Even more stuff - chapter 13

EDUCATORS' CHALLENGE


↪ The children we teach/classrooms in which we teach do not greatly resemble classrooms in which we learned.

↪ Previously excluded children e.g. due to language, race, economics, abilities, are now included.

↪ What may be unfamiliar to us is now very familiar to children.

↪ The ability to adapt to a diverse group is a challenge:
It requires the ability to communicate across cultures and individual circumstances....exciting to some, frustrating to others (feelings can range from distrust, fear, prejudice...to joy, eagerness, expectation).

↪ We must examine our own values and learn about others' beliefs.


Why?

Children need to know and celebrate their family/cultural heritage, & take pride in who they are.
Children need to experience diverse culture of people they meet, & learn to understand & respect the backgrounds/uniqueness of others.


SELF-AWARENESS

↪ Our self-worth derives from family history & personal experiences... how do these influence our work with children from many backgrounds?

↪ Personal history reflects biases re: how 'others' live, work, & play.

↪ Anti-bias approach helps us confront our beliefs, attitudes & actions that may harm children's self-esteem/self-identity, and may therefore, create future behaviour/discipline problems.

↪ We need to operate from the premise that each child is valued as part of a family system, no matter its origins/definition. We reaffirm a child's sense of security and personal identity within the family. We might do this by learning some cultural norms/habits of children in our program, by working with parents to promote an acceptant atmosphere for handicapped children, & by enriching our curriculum to reflect diversity (vs.) gender stereotypes.


WHO ARE THE FAMILIES I WILL MEET?

↪ With information about & experience with children of diverse racial/ethnic groups, we are better able to deal with issues of guidance with their families.

↪ Culture is like an iceberg...some of it you can see; most of it you cannot see. To find out more, we need to look deeper.

↪ Family-its main functions: protection, communication, provision for self-esteem, learning about social & intimate relationships.

↪ Strategies for finding out about families & their values:
1. Over time, teachers & parents get acquainted; conversations build a trusting relationship; exchange of anecdotes/opinions show what they feel is important.
2. Teacher & parent find something they disagree about; they may be in conflict; discussion re: child's misbehaviour/other negative issue brings natural tension on part of both parties. Most people have difficulty talking through differences, so both parent & teacher may feel uneasy; parents may have heightened feelings of inadequacy re: parenting skills & protectiveness toward their child. Teachers may feel defensive about their techniques, or anger at their inability to 'fix' the problem themselves. If the discussion is also about cultural conflict, the problem may be more emotional & can end with increased tension, without a solution and with a breakdown of trust.

GUIDELINES:

- BE CLEAR
- BE WILLING
- BECOME AN EFFECTIVE CROSS-COMMUNICATOR
- BE A PROBLEM-SOLVER
- COMMIT YOURSELF TO BECOMING EDUCATED
- BE A CRITICAL THINKER

GENDER ISSUES

↪ Gender differences do not appear all at once-only a few during infancy & toddlerhood (levels of excitement, intensity of emotion). By 18 months, girls' outbursts are decreasing, they seem calmer than boys, but boys' intensity & excitement do not 'drop-off'. Some stereotypical toy preference is also seen.

↪ During preschool, there are marked differences in what children play with & where they play, as well as, how preschoolers relate to each other. More 'rough & tumble' play by boys/girls tend to be more polite & helpful, & less aggressive than boys. "When faced with potential conflicts, girls tend to preserve existing harmony by compromise & avoidance, while boys are more likely to confront them 'head-on'. Boys get their way by physical means; girls are more likely to use verb manipulation...while boys may demand & order others. Differential response to teachers: girls tend to respond to either sex, boys are less responsive to teachers & ignore feedback from girls; girls often become passive in boys' presence, boys tend to interrupt girls...extends into middle childhood.

↪ As children advance into elementary school, gender differences continue; additional differences emerge: emotional differences persist; girls are willing to express fears, but when boys express emotions intensely. Boys are angry more often; girls are more likely to see themselves ad 'sad'. Boys continue to be more assertive, aggressive, concerned with dominance; girls tend to avoid conflicts. Boys exercise dominant role in mixed-sex groups, initiate & receive more of the interaction and do more talking. Boys tend to be responsive mostly to other boys; girls seem equally responsive to both sexes.


CHILDREN ARE MORE ALIKE THAN THEY ARE DIFFERENT

↪ Children grow & develop in the same sequence even if not at the same pace.

↪ Children are alike in needs, feelings, interests and expression of frustration, fear, & anger...the means may differ, but the event is the same.

↪ Recognize individual personality/characteristics of each child/assess each child's skills...have a full picture of each child's attributes vs. having the disability become the defining characteristic.

↪ Stress' children with special needs' (i.e. they are children first- the condition follows). Avoid "deaf girl"-it emphasizes the disability - Use "girl who has a hearing impairment". This helps us remember the common elements.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM

↪ Behaviour problems may emerge as children gain comfort in a setting, and there are increased demands on them to understand/appreciate others' rights...we must support the self-worth of all children, including those with special needs, in order for them to achieve the same level of behaviours expected by all...

