Time Well Spent

I think we all have a mental list and some have a physical list with goals we want to achieve. When we know an accomplishment is near, the feeling is indescribable. My journey with this program started in September 2010. To be honest I am not exactly sure I would really get anything out of this program. In my undergraduate years I took countless classes and at the end of the course I felt like I had wasted my time because I did not learn a thing. Even though my previous experiences weighed heavily on, I still tried to have an open mind going into this program. I for one am glad I did not have a close mind because negativity can block the positive. This program has impacted me in ways I could never imagine. I learned things about myself that I would have never known if it were not for this program. My first degree is not in education this program was a way to see if I do belong in education. A few things I learned through this program are that I in fact did have biases. No matter how small these biases are they can skew our judgment. Currently I work with middle school children and now I feel like I know where I need to be and that is with younger children. Last but not least I learned to embrace diversity and that we are all diverse even if we are from the same ethnic background. I have learned to look at diversity not just as something or someone different but as another source to learn. I am grateful for the time I have had with my colleagues I have learned so much from their stories and will truly miss everyone’s insight.

My long-term goal is to never stop educating myself. I think one way to become close minded is to feel you know it all. There is always something you can learn from a child, an adult, a situation, from reading the list goes on.

Dr. Morgan you have been an exceptional professor and I enjoyed having you twice. I appreciate your insight and pushing all of us to broaden our horizon. As well, I appreciate your promptness and your immediate feedback. Through your feedback which seemed instantaneously, you showed us support and that you cared. I thank you for being a part of a life changing experience and for that you will never be forgotten. I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors.

Colleagues it has been a pleaser! Thank you all for your support and encouraging words. I wish you all well!

ksaleh21@gmail.com

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!! 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

For my Capstone project my focus has been on racism. My main goal is to provide a support system for children and their families. As I researched many international organizations the criteria I focused on most are organizations that show characteristics for supporting children and their families. The three organizations I focused on this week matched the criteria I was looking for which are International Child Care, Wide Horizons For Children and The International Network of Children and Families.  International Child Care or ICC is focused on happy healthy children and its foundation originally started in 1967. Knowing this association started many decades ago is comforting and appears more credible because they have established a foundation. As well an interesting thing about the International Network for children and Families s that is provides classes that teachers and parents can take part in to deal with diverse family issues. In addition, Wide Horizons for Children is unique to me because it is also a way to not only sponsor a child but to adopt a child in need. For all of these organizations I did not see information about employment; however, I did see ways to support by volunteering and donating.

http://internationalchildcare.org/

http://www.whfc.org/WHFFC/sponsorships.asp?gclid=CL6hpaCJnq8CFQrCtgodiFxadg

http://www.incaf.com/aboutINCAF.html

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

From the very beginning of this program we were introduced to National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC. I chose the following three programs because these are programs I am less familiar with. As well, I chose these programs because I know they can positively enlighten me and give me guidance and answers in my professional career. The first program I chose is the National Center for Research of Early Childhood Education. The next program I was intrigued by is National Child Care Association. The last program I looked at was Center for Child Care Workforce. Even though right now my focus on is becoming a better teacher, in the future I would like to either be a part of a child care center or establish my own. As I searched through the sites, I did not see jobs opportunities but I did see ways to support and become a part of the community.  

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

 National Child Care Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.nccanet.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.ccw.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

To get people on board the best thing to do is start with the city you are located in and the surrounding cities. In my quest, I started in the city I live in, Arlington, Texas and I was able to find a facility called Arlington Child Development Center. This center I realized is very close to where I work. The other two child care places I was drawn to are in Fort Worth. One is the YMCA in Fort Worth which is the main office that other programs feed off of. The other program in Fort Worth is called Polytechnic Child Development Center. The wonderful part about these three local programs is since it feeds off of each other, the same standards are being projected throughout both cities. Another thing that drew my attention was seeing on the website broadcasting the words “Eliminating racism, empowering women” and “Peace. Justice. Freedom. Dignity.” The words I saw on this website furthermore confirmed I am starting in the right place because those are the necessities for my Capstone Project. Job opportunities were not offered at this time but volunteering and donating to the cause is available. At this point, since the only thing I could do is volunteer, I am confident I posses the needed skills to fulfill my role. 

