductive, some were very productive. I find the hardest group that I had to say good-bye to was the most successful group because we all had the same vision, organizational skills, and were very professional. We did goof off sometimes by sharing stories, personally and professionally, but these stories never interfered with our goal. Some of us in this group had worked together before and knew the norms, but the norms were still always explained to the rest of the group. I have also been in groups who did not have a clue what they were doing or where to start. This type of group usually did not meet their goals and, me being me, would take over on the side with like minded people and get results. It was not difficult to say goodbye to this group! When I do work in a group that is high-performing, I hate for it to end. The people in this type of group had the energy, knowledge, and personality to get things done in a professional way. 

The adjourning stage has some rituals that should be done before everyone leaves. Tying up any loose ends for the project is a must, as well as doing an evaluation, either as a group or individual. Spending time reflecting on what was successful or a failure, and identifying areas for development is important. I feel that the adjourning stage is important for closure that benefits everyone involved. 

I have "known" many of my colleagues since I started working on my Bachelor's Degree. I have read about your visions and goals, personal history, and situations at work in your blogs, the student lounge, and the discussions.  Thank you for letting me be a part of your life and I am hoping many of us can still stay connected even though we all lead busy life's. We have come this far in our education, and there is still so much more we can learn from each other.      

Conflict Resolution 

The conflict I am going to write about happened a few days ago. The parties involved were myself, a mom, and a step-dad who has never been in to pick up the child before even though the child has been in my center for over a year. Mom is a laid back type of person just like her daughter. At the time they came in to pick up "Kimberly," the two year old class had just walked in from outside and stopped in the bathroom for potty break. Step-dad rounded the corner and saw one child hit his step-daughter. He did not know at the time that his step-daughter had just pushed the other child off a small step that all the children were sitting on. He came into the office demanding to know what I was going to do about this situation and that I must hire more teachers for supervision. At the time I had two teachers with seven children, way under our teacher/child ratio. I explained to him the developmental stages of a two year old and what his step-daughter had done to the other child, and no, that it does not make it right for the other child to hit her back. He cut me off so fast and stated that if this happened again he would call his lawyer. I apologized and stated that since he feels this daycare/preschool is not meeting his step-daughter's needs, that today could be her last day and gave him the daycare lawyers name and phone number just in case he needed it. He backed down quickly, saying how wonderful "Kimberly" was doing here and that everyone was doing a great job. He thanked me, said see you tomorrow, and left; mom said nothing the entire time. I have not had any issues with the family since then. My center is a small Christian center with only sixty-two children. I believe this step-parent felt he could intimidate me with the "lawyer talk" and did not expect me to reply with my "lawyer talk." He did not take the post-it note with the lawyers name or number. 

One strategy that I have learned about is the use of the 3 R's. I am always respectful with everyone and felt that I was responsive to this step-parent by maintaining eye-contact and a respectful tone of voice. I did not want to sound defensive or make this step-dad look bad when he was addressing this issue. I wanted him to understand that I emphasized with him and the situation. I also did not want him to think that I was "all powerful" and knew everything making him feel small. When people can recognize and have empathy for their own emotional reactions, they have a better chance of being able to make a conscious choice on how to respond to any given situation. 

Another strategy that I have learned this week through The Center for Nonviolent Communication is that other people may attempt to use fear, shame, or guilt to get what they want and need from others. I believe that the step-dad was trying to "put the fear in me" by mentioning his lawyer. I also got a bit defensive and that is why I mentioned my lawyer which I should not have done. I could have done a better job on observing and concentrating on what he was saying even though he was verbally "attacking" me. If I would have done this, I would have been able to meet the family's needs in a more professional manner.  

My Communication Styles

I had a co-worker and my son take the tests to see how they felt I rated as a communicator. We all agreed that with the Listening Styles Profile I was a in group 1, as I am very people-oriented. Being in group 1 states that I am very trusting of others which sometimes can backfire for me, and it has! This reminded me of a situation when I was picked for jury duty and one of the attorneys asked me if I would trust everyone who walked into a store. I replied that since I am a Program Director of an early childhood center that my little world is full of trust with the children, parents, and staff, so yes I would probably trust everyone because I "live " in the perfect world of childcare. They did not pick me for the jury but everyone had a good laugh. My listening style is very important both in my professional and personal life especially when I am dealing with parents and their children all day. It is imperative that I do not "tune out" parents for the safety and well being of their children in my care. On the other hand, I do sometimes "tune out" some of my boring friends even though my non-verbal cues say that I am interested. 

