Final Blog

Thank you classmates as we end this semester. I hope that you will have a fantastic Hanukkah, Christmas, Kawanzza and Epiphany. A Blessed New Year. I just realized we are almost done with this program and getting ready to start thinking about our thesis.

 My hope for working with families is that I remember all that I have learned in this class! Remember to ask the awkward questions. Remember to incorperate the information in my lesson plans and my daily interaction with the children. That I give families "put ups" to build the family esteem because all families have the right to equal education and access to services.

One goal . It is a lofty one but here it is. That all children and families have equal access to education, health care, jobs, and feel nutured for who they are and what they can become.  That we can look past the color of ones skin to get to know the person on a deeper level so that injustices and bias can begin to disappear. 

Welcoming a New Family from a foreign land!

I have struggled all week to come up with a country that I know very little about because I have either met someone from other nations or have done/read/seen a report on many of the others. I have asked around to my close friends to help me out and they came up with the Czech Republic.

Czech Republic:
The following places are where I would start and see where they lead me.  Many of them would be immigrants who have a direct knowledge of the country and maybe the family and know what they will need to become successful here in Washington State.

1. I would contact the local translator bank to learn a few words and to get an insight into what the family maybe experiencing. 
2. Contact  the local or closest consulate. 
3. Find a local church that does services on their native language and again talk to the people that go there to find out what the family might be facing as the transition to Washington State.
4. Find the local community here in Washington State and see if any of the people there would be willing to talk with me about their culture and how I should respect the family.
5. My local Child Care Resource and Referral might have information about where to get books, translation for newsletters and culturally relevant play materials.

As I learn more about their lifestyle and beliefs I plan on incorporating them into my lesson plans.  Also I plan on teaching the students about their new friend that will be joining us in a few weeks/months what ever their timeline for their move to their new home maybe. 
 

Personal side of the -ism

I personal side would have to come from a relative who has made remarks about other cultures, race and peoples sexual orientation.  This relative has done this on numerous occasion's. The most recent was a comment about a person from Canada and being of Arab decent. 

The way the comment was said made it sound like everyone else is less intelligent than the relative when it comes to this relatives profession.  For the situation to change I will have to start to stand up for those talked about in a bias or prejudicial way and it has to start the next time I am with this relative and comments are said. 

I felt ashamed because I would think that my relative would know better, after all we were raise almost the same. The relative seems to be unaffected by what is come of the mouth of the relative.  I hope by starting to speak up the relative will start to  understand that others may see the relative in a bias or prejudicial light because it can go both ways.  Bias' and prejudices are not exclusive to the Caucasian race.