Reflecting on Learning

My most passionate hope for the future is to make a difference with these children and for it to go unnoticed. I hope these children see my drive and are able to help pass down these positive traits of being unbiased. A team is always better than one person. I want to see a positive chain reaction that continues for generations to come.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their warm word of encouragement. As well, I enjoyed reading the blogs, through blogs we are able to share so much. Some of you I recognize from the very beginning of my journey and I hope to continue seeing your names in the next class. I wish everyone nothing but the best.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose Latin America and Caribbean because majority of my students or their families were born in Mexico.

A huge issue is malnutrition problems that are affecting children from age three and younger. The time of pregnancy to the age of 2 is a very vital time for growth development. We all know how important it is that children receive the best care but some of these children start off lacking essentials from the beginning.

In America, rights for children are a necessity. However, the Convention of the Rights of the Child was finally adopted in 1989. The reality is, the law is there but many are not abiding or enforcing the law to ensure children are being treated properly and utilizing their rights.

Enrollment and completion of primary education has increased. On the other hand, there are many countries that are far from other countries in pushing completion of education. So another problem is present, the lack  of promotion and enforcing school.Sadly this is also an area that has had its share of natural disasters. Alone, last year 1,000 people died, 10,000 injured and 100,000 homeless. These are only handful of challenges these children face.

Personally and professionally my heart goes out to the children and their families. Many of these people cannot afford to relocate and are stuck in that environment. This is a great reminder how difficult some children’s lives are. For me reading situations similar to this gives me an extra level of tolerance. It pushes me to try harder to reach these children because many are afraid to open up. These children are not use to someone pushing education and wanting to see them succeed. Some of these families lack shelter and food. I try to take into consideration the lifestyle of these children and their families and try to develop ways to make their transition to this culture as smooth as possible. 

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

After reading the article So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids I could feel my heart sank. I was hoping the style of seeing children acting beyond their years was something I was noticing and only a select few others. Knowing this is an issue that goes beyond my community is heartbreaking. Children are not taking time to be a child before they are rushing to be and act like an adult. I feel the problem is that parents initially thought it was “cute” to see their child acting and dressing like an adult. From there the issue seemed to spiral out of control. Children started being exposed to sexual content in their own home and their friend’s home. At the beginning of this program we were required to do plenty of observations. I remember a first grade boy was being called to the office because he was trying to have sex with another first grade girl in the bathroom. There was another incident when the children were lining up and a first grade boy grabbed another first grade girl from behind and was rubbing against her. Another situation, a first grade girl was stuffing her blouse pretending she had a bra.

Children have a hard enough time trying to focus on their class work; sexual content is something they should not be thinking about. I can’t help but think that part of the reason these children have problems focusing is because their minds are focused on reenacting material they are constantly shown. Learning material related to sex takes these children away from positive development and learning the things a child should be focused on. I think it is up to the adults and early childhood educators to redirect these children to appropriate behavior. Children will not realize they are doing something wrong until it is brought to their attention.

By studying this topic this week, I no longer feel like I am alone. It is hard to address a matter when you are afraid to discuss it because you feel others will not support or agree. Reading this article comforted me and confirmed my feelings. I now have the proof I need to bring this situation of sexual content within children to my colleague’s attention. The more people who become aware of this situation the more people can help identify children behaving in such manner. Children all have to grow up but there is a time and a place when it comes to everything. Parents also have to become aware of what they expose their children to. If their child is exposed to content the best thing is for them to address the issue. Otherwise, you are leaving it up to your child to figure out what they saw or for another child or adult to give them an answer.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Biases are based on personal feelings. People choose to like you because of a specific reason and can choose not to like you for various reasons. The reasons people choose for not liking you can also lead to biases. For instance I have experienced ageism and racism. When you are first starting off your career or because you have a baby face, it can sometimes make it hard. Some families see youth positively and some view is negatively, as a lack of experience and growth. It is hard to deal with a family when they view you incompetent because of your age. Age is nothing you can change, so everyone has to deal with the situation. However, in the mean time it makes it very difficult to reach the family because they can tune you out. As well, I work with a lot of and Hispanic children and because I am unable to speak their language they feel like I cannot work with their children. Experiencing these –isms make it very hard to reach the child because it is easier if you can reach the child family first because they can assist in helping reach the child. These biases can make it difficult for everyone, including the child.

