Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

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.