Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Two weeks ago I was grocery shopping when I was found myself observing a microaggression at the deli counter. I was waiting in line at the counter behind an elderly woman in a motorized wheelchair. When it was her turn, she started signaling to the deli clerk what she wanted, and I realized she was deaf. Because she was in a wheelchair, the deli clerk could not see over the counter to see what she was pointing at. The deli clerk looked at me and said, “I can’t tell what she is trying to say.’” She made no move to come out from behind the counter, and I could tell she was uncomfortable with this woman’s differences, so I stepped in and started to “translate”. My sign language skills consist only of a few “basics” I use to help the children in my room, so I was able to discern “more” and “less” as well as see what she was pointing to. The woman was pantomiming quite a bit, probably because she could tell we didn’t know sign. As she was trying to signal something (I couldn’t tell what), a man came up to us, and seeing my confusion, figured out she was pantomiming “dipping sauce”. I thanked him and told the deli clerk. He was right, and so he turned to me and said, “I’m pretty good at playing charades!” That comment irritated me, and in understanding what microaggressions are, I now understand why. I also understand that the deli clerk’s assumption that I was there to help this disabled woman is a microaggression.

Though he said it light-heartedly, with no ill intentions, what the man did was belittle the deaf community and their language. Sign language is not part of a game; it is part of a culture and a way of communicating. The deli clerk’s actions can be seen as a microaggression as well. She assumed that because someone was deaf and/or in a wheelchair that she could not independently participate in normal activities, such as shopping. After the woman got all she needed from the deli counter, she thanked me, and was on her way (but not after letting me know I needed to learn more sign!)

Reflecting on this experience has made me realize that microaggressions really do happen everywhere on an everyday basis, and I can definitely see how repeated exposure to microaggressions can take a toll on people. If I felt so strongly about a microaggression that wasn’t even aimed at me, how must the targeted person feel? I think that to bring microaggressions to light they must be identified when they happen. This means that I must have a heightened awareness of what microaggressions are, which will take considerable practice in looking at actions and behaviors from another’s viewpoint. This was a very good exercise!

Perpsectives on Diversity and Culture

When asking three different people about their definitions of culture and diversity, here are the answers I received:

What is your definition of culture?

“Ok, so super short/simple description of culture: Everyone has a culture: it is everything from the language you speak, the holidays you celebrate, the way you are expected to act, the books you read, the foods you eat, etc. Within this is subculture (Korean American, gothic, gay, etc).”

“Culture is the heritage background that influences a persons life - food, traditions, behavior, expectations, extended family, and/or religious beliefs. This may also include folklore and music.”

“Culture is made up of the foods, celebrations, customs, traditions, ethics and morals, and belief systems share by a group of people.”

Some similarities between these definitions of culture and the idea of culture that I have been studying are the things that fall into the surface culture: traditions, language, heritage, food, and religious beliefs. They also delved into the idea of some of the deeper cultural elements, such as behavior expectations, ethics, and morals. They do not include many elements of the deep culture, such as differences among cultures, and which parts of cultures people choose to continue, change, or disengage in.

What is your definition of diversity?

“Diversity is the exposure to different ideas, cultures, and/or beliefs. A diverse community is made up of people from different cultures or those with different ideas and beliefs. I don't think a diverse community necessarily means people from different countries as much as it means people from very different backgrounds.”

“Diversity is a collection of people from different cultures and backgrounds (socio-economic status, location, upbringing, and different life-style choices). I think true diversity isn't only about a random sample of people from various cultures and backgrounds, but about that mixed group of people having a tolerance for others who do not share their same beliefs or way of living.”

“As for diversity, it is differences in age, nationality, ethnicity, language, differing abilities, region, religion, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.”

There are many aspects of the definition of diversity that I have studies so far, such as diversity being differences in age, nationality, ethnicity, language, abilities, religion, sexual orientation, and life styles. Some things that have been omitted are diversity in relation to social identities. I thought it was interesting that one definition included people having a “tolerance for others who do not share their same beliefs or way of living”.

Much of what these definitions state are ideas I had before entering this course. It is interesting to me that two of the definitions of diversity look at diversity as people of different backgrounds or cultures living together in harmony, even though diversity is something that is present regardless of whether we “get along” or not. In noticing what parts have been omitted makes me see that I have learned to open my mind a lot more than before enrolling in this program in considering the importance and impact that diversity and culture have on myself and society as a whole.

My Family Culture

If I were to be relocated to a country with a culture completely different than my own, I would take with me a mason jar, a jackalope, and a picture of Mount Rainier.

