Farewell for Now...

I have hopes that we can learn to work together, accept one another, and view diversity as a welcoming experience to help us become better educators, community members, and family advocates. I hope that we can accept the challenges that some of us face on a daily basis and that we can be a voice for those who need us to stand up and speak for those who cannot.

My goal is to continue a welcoming environment to my preschool children/families and that my actions and behavior will allow children to see that we are all part of the world. They can lead by example. I will continue to find ways to do this by attending workshops, conferences, and visiting other early childhood programs so that I may have a better outcome for my children and families.

Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing your stories and experiences. What I have learned from you has been somehow instilled in my program and my views of how we can make a difference. I hope to see some of you in our last classes at Walden!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Creating Art

I am a child...

I am not a race
I am a face.

I am not a color.
I am like no other.

I am not a possession
I am an obsession.

I am not a country
I am the free.

Look at me
and you will see
All that life
is meant to be.

I am not perfect
but sit beside me for awhile
and then you will know
That I am a child.



This one I wrote for Sandy Hook, Connecticut and all the families

 

I am a child

I said to my mother.

Take good care of my

Sister and Brother.

 

I am a child

I said to my dad.

Please don’t forget me

You are the best I ever had.

 

I am a child

I said to my teacher.

I want to learn

And to be a good leader.

 

I am a child

I said to the man.

As he stood in my classroom

With a gun in his hand.

 

I am a child

I said to the angels ‘round the Heavenly Throne.

As they opened their arms

To welcome me home.                                      

Rest in Peace Sweet Angels. Gone but NEVER forgotten....

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

My co-teacher shared a story with me that she experienced in another classroom.One of the parents had brought their child into the preschool room one day when one of the Spanish-speaking families came in at the same time. The Spanish-speaking family was talking in Spanish and the other child and mom were standing there listening. This child turned around and looked at his mom and said,  "See Mom? He talks too fast and I can't understand anything he says." This mom turned bright red and told her child, "Sshh, he speaks a different language than we do."

The message communicated to this child was that something was wrong with the Spanish-speaking child because he did not speak the same language and the other child felt he could not talk to him because he could not speak English. It was also communicated that it was not really ok that this child spoke another language. It was more like the parent was embarrassed that the child realized it.

As an anti-bias educator, a helpful comment could have been, "He is so lucky to speak two languages isn't he? Maybe he can teach us some words in Spanish?"

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children? (Note: if you have not had a personal experience, ask a family member, friend, or colleague)

I heard the boys at recess playing and making comments like "That's so gay." I was not sure I heard them correctly the first time because I was shocked.  When they said it the second time I asked them why they thought the game was gay. They just kept saying it was stupid. Next I asked them why they used the word gay? They really could not tell me anything specific. I think they had overheard it used with their older siblings.

Any other related situations, thoughts, concerns, questions, and/or areas of discomfort you would like to share related to children, gender, and sexual orientation

I have 2 dollhouses and a Disney Princess Castle in my classroom and my boys play with these things all the time. I also see the boys playing with the dolls and dressing up in skirts in the dramatic play area. I do not have a concern but I have seen parents freak out when they see their child, especially a boy, playing with these toys. I feel that boys should have the opportunity to play with these toys without being judged. I tell parents that they are learning to be nurturing and are exploring, especially since some of the boys do not have a sister. The girls in the class will be the prince and the boys will be the princess. I do not feel it is my place to step in and stop that kind of playing because they are using their imaginations and their role playing skills.

Since I work in a Catholic school, the issue of homophobia is a closed subject. It is difficult to address this issue because of the beliefs in the Catholic faith. I think that people have a right to their preference but I really don't think I will face this anytime soon. I could be wrong but it's a subject that is not addressed or discussed.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). (Executive Producer). Learning from another's life story:Families and children. {Webcast}. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Thanks and Goodbye

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to thank you all for sharing your experiences through each of your professional and personal lives. I have learned many things from you and have enjoyed being in this class. This class has taught me so much about communication, collaboration, and listening. All these have helped me to stop, think, and listen before I say something or do something.

Much luck and success to each and every one of you as your journey through Walden continues!

Best wishes,
Lori

Week 6 - Adjourning

 Are high-performing groups hardest to leave?

I would have to say yes because all the components to make that group experience worthwhile was present.



Groups with the clearest established norms?

Again I would say yes if you are the type of person who needs those norms established. I think for most of us, myself included, that organization and clear expectations help all of us know what is exactly expected of us.


Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? Why? What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?

I think the hardest group for me to leave was the group of people I went to college with the second time. I was a non-traditional student (40!) and became sort of the "mother hen" to many of the students who were much younger than me! I walked through the arches on the campus when I first started and I walked through them on graduation day which put a closure on my college experience.

 How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree in this program? Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

I will definitely tell everyone thank you and best wishes as they journey into their professions. It helps to put closure on people that we have worked with. It also gives you a sense of pride in the work a group has accomplished!

Conflict Week 5

What an interesting time for this question to be posted in our Blog. I have to say that after last week, I have had to really hold my tongue and keep my mouth shut. I am not sure how to explain it without it coming out in a poor loser scenario. My daughter was a Homecoming queen candidate last week and no, she was not the winner. The girl who did win was someone that no one was expecting to win because of her attitude and her daily drama. She said some extremely mean things to my daughter (my daughter pulled her ham string in dance, this girl was jumping up and down, clapping, and saying, "Good, she is hurt. Now she can't try out for basketball cheerleading) and I felt that someone who said things like that should not be rewarded. Well, needless to say, I have had to do much soul-searching in this area and know that I cannot change the outcome nor is it important anymore.

I have unfortunately used the "escapist strategy" for this incident because I do not want a conflict with this girl's mother. Events that took place after the crowning just left me with little desire to congratulate her because I knew it would not be a geninune moment.

So, in light of this, my daughter teaches me the "challenging strategy" for her acceptance of losing and forgiving. My daughter said, " I would rather lose honestly than win dishonestly" and has been given several opportunities to continue to be a class leader. If my daughter can move on, forgive this girl for the comments she made after my daughter's injury, then I have to do the same.

I think we both have learned many lessons from last week and what and who really matters. I will continue to use these strategies as well as cooperative strategies to work through conflicts in my life that need solutions and closure.