Professional hopes and goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I apply the information I have gained from this course to my interactions with these families and to share with my colleagues the importance of being sensitive to families different beliefs and parenting styles. One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that our classrooms become more inclusive and sensitive to the needs of the child and their family culture. I would like to thank all my colleagues, it has been a pleasure to read your post and gain from your insights over the last eight weeks.

Finland

The country I choose is Finland.  This is one country I know the name of but that is about it so I was excited to learn more! What I learned is that people from Finland are punctual and very well mannered. Words are very important to them and they hole people to what they say. They find it extremely rude when someone interrupts a person speaking so I will be conscious not to do so when meeting with a family from Finland. Greeting a person from Finland it is important to make eye contact and shake their hand firmly. Something that is very big in Finland custom is a sauna. These are very visible in Finland and one of their favorite things to talk about. I feel all of these pieces of their culture are very important to know before meeting with a family from Finland so I do not come across disrespectful or rude. I also hope knowing this information will help the family feel more comfortable.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Being a young professional I experience bias and prejudice often. Usually it is in comments or initial responses when people meet me, such as ‘you are so young’ or ‘you are the director?’ in a tone that is demeaning and suggests I am incapable. In this incident diminishes equality because they look at my age as a factor that I am incapable to assist them. These incidents make me feel discouraged in the work I am doing and I feel like I am a kid again and my brother told me I could not play with his friends because I was too little. This probably sounds silly but it makes me feel like I am playing pretend and I should not be where I am in my career. I feel older adults need to change their mind set that if someone is younger than you does not mean they are not incapable or knowledgeable. I feel like everything else this will be an ongoing work in progress for many years to come.