The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I would first like to say thank you to my colleagues for traveling this academic journey with me. Keep going, keep pushing, the end is near.

I hope to be the educator that parents and students adore alike. I want to be the reason a student or a parent feels more comfortable in exactly who they are. I hope to facilitate the cultural competence of my students as well as myself. 

Moving forward my goal is to continue to grow, to keep learning, and to take risks. I feel like the biggest lessons in life are learned through risks. I plan to put myself out there to ask questions and get to know and understand culturally my students.  

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Scenerio:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

If I were to gain a student from another country such as, Germany, I would have a leg up considering I have been there and know some about the culture. 

However, to best be prepared, I would:

1: freshen up on popular/ common phrases

2: begin to get to know the parents and their values and their expectations

3: have the family come in early to help them get familiar with the american way of education 

4: set up a time for the parents to come in and educate the class on german culture

5: implement the things that I learn regarding the german culture to most appropriately interact with the student and the family.

• These preparations help me to learn first-hand information and allows the parents to feel appreciated for who they are as well as helping them to understand the level of self-investment I have in my students as well as their families. 

The personal side of bais, prejudice, and oppression

My mother, being a more masculine lesbian, in her relationship, she has often experienced biases when in a highly professional environment with strangers. The strangers engage in conversations and she is often excluded from the conversation. They discuss their degrees, and it seemed as though she was intentionally excluded from the conversations. Eye contact was often low and so are introductions. 

I have witnessed sometimes being with her, she is treated differently when she is dressed comfortably vs. when she is dressed like a lady.

Until, when in professional environments, she mentions her employer the level of respect is low.

Knowing that my mother is treated differently simply because of the way she decides to dress is sad and pretty pathetic. It says more about the people that prejudge her than herself. 

From my mother's experience, I understand even more how important it is to not judge a book by its cover.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

• Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?
• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people.

I currently work as the Army Education Counselor, people come to me to inquire about VA benefits, TA (Tuition Assistance), and the big question..... What should I do with my life?

Recently I had a student come into my office and basically express that they thought I was not old enough or qualified enough to do my job without knowing my credentials, or capability. I can only assume that I look young, he felt that I would be unable to help him.

I felt insulted and was curious on what basis he established these ideas about me. But I did not let it bother me. I have learned to let things roll off my back in regards to things people say or feel about me. 

This weeks lesson got me thinking more about things I should and should not say. I think more than anything this week has made me more sensitive to people and their culture and how I express my ignorance.