Awareness of Microagressions

      I can remember an event I attended where people were dancing and enjoying themselves.  Among those joining our group of black people was a white acquaintance.  We were enjoying the music and talking when someone asked me if I wanted to dance.  I refused and commented that I'm not the best dancer.  An off hand, kind of joking comment was made by our white acquaintance--something to the effect, "Don't be shy.  You know you can dance."  Given the fact that this person did not really know me or anything about my background, I received the comment as implying that I could dance because I am black.  I don't remember being extremely bothered or feeling offended at the moment.  I did, however, let her know that her assumption was not correct. 
      I think microgagressions have occurred often in my life and many have gone unnoted.   I think that has happened because they were presented in a light-hearted or off handed way, or come from people that we would not expect racist behavior to come from.  And, just as Dr. Sue mentions in the video, something will happen and you will ask yourself "Did what I think just happened just happen" and often I have dismissed it.

      Dr. Sue's presentation speaks to the fact that we hold biases that we are often unaware of, but their existence is revealed in these microagressions which are not overt, direct expressions of those biases.  Clearly, people are attacked because of their culture much more frequently than I previously thought and I realize that their thinking about themselves and others is quietly impacted each time.  As an educator, I will have to be alert to the occurrence of microagressions in my own conversation and behaviors and make every effort to eliminate bias that I detect within myself. 
          

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I find it interesting that all of the responses to a request to define culture included a reference to family traditions and the way people grow up.  Only one definition included race, ethnicity, values and customs.  Diversity was defined as differences in people.  None of the people I spoke with referred to socioeconomic levels, religious beliefs, abilities, or language.  I got the impression that many people do not really give a great deal of thought to all that culture and diversity encompass beyond surface level issues.

Some of the components of culture included in the definitions received involved a more in depth discussion of family traditions which integrated how people feel about religion, education, politics, or how they celebrate different holidays, marriages, birthdays, and even how they deal with death.  When people talked about the way people grow up they meant their family’s values, religious beliefs, socioeconomic level, where they live, their dress, whether or not they go to school, language, and whether family make up is traditional or a different arrangement. 

Listening to others define culture and diversity has heightened my awareness to the fact that everyone’s thoughts about what these terms mean can be very narrow or broad.  What is included depends on the person being asked.  Now when I think about culture and diversity my definitions are more inclusive of deep culture than prior to me taking this class or discussing the topic with others.  I recognize the importance of understanding, maintaining an awareness, and being respectful of not just surface culture, but also the deep culture components held my students and their families in my role as an early childhood educator.  I think that my level of understanding and awareness regarding culture and diversity will determine my level of success in creating a welcoming environment, establishing positive, effective relationships with students and their families as well as being how effectively I am able to foster attitudes of acceptance and appreciation of differences in people and their cultures.

My Family Culture

            If I imagined that our country's infrastructure has been destroyed and my family and I are being forced to relocate I would be grateful and concerned about what was to come.  If I was further told that I could only bring three items and one change of clothes, I would bring the Bible, a family photo, and an American Flag.  The Bible is important because my relationship with God, my faith is the foundation upon which I build every aspect of my life as well as being an important aspect of most of the lives of my family members.  The family picture serves as a physical, visual representation and reminder of those I love and support and who love and support me –images of people with whom I have built a life.  The American Flag is important because I think that in moving forward we should have something to remind us of where we came from and the wonderful opportunities our country afforded us to grow and increase as individuals and as a family unit.

If I was later told that I am going to have to give up two of the three items I brought with me, I would keep the Bible.  My relationship with God is more important than any thing I possess.  It, my relationship, is alive and ever changing.  A vital part of maintaining and growing as a Christian is spending time reading and meditating on the word of God.  My faith teaches me that as I do those things and spend time in prayer the truths of the bible impart the life and power of God in such a way that I will develop spiritual tools that will impact my temporal life in such a way that I will have what I need to shape a purposeful, good life --- wherever I find myself.  The knowledge and wisdom I can gain from the Bible will impact my life, and potentially the lives of my family and others as well, both temporally and eternally.

My Supports

As the primary caretaker of my father I have and need numerous supports.  I would like to first like to discuss the technological and mechanical equipment I need and use to the many tasks involved in his care.  My telephones and computer are tools that support my ability to communicate with my father and the many service providers involved in making sure he is as healthy and comfortable as possible.  I use them to set up and confirm appointments, send emails and to create correspondence.  Without these tools I would have to spend a great deal of time going to and fro arranging appointments and meetings.  My car is used to transport my father and myself.  If this support was not available we would have to depend solely on transportation services provided by the Veteran's Administration, which would result in a great deal of lost time waiting because pick-ups and drop-offs must be scheduled and do not follow any set pattern from day to day, varying based on the riders being served on any given day. Equipment such as my father's scooter and wheelchair, hospital bed, stair lift and body lift supported efforts to keep him mobile within our home.

There are many people who support me as well.  My family provides emotional support and relieves me from time to time of the responsibility of the daily care of my father.  If they were not available to talk to I would not have anyone to act as sounding boards, to offer input about the different issues, or to just listen.  I would not have anyone to laugh and play with.  I cannot imagine the amount of stress and frustration I would find myself dealing with if they were not available.  I trust them.  They encourage, comfort  and love me---- unconditionally. 