My son and I both evaluated me as having a low level of communication anxiety, and my co-worker evaluated me as having a mid level of communication anxiety. I would tend to go with what my son and I thought, but I understand how my co-worker evaluated me differently. She does hear me complain when I have an issue about a child and I have to have a serious conversation with a family about their child's development or behavior. Because of my position of being a Program Director, I have to have a low level of communication anxiety because I address groups of parents all the time and I also teach child development classes. This also helps me in my personal life because I am not afraid to start a conversation with a sales clerk, manager, or even a person who is behind me waiting in line. 

My co-worker and myself evaluated me with having a moderate level of verbal aggressiveness which surprised me after reading the description. My son evaluated me with a a low level of verbal aggressiveness. I have been "watching" myself this week when I communicate with my staff and families, and make sure I do use the facts in my conversations and not to "attack" anyone personally.  

An insight that about communication that I gained this week is that my past experiences do make up my personal perceptions, but some of my perceptions have changed with age. For example, I know some people who shy away from people who have tattoos or piercings because they feel they are dangerous or illiterate which makes these people a bad influence. Maybe because I am fifty-five years old, I take things with a grain a salt. Most of my staff have tattoos; I have four myself. Parents will show off their own tattoos proudly to me and this does not change my communication outlook when talking with them.    

Culturally Diverse Communication


I do find myself communicating differently with children, adults, and the daycare cat! For older people I tend to speak slower, louder, and maintain eye contact so I know they understand what I am trying to communicate to them. I check for non-verbal and behavioral cues before I speak. When I communicate to my staff, I use the word "thingy" a lot and they instantly know what I am talking about; sometimes they even finish my sentences because of the longevity they have with me. My daughter, who is also my assistant director, always tells me that if there is an issue and I am not around, she will "think" about how I would handle it and communicate my words to whoever she is speaking with; staff or parents. I have to admit that I am proud of her to want to emulate me! When I am with children, I always make sure to maintain eye contact and use proper English when communicating to them. I use the "mom" voice and look if there is a problem that I am trying to clear up. Sometimes this requires me to defined some words that I use. I have never used "baby talk" that some parents will not give up. But, I will sometimes use "baby talk" to Ms. Kitty, the daycare pet therapist cat. I talk to her all the time, asking her about her night as she lives at the daycare, and if she is ready to eat. Some of the children have picked up on this and will do the same thing. When I communicate with someone I do not know, a waitress/waiter or store clerk, I always use their name when I speak with them. It makes them feel "human" and not like a "machine" taking my order or ringing up a sale. They seem to appreciate it. 

 Years ago, when my daughter was three years old, my husband and I took her to the doctor for an ear infection. The doctor was Asian and I found myself talking LOUD to him even though he was standing right next to me. The doctor and my husband used a normal conversational tone, but not me. When the doctor left the room,my husband asked why I was speaking so loud. I was not aware that I was doing this. Subconsciously, I think that because the doctor was Asian I must talk loud for him to understand my situation. From there on out, I always remind myself of this when speaking with someone from another country or culture.  

Strategies that I could use to communicate more effectively are:
  
     *Keep the message simple, but deep in meaning. Depending on who you are talking with, make the message inspiring, something that is easy to relate to or to understand.

     *Listen! Use good listening skills and show a genuine interest by using the person's name. Be aware of the non-verbal and behavioral cues. 

     *Telling a story or communicating personal experiences tend to help the people who are listening to you to "tune in" better to your message. People tend to remember these stories and they can be strong positive influences on culture building communication and behaviors. 

Communication Assumptions

I do not own a television so I asked to borrowed a DVD from my son. He gave me Quantum Leap to watch and now I am hooked on this show!

Watching with the sound off was more difficult then I though it would be. The relationship of the two main charterers, Sam and Al, showed that they seemed to be good friends at some points, and yet they seemed to have a difference of opinion on some issues. Al's facial expressions were animated and he used his hands a lot when talking. It seemed like his body was always in motion whether he was singing, dancing, or pretending to swing a golf club. Al was always holding on to a small computer that he would type in something and then his whole body became agitated with it as he would start pounding on it with his fists. At this time his facial expressions would show anger. Sam always looked confused when someone other than Al was talking to him, but he did smile a lot. I did not understand why Al could act goofy and not have the other people around him say anything. When Sam looked at himself in a mirror, it was a different person looking back at him. Apparently Sam was the only one who could actually see Al and Al would appear and disappear at will which startled Sam.

