Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I hope that I can make them feel welcomed.  The beginning of a relationship is challenging at first because you do not know anything about each other.  There is also no going back to the beginning like there is no going back to how we handle our first day of school.  I hope that I can make these families feel comfortable enough to contact me on any concern that they may have, and they can feel right at home in this new environment.

One goal that I would like to set for our field in regards to diversity is to encourage all professionals to continue training.  Diversity is evident in America, but each year it continues to change.  I believe that Spanish is going to be the number one spoken language soon.  Training on these issues will guarantee that all professionals are up-to-date with current resources and information.  As an educator, I am required to have a certain amount of training hours each year, but I think our field should take it one step further and mandate a course on diversity.  There are a lot of people who need to be reached because they are still set in their ways.

I want to thank all of my colleagues for a wonderful course!  I have learned so much about many of you through the sharing of your personal stories via blogs and discussion boards.  I enjoy reading my comments every week because I get great professional insight from many of you.  Enjoy your two week break, and good luck with your remaining courses! 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I have just received word that I will be getting a new student in my class next week from Italy!  Since I am enrolled in a course that is educating me on diversity, I have come up with the following five ways that I can prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family.

1.  I will teach my class some words in Italian: Hello, My name is, and Thank you.  This will make the student feel welcomed as well as be proud of her social identity as an Italian.

2.  I will draw names for five buddies for my new student before she arrives.  Each day, this new student will have someone to walk with her throughout the day as well as eat lunch together.  This will make sure that this new student does not feel alone, and he or she can make new friends at the same time.

3. I will implement a Family project that each student will do that includes their family history as well as the opportunity to share any family photos.  This will give my new student a chance to teach us about her culture as well as have my other students realize that each of our families emigrated to the United States at one time in history.

4. I will arrange a meeting with this new family during the first week.  During this time, I will let the parents know a little more about how my classroom runs as well as let them tell me anything they would like about their family or child.  I want to begin this family partnership that is pertinent in education today.

5. I will conduct my own research on the country of Italy.  I will try to learn the customs and traditions.  This will help me make small talk with the child’s family which will also help the parents adjust and feel welcomed.  A little knowledge really goes a long way!

I can only hope that this preparation will really help my new student, her family, and I adjust!  I can relate to what it feels like going to a country where everything is foreign to you, but I can recall some people going out of their way for me to make me feel at home.  I hope to be able to do this for this family. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When I was in sixth grade, my Science teacher called about half of us out of our class to go help some third graders.  I was very excited to be of help.  When we got to the computer lab, we were told that we needed to help these students complete their assignment by translating from Spanish to English.  I was embarrassed because I did not speak Spanish.  I knew a few words, and I pretended to help the students.   This prejudice that I experienced diminished equity because I was called out by a teacher simply because of the color of my skin.  My Science teacher picked me out of a class full of kids assuming that because I look Hispanic that I also speak Spanish.  She did not even bother to ask me.  This incident brought up some mixed feelings for me.  I feel embarrassed because I did not know Spanish, and I also felt ashamed that my family is Hispanic, yet I do not know our mother tongue.  I also felt belittled, and because of that I did not approach the teacher to let her know the truth.  This incident turned into greater equity because it encouraged me not to assume anything about anyone, and it motivated me to learn Spanish.  I have spent six years learning the language because my parents also felt insecure and they did not teach me.  I know enough to understand someone, but I am still working on speaking it!