Creating Art

A Poem About Diversity

Whether Caucasian, Mexican, Asian, or Black

In this diverse world we live in, no one should care about that

Short, tall, big, or small

There are only basic differences between us all

Our insides are the same

All of our hearts beat too

Who’s to say the differences give us light to judge who’s who

Another factor of today’s time is that of age

Age means nothing but how far you’ve come

We should cherish our elders

And hope to say that one day we’ve become one

 

 

 

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

I want to share a story that is not totally stereotyping but it was something said about someone that was different. When my granddaughter was 3 years old (she is now 4) we were in Wal-Mart and this lady walked past us. My granddaughter looked at her and said “she got a big stomach.” My daughter and I could not believe what we had just heard. Both of us said be quiet do not say that. My granddaughter said “she having a baby.” My daughter and I told her that everyone who has a big stomach is not having a baby.

Our response probably made her feel as though she said something wrong. We all notice differences, but children are quick to point them out. It took us by surprise, so our first instinct was to tell her to be quiet. We did not want the lady to hear her say that. I also did not want the lady to think we teach her disrespect.

As an anti-bias educator I would teach her that everyone is different. I would tell her we do not all look alike. I would also tell her it is ok to ask questions about differences. I have been teaching her about differences. My mother is in a wheelchair, but she has never asked why. I will continue to teach her about diversity until she understands. She does understand some of it.

"Start Seeing Diversity Video" Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

These are the two statements I chose to respond to:

How you would respond to a parent/family member who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child

If a parent was biased against a homosexual or transgender, I would inform them that because a person is homosexual or transgender does not mean their child won’t receive a good education. I will go on to explain that each person is unique in his or her own way, and we are an anti-bias center.  I would also inform the parent or family member the educator has a right to employment lf their choice as anyone else.

 

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children? (Note: if you have not had a personal experience, ask a family member, friend, or colleague)

I have heard all these terms throughout my life. I heard them as a child, but did not really know what they meant until I heard other children and adults speak about it. I remember when I was in high school and this boy was in our class. The children said he was gay because of the way he carried himself and spoke. His voice was real soft and he walked differently than the other males in the class. I said I don’t think he’s gay because he likes girls. The other classmates said he’s just pretending he does so we won’t know he’s gay. I never found out if he was gay or not, it really didn’t matter to me. I always talked to him in class and he was always nice to me.

Adjourning Stage

The last year of college I had the pleasure of working with a team which was a high-performing one. We had minor conflicts but we were able to work them out. This team was unlike the others I worked on. The other teams had members who were studying different majors. This team I was on the last year of college consisted of everyone studying the same major. I don’t know if this made a difference of why this team was more effective than the others, but it was. When we adjourned we were happy and sad. We were happy to finally be finishing and obtaining a degree. We were sad because we knew this would be the last time we would be in the same setting like this and we had sort of became like family. We celebrated by having a party in our last class. We promised to keep in touch, which some of us have. The adjourning stage lets you know that you’ve made it to the end, whether it was successful or not, it’s finally finished.

When it is time to adjourn from my colleagues, I’m sure it will be bittersweet. I haven’t gotten to know any of them personally, but we have formed friendships through discussions and blog assignments. I know I will miss communicating with them on a  weekly basis.

Conflict Strategies

A conflict I recall was with a friend of mine. We were disagreeing on which company I should use to have my tire fixed. The company I wanted to use was less expensive than the company he wanted to use and I’ve used that company before. He said the company he wanted to use did a better job. I said as long as the tire is fixed correctly does it matter who does a better job. He explained to me in more detail why the other company was better. After about 20 minutes we came to a compromise. I decided to try the company he suggested this time. We agreed he would pay half of the cost to have the tire fixed. Half of the costs equaled what I paid at the other company. The company he suggested did do a better job. We were able to compromise and our conflict was resolved in a win-win method.

Although the conflict was minor, it could have escalated into something else. I learned to listen, be open to new ideas, and to not think I have the better solution. My friend was patient while trying to get me to see the bigger picture.

 

Evaluation Blog

As I evaluated myself and my daughter and colleague evaluated me I was surprised at one of the evaluations. The one that surprise me was how my daughter evaluated me on the communication anxiety inventory. Her evaluation suggested I was on a mild level and I felt a bit uneasy in some communication situations. I thought I did well when communicating with anyone. It also stated that communication was something I seemed to not worry about. I do not agree with that. I do worry about how I am conveying information to others, especially children. My evaluation level was moderate which indicated I feel somewhat concerned about numerous communication contexts. I learned I handle verbal aggressiveness wee. This was good to know because I do not want to appear too aggressive when conversing with others, especially children. My listening styles profile stated I was people-oriented which is true. I am empathetic and can sometimes be too trusting. My daughter and colleague scored the same as I on the listening styles profile. Personally and professionally I know there are areas for improvement. I will continue to work on the way others perceive me and how I perceive myself to be. I do not want to be too trusting and it clouds my judgment of others.

Communicating With Diverse Cultures

Growing up I was around people of different cultures. I never paid any attention to how we communicated with one another. As I’ve worked for different child care centers and schools, I’ve come across many different cultures. I communicated with them in a way I think they might understand. We have a lady working at our school who is from Trinidad. I sometimes cannot understand what she is saying, so I always ask her to repeat it until I understand. When I talk to her I talk to her a little slower so she will understand what I am saying. There was one time she was trying to tell me something and I didn’t understand her. I was going to ask her to write it down, but she said that’s okay. I really wanted to know what she was trying to convey to me but I didn’t want to frustrate her.

Three strategies I can use to assist me in communicating with people of other cultures are as follows:

As I interact with them I will also learn from them. I want to ensure each time I communicate with them I understand their culture more.

Listen to them and ask them to clarify, before I respond, if I don’t understand what they are conveying.

Learn patience. It is difficult for them as it is for us. They have to adapt to learning about a new culture just as we have to.