Watching this show was definitely more fun with the sound on. With the sound on, I could see that Sam and Al were good friends and my interpretation of this was right.  Al was Sam's sidekick but Sam was the only one who could see him and that is why Al could act goofy and get away with it.  When Al could not get the information from his hand held computer, he was upset and would usually disappear. I now understand why Sam appeared to almost always have a confused look on his face as he "leaped" back into time and had no clue where he was or who the people around him were. I just thought he looked confused because of the things Al would tell him from his computer. 

I believe my assumptions would be spot on if I actually watched a show that I was familiar with. It has always been said that one should not make assumptions. The nonverbal cues in this program gave me the message that Al was a happy go lucky guy and Sam seemed uptight until toward the end of the show. When I re watched with the sound on, I noticed that some of the nonverbal cues that Al was making did not match his words.  

Competent Communication Skills

My thirty-five year old son is very competent when it comes to communication as his skills began at an early age. He is very articulate when he communicates to anyone both verbally and non verbally. He maintains eye contact, keeps his tone of voice even, and is an active perceiver when he listens. If he does not understand the point or goal of the conversation, he will restate what he feels that the point or goal is. Because of his intelligence, he will strive to distinguish fact from inferences and communicates with knowledge. 

He is also aware of cultural context when communicating with others as he comes in contact with other cultures frequently. I have been modeling my own communication skills after my sons for several years. What I must work on is my listening skills. When I become lost with what someone is trying to tell me, I tune out. I need to become a more active listener.  

Professional Hopes and Goals

My hope for all children and their families who come from diverse backgrounds is for them to feel comfortable, safe, and welcomed in their environment. To become diverse, we must look at life values from a variety of perspectives. We also must take the time to understand why people do the things they do within their social identities; the purpose behind the action. We need to move beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating diversity. People's values and beliefs affect their behaviors. In turn, diversity and lifestyle choices are the outcome of those values and beliefs. 

A goal I would like to set for the early childhood field is for teachers to learn some different concepts and theories with diversity in order to adapt new strategies into the teaching curriculum. Teachers must examine themselves for any hidden biases they may have, or encounter on the job, and learn techniques that will counter the potential negative effects of these biases. Culture sensitivity also plays a required role in the designing of new teaching techniques that would have an emphasis on raising awareness of microaggressive thoughts or actions. Learning these types of techniques will be an ongoing process.     

I would like to thank all my peers for their suggestions, personal thoughts, stories, and caring attitudes for the children to be working on their Master's Degree. You have inspired me to challenge myself even more. Good luck to all. 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country that "my family" came from is Germany. 

Five ways that I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family would be:

               1. I would learn the culture from the area where the family came from. I would also like to have a list of resources to help the family to assimilate to our country.

               2. I would read books about Germany, learn important words or phrases in German and have a translator standing by to help out if needed.

               3. I would, hopefully, receive information about the child and his family before they arrive so I would know the child's strengths, weakness, likes, and dislikes. I would also want to know what type of educational programs he has attended in Germany.
  
              4. Having pictures that the child and family can relate to hanging up in the classroom, along with books both in English and in German would be beneficial for all the children. I would like to have toys, different activities, and music that are native to Germany in the classroom to make the child feel like he is important to the classroom.

              5. I would like the learn about foods that the child likes and see if we could reproduce a recipe in the classroom so all the children could enjoy it.

These are just a few ways to make the child and their family feel comfortable. It will also make the other children feel comfortable knowing that a child who may not speak English or who eats different things then what we eat will be in their classroom. The children will be able to ask questions about their new friend that I may be able to answer, and if not, they will be find answers to their questions when he attends and not be afraid of what they do not understand.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The experience I am writing about took place a couple of weeks ago, and I am still flabbergasted that my staff reacted like they did. My center accepts children from 12 months to 5 years of age. We have a two year old who is still breastfeeding as mom usually pumps and brings the breast milk  in his sippy cup, but on occasion she has actually breast fed her son in the car after picking him up from the center. One day, she decided to breast feed in the classroom sitting in the rocking chair. She had a blanket covering herself and part of her son, so it looked like she was just cuddling and rocking him. My staff seemed shocked and embarrassed at the same time and I could not understand why. Children continued to play, parents came and went, and not one person noticed anything different or said a word except for my staff. I had an impromptu staff meeting to listen to their concerns about this situation. My first words were that she has every right to breast feed and this center supports breastfeeding. I asked my staff their feelings, and a few responded that it was awkward because she did not warn us what she was going to do. Another said that the child was too old and another staff member stated that there is a time and place for everything. All I could think was WOW, how could my staff that I have trained and nurtured be so biased? Upon further discussion, I found most of my staff agreed that breast milk was the best for children. Of course, I handed out information about the benefits of breastfeeding.

