Throughout this course we have done
a lot of self-reflecting and goal setting.
As a result I have unraveled and unveiled parts of my life that I was
not aware of, making me more knowledgeable of whom I am as an individual. This
has all helped me to become a better person and a more compassionate educator.
There are so many points that have
resonated with me throughout these eight weeks.
However, after much thought I have realized that my most passionate hope
for my future as an early childhood professional and for the children and
families with whom I will work is to create an accepting, welcoming environment
in which differences are celebrated and all are viewed and treated as equals so
that every child can develop to his/her fullest potential irrespective of background
and/or identities. Derman-Sparks and
Edwards (2010) stated that “Anti-bias education work in early childhood
education is shaped by a deep-seated belief in the importance of justice, the
dream of each child being able to achieve all he or she is capable of” (p.
9). It is my desire to provide every child
with that opportunity so that they in turn can develop to their optimal and
thus contribute to positive social change.
To Dr. Kien
Thank you for sharing your insights with
us throughout this course; your comments and timely feedback to my discussion
posts and application assignments and for answering my e-mails at an
appropriate time.
To my colleagues
I would like to thank you for
sharing your personal experiences with me and for your feedback to my
discussion and blog posts. Our lives
have been enriched through the sharing of our ideas, biases, fears and best
practices. I have grown both personally
and professionally because of these interactions. We have been ‘armed with ammunition’ to make
significant differences in the lives of children and families. We have the power to change the society
around us in a positive way. As we end
this class and move into our final one, I wish all of you much success.
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).
