What I Have Learned

The hope that I have when I think about working children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that the provider remembers that everyone is unique and respects their uniqueness instead of criticizing it. It is my hope that each individual is accepted and respected for their uniqueness.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice to embrace these issues by expanding the areas so that children are allowed to explore more diversity in effort to make them realize life is not isolated it is versatile and it ok to be distinctive.

Wow we have been on an interesting journey in this course. For me it highlighted so many things about life for me. I indeed appreciate all of the feedback, I have gotten on my post both blog and discussion. Equally I have enjoyed the sharing you all have done on your individual post. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog

Click to access my creative art work on seeing diversity.
http://kvonyajonesmoore.wix.com/seeing-diversity#!HOME/mainPage

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

One of the times I recalled that a child was reprimanded after pointing out someone they saw as different actually took place a church.  A very huge man walked into church late one Sunday.  He had to be about 500 or 600 pound or better.  There was limited seating available based on the time the man got there. This one little boy blurted out “That’s a very fat man I wonder where he’s going to seat on the floor because we don’t have a chair that can hold him.”  Needless to say all of the children thought his comment was funny and laughed their little hearts out.   A lady in the church grabbed the little boy by the arm and told him that was very disrespectful. She went on to yell at him that she was going to tell his grandfather on him because that type of thing was not going to be tolerate at church. The strangest thing is I really don’t think the little boy meant it as joke he was inquiring as little children do about where the fat man could sit.  I think it blown out of proportion because of the man’s size and the other children perception of the child comment as joke.

Based on the lady’s reaction the little boy quickly learned a lesson in the way things could be misconstrued. Therefore it is important to be mindful of the way you say things especially at church.

An anti-bias educator might have responded to the little boy by saying that we are all alike just different (Derman-Spark &Edwards, 2010).  The educator could point  out that everyone needs a place sit even if you are overweight and to refer to the floor for a person to sit at when everyone else is sitting in chairs or pews is insensitive. Pointing out that referring to someone’s weight can cause a person to feel bad whether they are really skinny or fat.  Then explain that we all are different although we seem to be the same.  In addition to highlighting that our apparent differences are the things that make us unique and that there is no reason for a person to degrade our uniqueness. This would help the child to think about what he has done and realize that no one should intentionally or unintentionally cause a person to feel bad because of an apparent uniqueness.

 Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.