I felt this situation diminished equity because of the reaction from my staff. Did they think she was giving a bad example for other adults or the children? If my staff agree that breast milk was the best thing for a child, why were they so shocked when they saw this mom breast feed? My staff said that breast feeding was good, no doubt about that, but just not when they were around. I could say that my staff is just uneducated about the issue, but they are not; it is a biased situation. I asked the question "How would you feel if you saw a mother breastfeeding at the mall, restaurant, or park? What would your feeling be then?"       


My feelings on this subject was that of surprise for my staff. I did not believe that they were so opinionated on this issue. Could it be since that they personally knew this mother that they might have been embarrassed? I personally sat in the room and talked to her and her son while she was breastfeeding. I did try breastfeeding my first born, but it did not work for me. I applaud breastfeeding moms!     

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions occur on a daily basis and are usually brief slights, insults, or indignities of messages which can happen verbally or non verbally to people of different races, cultures, or genders. I feel that it can be a form of aversive racism. Microaggressions usually happen outside the level of awareness of people (Sue, 2011).

Unfortunately, I see and hear microaggressions everyday from both adults and children. The one I am going to write about happened several years ago when my daughter was about sixteen or seventeen years of age. We were traveling to a small county in Wichita and stopped at the only gas station we could find for gas and snacks. We are white, and the lady at the register was from Iran, as I overheard her tell a customer who just left the store. My daughter and I were the only customers left and we walked around the small store picking up junk food and pop. When we sat our snacks down on the counter, the lady coldly informed us that she does not take Vision cards. Vision cards in Kansas are cards that help people pay for food. I simply stated, before I could stop my mouth, "That's nice because I do not have a Vision card. Do you have a Vision card?" She simply said no and I paid her in cash. I was so angry because she pegged me as someone who did not have any money and that was not the case. Sure, my daughter and I were wearing "seen better days" shorts and tee shirts, but still, she did not have to say anything to me about a Vision card implying that I need help to pay for food. My daughter, on the other hand, played devil's advocate saying that maybe because we were dressed "down" and did not look like we had money, or maybe people had tried to use Vision cards there before us is the reason she made this statement up front. Regardless, I felt this was a microinsult and microinvalidation to me, and still have not forgotten about it.

In my center, I see microaggressions in the classrooms when African American children tell mixed children that they can not play with them because their skin is not dark enough. Hurt feelings are one of the hardest issues to overcome, as you can tell in my microaggression from above. The older I become, the more tolerant I am of most everything, including the "isms." Disregarding or downplaying the feelings, beliefs, or opinions of others is one of the main contributing factors to microaggressions. As long as people feel they are superior to others, and vice versa, they will have tendencies to react negatively to those they consider different from their own standpoint in the power structure of hierarchy.

Laureate education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life. [Video file].
     Retrieved from http://class,walden.edu

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

People's values and beliefs affect their behaviors. In turn, diversity and lifestyle choices are the outcome of those values and beliefs. I spoke with a Caucasian male in his sixties, a Hispanic female in her twenties, and an African-American female in her thirties. All three stated that they believed culture and diversity means people who are respectful of others that are different from themselves. They also were in agreement that respect is not only for the traditions and values, but also for gender, race, religion, and socioeconomic status. 

My Hispanic friend also feels that her culture is a group of people having the same beliefs and they work together to make their culture better. This, to me, would be considered deep culture as having everyone working together to make their culture richer involves the thoughts, beliefs, personal values, and traditions that everyone expresses in actions and words everyday.   

 My Caucasian friend believes that culture is influenced by ones upbringing and environment. One issue that I do not remember reading about is how the environment influences ones culture if they have been removed from their own comfortable culture. Will they still hold onto to their values and beliefs, or embrace the culture they were placed in by adoption or another circumstance. It might depend on the age of the child.

Talking to different people and getting their opinion about culture and diversity made me realize that I really did not think much about culture years ago. Being in the dominate culture, I really did not have any clue of the issues and hardships some cultures went through. I also thought about the influence of power structures in our society and the impact they can have on cultural dynamics and values. To become diverse, we must look at life values from a variety of perspectives. 

