Welcoming Families From Around the World

Kyrgyzstan

This county is located in Central Asia between China and Kazakhstan. A Muslim Turkic people who gained their independence from Russia in 1991. They speak Kyrgyz, Russian, and English. There are so many interesting facts about this country yet reading about this country and their culture I see I would have some soul searching to do to be culturally responsive to a student entering my classroom. I am going to identify some of their ideas that I definitely could see some bristling about and this is what I will address.

1) Children are still expected to be quiet and not allowed to go to parties or to disturb guests within the home. Infants are strapped to their cradles and quieted when they make a noise. I need to be aware of this when a child from this culture is within the classroom. This would explain to me why s/he does not speak much or respond to my questions or conversations. I would work with this child calmly and quietly in hopes that s/he would realize it is okay to speak at school and stay quiet at home.

2) This country is ethnically diverse which causes unrest resulting in riots and violence, a class system, and though girls are considered equal to boys they interact very little with each other. Knowing these facts would explain to me why the girls and boys are not interacting. Those bringing their child to school and at pick-up time would not want to inter act with those of different sex so if a father is picking up their child, he would not wish to speak to me. I would respect this and in turn it would show the child I am respecting who they are as well.

3) Ceremonial traditions are very different than what we here in the U.S. would be comfortable with. These traditions revolve around the preparation of a slaughtered sheep (sometimes a horse), serving people according their class, and the mandatory practice of several shots of vodka. This is a little against what I was raised with and I would need some rethinking to be "okay" with this. I would need to allow the child to speak openly about any celebration they may have celebrated at the home with no sense of condemnation (animal rights or worry about alcohol consumption of the adults). 

4) Girls are expected to help out around the home while the boys are considered rowdy and active so they are not expected to do many chores. To be culturally sensitive in this area I could make a "game" out of clean-up time. The girls may be more acceptance with the clean-up routines while the boys may need a different approach.

5) This country is rich in oral literacy tradition with many epic stories and lyric poetry to relate history and entertainment. To carry on this tradition in the classroom I would love to become more adept in story telling outside of a book cover as well as continue with our many finger plays and children's songs.

Making sure I understand these very diverse traditions within this culture would help any student feel more at ease within the classroom. These children would feel accepted and this would help them to have an easier transition from one culture into another as they go from home, to school, and then to home again. To truly engage students, we must reach out to them in ways that are culturally and linguistically responsive and appropriate, and we must examine the cultural assumptions and stereotypes we bring into the classroom that may hinder interconnectedness (tollerance.org, 2017). I need to make curriculum relevant to all students in order to reach them otherwise I am just performing classroom management skills. A student always does much better when they know their family is accepted for who they are and these very different traditions are no different. Families also need to know I accept their child for who she or he is knowing it is safe both physically and emotionally to leave their child with me. A child does not learn properly unless s/he feels safe and ensuring I know not only about where my students come from but what they have experienced will give them that sense of safety.

I have one memory that I may have shared before but it is so pronounced in my head that it warrants another telling. I work for an inner city Head Start where, more times than not, I am one of and sometimes the only white person in the classroom. One spring we decided to take the children to a park in another area of the city, a more affluent part, and all five of the classrooms at our site went. It took about 4 buses (the smaller ones) to get us there. I was sitting in the back so I could get children unbuckled once we were parked. As we pulled up beside the park I noticed the parents were slowly lining up along the edge of the playground, some with their arms folded. I don't know if they even realized they were doing it. As children and teachers (none of who were white) got off the bus, more parents entered the line and the stiffer their bodies seem to become. I was one of the last people to get off of the bus and I swear, as soon as they saw me arms went down, bodies relaxed, and all went back to tending their children. The only one of us these white parents would speak to was me and this was to ask where we were from. This is one of the conversations,
Parent 1: "What school are you from?"
Me: "Head Start in Albany"
Parent 2: "What is Head Start?"
Parent 1: "It's a school for poor people (whispering poor)."
I had to walk away before my head imploded!

This whole incident was taking away equality from the children and the teachers. Though nothing was exactly said the body language screamed volumes saying, these teachers and children were not really welcomed here but since I was with them, then it was okay. I know this is vague and all maybe just in my head but it looked so ominous!

As I said, I had to walk away from the conversation I had with those two women before I got angry. I was embarrassed by my association of these white people. Now that I think about it, when I discussed it with my co-workers later on they had not even noticed it. I am not sure if this was because I imagined the whole thing or that these African American people are so used to it they just did not notice.