Additional support comes from the doctors, nurses, patient advocates, and other staff at the Veteran's Administration.  They provide care and resources that address my father's medical concerns and help me care for him effectively.  These people share their expertise and help me do a good job of being a caretaker.
When I am working, there are home health aids that come in to address his needs, supporting him and me while I do my job.  If they were not available, I would have to quit my job or have my father admitted to an assisted living facility or nursing home.

I cannot imagine being without any of the supports I have described.  It isn't often I think of all the things and people in place that help me do all of the things I need to do, but without them every day would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to manage!

Childhood Connections to Play

Blog Assignment:  Childhood Connections to Play

Mom took me to the beach today.  I love the beach.  The wet sand feels so good under my feet and squished between my toes.  I like running and playing around our umbrella and then going close to the water and letting the waves wash over me.  It feels so cool! 

I found my pail, shovel and sand molds and I began to dig in the sand.  I think I will dig to China.  I heard daddy say something about that the other day when he was talking to his friend. 

I sat for quite a while digging.  I found snakes and other creatures in the sand as the opening got bigger.  They were really rocks, sticks, strings and other things that people dropped and got buried under the sand, but I pretend that they are treasure.  I also find animals and insects that live in the sand.  I put them in my bucket and carry them to mom, asking her to tell me what they are.  We count legs and how they move.  We decide to take pictures and decide to try to find out what they are on the internet when we get home.  I go back to digging and after a while the hole is quite large. 

Mom comes over and joins me.  She asks me if she can help.  I am happy she joins me.  We are not paying attention to the time and before we know it the waves are reaching us as we sit in the sand digging.  Mom and I have been talking about where the shells come from, what kind of creatures live in the water, and how the sand feels when it is dry.  We have been talking --sharing and questioning each other—all afternoon.  It has been a warm wonderful day.  Suddenly, we realize that the water is closer to us than we thought. 

Wait, maybe we will build a castle with a moat!

The following are two quotes that might be associated with my childhood:

 “The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do – such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening – are also the best for child development.” ~ Jerome Singer (professor, Yale University)

“When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero, a crying baby, a mean dragon or a scary lion—whatever he or she wants to be.” ~ Mr. Rogers

The following pictures are pictures of essential play items for my younger self:

                                                   

My sister and I played together almost every day as we were growing up.    My parents would join us playing board games, take us bowling, and play things like badminton with us during spring and summer.  I particularly remember summers because we often went to South Carolina to visit our grandparents and played in the country with our cousins.  We would spend the entire day outside playing games, exploring the field past the backyard, and going through the neighborhood playing with other kids.  My parents supplied us with plenty of toys, but we had plenty of opportunity to use our imaginations with our dolls, doll houses and when we played with friends.  We would pretend to be in the roller derby when we roller skated or different family members when we played with the doll house.  

Play today differs from when I was growing up in that today children are more sedentary, play computer games much more, and participate in more structured activities.  Computers did not impact our lives to the degree they do today.  We seemed to use our imaginations more and we were involved in much more physical activity than many children today.  I remember going outside early in the day, coming in for lunch and then returning outside to play until dark.  You don’t see that a great deal today.

            I am glad to see that more computer games are incorporating physical activity.  They at least afford children the opportunity to get up and move while they are engaged with technology.  My hope, though, is that educators will first realize how important play is to student learning.  And, secondly, be able to successfully find a way address academic standards and incorporate play. 

One of the issues teachers currently face is the pressure to achieve student mastery of standards by the end of each school year.  The result is very structured lessons designed to meet the time frames set in the pacing guide.  Our schedule does not encourage spontaneity.  I would like to see that change.  I believe that adopting an instructional approach that allows for content integration may provide more opportunities for students to engage in related play activities.  Play in early childhood settings needs to be an integral part of each day.  Outside of school, I would like to see parents guide their children to put down the computer games more and increase their physical activity and imaginary play.

Balancing work and play, is important to maintaining good health for adults.  As we grow up and our responsibilities increase we often find ourselves with less time to play.   The older and busier we become our priorities change and we can also minimize our need to engage in activities that interest or excite us because they take time away from things we feel we have to do.  As adults, we must be aware of our need to play, just as we need to be aware that play is children’s work and it is something they need to participate in to develop properly and have strong foundations for learning and the development of healthy relationships.  Everyone needs to engage in play that is appropriate to establish and maintain healthy living and learning environments.     

Thoughts on Early Childhood Funding Sources

There is a great deal of conversation about the importance of children participating in quality early childhood programs.  The research has shown us that there are long term benefits for the children, their families, their communities and our society as a whole.  The positive outcomes are undeniable. 

The problem lies in the fact that so many agree, but so few seem to be willing to make the financial commitment to make it happen for our children.  I think that a viable solution is to have highly qualified educators, or even school systems, form partnerships with businesses (who themselves can partner together so no one shoulders the entire burden) in their communities to develop quality early childhood facilities which are implementing quality programs.  In this scenario everyone benefits--businesses in the short term obtain tax breaks, school systems obtain some funding assistance in preparing children for success in school, and young children receive a strong foundation for future learning.  Ultimately the entire community wins!

Local businesses need to understand the benefits of them investing in quality education for young children.    There are short term and long term financial gains for them.  In the short term they can obtain tax breaks.  In the long term, the children for which they help provide a quality early childhood education end up being potential employees that are better prepared to enter the work force and be successful.  These children will be less inclined to be retained, be recommended for special education, need remediation and be involved in crime--- and more inclined to be well behaved, positive about school and learning and obtain higher educations.  The return on their investment can be huge!