REFLECTING ON LEARNING

"Anti-bias work is essentially optimistic work about the future for our children."  

-Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010, p. 2

My biggest hope for my future as an early childhood professional is to build a anti-bias education movement in Grand Rapids, MI.  I have learned that it is difficult to fully implement anti-bias curriculum without the support of other staff and team members.  I would like to see teachers and educators thinking about the impact on children and families and society as a whole if children develop a strong sense of self and family, appreciate and celebrate differences in others, recognize injustice, and act against it.

I am hopeful and optimistic with this goal because I am seeing it unfold and I have only been back in the field and advocating for 3 months.  I am seeing that my co-teacher likes how the children respond to problem solving regarding issues of gender.  Therefore, she is engaging in conversations with me about lesson planning that encourages the development of the anti-bias goals.  In the center I have seen the parent engagement coordinator reconsider parent engagement activities that might be exclusive to some family structures.  I a most excited about my connections with the Early Childhood Specialist for our organization (Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative).  I shared with her the four goals that are outlined by Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010).  We talked about the differences between diversity training and anti-bias education.  Shortly after she purchased and read "Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves."  Next year she would like to collaborate with me to provide training for all the staff at ELNC as well as do a presentation at one of our local annual early childhood conferences.  I feel that this networking will get others excited about anti-bias work and build a movement that can help influence other cities in Michigan and the nation.  Anti-bias work will help to ensure a new generation of thinkers, problem solvers, and socially responsible citizens of the world.  It can help but be optimistic work for the future of our children!

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

THANK YOU!
I would like to give a special thank you to my colleagues and professor for challenging my professional growth and providing such unique perspectives on the implementation of anti-bias education.  I leave every class feeling more informed, inspired, and prepared to advocate in the early childhood field.  Good luck to all of you as you work to finish your degree next class!  I hope to see many of you in the field as we continue on this life long journey! 

UNICEF

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION

I chose to take a closer look at this region because I am currently teaching in a preschool that services a lot of immigrants from Guatemala.  I have three students and their families in my class.  This group of people are different from the Mexican immigrants because many are considered refugees instead of immigrants.  It is helpful to understand the conditions and challenges that cause these families to leave their country. 

In this region children are faced with many challenges the affect their development.  Although it difficult to get accurate information for real statistics there are an estimated high number of cases of neglect, commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, juvenile justice, child labor, child soldiers, and birth registration.

• NEGLECT- Thousands of children in countries like Brazil, Columbia, and Bolivia face homelessness due to the inability of their families to properly care for them.  Many of these children are institutionalized.  

• COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND TRAFFICKING- Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean there is an estimated 1.2 million children trafficked every year and 2 million are sexually exploited through prostitution and pornography.  The majority of the women prostitutes were sexually abused in their homes when they were children.  This is a huge problem because children have limited access to school and basic health services.

• JUVENILE JUSTICE- The perception which is reinforced through the media is that poor adolescents are responsible for the rise in violence in this region.  However, statistics show that the percentage of adolescent perpetrators are actually relatively low for the region.  However, In 2004 children and adolescents deprived of liberty conflict with the law in Latin America were approximately 40,000.
• CHILD LABOR-  Although child labor is on the decline in Latin America there are still an estimated 5.7 million children ages 5-14 engaged in different jobs in the region.

• CHILD SOLDIERS- In 2004, some 11,000 children under 18 were required to participate as child soldiers in the conflict in Colombia.  They are forced to become fighters, cooks, messengers and, in many cases, to provide sexual services.

• BIRTH REGISTRATION- 18% of annual births are not registered in the region.  However, this number does not reflect indigenous and African descent populations, displace populations, and border and conflict areas where the numbers are estimated to be much higher.

All of these are examples of trauma that put children in this region at great risk of mental and physical distress that greatly affect their growth and development.  UNICEF works closely with governments and civil societies to help ensure the rights of children and adolescents.  They state that "Children and adolescents have the right to grow up in an environment that ensures their welfare , protect them against violence , abuse, exploitation, neglect and discrimination" (unicef.org).  They work with local governments, families, and the greater society to help inform and implement systematic and sustainable change to affect long term conditions and safety for children.

On a personal and professional level this knowledge affects the work I do with the families from Guatemala in my center.  For instance, we know that there is little access to education in Guatemala.  Therefore the immigrants from this region do not have the same understanding or value of preschool programs and what they can offer their children.  For these families we need to do more to encourage attendance and offer regular information on what their children are learning while at school.  The teachers send informational notes home regarding fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, and social emotional development to help families recognize where their children are on the developmental scale and how they are progressing.  It also gives them a reference so they can help with these skills at home.  We have regular events that invite families into the classroom and center so that they can see first hand, through modeling, the learning activities that are incorporated through play.  We also provide family notes and information that is written for low literacy readers (i.e. 2nd grade literacy).    

Reference

UNICEF. (n.d.). UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from http://www.unicef.org/lac/

THE SEXUALIZATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

Let me first make the clear distinction between sexualization and sexuality or sex.  Children are naturally curious about their bodies.  It is normal for children to have questions about their bodies, love, affection, and intimacy as they gradually develop a sense of sexuality and sex.  However, according to Levin and Kilbourne (2009) "When people are sexualized, their value comes primarily from their sex appeal, which is equated with physical attractiveness" (p. 4). Unfortunately, children are bombarded with images, music, and ads that can create an unhealthy development of body image, caring relationships, and healthy sexual intimacy.  