My Family Culture

It was difficult to decide what three items I wanted to take with me as I have accumulated so many trinkets and personal possessions in my age that hold great value to me. After I thought about this assignment for a couple of days, my top three choices became clear. I would take with me the following items:

    *Pictures of my family; my children, parents, siblings
    *My first rosary that I received at my First Communion
    *Chicken Soup for the Soul book by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen


These three items are very special to me as they represent my identity, my culture, my life, and my inspirations. Provided my host country can speak my language well enough to understand my descriptions, I would inform them about the importance of my three items and the significance that they hold in my life.

My family pictures give me the memories and remind me of the happy and sad times throughout my life experience. The rosary that I received as a gift from my parents during my First Communion represents my faith and its calming effect helps to soothe my anxiety during stressful times. My copy of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book has many inspiring stories and sometimes makes the difficult choices I face in my life more manageable by granting me greater clarity and focus. 

If I were forced to make the choice to keep only one of my items and abandon the other two, I would undoubtedly experience deep sadness and heartache. Despite the grief and pain associated with having to relocate from my familiar environment and way of life to somewhere completely different against my will, I would have to keep my family pictures. That way, I would be able to share my past experiences with others in a visual way, and still have a physical representation of better times in my life.

This assignment has really made me question my values and evaluate what is important to me. I know that my family will always be a priority in my life and am proud to share that fact with others. With my pictures, I would have an easier time communicating my experiences with another culture that may or may not speak my native language. In this way, I can both embrace my culture and celebrate diversity at the same time.

When I Think of Research....

Some insights I have gained about research is that research takes patience and is time consuming. I also realize that everyone does research everyday in an informal way. I have learned that research is an important tool in the early childhood field as it improves the knowledge we need when teaching young children. Research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights, and knowledge (Rolfe & Mac Naughton, 2010, p. 3). I have learned to be aware of any bias's when planning research with children and that the Ethical Standards for Research with Children has different rules and regulations to keep children safe from any type of research compared to conducting research with adults. In the field of child-based research, it is imperative that the well-being of children involved is the first and foremost priority and child-based research is typically held to stricter standards and scrutiny.  

My ideas about research have changed in many ways. The first is because of the many different types of research methods; interviews, surveys, focus groups, direct observations, and experiments. Research can verify or nullify stereotypes and help researchers to have the ability to eliminate guesswork and assumptions about different concepts. Another way that my ideas about research has changed is that not all research results are always valid. When I use the elements of the process of triangulation I will have a better understanding on the study and be more confident in the results of the research. A statement about the validity of a study is a judgement about the extend to which it can  be said that the research has captured important features of the field and has analyzed them with integrity (Edwards, 2010, p. 162). Integrity in research is extremely important and any contribution toward validity is a step in the right direction.    

I have learned that I have difficulties narrowing down research questions but once I do narrow them down, the hypothesis comes easy for me. When I have these two "ducks in a row," I do not have any problems deciding what research method to use and how to apply these techniques. I have also learned that I should do a feasibility study to determine possible positive and negative outcomes before investing in the research. 

One challenge that I had to overcome was the actual research; that is finding information and articles to fit my needs. I became overwhelmed with the amount of reading involved but I was excited to learn that I could safely skip a large portion of any research article and still know exactly what the research was all about (Lepuschitz, 2011, p. 1). Reading the abstract and introduction was very beneficial for me as it told me whether I wanted to continue reading the article. Another challenge I had was narrowing down my research question as I was always too vague when writing this question. I do believe that I will always have difficulties with this situation.   

I would like to thank all my colleagues who posed some challenging questions to me in the discussions as these questions had me looking at things in a different light. Just the discussions alone were very beneficial to this course and I appreciate the resources that everyone has suggested. This course was difficult for me and I respect and value everyones opinions.  


Lepuschitz, J. K. (2011). A practical guide to reading research articles. Laureate Education,
     Inc. Baltimore, MD.

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraji-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood
     research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
     McGraw-Hil.

Research Around the World

I researched the Early Childhood Development Virtual University Sub-Saharan Africa portal using the link http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

One research topic presented in Nigeria is "Assessment of the Caring Practices in Two Motherless Babies' Homes" and "Delivery of a Nutrition Training Program to the Staff of These Homes to Improve Nutrition of Children in Their Care." Children's orphanages represent a defenseless group of children that must have better care for healthy development. Training of high quality teachers for this project will support and encourage appropriate practices while discouraging inappropriate ones. Unless significant efforts are made to control these conditions, they will continue to be major challenges both in Nigeria and internationally (Akomas, 2004, p. 2). 

