EDUC 6358: Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

 

    Throughout previous courses in this program, I have learned that factors about child development, family systems, and the significant influences adult relationships have on children's social, emotional, and cognitive growth and the forming of social identities. According to Deaux (2001), social identity indicates people defining themselves in major social categories as their group memberships, such as ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, political belief, and more. This meaning takes a flexible shape in particular social contexts, and most people can be members of various groups. I am a graduate student in M.S. Early Childhood Studies, and a Navy Child and Youth Program monitor. Social identity develops groups and sects' formation at workplaces based on standard races, ethnicity, ideologies, religions, and gender, among other perceptions. Understanding different identities in society and being aware of diversity can result in high performance at various levels since other groups of identities are mindful and respectful.

     I have also learned that microaggressions are the unconscious actions or statements expressed towards a specific group of people based on racism, classism, ableism, and more isms. Racism is a term of discrimination to the race, which is commonly found in general. According to Margles and Margles (2010), people are not born with racism, but this belief develops from different factors surrounding individuals, such as experiences and interactions. My personal experience with microaggressions was when I recently moved to the United States in 2013. I started to work at one fast food restaurant. I did not have positive relationships with my coworkers since I was the only foreigner in the restaurant. The most salient question that one of my coworkers asked me was that "I heard Asians eat everything they see; do you eat dogs? When you see dogs around here, are you hungry?" I did not know what to answer but just smiling and walking away.

    I found out that diversity, equity, and social justice are essential for children as they promote and value young children's learning development and well-being. The awareness of diversity in the early childhood field, including cultures, social identities, prejudice, Isms, and privilege, is the core body of knowledge that I have learned from this program. A child involved in a more diversified community develops better and with a lot of exposure, unlike a less diverse community Richter et al. (2017). Early childhood professionals are among the primary keys contributing to young children's achievement and other outcomes as inclusive and high-quality education for young children.

    As I work in military childcare, I found out that several factors may influence early childhood development. Diversity environment can be challenging for early childhood educators to create an inclusive environment for all children. Early childhood educators must understand that diverse family experiences and needs to strengthen inclusion for the programs. Therefore, early childhood teachers must seek to drive specific components. These include a well-enhanced physical environment, interpersonal interactions, and a program-supported structure.

References

Deaux, K. (2001). Social Identity. In J. Worell (Ed.), Encyclopedia of women and gender (Vols. 1-2, pp. 1-9). Maryland Heights, MO: Academic Press.

Margles, S., & Margles, M. (2010). Inverting racism's distortions. Our Schools, our Selves, 19, 137-149. Retrieved from https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fmagazines%2Finverting-racisms-distortions%2Fdocview%2F872774698%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D14872

Richter, L. M., Daelmans, B., Lombardi, J., Heymann, J., Boo, F. L., Behrman, J. R., ... & Bhutta, Z. A. (2017). Investing in the foundation of sustainable development: pathways to scale up for early childhood development. The Lancet, 389(10064), 103-118.