What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like
I can think of an incident when I was substitute teaching at a small center here in Georgia there was a young girl that was Hispanic in the one year old classroom. She was the only Hispanic in the class of eight. Her family spoke both Spanish and English but they mostly spoke to the child in Spanish. The teachers were both English speaking. The teachers identified her as not progressing because she did not talk like the other children. The reason the young girl did not talk was because she was mainly used to being spoken to in Spanish and did not know any English.
In what ways did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?
Because the teachers did not speak Spanish this child was being excluded in the classroom. The material and resources in the classroom did not depict her culture nor support her Spanish language.
What feelings did this incident bring up for you?
I felt sorry for the young girl because she was not being supported nor was she benefiting from the program because the center did not support diversity or the families that they serviced.
What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?
It is the teachers responsibility to provide an all-inclusive environment for the children and families that are being serviced. The teachers should have taken the time to learn a little Spanish to help draw the child into the program. Materials and resources should depict the young girls culture and background in the classroom. Partnering with the family would have helped bring about solutions for this young girls progress in the program.
Were the teachers aware that the family spoke mostly Spanish at home? Some teachers do not form the relationships necessary to learn about the dynamics of the home. I wonder if the teachers ever took the time to find out, or if they just assumed that the child was delayed in speech and language without that information? I hope that current teachers have the knowledge to discover this information before labeling a child.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the child would have felt in that environment where only English was spoken? The teachers or the center should have employed a teacher assistant that spoke both English and Spanish so as to include the child in the program. I agree with you that it our responsibility as educators to ensure that every child's culture is included in the program.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the classroom should be all inclusive because making the child feel left out in the class will hinder the child from learning. Sometimes parents will think that their child has a problem and will end up being wrongfully diagnosed. Educators need to be sensitive and observant to the needs of children in their care.
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