When communicating with young children, one should show them sensitivity, respect, reflective listening, acceptance as well as allowing space for their unique self. Lisa Kolbeck states that teachers need to watch children’s play and ask questions. Their play ideas are often “metaphors” for what children are thinking. When teachers develop a safe play listening place they help guide in relationships so children can play together with adult guidance. They ask questions about their play such as “What do you need to play?”. Sensitive adults help children use their imagination instead of interrogating them through the use of “I” statements. An example of this might be “I love cats” so then they see the child act out being a cat through their imagination (Laureate, 2011). Teacher language is also important in children’s development. It helps build their perception of their self and others as well as conv...
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Creating Affirming Environments
As anti-bias early childhood educators we should begin to strive to create an environment that our students can see themselves in. Our students learn as much from what they can’t see as what they do see. Our toys, materials, equipment, posters, books, etc. should all represent the both the children we work with as well as other groups we do not work with. Our materials should be free of stereotype and bias; and if they are not those materials should be used in whole group for discussion as examples of stereotype and bias. As much as children should avoid exposure to stereotype and bias they should also know how to identify it when they see it (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)(Pelo, 2008). In an anti-bias classroom, the furniture should be arranged in a way that reflects the students and their learning. Children should have a whole group meeting area, tables for smaller groups as well as areas for individual work if need...
What I Have Learned
My hope for working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that they see that even my I am just starting my journey in working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds that I am working towards making connections with those families and bridging the home-school connection. I hope that all the families I serve see that I am working to equally represent all families in my classroom and serve all students with equity. Even though I am in the beginning stages of culturally responsive pedagogy, I hope to expand my skills and knowledge as my educational career moves on and that culturally responsive pedagogy because almost instinctual as opposed to something I have to do intentionally. A goal I would like to set for the early childhood field is to provide more training and resources to both teachers and students to adequately educate in a culturally responsive way. Until I took these classes, I never even heard...