Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children from diverse backgrounds is that we work closer with families to truly determine how their families culture and traditions can be represented in the classroom.  Rather than stock our classrooms with things and approaches that we determine represent their diversity that we take all of our cues from the family.

One goal I would like to set is that I as an early childhood professional can create more opportunities for families to get involved in the classroom.  Parents are a child's first teacher, however so many of the families that we work with don't believe this to be true.  I want to work to empower them to feel like a strong and able voice at the table.


Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for a wonderful 8 weeks.  This has been a challenging and at times exhausting course.  As we near this special Holiday may each of you be blessed and full of Joy.  I am wishing you well in your future studies and hope to bump in to you in future course work.

Sincerely,

Heather Merrill

Being responsive to culture in the classroom

The country of origin I chose is Kazakhstan, previously part of the Soviet Republic and situated in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.  Still and communist country and working on a balanced foreign policy.

5 ways that I will be culturally responsive to the family:

*  I will research information about the culture of their origin
*  I will work to bridge the gap between home and school, through my homevisit
*  I will use my gathered information to adapt my teaching style
*  I will bring things representing the families culture in to the classroom ie. pictures, dramatic play items, food, books, etc.
*  I will ask parents to share stories and traditions with the class

My goal is to create a learning environment that brings all of the children's cultures in to the classroom.  By researching information about a families culture I can become more sensitive and mindful.  I intend for each of my students to bring their home culture to school with them, offering feelings of safety and comfort.  The connection between parents and teachers is vital and can enhance a child's learning.

Prejudice

When I first returned to the United States, after 4 years of living in Monterrey, Mexico, I entered in to a conversation with an older man.  He inquired as to why I had been living in Mexico and as we began to talk I knew that it might possibly end badly.  He felt he had found an outlet to voice his disgust for the hispanic families living in the United States.  He spoke openly about other nationalities working and living in the U.S. as he felt a level of pride that entitled him to live here but no one of differing cultures.  He felt that if they were unable to speak english they did not belong.  I openly shared my opininions of embracing others and showing each individual respect.  If our world functioned under the same feelings and opinions that this man did, no one of differing languages and traditions would be welcome in this country.  His feelings of ownership wouldn't allow any equity amongst the differing groups.  I was truly enraged by this conversation and recognized how far we have to go, as a country, to reach equality and equity.  Laws, employers, educators and society at large would have to change to allow for equity for immigrants.  We need to embrace and celebrate difference in order to gain compassion.