The mason jar and jackalope symbolize my mother’s and father’s sides of the family, respectfully, and what values and traditions I have learned from them. My mother’s side of the family has a tradition of making different types of candy every Christmas, as well as canning jam, fruits, and vegetables in the summer and fall. I will always remember being a young girl, helping my mother with these tasks, then later learning to do them myself. Not only was making these things a tradition, it is a part of who I am as a homemaker, and a way to provide for my family.

The jackalope reminds me of my father’s side of the family (mostly from the mid-West). My grandparents and parents have taught me about unconditional love, and that family is very important (two values that are a part of my family culture). My dad’s father (Papa) has taken care his wife (Gramma) for over 30 years as multiple sclerosis has taken away her mobility and independence. They are an example, to me, of what marriage and unconditional love is. It also reminds me of a second family tradition (again, food-based) of the Greek pastries made around Christmas. Gramma may not be able to bake, but she can certainly tell us which glaze to use on the kouroulakia, that the kourebiethes need to sit in powdered sugar for two weeks before we can eat them (so no cheating!) and that baklava is worth the trouble of handling the filo dough.

The picture of Mount Rainier would remind me of where my home is (I was a 5^th generation graduate from my home high school). I take pride in coming from a small town, and the values that has instilled on me. A community is a group of people who know each other, grow up together, and help each other out. It also reminds me of the person I am becoming, as hiking is something I do with my fiancé, and is becoming the avenue for a new, different social identity for us as a couple.

It was difficult to think of items that remind me of my culture, partly because it forced me to really think about what I want to keep in touch with the most, but also because so much of what is important to me is based on what I do, not what I have. If I were told I could only take one item, after all, I would be sad, true, but the most important part of my culture is who surrounds me, not what is on my table. This exercise has challenged me to find the parts of my family culture that are most influential in my life, and has also led me to see that family culture is the one I identify with the most, over other identity groups I am a part of. Jobs may come and go, as may friends, but family is a constant.

One last reflection of Issues and Trends

While I was not able to establish any professional relationships with international colleagues, I was pushed to explore issues in the early childhood field beyond that of my community and country, and to see what was out there in other countries. In listening to podcasts and exploring websites I learned about the early childhood field in other countries. Though countries are all in different places in their path to early learning, it is evident that the importance of the early childhood field in regards to care and education is being recognized. While the U.S. focuses on equity and excellence, sub-Saharan Africa is looking at the implications of focusing on health in child development, and Italy has programs such as the Reggio Emilia program that uses children’s environment and natural curiosity to learn. I also saw how organizations are forming links between countries, to assist one another in research and development of programs, and to learn from one another. Just as it “takes a village to raise a child” I believe it will take the uniting of nations to raise the early childhood field to be a priority on educational and social agendas. A third consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is simply learning about who is out there. Endless amounts of research, opinions, professionals and supporters are available to a professional in the field. In knowing that, it seems there should be no situation or issue that I could feel overwhelmed with, as there are many avenues of support. I have also felt that way with my colleagues in this program, from new acquaintances to those who I have shared classes with before. There are professional and personal relationships being established that I have no doubt will continue beyond the class and this program.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Part 3

This week I listened to a podcast on World Radio Forum (http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/) in which Susan Lyon, Director of the Innovative Teacher Project in San Francisco, California, discussed her work in the early childhood field. In 1994 she started the Innovative Teacher Project, in which many schools (public and private) network together and through walking through each other’s schools and holding roundtables use Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching practices to grow professionally. Through this program many schools have thrived, using environment to support healthy child learning and growth.

I then explored UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/). In reading about their idea of what goes into a quality early childhood, the UNESCO stated that not only does a program help children transition into formal schooling by supporting linguistic and academic areas, but a quality program also fosters confidence and motivation to grow and learn, which are characteristics often pushed to the side in the attempt to prepare for academic success (even though these traits boost academic success). I was very interested to read the idea that the last year of pre-primary schooling (what we would consider preschool, I suppose) may not always be best served through formal school settings (such as public schools) as this “dilutes the importance of holistic development” because the focus moves toward academic preparation. UNESCO’s strategy of how to implement changes in policy that promote early childhood care and education are to use phasing, to gradually increase supports and services, and to use partnerships, such as health services in order to connect better with families.

