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).