Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice
Early childhood settings are children’s first
communities outside of the home and the characters of these communities are so
influential in development. “How
children expect to be treated and how they treat others is significantly shaped
in the early childhood setting”. (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 8) As early childhood professionals, we have a
responsibility for promoting the positive development of children social
identities. In order to do this, we
must also reflect on our own personal biases, as well as any biases or isms of
others that may be impacting us. The
better we know our own selves, the better we will be able to understand our own
responses to the children and the families we work with. “We must also consider how children have been
impacted by isms and biases of their own families, institutions, communities
and society.
For this blog assignment I chose to use “racism”. I have
experienced various forms of racism throughout my life. I can think of an experience within my class
where I may experience consequences regarding “racism”. At the beginning of the school year my class
consisted of nine African-American children and three Latino children. I was informed that I would be receiving one
more student and she would be Caucasian.
I was told that both parents were against their child being taught by an
African American teacher. The principal assured
them that I had over 12 years of experience working with exceptional
children. She also stated that I came
highly recommended from my supervisor as well as the Board of Education in our
town.
The parents were not only concerned with my
race but the race of the other children who would be interacting with her child. When the child entered class on the first day
of school she began to cry nonstop. He
parents were ready to just take her back home.
I assured them that she would be fine and I would treat her as if she
were my own child as I do all of the other children. I would also invite them to come into the
class and observe whenever possible, attend parent/teacher conferences and school
functions and share with me any concerns they had. On the first day of school I talked to the
parents about how important it is for all of us to work together for the proper
development of the children. I realize
that even today, racism still divides society. One of the most important goals that I have set
for myself is to always embrace diversity with my classroom by making children
and their families feel important and welcome.
Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J.
(2010).
Anti-bias education for
young children and ourselves. Washington,
DC: NAEYC.