Observing Communication

I observed a mother and her two children at a grocery store this week. The two children both boys one appeared to be around the age of one and the other about four. The lines were long, no express lanes and the store was short on help that evening. This particular family was directly in front of me in line. The one year old was asleep so the mother was only communicating with the oldest boy. The family all wore jeans; the mom appeared to have on an older pair of jeans and looked like she was in need of a new pair of shoes. The mom did not have on a jacket and it was very cold that evening. The youngest son did not have on shoes but he was buckled in his car seat with socks on and a blanket. The oldest son’s clothes were not clean and his shoes were very dirty. However, I know children around his age enjoy playing and may get their clothes dirty fast. Looking at the combination of their appearance, my first thought was they may be a family struggling like other families.

The family only had a few items in their shopping cart and the mom seemed to be mentally adding up the cost of the items in her cart. Then the mom checked back in her purse, I am assuming she was checking to see if she had enough money to cover the items. The oldest spotted some candy that was made with a toy that he wanted. He grabbed the candy and the mom immediately but quietly told him to put it back. The son made no initiative to put the item back. Instead he held on to the candy even tighter. The mother was obviously not trying to make a scene and wanted to be very discrete. She bent down to her son with her back towards me and whispered something in his ear but the boy said “no” very loudly.  The mother than started counting one, two, three but the boy held his head down and would not look at her. By now I was getting the impression the mom was starting to get impatient and embarrassed because she knew people were noticing the situation. The mom then grabbed the candy out of his hand and placed it on the shelf. This brought the boy to tears and he fell down on his knees. The mom then picks her son off the floor and puts him in the shopping cart and tells him to stop. She tries to casually talk to him and he does not respond or make eye contact.

One thing I have learned throughout the weeks is that it is important to allow children to express their feelings. I understand the mom was losing endurance and was probably beginning to feel uncomfortable but I know the situation could have been handled better. As well, I could not help but think that this child could use a persona doll to express his feeling. The doll could have a similar situation as the little boy and may make it easier for this boy to talk about his feelings. In addition, I am not sure of the entire conversation due to the low tone of voice but what I was able to hear and figure out, I know the choice of words could be better. Furthermore, if the mom had conversations prior with her son he would not have been expecting to receive a gift. I think some parents promise their child “you will get it next time” and children do not forget. Then when it is the “next time” their feelings are crushed when they once again are unable to keep the item. I am aware it is natural for a child to go somewhere and want something but explain to a child instead of telling them “no” or they can’t have it. An open line of communication makes it easier on the child rather if it is talking to a persona doll, talking to their parents or teacher.

If I were in that situation I would have talked to my child before going to the store so they would not be expecting to get anything extra. Next, I would have talked to my child about why he could not buy the candy. I wouldn’t have snatched the item from him but had him to put the candy back on his own. As well, I would have talked to him when we left the store to see if he had a better understanding.  Daily, I try to make sure children have a voice and by telling them to stop or not talk, I feel in a sense that is a form of taking away their voice.

Classism like many –isms is hard for children to understand. The child understands his mom is not allowing him to get the item of choice but does not really understand why he can’t have it. Explaining poverty and the causes of this situation is very difficult task. In addition, I have learned that my way of thinking has changed. I no longer look at a child acting out as a temper tantrum but more of a form of expressing their emotions because they are hurt.

