Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about where I have been, where I am, and where I would like to see myself in the future, several things come to mind.  Overall, I am pleased with my successes and I am certain that I have learned a great deal from my mistakes.  It is my intention, during this leg of my life journey, to make a positive impact on young children and families to the greatest capacity I can.  I understand that it starts with me, my home, my extended family, and my local community.  As I attempt to reach out even further, I will broaden my goals, my visions, and my development as a person and a professional.  

I hope that I set a good example for others (at least most of the time), and would like to think that professionally my methods and practice reflect fairness and just treatment across the great spectrum of diversity. Furthermore, I would like young children specifically to always feel loved and respected, as I cannot imagine a greater feeling of despair than to feel as if you do not matter.  My hopes are what drive my passion and have led to the inception of my goals.

I look within frequently to assess my world and determine my role in improving it.  This becomes increasingly challenging as my workload gets bigger, and the world seems to change by the minute.  As I contemplate how we can move forward I realize that the work we do with young children and their families is critical.  What our children absorb from the very beginning will shape their lives forever, and as such, we must provide the most fair, just, and equitable environments possible.  We must put our own inhibitions aside and learn to walk in others' shoes.  We must see the world through different eyes and consider the true results of our actions.  We must not forget each other and how much we need each other to make our goals attainable.  

For this reason, I would like to thank my colleagues and fellow professionals for being a sounding board, a means of support and information, and a constant resource for expanding my own critical thinking.  I wish everyone the very best and hope that they find their own personal goals within reach!  

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Welcoming Families From Around the World

This week I was presented with the scenario of receiving an emigrating family from a foreign country as I worked in my setting of choice.  I was asked how I will prepare myself for their warm welcome and easy transition.  I have chosen to act as the director of intake for a local private elementary school.  The family I will be receiving will be from Japan.  This country, honestly, was chosen by my children and if I am to be honest, all I really know about Japan is related to sushi, earthquakes, wars, and animation.  I know very little about the “real” Japan.

Their will be many things that will need to be done in order to make this family feel welcome, comfortable, accepted, and then integrated into our current American culture.  The first step I would take would be to familiarize myself with as much of the Japanese language as I could along with asking around to determine whether or not anyone else in my professional circle had any experience with the language.  If I had no direct contact with a person familiar with the family’s particular dialect of Japanese I would arrange for a translator. 

I would then familiarize myself with the education system in Japan.  I would find as many similarities as I could and then determine how we can work through the elements that were distinctly different.  These factors could range from the position of the teacher versus the children, classroom structure and size, language and respect, and length and breadth of expected study.

Next, I would learn as much about the family’s attitudes toward education and our culture.  I would ask them directly (or through translation) about their hopes, fears, goals, and assumptions.  I would then ask them to describe their child/children and their opinions of the future they foresee. 

My fourth action would be to learn about the family’s culture.  I would like to learn about their past, present, and their anticipations for the future.  I would wish to learn about what they value, embrace, and would like to preserve.  I would also like to know if there were any cultural elements or American stereotypes that trouble them.  I would like to study their mannerisms, emotional reactions, and body language.  These factors will help me to understand the entire family better as we continue to bridge gaps and progress.

Finally, I would like to set up, by mutual agreement, an honest system by which we can communicate effectively.  I would like them to know that they can come to me with any issue and that I am willing to work with them regarding anything.  My heartfelt intention would be for their family to feel respected, welcomed, and appreciated into our academic environment.

I know that if I were put in the position of emigrating to another country and was faced with enrolling my children in a local school I would be incredibly apprehensive.  I know that I would question which parts of our culture would be understood and how my children would feel entering a world where they had to rely on the grace of others for true inclusion.  It would be my hope that my initial preparations, and those that would follow, would allow for the family to let their guard down enough to trust that I recognize their struggle and that my goal is for their success in our nation.  I would like them to know that we will have to work as a team, and that no matter how much I “study”, I will never understand fully without their input.  I hope that my excitement, and acceptance of the challenge will not intimidate or belittle them in any way and that their inclusion to our environment will be one to more effectively diversify our world.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I suppose that I am one of the lucky ones.  I have not been the target of much bias, prejudice, or oppression.  I have experienced my share of sexism, accompanied by some ageism, but most of the bias, prejudice, and oppression I have witnessed has been in regards to others. 

Due to its recent occurrence, I would like to share a situation of bias and oppression that is fresh in my mind.  I was volunteering at my daughter’s school on Friday for a fundraising run/walk event.  The children were asked to run or walk around the school grounds for one hour.  My daughter began the event with two of her good friends and I had the pleasure of accompanying them. When she caught up to one of her friends from the alternative learning classroom she asked her to join the group.  Her two other friends offered up some questionable glances.  My daughter saw the glances, grabbed the hand of her friend and they took off running.  One of the first friends asked me, “Where does H think she’s going?”  I simply stated, “It looks like she and E felt like running.”  The girl stated, “That’s weird.  E is so creepy.”   I was completely caught off guard by this comment, but  reinforced that there was nothing “creepy” about E, she just learns differently, and it looked to me that they were having a great time.  The two girls just shrugged their shoulders, but had nothing more to add. 

I was so proud of my daughter in that moment.  It was as if she was protecting her friend from a potentially uncomfortable situation.  For the remainder of the walk each twosome kept to themselves, yet one was undoubtedly happier than the other.  I am hoping that when the time is right my daughter will be able to vocally address the complicated feelings between them all, but until that time her actions will continue to speak louder than her words. 

I have witnessed numerous situations of bias, prejudice, and oppression throughout the years, but have been much more acutely aware of the presence over the last several weeks. I have been affected personally by negativity based upon race, religion, sexual orientation, age, and physical ability.  While every scenario is different, and I have acted differently each time, they have all left a lasting impression.  As the weeks continue and I am asked to analyze these issues, each one takes me to a place in my mind where I can make mental adjustments and alter my persona to be a better advocate for those who may need my intervention.