Reflecting on Learning

In my six years of teaching, I have learned so much about the type of educator I hope to be. Working towards a Masters degree in teaching and diversity in early education has brought forth many more ideas of being a well-rounded educator for the students and families that I have and will work with. In moving forward, I hope to consistently interact with children and families in emotionally supportive and developmentally appropriate ways in order to make them feel welcome, respected, and informed (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

I would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Kien and my colleagues from EDUC 6358. It was a pleasure working with each and every one of you these past eight weeks. Without you, this educational journey would have been much harder. I wish you continued success in the future!

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

For this assignment, the area of the world I chose to investigate was West and Central Africa. I chose this region because it is a place near and dear to my heart. In 2007, I spent two months living and teaching in Ghana, and it was an experience I will never forget. It taught me a lot about the kind of teacher I would like to become, how to think quick on my feet, and most importantly to see the whole child, not just the “student.”

Children in West and Central Africa face many challenges on a day to day basis. Some of these challenges include; malnutrition, disease (malaria, HIV and AIDS), high infant mortality rate, poverty, lack of immunization or proper health care, finding clean drinking water, etc. (UNICEF, 2011).

These experiences can have a negative effect on children’s well-being and development. The early years of a child’s life are critical in laying the foundation for healthy development. Negative experiences during this time can impair children’s mental health and effect cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional development (Trustees of Columbia University, 2010). If children in West and Central Africa are not receiving proper health care and nutrition, they will not develop at a normal rate which will affect proper development down the road, and possibly even cause death.

It hurts me to see the struggles children face daily in this region of the world. During my time there, I saw so many beautiful and happy faces. To these children, living this way is normal, they have no idea otherwise. It is a struggle to have full bellies, clean clothes, and proper healthcare. Before I left to return to the United States, I left my bug net and some clothes for my students, in the hopes that I could help even just one. I think of these children often, and hope to do more in the coming years.

Trustees of Columbia University, The. (2010). National Center Center for Children Children in

PovertyPoverty (NCCP). Retrieved from:http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_882.html

UNICEF (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

            Sexualization of early childhood is a very scary and very real situation that we are forced to deal with in today’s society. It is a topic I am not particularly comfortable talking about or dealing with, but it is part of my job as an educator. “Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular culture” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, P.2). Everything they see from TV shows, to movies, dolls, games, etc. is teaching them more and more about sex.

            In my six years of teaching, I have seen firsthand the growth of sexualization in early childhood. The school I taught at in South Carolina had a ruler in the office that was used to measure girls shorts and skirts when length was in question. Certain items of clothing, such as Hooters shirts were also not allowed in school. Another example of early sexualization I have experienced is young students having “boyfriends” and “girlfriends.” I put those words in quotation marks because they are not real relationships. When I was younger, I didn’t associate boys with romantic relationships until I was in high school. Now I have kindergarteners that are worried about who likes who, and they talk about it all the time. Music and TV shows are also a big part of the problem. I feel that there are very little shows or songs that are appropriate for young children. A lot of them send messages about sex and sexiness with no thought into who may be listening and repeat’ing their words.

            Children  learn that sex is the defining activity in relationships, to the exclusion of love and friendship. They learn that sex is often linked to violence. And they learn to associate physical appearance and buying the right products not only with being sexy but also with being successful as a person. Such lessons will shape their gender identity, sexual attitudes, and values, and their capacity for relationships, for love and connection, that they take into adulthood” (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, P. 2-3). We are teaching our daughters that beauty is based on size and appearance, and our sons not to be affectionate or caring. It is important as educators to teach against these stereotypes and praise our students for how they are on the inside.

            Before exploring this topic deeper this week, I knew that the sexualization of early childhood was a problem and becoming more prevalent. It is sad to hear stories in relation to this topic, and really opens your eyes to just how out of control this issue is getting. Children should be innocent, but they are being exposed to sex earlier and earlier in age, and it is showing in our schools.

           

Reference

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized

childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine

Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

            In a society as diverse as ours, maneuvering through its multiple cultures can be complex and confusing, as well as rich and delightful (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Those of us who work with other people’s children are continually juggling our own culture, the culture of our early childhood education program, and the cultures of the families in our program (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

            I have always been part of the middle working class. Growing up, my parents worked hard to provide my sister and me with the things we needed, and they instilled in us the importance of a hard work ethic. I got my first job at the age of 12, and have been working ever since. Now that I am an adult and working as an educator, I am still part of the middle class. I have worked hard to be able to have nice things, sometimes working three jobs at a time. My schooling, housing, and car have all been paid for from these jobs, and that gives me a sense of accomplishment, that I can get these things on my own through hard work and dedication.

            Although I am very proud of myself for these accomplishments, I do sometimes feel discriminated against. I have experienced class-ism in the reverse. What I mean by this is; class-ism is usually an attitude, action, or practice that gives preferential treatment to those with more economic resources or higher social status, and treats as inferior or denies access to those with fewer economic resources or less social status (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). In my case, I have had people assume that I am of a higher social status and am given the things I have because of it. This upsets me because they dismiss all of the hard work I have put in, in order to have the things I do.

            Experiencing class-ism can and has affected my work with young children. I work in a pretty rural area, where families work hard to make ends meat. I sometimes feel bad wearing nice things when I meet with them for conferences or functions at school. Because of this, I will dress down so I don’t get discriminated against. I want them to recognize me for the hard worker that I am, and not just assume that I am handed things in life just because.

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and

ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young

Children (NAEYC).

Affirming Communication

This week I was able to spend some time with my friend Kim and her two young boys. Garyson is two years old, and Nolan is four months old. I went to see them at their house and we were outside enjoying the nice weather for most of my visit.

