Do Great and Be Great, Farewell for Now Colleagues!

 

 

National Jobs/Roles in ECE

 

State, Local, and COPs

 

We Are Almost There Colleagues!

        A Heartfelt Thank You goes to Dr. Davis and the 6165 class. 

                                        The Journey Continues...

 

Managing Disagreements and Conflict

     In February, my 24 year old niece asked is she could move with my family of 5 to Texas. My husband and I talked it over and agreed that she could come but had to be working on a plan to become self-sufficient in a 6 month time frame. She would not have to pay any rent or bills but would be expected to help out around the home. After a while, we felt as if my niece had a sense of entitlement and did not do much around the house, she would clean her room but would not touch the common areas, she ate food that we bought and used all the supplies that we would buy. We had a conflict because she was not providing for herself but only becoming a financial burden to us that we did not ask for. I have learned strategies recently that could help alleviate this issue. My husband and I could sit down with my niece to compromise, we could specifically inform her of what she is responsible for providing for herself such as laundry detergent and give her specific things that we expect her to do in the house and how often. This would be us being honest about our feelings and it will help with the way that we respond the next time if a conversation were needed. 

    Colleagues what do you expect from another grown person living in your home, how do you go about handling conflict without putting the person down and ignoring your own feelings? 

 

Communication and Cultural Diversity

 

Making Assumptions About Communication

 Many things can be assumed when watching a person's body language and expressions. This assignment has revealed to me that these forms of communication are not always straightforward and depend on the receiver to determine what the message is intended to mean but could be misinformed.

 The show that I decided to watch was "The Office" season 1 episode 1. Because I had never seen the show prior to this assignment, I did not learn the characters names until watching the episode the second time as I watched unmuted. For the sake of making sense lol, I will utilize their names. I was immediately introduced to 9 people that I assumed were the main characters of the show. I believe this was correct for all but 1 character as I watched and additional 2 episodes. 

 I assumed that 7 of the characters were co-workers but as the show progressed I thought that owner of the practice was Naomi as she was the one that seemed to show Addison (the presumed new doctor)  around the facility and the one who seemed to address the other characters. I also felt that Naomi and Sam had been intimate partners as he felt comfortable to go into her office and their behaviors were that of 2 people arguing but he later called her when he needed her. Addison was added to this practice as I saw her seemingly introduced to Cooper by shaking hands and awkwardly hug Violet as they didn't know whether to kiss cheeks or just hug. She then seemed to verbally greet Pete whose expression looked surprised and who stopped Cooper from going in to hug Addison and gave me the assumption that Addison and Pete were once a couple as well as the kiss they shared at the beginning of the episode. One of the other aforementioned characters was Dale who seemed to be a receptionist or assistant as he answered phones and seemed to be told what to do in a medical situation by Addison. Another was the chief of staff at the hospital that the practice members work alongside when they can not fully help a patient. Her expressions seemed as if she did not value the other practitioners or did not agree with what they had to say or may have been bothered by their interferences. Lastly, was the opening scene of Addison and another doctor that seemed to have a verbal altercation. I thought that they were having an argument as there was head shaking and finger pointing. The gentleman also seemed to be saying his words aggressively. There was a pregnant patient with a man that I assumed was her father. As she was going into labor he seemed frustrated or upset as he paced and also seemed to speak with aggression. He did not behave as a new father that was exited for his child to be born. The girl also looked a lot younger than him so I may have stereotyped the relationship here.

 That was a lot but this is what I learned as I watched the show and listened to the words: The doctor that Addison was arguing with was actually not wanting to lose one of his best doctors and trying to get her to stay at his hospital working for him. He admired her and respected her as a doctor. The practioners Addison joined were all part owners of the practice but Naomi owned the largest percentage. Dale was not only the receptionist/assistant but a vital part of the team that was used when needed by the practioners as he was a student studying midwifery. Naomi and Sam were ex spouses and Addison and Pete had only kissed but never dated. Addison and Sam were possible friends but knew each other because she went to school with Naomi. The chief of staff behavior after watching a second time seemed to be more "matter of fact" with the words, she does her job and defends her actions.