When my daughter was four years old she wanted to take dance lessons.  We were new to town and on the recommendation of a local parent we signed her up at a dance studio nearby.  The night of her first recital we were sitting in the auditorium with great anticipation of our little girl coming on stage to wow us with her new dance skills.  There were several performances from other classes prior to hers.  The one that stood out the most was a group of girls that had to be about 8 or 9 years old.  They started out the dance crawling on the floor with their knees spread wide and preceded to dance around poles like they were doing a strippers dance.  Although my little four year old came out and danced a completely age-appropriate and sexless dance this image of the other girls would not disappear.  We took her out of that studio shortly after the recital.  I regret never expressing my feelings with the owners of the studio so that they could be aware of how such dances are perceived.

Working at a children's clothing store as a manager for five years I was constantly flabbergasted at the horrific sexist and sexualized content of children's clothing.  In particular the graphics on t-shirts.  Even starting as infants we sold shirts and one piece outfits that commented on little girls' lack of intelligence, dependence on beauty, and dating and marital interests.  In contrast little boys' clothing commented on their strength, power, and action.

Halloween was also another eye opener for me when it came to the sexualization of young children.  I found that little girls are marketed to be very submissive characters with little power and their costumes left little to the imagination.  We often found that we had to make our daughter's costume because there were not appropriate costumes that allowed her to be a non-sexy kitty or a serious veterinarian.  This only worsened as she got older.  Now at 15 years old it is almost impossible to find a costume for girls that is not marketed to be sexy (i.e. sexy witch, sexy nurse with not mention of being a doctor, sexy princess, etc.)    

These images send young girls the message that they are objects of little value other than their appearance.  They are subject to judgement of males and at their mercy for a good life.  This kind of marketing lays a foundation for girls in early childhood to become women consumers of products that will help them achieve perfection in their appearance and earn the attention of men.  It cannot go without saying that it is also damaging to young boys who are at risk of growing into men that do not value and respect women, but see them as objects to be obtained.  There are always worse case scenarios, but not every girl will grow up to be a prostitute or every boy into an abuser.  However, these images can create confusion for young children that can alter their attitude of themselves and their future female/male relationships. 

As early childhood professionals we can provide a safe environment that is absent of these images.  We can ensure that dress-ups in the dramatic play area are not gender specific or stereotypical.  Recently I just added different size pieces of fabric in many different patterns and colors to my dramatic play area and watched how the boys suddenly flocked to the dramatic play area to make the fabrics into masks, capes, belts, wings and more.  The girls were still able to make dresses and veils, but the fabrics have not been used the same way twice.  All the children are using their imagination and creativity instead of being limited by an outfit that has one use.  The books and puzzles in the classroom can provide images of non-stereotypical gender roles, men and women performing the same profession or same care giving role.  

According to Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) "young children typically focus on the external and cultural aspects of their gender identity-that is, they believe that how they dress (appearance) or what they like to do (behavior) is what makes them a girl or a boy" (p. 91).  As early childhood professionals it is important that we provide clear age-appropriate information and language about their bodies and their sex so that we can make the distinction between anatomy and actions when it comes to gender identity.  Children will feel more free to take risks and try things that are outside their perceived boundaries of gender.

I must add on a personal note that when I found this image I was reminded of how disgusted I am when breastfeeding is reduced to a sexual act as well.  Critics of breastfeeding in public like to sexualize this natural act by being offended by the slight appearance of breasts.  How many times have you noticed someone breastfeeding?  Except for first time moms, it becomes so easy that a woman could sit with you and carry on a conversation and you would probably think she was just holding a sleeping baby.  With all the images of breasts that we see on a daily basis how do we allow ourselves to be bothered by the image of a baby doing what nature intended?  I believe people are bothered because they grow up learning that breasts are sexualized objects.  Therefore any act of sucking, even an infant, becomes a sexual act.  It is time to change. 

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

  
Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

EVALUATING IMPACTS ON PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

"Almost everything adults say or do around children carries messages about gender, economic class, racial identity, ability, and family culture." 

-Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 32

One of the most important things we can do as early childhood professionals is to assess and reflect on our social identities, schema, and bias.  We know that children, from birth, observe and internalize the words and actions of adults in their lives.  Even the most subtle and covert messages become realities for our children and are reflected in their learned actions and stereotypes.  Even a teacher with good intentions could be perpetuating stereotypes in their language and learning environment which is why it is so vital that we constantly evaluate our perceptions of the world and how we think about gender, class, race, culture, sexual orientation, abilities, and age.

Personally, I have been reflecting on how sexism has affected me in my life as a woman and how it influences my interactions with children and the building of a nurturing learning environment in my classroom.  Internalized oppression can cause me to believe that the stereotypes about girls and women are true.  Then unintentionally I can react and interact with the children in my class in a way that perpetuates those stereotypes.  I have to be aware of my bias so that I do not treat girls as nurturers and boys as builders.  I have to be careful not to compliment girls on their appearance and boys on their actions.  In addition to assessing my interactions I have to ensure that I am encouraging healthy gender exploration in the learning environment as well.  This means that boys feel comfortable and encouraged to investigate different roles in the dramatic play area and that girls feel confident and motivated to explore in the block area.  The library area also needs to have books that do not perpetuate gender stereotypes, but show a wide variety of females and males crossing gender boundaries (e.i. female firefighters, leaders, construction workers, and male nurses, dancers, and caretakers).  

 



Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).