Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

As racism and other ism’s effect children and families, educators are not exempt from the harsh effects ism’s have on individuals. Educators are neither exempt from having biases of their own towards other individual either. When I think back over the past few months, I can recall having a certain feeling towards same sex relationships. Due to my upbringing, I had believed that relationships were to be between a man and a woman. Since then, my feelings regarding this issue have changed. I now understand that as an educator, it is my responsibility to support children and families and not try to bring harm to their family structure. If I had those same feelings as before, I am sure that it would be very challenging to work with families especially if they were aware of my bias.

As I think back over my life, there was an incident in my life where other individuals were prejudice towards me because of the color of my skin and culture. I am an African American female and have felt offended at times because of my race. Years ago I worked for the housing authority in a predominantly Caucasian community. Every day when I would take my lunch break, I would have multiple individuals stare at me as they drove pass my vehicle. It was so awful that I was even called a “Nigger” and other numerous names by these individuals. Working in that community was very uncomfortable and I eventually resigned from my job. Even though this incident took place, I do not have any resentful feelings towards Caucasian individuals.

If I were resentful to others of that same race, I do believe that it would not be a good situation. When working within the education field, educators have to work with children and families off all cultures. Educators cannot be prejudice against children and families if they expect to create close relationships and partnership with families. I do believe that if an individual has a bias towards another, it will show through the individual’s words and actions. That is why there is no room for bias remarks or gestures when working with families and especially young children. As in all other areas of learning, young children try to make sense of their world by organizing what they observe and experience into “theories” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). For example, if I were to have a closer relationship with African American children and keep a distance when working with children and families of other cultures, over time I will have created a message regarding the type of relationships I have with certain children and families. These are indirect messages that are like “social trace contaminants”-tiny or unseen messages that accumulate over time to create harm (Pierce 1980).

Reference

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