 This assignment was insightful and really made me think about what I assume someone is saying without words and realize that I could be and have been wrong with my assumptions. Some of my assumptions here were incorrect and showed me my "aha moment" that behaviors and words together are better understood for myself. If I were watching a show that I frequently watch, I believe that I would have had more correct assumptions because I would know more about the characters, how they interact with each other as well as their relationships with one another. Even with this being stated I could misinterpret their actions.             

 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

   One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is to have effective communication and have meaningful relationships with families that are formed from respect. Getting to know the families, their expectations and how they communicate best can help me to educate their children effectively and make transitions more smooth.

   One goal that I have for the field of early childhood as it pertains to the issues of diversity, equity and social justice is to provide reoccurring free training to educators in programs that makes us aware of current issues, alerts us to biases and informs us on methods to use that ensure we create inviting environments for all families.  

   This course on perspectives on diversity and equity was the beginning of an eye opening experience and a lifestyle change. I would like to thank Professor McCarty and my colleagues for the lessons, discussions and aiding in my growth. i wish you all the best on your continued journey! 

Welcoming Families from Around the World

 Pictures from Google.com

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

     My husband and I got married at the age of 22 and 23. We had no children and had just bought our first home together. It was during this time that we enjoyed riding his motorcycle. My husband went for a ride one day alone and I stayed at home. It was while walking past my front door that I noticed a person tape a note on my door then walk away without trying to get my attention. I quickly go to the door ad read the note which states "stop speeding through our neighborhood" and is signed "neighborhood watch president". I then call after the gentleman that I see walking away from my home and ask if he left the note. He stated that he did and asked if that was my boyfriend or whoever on the motorcycle. I corrected him and told him that it was my husband. He then proceeds to tell me that he "is the president of the neighborhood watch (in which we did not have) and that my husband speeds up and down the roads constantly". I disagree with him and then he proceeds to ask "if I own or rent the home"? I do not answer and ask him to leave my property as we have both elevated our tones at this point. He jumps onto the side walk then eventually leaves. When my husband returns, I tell him about the incident and he then goes to the man's home to address him. In this conversation the man tells my husband about his encounter with me and that he asked me "if we owned the home and I informed him that, we rented". My husband immediately knew that the man was not being truthful (as he also was not speeding) about anything and ended the conversation.

   This situation made me angry. I felt as if the man first tried to intimidate me with the way that he signed the note to evoke power. Then I felt as if he presumed that I was unwed and could not afford to purchase a home. 

   This discrimination and prejudice diminished equity and could have been changed initially by the man trying to have a conversation instead of hiding behind a note. He could have stated his thought in a respectful manner that would have given me the opportunity to reply in the same manner versus being on the defensive end. I would have then just told my husband "to make sure that he isn't speeding in the neighborhood when he leaves" just in case, even if I knew he had not.  

 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

   I utilized my social media pages for this assignment. I was able to reach a mass quantity of people in a short amount of time and also engage with a wide range of people. I asked the question "what is your definition of culture and what is your definition of diversity?" I requested those that responded not look up their definitions to get their honest feedback. 

   From the answers that I received when referring to culture many people mentioned words that are included in the surface culture such as holiday traditions, clothing and food. Other words that were mentioned were language,  morals, values, music and spiritual practices. When referring to diversity I received the word inclusivity a lot but it was fellow educators or social workers that dissected the word even more. They stated that it means people of all cultures, genders, socio-economic status, religions, sexuality and educational backgrounds.

   The aspects that were omitted from culture were things like gender roles, roles of children. The aspects that were omitted from diversity were age and ability. When thinking about others definition of the two terms it influenced my own thinking by giving me the perspective that one has to have diversity in thinking to be inclusive to all and be diverse and culturally aware.  

My Family Culture

 

 

Research Around The World

 I chose the Early Childhood Australia website for this assignment. Early childhood Australia is an organization said to be the equivalent to NAEYC where their focus is on the topics of "advocacy, influencing many significant issues relevant to the care, wellbeing and education of young children in Australia" (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au). 

 Insights I earned about this organization is that they have a branch in every state and territory that "help identify issues and priorities for state and national action, and influence policies concerning young children" (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au). They also have a Early Learning Matters week that was started in 2018, this week raises awareness of the role of early childhood education and care in children’s development and wellbeing in Australia.

 Noteworthy information about the organization is there are ways in which one could become a member suitable for them such as from the aspect of a student, professional or an institution. Each membership comes with exclusive information about ECA, discounts and benefits.

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

An Uplifting Story