My Hope

My hope is that I will always work toward meeting the needs of every family and child I encounter in my professional and personal life. I hope I will treat them with respect and dignity and provide an environment where they feel completely inclusive and wholly excepted for who they are, and where they come from.  I hope I will have the humility to realize I do not have all the answers, but willing to learn.

My goal for the Early Childhood field is that we will focus on preparing teachers for their work in classrooms where diversity is as much a part of the curriculum as learning academics.  It is the social and emotional cornerstone for making change happen.  Teachers who are currently in the field will be provided trainings and workshops that will teach them how to implement anti – bias curriculum and the importance of providing equity within the classrooms for all children.

This course has been a great opportunity for me to reflect upon topics I might never have, and I want to thank all of my colleagues for the great interactions that have helped me grow.  I wish you all the best as we enter into our last class and then on to our specializations. My wish for you is to grow in your knowledge and passion that will build a better tomorrow for the children of today.

And a thank you to Dr. Morgan for your guidance and support as you worked us through topics that can be hard to understand.

     

                              

                         

Welcoming Families From Around the World

My family is has come from the country of Tajikistan, from the Garm clan located in the Gorno- Badakhshan Autonomous Province.

Finding out what region and clan my family is from was the most important step in understanding who they are.   

Second, I needed to make sure I understood their beliefs, cultural heritage, family system, acceptable foods, language, customs, and their ceremonial occasions.  I also needed to understand their expectations for their son or daughter that would be in our program.  I need to understand the gender roles within the family system.

What I found out that I need to make myself cultural responsive is ;

1.  Men never enter a home where there are only women, and girls are never left alone with boys. Men and women separate during social gatherings, and everyone stands when another guest arrives.  When shaking hands in greeting, it is respectful to place your left hand over your heart and bow slightly.

My responsibility is to make sure on a visit I either bring a male with me, or make sure the wife and husband are home together when meeting them. 

2. Their language is Ismaili Shiite and is a sect of Islam.  I will need to learn the basic survival words and greetings that will help me connect with the family.  I will also have the language written and put in areas around the classroom to make sure the family can read and know what our program is about.  All information will be translated into their language, and if an interpreter will be available for us to communicate. 

3. I found out that the family does not eat pork, therefore our program will eliminate any pork from the menu, and bread will be served at every meal. 

4.  Education is not a priority for most families, they want their sons to get an education, but learning to care for the family comes first.  Girls are seldom sent to school, they  are trained at home to become marketable for marriage. 

As I meet with the parents I will engage in a conversation that will help me understand what the family wants for their children, and give them information about our program and what we offer.  Because in America school is required for all family members, it is important to help them understand how they can educate both their son and daughters here.  Maybe they will want to home school their daughters while following their traditions.

5. They wear amulets to protect themselves from evil, and a protection from the supernatural forces that affect daily life.  It is essential to allow them to wear an amulet in class, and to prepare our class I would ask the family if they would like to speak to the children about their traditions and clothing to help others understand the importance it has for them.  

6. Some of the rituals this family may follow are periods of fasting, Ramadan, and ceremonies.  Knowing a child might be fasting within the classroom hours is critical in not violating the child, allowing them not to eat is very important.  Also, as families engage in ceremonies it is important to know why a child is not in school, and give the parents  support in by letting them know it is ok.

By understanding the culture of my family, it will help me prepare for meeting them, and greeting them with respect and a general understanding.  The use of an interpreter will help us begin building a relationship of understanding and provide for their needs.  Learning about their country and the cultural traditions and expectations will help eliminate misunderstandings that might otherwise have occurred.

 

A man stands in the doorway of a yurt in a desolate area in the western Pamirs.

Read more: Culture of Tajikistan - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Tajikistan.html#ixzz1s2NzjBzY

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Two families both are going to a family event that has booths where you can play games with your child, or get information about programs and activities within the community.  The families both need a sign language interpreter, at a meeting the facilitator of the event says, ‘Can’t we just get one interpreter, and they can go around the booths together?”

This facilitator was not intentional with his microaggression towards the two families, but none the less what he was suggesting was segregation based off need of two families.  The inequality he expressed was that they would have to go to the booths together, he was taking away their freedom to choose what booth they could both start with, and move to throughout the event. 

My first reaction was more internal, a sense of disbelief that he would think this was an ok solution. I then ran the gamut of frustration, anger, even resentment toward him that he could think this way.

I immediately spoke out about the issue and gave an explanation that each family had a personal right to have their own interpreter and move freely through the event just like everyone else.  I shared my thoughts on segregation and the insult this action would place upon the family.