            

Garyson is a busy-body and always on the go. He loves to share what he is doing with Mom especially, which can be frustrating to her when she is trying to visit with a friend. On this particular day, Garyson was playing with some of his trucks. He came up to Kim and grabbed her hand and said, “Mom, you come.” He wanted her to come and look at his truck. She was in the middle of talking, so he said this a few times before she answered. When she did answer, she told him not now and that she was talking. This upset him and he threw himself down onto the deck and started to cry.

            

“When you ignore babies, you tell them they are not valued,” (Kovach & Da Ros-Voseles, 2011). In order to make the communication more affirming and effective, Kim could have said excuse me to me, and listened to what Garyson had to say the first time he pulled her hand and started speaking. Then, she could have told him “I would love to see your truck, but I’m talking to Melanie right now. How about you bring it over here and show both of us!” “Babies need to be part of the communication process. When you communicate with babies, it validates their self-worth. They will also have a better chance to understand what is occurring,” (Kovach & Da Ros-Voseles, 2011).

           

As a teacher, with 22 students always wanting my attention, it can get overwhelming and frustrating to try and listen to all of them at once. I am sure I am guilty of invalidating a child’s self-worth at some point or another. It is important for me, moving forward, to take time to step back and listen to what my students are really trying to tell me in order to have effective communication with them.

Reference

Kovach, B., & Da Ros-Voseles, D. (2011). Communicating with babies. YC: Young

Children, 66(2), 48-50. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=60001533&site=ehost-live&scope=site

I believe that this quote perfectly sums up the past 18 months I have spent in graduate classes. There were times I wanted to cry and give up, but I believed in myself and my abilities. Now I am walking away with a great accomplishment, my Master’s degree. I was the first person in my family to get a bachelor’s degree, and now I am the first to get a Master’s. That is such an amazing feeling, and I am so proud of the hard work I have put in to my schooling, in hopes to be a positive role model for not only my family, but my students as well. The most important things I have learned throughout this experience are; never give up, always believe in yourself, and to take criticism and allow it to make you stronger.

In moving forward, I hope to continue to inspire the children I work with. I want them to know that they can do anything they put their mind to with a little hard work and dedication, I am an example of that. Being a positive role model is very important to me, and I hope to continue to cultivate meaningful and lasting relationships with each child I work with.

                          

I want to thank everyone that has been part of my educational journey. The classmates and instructors I have had were continually there for me, and pushed me to be my best. I could not have accomplished this amazing goal without you! I wish you all continued success in your life’s journeys, and don’t ever lose your passion!

<3 Melanie

International Organizations

1) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): www.unicef.org

UNICEF is an organization dedicated to improving the life of every child. This organization is active in more than 190 countries and territories. UNICEF was created in 1946 by the United Nations; to provide food, clothing, and health care to European children facing famine and disease after WWII.

I chose to research UNICEF because they are an organization that I have heard about since I was young. They do great things for children across the world, and help to educate about many different topics including; HIV/AIDS, poverty, violence, education, etc.

An employment opportunity with UNICEF that I would be interested in is: Education Specialist (Early Childhood Education) in Sierra Leone. I spent some time in Ghana teaching, and always said I would like to go back. This job opportunity would bring me back to Africa. Qualifications needed are:

-Advanced university degree in one or more of the disciplines relevant to the following areas:
Education; Primary Education, or a Social Sciences fields relevant to international development assistance.
- Five years of progressively relevant work experience at national and international levels in field programmes relevant to Education programmes.

-Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset.
-Experience in national level development assistance is an asset.
-Experience with addressing gender disparities and asset.
-Background/familiarity with Emergency.
- Fluency in English and another UN language. Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station would be an asset.

2) Save the Children: www.savethechildren.org

                                     

Save the Children gives children around the world a healthy start, opportunity to learn, and protection from harm- what every child deserves. The organization is active in 120 countries around the world. Save the Children got its start in Kentucky in 1932. Initial programs provided clothing, school supplies, and hot lunches to school children.

I chose to research this organization because I always hear their campaigns, and wanted to look closer at what they do.

An employment opportunity with Save the Children I would be interested in is: Psychosocial Support Specialist in Central African Republic. Qualifications for this position are:

A child protection professional with a Master’s degree in child protection, psychology, social work

• Significant experience in working in child protection in emergencies, particularly on Child Friendly Spaces and psychosocial programmes
• Significant experience in capacity building and in strengthening various duty bearers understanding of and response to Child Protection and Psychosocial Support.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of psychosocial programmes, and feeding learning into programme design
• Experience working on the inclusion of hard to reach groups of children
• Experience of working in camp contexts
• Demonstrates a high level of communication skills and fluency in written and spoken in French and English
• Ability to communicate and maintain appropriate and productive relations with a range of actors, including children, parents, local and national authorities
• Good knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in MHPSS and child protection (IAC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Inter-agency Guidelines on Separated and Unaccompanied Children, the Paris Principles, MRM, SC Child Friendly Spaces Handbook and IASC Guidelines in Emergencies).
• At least 5 years experience working in a humanitarian setting

3) International Step by Step Association (ISSA): www.issa.nl

ISSA is an organization that aims to ensure equal access to quality care and education for children ages 0 to 10. It was founded in 1999 in the Netherlands, and today stretches across the globe with more than 50 members located mainly in Europe and Central Asia.

I chose to research ISSA because I had never heard of it until this class. In looking through their website, I agree with their mission and goals. They are also supported by UNICEF, another organization I looked at.

In looking through their website, I found an area to become a member, but did not find an area that listed employment opportunities.