Creating Art

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

There has been many times where I see a child point out or comment on another person's physical appearance to their parent or caregiver.  I often notice these comments when standing in line to check out at a store.  Just last week when I was waiting in line to check out, there was a man with no legs in a wheelchair.  Behind him, was a mother and young child.  The mother was distracted putting her groceries on the belt when the little girl pointed at the man and very loudly stated "Mom, that man has no legs."  The mom very quickly said "Emma don't say that, it's not nice."  This brought attention to the situation by other people standing in line, including the man in the wheelchair.  Obviously the mother was embarrassed and was unsure how to respond to her child.    If I was the child, I would have felt that it was not ok to talk about other people who look different.  Which would then lead to me being afraid to talk about those things.  As an anti-bias educator, I would have acknowledged what the child said as she was clearly trying to understand why this man looked different.  I would reaffirm the child's comment by saying "Yes, Emma that man has no legs and that is why he needs his wheelchair."  I would follow up with Emma later and ask if she had any questions about what we talked about earlier.  As these situations occur, they are teachable moments where we as parent's and educators have the opportunity to teach our children and help them better understand the world around them.

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

After reviewing the videos, I was reminded of the importance of being open minded to issues regarding gender and sexual orientation.  While I am aware of both of these topics, I have yet to see a push to educate young children about sexual orientation.  Many of the books and materials, including many of the curriculum that we use do not incorporate differences such as differences in sexual orientation.  Gender, on the other hand, is discussed and gender roles are identified and incorporated in the curriculum.  In my opinion, it is more difficult for children to understand the differences in sexual orientation when it often goes against what they learn about typical gender roles.

When discussing the issue of avoiding books that depict gay or lesbian couples, I would think it would depend on the situation.  Many people have very strong opinions on this topic.  If materials were presented that depicted gay and lesbian couples, there may be a very strong opinion against such books.  If this is the case, it may do more harm than good to have these materials in these classes.  However, the main purpose of books is to help with the education of children.  Therefore, I would not necessarily avoid a book because it depicted gay or lesbian couples if I thought it was relevant to the topic being discussed.

Thank You

Thank you to all my classmates for supporting me throughout this course.  I appreciate all the feedback and responses you have posted to my discussions and blogs.  I have learned so much from each of you and look forward to support all of you and learn more in the future classes.  Best of luck to everyone!

Team Building and Collaboration

As there are many different stages of groups, I find that the groups that I have successfully gone through each stage with are the most difficult to leave.  When completing tasks with a group, relationships are built and trust if formed.  Successful groups work well together and have formed the relationships needed to complete the task.  There is little doubt that when a group is successful, positive relationships have been formed.  Adjourning the group can be difficult if relationships have been formed.  It is difficult to leave a group when there has been success.

When adjourning a group, it is normal to gather to tie up any loose ends.  In some of the successful groups that I have been part of, I have developed positive relationships with other members.  When adjourning, I make sure that I am able to connect with them outside of the group situation.  Wishing the members good luck on future tasks is also a common occurrence. 

Adjourning is an essential part of teamwork.  This is the stage that everyone gets closure on the task, and assurance that the overall goal has been accomplished.  Without this stage, the team is unable to celebrate the success of the group.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

Conflict is a normal part of any relationship whether it is personal or professional.  How we go about resolving these conflicts will strengthen or weaken the relationship between you and the other person.  One conflict that often arises between me and my husband is sharing responsiblilty of household tasks, which I wish would never happen.  Between work, kids, and various commitments throughout the week, it is easy to feel overwhelmed or left with the feeling that you never have enough time to complete everything.  We often find ourselves having disagreements regarding whose repsonsibilty it is to complete certain things.  This conflict is ongoing and at times left with frustration and disappointment.  One strategy that I could use to help resolve this conflict would be to compromise with my husband regarding these issues and respect each others time and effort.  This strategy would be more effective because it would lead to a resolution that both of us would be happy with.  Considering respect in this situation would help us consider the other persons feelings and see it from their point of view. 

A recent disagreement that I had with a co-worker was regarding strategies that this co-worker wanted to incorporate into the classroom.  I felt that these strategies were not age appropriate for the children we were providing services for.  Using a broader range of solutions to our disagreement would allow us to use some of the current ideas while making them more age appropriate.  By using this strategy we would maintain some of the original ideas making my co-worker more willing to accept my thoughts and opinions. 

I found this weeks resources to be highly beneficial and helpful.  It is imporantant to consider each of these strategies when resolving conflict.  By recognizing the conflict, we can find more specific strategies that then lead to more positive resolutions. 

Communication Evaluation

The task of interviewing myself as a communicator, along with others evaluating me was very insightful and beneficial.  I was able to learn more about myself and what others saw in me.  I have always felt nervous when speaking in large groups or in public.  I tend to rehearse repeatedly prior to speaking in public and often thought I was viewed this way as well.  One insight from the evaluation that I found surprising, was that my family member and a parent from my parent group did not view me as uncomfortable or anxious when speaking in groups or in public.  One insight I gained this week was that I appear more comfortable than I thought I was when speaking in groups or in public.  I need to gain confidence in my speaking abilities within this area.  Hearing how other people view me gives me more confidence and encourages me to do this more often.  Another insight I have gained this week was learning about my strength in listening.  I have always enjoyed listening to others and being in the position to help or encourage. It is reassuring to know that I am being viewed that way and hope to continue to listen effectively.  This assignment was rewarding and insightful in many ways.  I hope to continue to learn more about myself and others in terms of communication and ways to be a more effective communicator.