When I think about diversity and families, I think about the unique individuals that come to my classroom each year. I think about the creativity that I will help to foster and the seeds of love that I will plant into each child. Each year I express to my parents the need for us to be in constant communication about their child. I express to them how important it is for their child and our class as a whole that the parents be an intregal part of our classroom community. My hope is that parents and educators everywhere understand that it takes a village to raise a child. As early childhood professionals, we are there to care and nurture your child during those hours they spend with us each day. The better the relationship we have with the families, the better the connection will be between the child and the teacher.
One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field that is related to diversity, equity, and social justice is to continue to offer resources for professionals to network to continue developing strategies for promtoing diversity and equity. Continue providing opportunities for advocacy when it comes to the healthy development of all children. These opportunities are extremely valuable for families and also the professional growth of individuals working with children and their families.
To my colleagues, I want to thank you for the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by your thoughts and experiences. As we continue our journey of anti-biased work and supporting children and families all over the world, let's remember that equity and equality work hand in hand. We must become involved and stay involved to ensure that strategies and policies are in place for our most precious gifts...children!
Teresa, I enjoyed reading your blog, I wish you nothing but the best. Continue to keep up the good work in the early childhood field.
ReplyDeleteTeresa,
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the importance of building positive relationship with our families and knowing the children in our care, only by knowing and understanding them that we can plan and implement programs that will cater to their individual and developmental needs.
Thank you for all your support during this course and I would like to wish you the best on all your endeavors.
Teresa,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you said about communication being important. I feel that in order to ensure that the children that we care for receive the very best early childhood experience that we can possibly give them, we must begin to form partnerships with the families. When teachers and families work together, children have a greater chance of surviving and excelling in school grade school.