Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have for children and their families of diverse backgrounds, is that they know that they are a welcomed, valued contributor to the education and development of their child, and that they bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences that will enhance the overall production of the community (Laureate Education, 2011). It is my goal to facilitate this process through modeling theories and practice of anti-basis education in my classroom, providing professional development opportunities for staff, and reaching out to the community aiding in organizations and institutions that support families of diverse backgrounds (Derman-Sparks, 2010). This is important to me because because young children are developing a sense of who they are from the people around them (Derman-Sparks, 2010). Children's self-identity is first established at home and they fostered with in the communities and institutions outside the home (Derman-Sparks, 2010). Early childhood professionals have a responsibility to ensure that children's unique and diverse cultures are respected and valued so that the child understands that they are important to the world. When children develop this understanding they build a sense of high esteem and identify themselves positively. Through this process early childhood professionals provide an equitable experience for all children and their families and become a contributor of social justice. 

To my colleagues, I would first like to thank you for helping my grow both personally and professionally, I have enjoyed reading your blog and discussion posts. You have challenged my understanding and encouraged me to think deep and make connections. It is through form of exchange that growth happens. I appreciate the time and energy you have put into helping me develop professionally. This is the type of collaboration needed to improve the educational experiences we provide for young children. I provided a short video that illustrates just how powerful collaboration can when creating an anti-basis curriculum. This video demonstrates all the values skills, principals, and theories we addressed in this course and brings it all together in an early child professional setting. This is a must watch video!

References:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu