Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Children and their families who experienced ‘’ism(s)’’ tend to build up biases against other cultures due to their personal experiences with other cultures outside of their own.  As a result, children develop pre-prejudices towards others bases upon the perspectives of their families.  For example, an African American child I worked with in passed was from a predominantly Russian neighborhood where the early childhood education center was located.  She tended to come to school with a sad expression on her face.  I asked her what was wrong and she replied by telling me that she was a bad kid and no one wanted to play with her because her skin color was a darker complexion than the majority of the class.  Her feelings influenced me discuss differences and similarities in the class during circle time.  Some children said confirmed what the little girl told me while others shared that their parents did not allow them to play with children with dark complexions.  We discussed how all people are unique in their own way and that our friends are not chosen by the color of their skin but rather how they treat others. I also discussed the importance of treating each other with respect.  This conversation open the door for me to ask children how they would feel if someone did not want to play with them because the color of their skin.  All children said they would be sad.  Surprisingly, the little girl told her peers that they make her sad because they are her friends.  Concluding this circle, more children began to speak up for things they observed in the classroom or outside that they felt were not fair.  I gotta say those children taught me so much!!  Out of the mouths of babes…

Children who experience ''ism(s)'' have a higher risk of of not demonstrating self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities due to not feeling accepted which influences their development.  Knowing this, I feel compelled as an early childhood professional to create an anti-bias learning environment that will counterbalance the various ''ism(s)'' children and their families may have experienced.