Observation of a Playground

   It was play time when I arrived at my grandson’s preschool. It was a nice day so all the children played outside. My grandson played like a madman. He first started out climbing on the jungle gym; he climbed all the way to the top. My grandson is four years old and thinks he is the leader of the pack. After the jungle gym he and a couple other boys jumped around and they tried to balance on one foot while holding the other one with their hand. They swung their arms around like a windmill trying to keep their balance. They only succeeded at this for a couple seconds at a time. They soon got bored and my grandson moved on the swing. The swing is a seat swing and holds about three kids at a time. He patiently waited his turn and joined two other kids on the swing.  After the swing he joined a group of kids playing “super hero”. They acted out Spiderman and Superman and they definitely had very active imaginations. While playing the “super hero game”, he started to run down the sidewalk, and running is not allowed on the side walk, but it was too late to remind him, he fell and skinned his knee. He got hurt, and ran to me because he started to cry. I consoled him and the teacher and I took him inside the classroom to doctor him up. After his attachment to me wore off, he started playing with his “girlfriend”. He grabbed her hand compassionately and helped her climb on the jungle gym. It was very sweet to see him treat the girl differently from the boys. He was more delicate with her. Soon after, it was time to go inside the classroom. He noticed he got his new outfit dirty and was a little upset and concerned. He is very particular about his clothes, especially new ones.

   The children were communicating with each other through play. In my observation this week I watched as the kids patiently (some more than others) stood in line, waiting to swing on the swing. It was a swing that held three children, one got on and one got on. I watched as the children made up games to play and pretend they were “Spiderman and Superman”. They definitely do not lack in the imagination category. They all acted out characters in their little play group. Also, a couple of children became distracted by something else going on in another part of the playground and decided to leave the “super hero” group. The children also communicated not only verbally, but with their bodies and body language.

Observing Communication

   When creating an anti-bias environment in your classroom, it should not just be culturally consistent for children, but for all who walk into your classroom (Derman-Sparks, & Edwards, 2010). When designing the classroom it is a good idea to represent every child in the room. This means a teacher needs to be able to change their classroom accordingly throughout the year when children change.

   In the video segment "Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community", Adriana Castillo has numerous ideas to an anti-bias classroom setting. She has pictures of the children’s families that she has posted on the wall for all of the children to see. Another good idea Adriana has is “Sharing time”, which I too, plan to incorporate into my curriculum. This time could become an open forum for all of the children to share anything they want. I would encourage topics such as food, dress, language and family. Another thing I would like to do is have guest speakers from the children’s families and they could share many cultural stories of their own. I am in the process of writing short, children’s stories which will address all of the ism’s, culture, diversity and many other things children might have confusion with.

   I want to create a classroom environment that will give every child the sense of self worth. If we always keep in mind the four goals of anti-bias education which is to provide a safe, supportive learning community for all children (Derman-Sparks, & Edwards, 2010). We all must be willing to value and celebrate diversity in developing curriculum and classroom practices.

   In my virtual classroom I want there to be an open line of communication at all time. Good communication takes special skills in listening, kindness, respect, language, empathy and understanding the dynamics of all involved. Good communication skills are behavioral routines based on social understandings such as maintaining a relationship and being a team member (O'Hair, & Wiemann, 2012). When communicating we need to send messages, receive messages and break down any obstacles that rise during communication. The messages we send can be verbal, nonverbal, and make sure what you are saying is important enough for the receiver to listen. When receiving a message it’s a good idea to listen, with your ears and eyes, and pay attention to the speaker’s feelings and words. By using these communication skills for not only children, but all who enter the classroom, it will create an open environment where all can speak and communicate without reservation.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and    ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC Books.

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York:    Bedford/St. Martin's. Chapter 1, "Communication: Essential Human Behavior" (pp. 3-   27)

"Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community" (approximate length: 24minutes)
   Adriana Castillo gives you a guided tour of her warm and caring family child care    home, which exemplifies an intentional approach to anti-bias learning and community    building. Offers insights on how to create a physical environment that cultivates an anti-   bias.

“Reach and Teach”

   As I worked my way through my courses taken through Walden University I have found my goals remain consistent. I found myself wanting the same things now as I did when I started my first course. My main goal is still the driving force to help young children to avoid the negative obstacles in their lives and not become at risk youth.

   In the readings of week two in my first course taken through Walden University there was an article, “Does Having Passion for your Work even Matter?” In this article the author, Rosengren, wrote about having a fire for what you do energizes you, and you can turn around and put that energy into your work. My hope is to keep this fire burning because if the fire burns out, so do I. This article is a constant reminder how important it is to take the passion you have for something and turn around and put it back into your work. Far too often I have worked with many teachers that have burn out. It shows in the way they teach, and in the way they handle the children. When this happens to a teacher it is time for them to seek a new career. They are no good to themselves and especially not to their students. This can make a child not even want to go to school, ever. This would be a good example of a negative in their lives. I think this is where I have the advantage, I have worked with many age groups throughout my career and this led me to the decision to want to pursue a career in early childhood development. The main driving force was working with the at risk youth for many years. It’s never too late or too early to help mold a student and be a positive role model in their lives. I have my own motto and that is, “You need to reach a student before you can teach a student”. I call this “Reach and Teach”.