These tidbits I learned this week, from the podcast and UNESCO’s website gave me more insight on my goals. Lyon’s Innovative Teacher Project and UNESCO’s partnerships with other providers/networks both are ways to build connections with communities and grow professionally. UNESCO’s ideas of the purposes of quality early childhood programming maintain that teaching with the idea of the whole child in mind is what children need to become successful in school and beyond.  Learning how to work closely with families, community services and supports, and other early childhood professionals not only benefits my professional growth but also the children that I work with.

Sharing Web Resources

The website I am following, the National Institute for Early Education Research, has many different links covering a variety of early education topics. There were not many obvious outside links in NIEER, however many of their research and articles are from other organizations, such as the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and news articles from various magazines, journals, and newspapers.

I did look into an area of the site dedicated to English Language Learners, and found many different research articles, publications and presentations. There were technical reports on the reading and math trajectories of English language learners in elementary school, comparisons of dual-language and mono-language immersion programs in preschools (interestingly, both approaches resulted in academic gains, though the dual-language immersion produced gains in English and Spanish vocabulary). I could have spent hours on this section alone, and will use this as a reference in the future, I can already tell!

I also looked into a power-point presentation titled, “Hispanics, Language and Immigration: Gaps in the Early Years” and was interested to read that Hispanic children with English-speaking background (such as a parent who speaks English) is likely to have small achievement gaps when beginning school, and maintain small gaps, while those coming from non-English backgrounds and immigrant families start out with large achievement gaps which are reduced over time. Both groups are generally stronger in the area of reading than math. The implications of these findings are to push for policies that support high quality preschool programs and the use of dual-language programs to support children from both these groups- both ways to increase equity and excellence in early education.

The e-newsletter from NIEER also had relevant links to the issues we have been studying- particularly the availability of preschool for those in need. NIEER linked to an article on the “Bloomberg BusinessWeek” website that discussed Michigan’s need for more preschools to serve at-risk children, as currently about half of 4-year olds who qualify for preschool services do not have a space in a preschool classroom. And who is pushing policymakers to fund more preschool? Business owners and organizations. This coalition is pressing the state to use alternative funding measures, such as earmarking future tax dollars and prioritizing funds that already exist to include supporting preschoolers, as these businesses and organizations are realizing the need for preparing children academically and supporting healthy growth and development as essential for their future success in school and adult life. It was encouraging to read about actions that are taking place after so much research and suggestions about what policymakers should be doing.

What I like about NIEER is the wide net they cast when covering topics in the early childhood education field. There are opinion pieces, research pieces, and news articles, all well organized on the website, so it is easy to find research relevant to issues we are studying week by week, class by class.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Part 2

This week I listened to a podcast on the World Forum Radio that interviewed George Forman, Emeritus Professor at the University of Massachusetts. I then explored Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website (I have had no luck in getting responses back from professionals so far, which is frustrating, but I will continue on!)

George Forman discussed how he was intrigued by children’s reactions to discoveries, giving the example of a boy who was dragging a log across the yard, and upon standing it up on its end and letting go finding that the log did not fall. Forman wanted to know why this discovery brought a “look of delight” to the boy’s face, and so set upon studying how children think. He described that children’s learning and knowledge should be described as a verb, not a noun. Children’s thinking focuses on how things change or do not change, rather than just labeling (which is often what teachers focus on). Viewing learning such as he described promotes higher levels of thinking and helps children reflect on how they think. Forman also described, briefly, his experience with programs in Italy, where children focused on using fantasy play, narrative, and discourse to understand new concepts.

On the Harvard University website I ready about the united efforts of many organizations into launching a program that will use science about child health and development to strengthen programs and policies regarding children and their families. Among the aims of this project are providing policymakers with the education about children’s health and development so they are able to make well-informed decisions. In sub-Saharan Africa measures are being taken to learn about child development, particularly how the anti-malaria campaign is effecting Zambian children’s development throughout their childhood years. The January 2012 newsletter features and article calling for the creation of a framework that uses knowledge of biological and social sciences that aid in strategies that not only enhance early childhood policies and practices, but lead to long term benefits in adulthood. Such a framework could be implemented globally.

In listening to George Forman, and perusing the Harvard website, it is clear to me that despite cultural, political, or other differences, there is a global need to use science to support early childhood policies and programs, and that such policies can create benefits that last through adulthood. It is interesting to read that other places are in the midst of reform in the early childhood form, despite the differences of specifics. George Forman’s podcast particularly drew me to reflect on equity and excellence in early childhood programs. His exploration into how children think and learn underline the importance of providing learning experiences based on play and exploration in early childhood programs, as this leads to higher-level thinking and engages children through their natural curiosity and innate drive to discover.