Creating Affirming Environments

If I had my own Family Child Care Home, I would make sure it is a true “home” for children. Everyone wants to be at a place that is loving and caring. For young children it is extremely hard from them to leave their parents and their home because that is the place where they know they are safe. I want the environment to be inviting and warm. I want bright colors and furniture made specifically for children. I want signs in all languages. I would have posters, pictures and art work presenting different cultures and themes. I want to match all of the cultures of the children in the home and even some that are not. I want play areas where the children can use their imagination and explore. I want educational toys, as well as toys for the children to just have fun. I also want the children to be exposed to technology.

 I would have a positive faculty who are willing to go beyond to reach every child that comes in contact with our program. If possible it would be great to work with a diverse faculty so families could see a face that resembles their own. The faculty would not be a team but more like a family. The possibilities are amazing when people work together. I now understand the best way to get results are by working as a team.

As a family, I would like to develop a rich curriculum. I think it is important to cover the basics but I think it is also important to expose children to different cultures and traditions. I want there to be time for Math, Reading, English, History, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Computers and Athletics. I also think it is important to have free time and of course nap time. As well, every month I would like one child to bring something from their family. I would like to focus on that particular culture for that month. I think when children realize something is real and see an actual person in front of them I feel people are more eager to learn.

  I would have an age limit, infants to children up to four years old. I think it is important that children be around others their own age so they can relate, explore and uncover new situations together. If possibly I would love to have a diverse group of children. I think the best way to learn about people who are different is by being exposed to diversity at a young age. Lastly, I want to encourage parents to be involved and join in when time permits.

Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010).Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

What I Have Learned

 One thing I hope when working with children and families or anyone is that I never make them feel uncomfortable, not important or not belonging. One goal I would like to implement in the early childhood field is suggesting an opportunity to discuss biases in trainings. It is important to talk about how to educate our children but in the process we have to understand there are many factors that prevent children from learning. All educators need to be aware of their own biases and remind them of the obstacles these children face.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your continued support. It is reassuring to read encouraging comments. As well it is nice to see my colleagues being able to relate to my feelings and experiences. I hope to continue working with each and every one of you. I wish you all nothing but the best; as well as a Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year. 

Creating Art

I am me

I am just like you because you are different just like me

My family is unique because there is no other family like this.

I have beliefs and you have yours

Black, white, limbs, no limbs, Muslim, Christian, old, young, lesbian, gay,  are all people at the end of the day

During this course I was able to talk about the biases that others ignore. I was once the “other” who thought it was best to pretend like my biases did not exist and that those who were different did not exist. I thought that was the proper way of handling things. I understand that by not acknowledging their presences does not make the fact that they are different go away. Everyone wants to feel important.

My collage represent that our world is filled with all different races and religions. Some people are happy and living luxury lives while others are experiencing pain, sadness and poverty. Some have obvious disabilities while others plainly look different.

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

I have a student who has Tourette syndrome so he twitches a lot, his neck jerks, which causes his head to shake quite often, his eye twitches and he stutters. On the other hand, he is a very talkative student who does talk more than needed and at times he irritates other students around him. Due to the fact his behavior is a problem at times the students are very short tempered with him. One student yelled out “would you shut up and stop doing all that twitching”. The teacher assistant immediately tells the student “No, do not say that” and silenced the student.

I think the student was confused on why she was being asked to stop talking. The teacher assistant did not want to draw attention by saying that is not nice to say. The student asked why she was asked to stop talking when she felt she was telling the boy the right thing to do. The boy in return told her he has Tourette syndrome and is unable to control his twitching. There was a long pause of silence and then she replied that she was sorry that she didn’t know.

I think in a classroom setting when the children and the student are going to be working together for many months, I think it is important to get a good understanding about each other. I think if we openly talk about things such as disabilities, it no longer becomes a foreign topic. I remember in school if we had someone who has a disability we would talk as a class and would ask questions so everyone would feel comfortable. Once you talk things out, it is out in the open and there is no more curiosity or ignorance which can lead to biases. The way things have changed so many people are scared of being sued. Even if the child is open to talk about their disability the discussion it brought to an end abruptly. I think if people were aware that he has Tourette syndrome the students would not have ridiculed him for twitching and been more sensitive.    