1. Allow children to do as much for themselves as possible (inc. personal care, negotiating the room)
2. Invite others' assistance, but let the child decide how much help s/he wants.
3. Encourage the child to ask for help when needed.
4. Build on the child's strengths & skills.
5. Guard against pity/overprotection/patronizing the child's efforts.
6. Promote activities all can enter into fully.
7. Provide open-ended materials/activities children can explore/manipulate with varying skill levels.
8. Communicate your expectations that all children will learn respect for others' feelings/belongings, obey class rules & learn problem-solving skills.

ADAPTING THE PROGRAM

v SPEAK SLOWLY & CLEARLY

v LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE/OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION TO MATCH THE CHILD'S LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING

v COMMUNICATE NONVERBALLY WITH SOME CHILDREN, USING GESTURES, SIGNS, PRINTING, COMPUTERS

v PROVIDE OUTLETS FOR EXPRESSION SUITABLE FOR VARYING CONDITIONS

v REARRANGE ROOM TO REDUCE OBSTACLES

v LEARN TO ALLOW LONGER FOR CHILDREN TO PROCESS AND RESPOND

v MODEL WAYS FOR CHILDREN ABLED/DISABLED TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER

v PROVIDE INCREASED STRUCTURE FOR CHILDREN NEEDING IT

v PROVIDE INCREASED SUPERVISION TO AREAS WHERE NEEDED

v SHOW CHILDREN HOW TO PLAY WITH TOYS/MATERIALS


SPECIAL NEEDS ISSUES

As more children with special needs are enrolled in early childhood programs, it raises questions regarding the nature of discipline & guidance measures.
Children with special needs have many of the same behaviours we see in children without disabilities (tantrums, hitting, refusing to comply, and taking anger out on property). We need to maintain the same limits with ALL children, even if their language/means of communication differ; situations need to be dealt with equitably.
We need to model our belief that all children have the potential for growth.
We should learn new ways to communicate our expectations, & provide follow-through/appropriate consequences in flexible ways, responding to children's needs.



GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Never permit exclusion of child because of her or his disability.

Provide supervised opportunities for children to explore and try out equipment used by people with disabilities, including those used by children in your class.

You must first have the child's and parent's permission to do this. Teach children to respect other children's equipment.

Do not deny differences in the physical abilities of people.

Discuss how they are alike and how they are different.

Do not criticize a child for noticing and asking questions about physical differences.

Answer their questions simply and briefly. Tell them what they want to know.

Use accurate terminology, even if the words are long and unfamiliar.

If you do not know the answer, be honest. Involve children in finding the answer with you.


DEALING WITH IMPORTANT/SENSITIVE ISSUES

- Set up a conference to discuss concerns. (This could be at the request of the parents or teachers).

- Share observations and concerns about the child and the behaviours that s/he is exhibiting at home/school (be specific with anecdotal data-it may be necessary to have a meeting beforehand with all staff involved with the child to gather complete and accurate data). Share the reasons for your concerns.

- Ask parents to share observations about child's behaviour and experiences. How have the parents responded? What might be influencing the child's behaviour? Consider the child's home and community environment. Does the child have interaction with people different from him/herself? What are the attitudes of close family, siblings, friends and neighbours? What does the child watch on TV? What books and toys does he have? What stressful situations has he recently encountered?

- Discuss what they think might be causing the child's behaviour and what strategies can be used at home and at school to help the child.

- Discuss the methods you are already using or plan to use at school to work with their child. Find out if these ideas seem inappropriate or unacceptable. If so, find strategies agreeable to everyone.

- Sometimes parents resist, insisting that the child's behaviour comes from other children rather than from home (sometimes teachers do the same-locating the source of the problem only in the child's home and resisting looking at what is or isn't happening at school). Help parents understand that it may not be possible to pinpoint exactly why the problem exists. Efforts must be made both at home and at school.


BASIC GOALS OF ANTI-BIAS CURRICULUM

- TO ACQUIRE A RICH, ACCURATE, NON-STEREOTYPIC "DATA BASE" ABOUT GENDER, RACE, CULTURE, AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES


- TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH DIFFERENCES IN GENDER ROLES, RACIAL CHARACTERISTICS, LANGUAGES AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES

- TO EXPRESS A "COMFORTABLE & RESPECTFUL" CURIOSITY ABOUT THEIR PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL SELVES AND OTHERS

- TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN AND OTHER'S CHARACTERISTICS

- TO DEVELOP EASE WITH AND RESPECT FOR PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES

- TO BECOME AWARE OF OUR SHARED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS-WHAT MAKES US ALL HUMAN BEINGS

- TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ALL CHILDREN CAN SUCCEED

- TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO INTERACT KNOWLEDGEABLY, COMFORTABLY AND FAIRLY WITH PEOPLE WHO DIFFER FROM THEM IN SOME WAY(S)

- TO LEARN HOW TO HANDLE, RESIST AND CHALLENGE NAME CALLING, STEREOTYPIC ATTITUDES AND BARRIERS DIRECTED AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT