My Personal Birthing Experience

I apologize that this is not a true collage.  When I tried to upload a collage that I had made on Microsoft Word it wouldn't upload so I had to upload each photo one at time.  When I selected these photos, I thought about what we have learned over the last seven weeks.  I first thought about what a culturally responsive classroom should look like.  It should have books, posters, toys, games, etc. that represent different cultures and backgrounds without stereotypes and bias.  Students need to see that people of all walks can do many different things.  They also need to see that even though others may act and look differently as in their surface culture, they often have many things in common in the deep culture.  Culturally responsive classrooms also should have curriculum that reflects different cultures and backgrounds at school woven into instruction daily.  Culturally responsive teachers should directly...

“Words in Class!”             Ableism and racism are actions, attitudes and institutional practices that subordinate people because of a disability or because of their race or ethnic background.  No matter how hard we try to ignore it, children notice differences in people.  It does not help to ignore differences as though they do not exist.  It is very important to knowledge differences then address the biases and stereotypes that are associated with these differences.  When you do this as an anti-bias early childhood educator then both adults and children develop confidence and self-pride in their differences.  Children are bombarded with media messages.  Often these media messages overemphasize these differences so that similarities are hard to find (Laureate, n.d.) In order to help overcome the bias and stereotypes children hear and see every day, anti-bia...