Another research project presented in Malawi is "A Community-driven Rural Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project, with Emphasis on Culturally and Developmentally Appropriate Exploratory Learning Concepts." The project was designed to address the children's needs from a holistic perspective. It provides experiential learning pedagogy as well as a meeting place for the children's psychosocial and cognitive requirements (Day, 2004, p. 3). 

One interesting fact that I read was about the extreme poverty level in Malawi. The families in the villages would not be expected to pay any fees for their children attending the early childhood facility. They would need to be involved with the learning by contributing firewood, maize, clay, or homemade toys. This project was expected to be branching out to other villages. Not only will the children benefit from this project, parents will benefit as well. I am sure these families who live in poverty are grateful for the early education their children will receive that they would willingly become involved with the facility. In the United States, getting families involved in their child's education is sometimes very difficult.  

The ECDVU held its first Early Childhood Higher Education Symposium in 2013 and feels that leadership in this field cannot be met within the current traditional academic framework. This website provides many links with projects about improvements made in the field of early childhood among the poorer areas in Africa. The virtual university is addressing issues that are global; poverty, the training of high quality early childhood educators, offering appropriate learning experiences, food insecurity, and language barriers, but maybe not as intense as what is happening in Africa. 

Akomas, O.E.U. (2004). Assessment of the caring practices in two motherless babies'          homes in Abia State, Nigeria and the development and delivery of a nutrition training program to the staff of these homes to improve nutrition of children in their care. Retrieved from, http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Day, C. (2004). A community-driven rural early childhood development (ecd) project, with emphasis on culturally and developmentally appropriate exploratory learning concepts. Retrieved from, http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php 

  

Research that Benefits Children and Families-Uplifting Stories 

In 2005, I enrolled in a Child Psychology class to finish up my Associates Degree. I had to pick a topic, research it, and if possible, actually conduct the research. I chose to research "The Good Behavior Game" which was invented by Montrose Wolf. The Good Behavior Game is an intervention for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. The Good Behavior Game is not a separate curriculum but a behavioral procedure. It is unique because it is the only practice, at the time it was created, implemented by teachers that is documented to have long term effects. The Good Behaviors Game allows children to work in teams in which the members of each team are responsible to the rest of the group. 

Teachers define a disruptive behavior they want to reduce; such as keeping your feet to yourself while sitting in circle time. The teacher clearly defines what she means and even demonstrates an example of the action expected, in this case how to sit without your feet touching or kicking your neighbor. The class is divided up into two teams with a mixture of the well-behaved children and the more "spirited" children. The teams pick names and are posted on a small chart. The teacher will place a check mark by the team when one of the children displays the behavior that is to be corrected. The team that receives the least amount of check marks while the game is being played are rewarded at the end of the game with stickers or candy. The Good Behavior Game should be done for ten minutes a day, three times a week for preschool children and can be extended longer later in the year. 

I actually applied the findings of the Good Behavior Game to my pre-k class using the scenario above. I used ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the afternoon for three days of one week. Once the children understood what was expected, they took over the "game." Meaning that the well-behaved children would remind the other children on their team about keeping their feet to themselves. Sometimes the children would say to their peers "you can't tell me what to do!" But after the children saw that a reward was given at the end of the game, they worked together on their teams. The children would always ask to play the "game" and even played it while in their centers. The Good Behavior Game did help the children keep their feet to themselves for a few weeks and then we had to start over as a reminder. 

All in all it was a positive experience for everyone as sometimes both teams won. I was worried about the rewards of stickers or candy being the focus for the appropriate behavior and that the children would become angry with each other if some did not do the right thing on their team. But, at this age, it did not appear to have any negative psychological effects on anyone. In some studies, the Good Behavior Game is implemented in the first and second grade. Long term results of the research include such statistics as fifty percent lower rate of illicit drug  abuse, fifty-nine percent less likely to smoke, thirty-five percent lower rate of alcohol usage, and a sizable increase in high school graduation (Donaldson, Vollmer, & Berard, 2010).     

Because of its simplicity and evidence of long-term effects, the GBG has been termed a "behavioral vaccine" (Donaldson, Vollmer, & Berard, 2010).   


Donaldson, J. M., Vollmer, T. R., & Berard, K. (2010). An evaluation of the good behavior game in kindergarten classrooms. Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Retrieved from, http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3177341