Closing Post

It seems that 8 weeks really do just fly by. I have learned so much from all of you. This class has been interesting to say the least. Communication is something that we do from birth, but it is something that many of us never really completely master. I think it is most certainly an area that could always use improvement. I definitely think that we have gained some valuable information on how to become more effective communicators. It's up to us to put this information to use. Thank you all for the thought and post throughout these 8 weeks. Thank you for allowing me to share my experiences with all of you. I look forward to continuing this educational journey with you.

Team Building

 

 

When I think about the groups that I have been a part of, the adjourning stage was often not the hardest. I have often been in groups in which the other group members were not pulling their weight. They left the work up to a few people, and I always found myself being a part of the few. As a result, I was usually looking forward to the adjourning stage. However, this has not always been the case. One of the most enjoyable groups that I have been a part of was my youth group at church. We formed a bond that I still treasure to this day. I am still friends with many of them. I was very sad when I turned 18 and headed off to college. The adjourning stage was very difficult.

 

I do feel that high performing groups are hardest to leave. I've often found myself eager to leave low performing groups because I was exhausted from having to do all of the work. My church youth group was an extremely high performing group. I became so close to my group members that I considered them to be family. When the members got ready to go off to college, we would have a special dinner to honor them. It was always such a sad occasion because we never wanted any of the members to leave. I remember being happy to be going to college but sad that I had to leave my group members. I now realize that I really wasn't leaving them because we had already formed an unbreakable bond.

 

I'm not sure how I will feel about adjourning from the colleagues of my Master's program. I assume that it will also be a bittersweet time. I have had the opportunity to get to know some truly amazing people who are making a major difference in the early childhood field. I have enjoyed learning from them through the experiences that they share each week. It has become a part of my life. My life has been very stressful and being a part of this program has been somewhat of an outlet for me. I know that it will be difficult to leave.

 

In the "adjourning" stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions (Abudi, 2010). This is an important part of the team building phase. It gives the members an opportunity to reflect on the tasks that were performed. Hopefully, the tasks were completed and successful. This also provides the team the opportunity to say good-bye to each other and wish each other luck as they pursue their next endeavor (Abudi, 2010).

 

References

 

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-

          development-a-case-study.html

 

 



Who I am as a Communicator

 

 

 

In evaluating the results of the two people who took the test, I found the fact that my former coworker thought that I enjoy public speaking to be the most surprising. Actually, I despise it. I always have. It is something that I want to improve because I know that it is something that I have to do especially in the early childhood field. She has heard me speak in front of small groups several times, and she felt that I've always done well. As a result, she thought that I liked doing it. I learned that I need to improve my listening skills as well. This week's lesson taught me that others do not always see us the way that we see ourselves. We should be mindful of how others view us. I also learned that a person can tell if you're not really being attentive no matter how hard you are trying to act like you are. 

Communication

 

 

 

 

When I think about diversity, I definitely feel that it effects the way that we communicate with others. I know that I find myself communicating differently with people who are not like me. For example, I feel like I have to make sure that I speak correctly when I am around highly educated people. I generally speak correctly anyway, but I find myself making more of a conscious effort to do so when I am around certain individuals. I think  that they will misjudge me if I don't do so. Another example is how I communicate around extremely religious people. I was raised in a religious home, but I do not consider myself to be super religious. I am a Christian, but I have learned to respect people of all faiths, religions, beliefs. etc. However, I find myself trying not to say the wrong thing around people who are very religious. I often feel that those kind of people won't have the desire to be around me if I don't present myself in a certain way that is acceptable to them.

 

 

I am learning that I should be myself. It is always good to be respectful towards others, but I don't have to stop being myself. People should respect us for who we are and not for who they want us to be. I think that I can become a more effective communicator by not being ashamed of who I am. I have to love myself and trust that others will do the same. If not, that is okay. I have to find comfort in myself. As long as I'm being respectful and understanding towards others, I should be okay with that. 

Professional Hopes and Goals

 

 

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is that I will be able to embrace all children and families with respect and love.

 

 

 

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that all early childhood professionals will work diligently to overcome personal biases in an effort to fully embrace children and families from diverse backgrounds.

 

 

 

I would like to sincerely thank all of my colleagues for the discussion posts, responses, and blog assignments. I have learned so much from all of you in regards to the issues of diversity, equity, and social justice. I think we all desire to positively change the early childhood field so that all children and families are treated equally. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of you through the stories that you have shared. We all have a story to tell. I wish you all continued success throughout your educational and professional journeys. Be blessed!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Nicaragua is a country in Central America. It has coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea, in the east, and the North Pacific Ocean, in the west, and has Costa Rica to the southeast and Honduras to the northwest.
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km² and contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua (Lake Nicaragua) or Cocibolca.

There are about 5.6 million Nicaragüenses in Nicaragua. The majority of the population is mestizo and white. Nicaraguan culture has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavors. The main language is Spanish, which is spoken by about 90% of the population.

I would do the following things in preparation for my new Nicaraguan student:

1) I would familiarize myself with the Spanish language in an effort to communicate with my student and the family.

2) I would ask the family to tell me about their family culture so that I can relate to the child.

3) I would familiarize myself with traditions in the Nicaraguan culture.

4) I would have pictures of things in the Nicaraguan culture displayed in the classroom.

5) I would give the student the opportunity to tell me about himself/herself.


I would hope that these preparations would give me the opportunity to get to know the child as well as become familiarized with his or her culture. Becoming familiarized with the culture and getting to know the child will help me to better serve the child and his or her family. Becoming familiar with the language will help me be able to communicate with the child and the family. I would hope that these preparations would be helpful in educating and serving the child and the family.

Resource

 

www.wikitravel.org

When I think about bias, prejudice, and oppression, I think about one of my favorite movies, A Time to Kill. This movie was filmed here in my hometown, Canton, MS. The character Carl Lee Hailey, played by Samuel L. Jackson, experienced bias, prejudice , and oppression. He killed to two men who raped his young daughter. However, he was Black, and they were White. There was no way that he was going to receive a fair trial in MS. At the end of the movie, Hailey's attorney, Jake Brigance, came to visit him at the jail. He basically told Carl Lee Hailey that he didn't have anymore to offer. He felt that they were going to lose the case. After talking with Hailey, Brigance gave a great closing argument the following day. He told the story of how the little girl was raped. There wasn't a dry eye in the courtroom. He ended by telling the jurors to imagine that the little girl was White. As a result, carl Lee Hailey was acquitted.

I was eleven years old when this movie was released. I remember going to the watch the movie being filmed almost every night. It was a big time for my hometown. However, I really didn't know what the movie was about. Therefore, I was stunned when I went to see it at the movies. At that moment, I felt that the color of my skin would make my life harder. I was young, but I left the theater feeling as though I was not good enough. Now that I am an adult with children of my own, I realize that I am not inferior. When I became more educated and knowledgeable, my mindset changed. I'm grateful for growth. A Time to Kill is still one of my favorite movies.