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

I remember when the Ellen DeGeneres show first aired, I was immediately hooked. I started watching the show daily. I remember one particular time my cousin came home with me and it was time for the show to come on. I turned to the show and was all ready to watch and the look of disgust came over her face. She asked “are you about to watch that; I can’t stand to watch gay people I just can’t do it”. I was shocked that she felt that way but I continued to watch the show. While watching the show I felt uneasy because I knew she was not comfortable watching the show. It amazed me how opposite two people from the same family could be.

In one situation I had a class of all boys except one girl. Basically I had a room full of boys around the age of thirteen. Majority of these boys played sports and were on the football team at that time. The boys that did not play sports were looked upon as an outcast; they were portrayed as weak because they were not on the team. In the peak of an argument I would you “fag” “you are gay” “you act like a girl” “you are a sissy” and anything else that would mean a boy acted like a girl. I took offense to hearing those slurs and immediately addressed the issue. I wanted the boys to know their behavior was unacceptable and would not be tolerated. I did not want anyone to take offense, be ashamed or embarrassed. I feel you have to stop things instantaneously before anyone begins to feel it is appropriate to use such disgraceful language. 

Reflecting on Communication in the Early Childhood Field

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your continued support. Some of you all I recognize from my very first course. It is comforting to see familiar names; it is almost like seeing a familiar face. I thank you all for your words of encouragement and questions. The questions that some of you all proposed to me pushed me to expand on my thoughts and even see things from a different light. I appreciate each and every one of you all and wish everyone nothing but the best through their education journey and throughout life.



ksaleh21@gmail.com

Team Building and Collaboration

Last school year, due to the budget crisis our school lost a wonderful vice principal, a counselor, and three teachers. Together we were a group that focused on working together and developed ways to help each other when in need. It was the hardest dealing with the last week of school and the last day of school was almost unbearably. I literally wanted to cry and had to hold back tears while saying good-bye. It was not the fact I felt I would never see them again but more because the bond was being broken. When you get use to working with certain people you begin to feel comfortable and then you are able to start building trust. Toward the end of the summer it was realized some of the cuts did not have to be made after all and a vice principal, counselor and one teacher were hired. It was too late to try and get the initial people back because they had already found jobs. It was hard getting use to the new people because they were new. In my mind I felt no connection.

 I do know it makes it much harder to say good-bye to a group who is high performing. In my past experiences with unproductive groups, I could not wait to say my good-byes and hoped I never had to cross paths with them again. However, through it all, I am able to have had the chance to work with those colleagues and the chance to say good-bye.

When this program concludes, I imagine adjourning from my colleagues through blogging. I feel I have developed a relationship with many of my colleagues. I would like to formally say my good-byes from the program but not from each other. I have learned so much from my colleagues and would like to continue learning from their experiences. 

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

Due to uncontrollable circumstances I was asked to temporarily switch positions at work. I have been working with special education students and the classes are small. I was asked to take on another subject, grade and class size. My original class is being split up amongst other special education teachers. I am happy to help out until the teacher is able to come back but I am trying to adjust to this abrupt change. I now have seven class periods with 30 children in each. Behavior issues are an all time high for these junior high students. I understand it is an adjustment to them as well, not being use to have me in the classroom.  Recently, a colleague across the hall walks over during passing period and asked a student standing right in front of me do you think you all are better or worse since Ms. Saleh is here. The student who has behavior problems herself replies “oh I think we are way worse” the teacher shakes her head and say “oh”. I was completely shocked this teacher asked this student a question like that with me right there in front of her and I felt that was unprofessional. This is a Title 1 school and behavior has always been an issue for many teachers with years of experience including her. For the past three years, I have personally witnessed behavior issues. Since that statement was made I find myself putting distance between myself in this colleague. I talked with another colleague who is a teacher assistant (TA) and comes in during a few class periods to work directly with the special education children. I explained how my feelings were hurt because this colleague made it appear I am doing a horrible job. The TA reassured me it was not my fault and that I was doing my job. She also told me behavior issues have always been a problem for the class since the first day of school. The original teacher did not enforce the rules as much as other teachers. Also, she told me I should speak up more when there is something I do not like. For me I think I did the best thing by not saying anything originally because my feelings were definitely hurt by what she said. Sometimes when we get hurt our initial thought is to say something back that is hurtful. Now that I have time to think and especially after this week I could use the NVC principles and the three R’s. I can talk to her an address the issue to stop the casual verbal attacks and remind her we are all there for the same reason. Through that conversation I can implement respect and be able to get her response on the matter. There is a possibility she does not even know what she said was hurtful. 


