References
Derman-Sparks
& Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-Bias education for young children and
ourselves. Washington, D.C. ,National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC).
Saturday, August 3, 2013
-isms That Separate!
Since beginning this program, I have
learned so much about myself. I have
been forced to face issues and strategically problem solve resolutions to those
issues. For this assignment, I was
requested to describe in detail the -ism that will be a barrier for me as an
early childhood educator. I have a BIG
problem when I feel as though someone is being discriminated against because of
class. As an educator, I once witnessed
a teacher not allow certain children to participate in parties because they did
not bring anything to share. What a
shame! I was an inclusion teacher so I made the children a party bag which was against
the wishes of the veteran teacher. The teacher said to me privately, “The parents
need to get off their lazy welfare A** and provide for their children.” I was
furious! According to Derman-Sparks and Edwards, “This belief implies that it
is a result of laziness if a family is living in poverty” (Derman-Sparks &
Edwards, 2010, p. 109). All I could
think of is “Why punish the children for
the predicament the parent has gotten them into?” I know this will be a
challenge for me because I would like other teachers to help dispel the myth, “People
are poor through their own fault” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 109).
I feel as though once we, early childhood educators learn better, we should do
better. What do you think about not
allowing children to participate in a class activity because they are unable to
bring an item to share?
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Thank you for sharing!! I agree that it so sad to witness children be discriminated against due to their families' socioeconomic class. Children from low income families are already at a disadvantage due to the limited resources in their communities which affects their ability to achieve developmental milestones in comparison to children from wealthier families. Children do not choose what families they are born in they are just expected to adapt and accept. As early childhood professionals, we should make the efforts to include all children in classroom activities regardless of family involvement. All children deserve a quality learning experience, not a learning experiences that is based upon their social class.
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