What have I learned

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds.

I hope that all early childhood providers will strive to encourage open communication within the home, support families in there times of need, and that they show respect to children and their families. Each of these goals are meant to create a stable and loving family environment. In all of my work experiences with children, I have learned that a child's first socialization comes from home and early caretakers. The experiences in these environments influence how a child thinks, feels, and acts in all settings (home, school, and within the community).

One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.

I would challenge individuals in the early childhood field to get to know the families that they serve without bias or judgment. It is too easy to label a child or their parent before acquiring a meaningful understanding of the individual's personality, culture, and/or heritage. Working with families and their children increase the chances of building a positive relationship with individuals that have diverse backgrounds and also improves self confidence in children.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues and Dr. Dartt for making me rethink small bias opinions that I never knew that I had. Conversations in discussion and blogs have offered a wide array of perspectives that made me think differently. I appreciated how all of my colleagues agreed to disagree with others of different opinion. This course has been eye opening due to the different perspectives. Good luck on your next course.