   Preschool children are at critical age in their young developing lives. It is very valuable for us all the learn everything we can about child development, and to gain the knowledge to provide a warm, nurturing environment and teach age appropriate curriculum. I applaud all of the students in the Walden University Child Development program for taking the first step in gaining the knowledge needed for helping all young children to develop. Never lose the passion and yearning to be a child advocate. “Keep on teaching”.

References

Rosengren, C. (2010, February 4). Does having passion for your work even matter? U.S.    News & World Report. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from    http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/04/does-   passion-for-work-even-matter

A Rainbow

Look at me, I’m black and beautiful.

Open your eyes you can see.

I also have a lot of brown pride.

It’s not hard to figure this out, it’s me.

Over and over again people say, “I’m white, that’s right.

Can’t you see all these things are true?

My eyes are shaped like an almond, and sometimes my skin is yellow.

And maybe just today, I’m a shade of blue.

I’ve been told, “Go home, we don’t want you here”!

But this is my home, can’t you see?

We can all live together.

We are all the same, under our skin, I won’t leave!

We are all born naked, with a brain.

Can’t you see, if we use our brain, it’s by choice?

We can live in ignorance or tolerance.

Just remember we all have a voice.

We will all leave this world the same way we came in.

Can’t you see it’s how we run life’s race?

In the end, it’s how we treat others.

Ask yourself, did I leave making this world a better place?

Today I’m a bright, glowing sun.

Can’t you see we are all brothers and sisters?

We are a rainbow of colors, purple, green and even red.

After all, we are human; we have no time for resisters.

Mixed Messages

   My husband has always called me “Big Mamma”. Well this created a very embarrassing moment at the grocery store when my daughter was very young. We were in the produce section minding our own business; my daughter was in the child seat part of the shopping cart when a large woman passed us by. My daughter said, “Hey”, “Look at that Big Mamma”, I got real embarrassed and I gave the lady a big smile hoping she did not hear what my daughter said. I quickly said to my daughter, in a tone of voice where the lady could hear me, just in case she heard what my daughter said, “Honey”, “I am the Big Mama and you should not call other people that because it is my nick name”.

   The mother in me and the educator in me found myself giving my daughter a lesson on what is appropriate to say and what is not. My daughter did not think there was anything wrong with saying this because she hears it everyday in our household as a term of endearment to me from my husband. I guess you could call it a “Pet name”. This was not an easy concept to teach my daughter because in our household it was a good name, but she could not call anyone else “Big Mamma”, and this confused her. This was definitely a “double-standard” moment.

   I know now that in Harro’s “Cycle of Socialization” the diagram shows the “First Socialization” as being the part of our lives where the trust and love is built, we are taught to play our roles and follow rules, we shape our self concepts, perceptions of us and others, values, expectations of future roles, and we get mixed messages and feelings and become guilty for not understanding because we are confused about these messages

Children's TV Shows and Gender

   I sat and watched a few different channels on the TV with my four-year-old grandson. I just observed while he watched and took notes. The channels were Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, and Nickelodeon Junior. I observed the following commercials:

1. Furreal Friends-this ad was selling furry bunnies and puppies. Its emphasis was on friends and pets. It stated that if the child were to have one of these furry pets they would always have a friend. It showed multiple children playing with these pests. It was also gender specific in the way it showed the girls playing with the cute, furry little rabbits, and the boys were playing with the small, rigged puppies.
2. Hot Wheels-this commercial was definitely gender related. This Hot Wheels commercial showed only boys playing with this toy, racing and jumping down the race track. It was cool and colorful, loud and fast. The message in this commercial was strictly geared towards boys only and made my grandson instantly want it. Buy this toy and you will have instant gratification playing with it.
3. Vaseline-they threw this one in between child advertising. This one showed very soft hands, rubbing the lotion onto the skin. I wondered why they threw this one in on a kid’s channel. But, soon I realized why, my grandson looked at me and said, “Grandma you need to buy some of that stuff, it will make you whole body smooth and soft”, I had to laugh because the commercial served its purpose. The message was loud and clear, use this product (for women) and you too can have soft smooth skin.
4. To Move or Not to Move-this was a commercial about advertising hidden exercising. It showed young children deciding what kind of play they wanted to do next. It showed children running, jumping, swimming, riding bikes and much more. It shoed all young children both boys and girls getting up and exercising through play.
5. Fish with no Water-this commercial was a very sad one. It showed a bright orange gold fish laying on a white table, out of water and trying to breath. It stated that a child with asthma often feels this way. It played on the children’s emotions, and makes them think, the point was made, loud and clear. It was educational, because my grandson wanted to know what asthma was and I explained it to him, he said, “how sad”. I think a child with asthma would appreciate this commercial because it allows other children to become aware of their condition.

Commercials are designed to be persuasive communication that offers information about products, ideas, and services that serve as messages to young children, they wish to deliver. TV commercials can affect children by increasing their food and beverage intakes, change their attitude, and make parents feel like they have to buy unnecessary things. I think the biggest influence commercials have on our young children is how each gender should behave. They create their ads to send a message about gender by using the norms society has known and reinforced. Most of the commercials represent how boys and girls should act.

An Ending is Always a New Beginning

Preschool and childcare are at critical time and age in their young developing lives. It is very valuable for us all the learn everything we can about child development, and to gain the knowledge to provide a warm, nurturing environment and teach age appropriate curriculum. I applaud all of the students in the Walden University Child Development program for taking the first step in gaining the knowledge needed for helping all young children to develop. Never lose the passion and yearning to be a child advocate. “Keep on teaching”.