I would have to change. I have to educate myself to better understand both sides of an opportunity such as this. Because I became so angry and so embarrassed my head was not clear enough to educate those I spoke with about the amazing opportunity Head Start was to educate all children because 10% of our students are considered over-income making it not just for poor people. I could have introduced my students to those children who were already playing there to plant the seed of tolerance. I could have asked my AA co-workers for their advice and their experiences to better educate myself. I feel it was a ripe situation that I totally missed other than using it to educate others.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggessions

This week we were to listen to conversations around us and notice any microaggressions within those conversations. I happen to be on vacation at this time at a cottage on a lake (aww-poor me, right?) and so there are not many people to listen to other than my children and there was no sign of microaggression in our conversations. To obtain internet I need to go to the local Dunkin’ Donuts shop which is run by a South Asian family and I listened intently there but did not hear anything out of the ordinary but, “I’ll take a Boston Cream donut and a small coffee.” However, in the background of this donut shop is the 24-hour news station playing on the television in the back ground and all I hear is microaggression happening all over this country and it concerns me. First there is the big news story of keeping transgender people out of the military. It is said to be based on health costs but I wonder as a person’s sexuality has always been an issue where the armed forces are concerned. The story of OJ Simpson’s parole was talked about. Would as much time and energy to put a black man in jail have been the same result if that same man had been white?  The case of Robert Blake (a white man whose wife had been shot) makes me wonder. I am not saying either is guilty or innocent but both cases of murder do not seem to have been handled equally. Also, there are the many cases of immigrants being deported while having to leave their families (and children) behind. How heart breaking! I know there are many “reasons” for these examples to happen but, to me, it still boils down to microaggression.

I do have a couple of instances which stick out in my mind from the past. When I was young, maybe seven or eight, my mother was driving us through Albany, NY which is where I live. My grandmother, a very small-town woman, was in the car with us (it was during the summer) and she told us we needed to roll up the windows and lock our doors because “black people get bored in the summer and will tip cars over.” I remember thinking, even at this young age, “that has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard!” I think it was then I decided to work very hard to undo any biases I may have and I still continue to do so. Another statement I heard when my first son was just a baby was made by his grandfather who was driving us around the city they had moved to. There were some buildings with broken and boarded up windows and the grandfather said, “n----s probably shot them out.” I was outraged and, though he was not my father, yelled at him saying that was an awful and untruthful thing to say and to never talk like that again in front of my children or me. I was so angry! At this point I decided to raise my children to look at the good in people and see their differences as strengths and not something to judge. I hear things within my work place all the time about the different cultures and families we serve and many times they are negative. Often times boys from other countries like to dress in bright colors which often times are girl clothes from this country and my coworkers will make fun of them. I like to ask these coworkers who made the rule that boys could only wear blue? I have many refugees from Burma in my classroom and sometimes the girls wear a type of make-up and lipstick even though they are three, again getting giggles and comments from coworkers. I looked up why they often wore this make-up and found that in Myanmar the sun is very hot and so this make-up protects their skin and is made from ingredients which are healthy for the skin. Once again, I presented this to my coworkers to stop the teasing. To hear other’s culture and diversity belittled and joked about hurts my heart and makes me sad/angry. I know this is a pretty long post but this is where my passion lays and who I wish to advocate for. Yet I need to remember, those who are ignorant of microaggression are people too who need to be respected and educated and not have me being microaggressive against them.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I talked with three people of different back grounds and cultures than mine and this is what they had to say about culture and diversity.

Person 1: My definition of culture is all things when it comes to things like music, styles, and groups. Your surroundings and the way you were raised.

And again, with diversity; things and ways that are of many different experiences. Just people bringing something that is different in cultures, views and opinions.

Person 2: Culture is the beliefs and ideas of people. 

Diversity is people of different beliefs, skin color and ideas.

Person 3: The way in which a community interacts with one another, their social norms, and traditions that create a common way of life.

Diversity is different cultures coming together to make a unique combination of peoples.

     As I look over the answers I received, some face-to-face-some written, I do see some common threads in the answers. For instance, speaking about people’s beliefs and experiences as that which helps develop a person’s culture and what makes them perhaps different from those even within what one would think of being of the same culture. Ideas thought about and outside interests can also make people belong to a similar culture.

     I was not given any answers about other characteristics which can develop culture and diversity such as age, language, country, learning styles, etc. No one mentioned anything about surface culture and diversity which is looking the same on the outside but being completely different in all the other aspects of one’s life.

     To hear other people’s thoughts and ideas of what they believe about culture and diversity helps me to realize that no one looks at these topics the same way and no one answer is correct. I feel as I learn more of what generates diversity and culture the more I will be able to not only educate others to be more gentle with each other but plant that same seed in my students each year with Head Start.

     

    

My Family Culture

I think the three things I would bring with me would be:
I have a picture of all of my kids and their families which I love.
I also would want my Bible because I read it every day.
I wear a cross which reminds me God is always near.