Corso, R. M. (2007). Practices for enhancing children’s social-emotional development and preventing challenging behavior. Gifted Child Today, 30(3), 51–56.

O’Hair, D. & Wieman, M. (2009). Real Communication: An Introduction. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.Martin’s

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

Who Am I as a Communicator?

During this week I was surprised that one of my friends rated my listening skills better than how I rated myself. I know at times I have other things on my mind and should listen more. Apparently I listen well enough to give the appropriate feedback and give the level of attention needed. As well, I was surprised with my own survey. Through this survey I realized I can be aggressive when I feel a person is not communicating the way I feel they should. This is something I know I really have to work on because as individuals we all are different, meaning we handle situations and communicate differently.  Being too aggressive can cause the conversation to abruptly end sour. Combined this awareness can help me to try to improve my listening skills even more and work on being less aggressive.  If I can work on these two communication skills it will better my personal and professional life. Lastly, I was reminded how certain situations can change how you communicate, such as lack of time.

Communication and Culture

I think as much as we hate to admit it many people find themselves communicating with people of the same age, race or religion. Reason being, there are more commonalities; you are more likely to have things in common. I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. For instance, having a conversation at lunch may go completely different depending on what group of people you are talking to. I have experienced situations where I was talking to a colleague, who is a different race, religion and much older. The conversation appeared smooth but my feelings inside did not match. Actually, I was on edge with every word coming out of my mouth, not sure her perspective on issues or how she would interpret what I was saying.  I found myself wanting to agree with her just so the conversation would not go south. I also found myself talking about things I had no interest in or really wanted to talk about. Now, when I am talking to someone who I feel we share plenty in common close in age, race, religion etc. the conversation is differently. It may appear similar but I am more relaxed the conversation flows natural; we share commonalities without looking for something in common. If there is dead silence, I do not feel awkward. I can look at a person directly in the eye because I am not leery of what I am saying. It may be laziness not trying to put forward the effort to communicate with people who are different from us or fear at times but it is easier during certain situations to communicate with someone with similar likings. 

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

I decided to watch a television show called “10 Things I Hate About You”. The title should have given things away but I wanted to watch the show and not incorporate the title. The show is based around teenagers in a High School setting. At the beginning of the episode I gathered that the relationships were two sisters and their father living in a house. Based on their behavior I sensed plenty of sarcasm. The sisters were giving each other side eye looks, batting their eyes, rolling their eyes at each other and long sighs. Sarcasm continued at school, it was obvious there was a popular girl who was full of herself from the way she walked as if she were bouncing on a trampoline with every step she took, throwing her hair constantly and making everyone move out of her way as she pranced around the school.  It was hard watching the show without hearing what they were saying. However, when I turned the sound on I was exactly right; the show was based on sarcasm and rude remarks toward each other. The conversation I gathered in my head was actually very similar to the actual conversation. If I had of watched a show I know well, I would not have second guessed my thoughts about what I was observing. After this assignment I feel more confident about my opinion about people from their expressions. We all at times we judge people by their actions and the last thing I want to do is misjudge anyone.