I am assuming if I were to go to another country to live I would not necessarily know the language making it impossible to explain what these items represent to me. The picture would be valuable to me because it has the faces of those I love the most and who may not been allowed to come with me to the same place because they are adults now. The thought of never seeing them again would be heart-breaking.

My Bible is with me when I am at home or go on vacation and I try to make sure to read it every day. I would be scared in a new country and not knowing how to communicate or even how to "be" and I find comfort in the familiar words of the Bible.

I wear a cross everyday because it is a symbol of the Christian life I lead and it helps me to remember that God is always close to me. Wearing the cross also lets other's know I am a Christian and will pray for and with them for their needs and hurts.

If I had to give two of these items up? The cross would be sad but it would be something I would be okay with. I would be torn between the Bible and the picture of my family. We are taught that God comes before all things so to keep the picture over the Bible would cause me great guilt. I love my kids and their families so much and to give the picture away and never see their faces again would break my heart.

The insights from this exercise where mainly about what my immigrant and refugee families must feel when they come to this country and into my classroom! To go into that would be a whole other blog. But insights about me.......? I found I really never looked at my family culture and I am not really sure what it is. I know that the Christian faith is strong in my parent's and sibling's lives but not so much in my own children's lives. I know that family and being together as often as life allows is also part of our family culture more than being with groups of people outside of our "clan". This activity shows me I really need to look into my family culture a little more deeply.

When I Think of Research....

    


     This course has truly been an eye-opener for me! I knew very little about the mechanics of research coming into this classroom experience so basically everything was a new insight for me. I think the biggest thing I learned from this course is you can not just go into a question about Early Childhood and say, "I think I will research that." There is so much that goes into it behind the scenes as it were. For instance, making sure the children give their full consent to be a part of the study and not just their parents. To have the proper consent forms and to make sure all terms are completely understood by all involved. Is the research ethical and is it being done for the benefit of those who come after it? There are different designs and different methods to obtaining data I never heard of while looking at the logical aspects of research such as how much time will it take getting to the research area, setting up, observing, and so-on.  So for this reason all my thoughts about research has changed and, I think, for the better.  I know I need to be diligent at looking to myself within the research context asking questions such as, "why am I doing this?" or "is this ethical?". There is still so much for me to learn.
     My biggest challenge was the actual research vocabulary and what it really means. I have used every Google search I can find along with our text and resources to try and jump this hurtle. I am still struggling a bit with the terms' actual meanings but I will not give up!
     The biggest thing I take away from this course is the need for respect of those I am observing and working with in my Head Start classroom. I have always worked hard to honor each of my students and their families. After learning about power relations, the deficit model, and detecting biases I believe I will be a much more conscientious observer and evaluator when working with my students and families.





     On a side note-I also learned from this class to order your text books well in advance as mine did not come until about week five! This can also be equated with research, make sure to have all your ducks in a row before you even step in the door.

   
   

Reseach Around the World

I chose to talk about the International Early Childhood Research Program Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). I found this site extremely enlightening because there was so much to look at and I am excited to sit back and take my time to look at all it has to offer. I narrowed my search down to the http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php. site which features research papers and thesis written by students in the Sub-Sahara African continent. There were a variety of papers to choose from which addressed training programs for community volunteers of the early childhood stings, teacher training programs, family training programs (moms, dads, and grandparents), using community and indigenous materials to educate young children, and so-on. 
     The research paper which caught my eye was entitled Incorporating Indigenous Stories of Basotho in an ECCD Program At Leseli Community Centre (Ntšonyane , 1990). Though this paper is a bit dated it fits closely to my research simulation topic of teaching through music. The people of Malawi (where this study was conducted) sue folklore, songs, riddles, etc. to pass along indigenous knowledge. This are is being lost due to failing memory, and the little that is remembered is distorted or completely changed over time (Ntšonyane , 1990). Grandparents in this region used to tell these stories and, though parents might have heard them as children, the adults must work and do not have time to sit with their children to relate this custom. Children are put into daycares and preschools so this researcher thought these settings a perfect place to do the research plus bring back an age-old tradition and learning style. I do not know why I didn't put this together but listening to these methods of storytelling styles will help build literacy skills with listening skills at its base.
     One noteworthy bit of information I took away from this paper was the fact that Western way of doing and teaching was brought into this region and it is replacing a beautiful and valuable way of teaching and interacting with children which is a vital part of growing up. These stories, riddles, and songs not lonely teach listening skills but moral values as well. Could this possibly be one of the many reasons we see less and less empathy in the world? I have to say, this paper truly made me have to think of my own teaching styles.

Resource
Ntšonyane,P. (1990).  Incorporating indigenous stories of basotho in an ECCD program at leseli community centre. Retrieved from 
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php