Assignment:
Madison Place Preschool Scenario
Madison Place Preschool is a subsidized urban pre-kindergarten program. You are a new early childhood professional at this center, serving as a preschool teacher. You have a classroom with 17 children.
Some initial observations regarding Madison Place Preschool include:
• Three families arrive an hour after preschool starts on a regular basis. This appears to cause resentment among some of the families who believe that tardiness is a sign of disrespect and that the late children are setting bad examples for their own children.
• Approximately 20% of the children in your classroom are dual-language learners, most of whom are less fluent in English than they are in their primary languages. You have overheard a white family speak disparagingly about the influx of dual-language learners in the classroom.
• Three children in your classroom seem to be behind their peers developmentally. After meeting with the families, you discover that they live in poverty and some adult members of the family do not have high school diplomas.
• The literature provided for your classroom does not reflect the diverse cultural identities of the children in your classroom.
• The toys and dolls provided in your classroom reflect mainstream culture.
You have raised concerns about the classroom environment to both your co-teacher and director, and you have been met with resistance. The general attitude expressed by each of them is that there is no need to change classroom materials, arrangements, or teaching practices to accommodate a few children and families.
This assessment has four parts. Click each of the items below to complete this assessment.
Part I: Overcoming Bias
In order to be an effective early childhood educator and anti-bias advocate, it is necessary, first and foremost, to recognize and challenge one's own biases. While this may not seem difficult on a surface level, there are, in fact, various strategies and practices for recognizing the overt and more subtle or covert biases one may possess.
In two to three pages, address the following:
• Describe yourself, including any relevant information about your own social identity and culture. Explain how your own identity and/or culture might influence your professional practice. If applicable, share your own experiences with privilege, oppression, and/or bias.
• Identify three strategies that you will use in order to explore and overcome your own biases.
• Explain why you chose these strategies and how exploring and overcoming your own biases can positively impact the children and families with whom you work.
Part II: Addresssing Bias and Promoting Equity in Early Childhood Classrooms
Bias and discrimination affect people from all walks of life. In the early childhood field, bias and discrimination are especially troublesome, as they can have long-term impacts that can continue to affect children through adulthood. Read Document 1: Madison Place Preschool Scenario prior to beginning Part II.
In three to four pages, complete the following:
• Describe four strategies that you will use in order to address bias and promote equity among the young children in your classroom.
• Explain why you chose these strategies, and how they will help address bias and promote equity.
• Describe how you will implement these strategies to advocate for positive social change on behalf of the children in your classroom.
• Describe one way you will partner with families and/or the community in your advocacy efforts.
Part III: Access, Equity, and Promoting Change in Early Childhood Organizations
While advocating for access, equity, and change in early childhood classrooms is an important first step, early childhood settings support this advocacy effort on an organizational level.
In two to three pages, complete the following:
• Describe how you will advocate for anti-bias curriculum in your early childhood setting or one in which you might work.
• Explain why anti-bias curriculum should be adopted in in this setting.
• Explain why access and equity at the organizational level are important to developing early childhood programs that help promote the growth and development of children, families, and communities.
• Include a description of at least one organization with whom you might partner to promote access, equity, and social change for young children and families in your early childhood setting or one in which you might work, and explain why you have chosen this organization.
Part IV: The Positive Impacts of Promoting Access, Equity, and Change
In two pages, describe the significant and lasting impacts that access and equity can have on children, families, communities, and a global society.
Specifically, your response should include the following:
• An explanation of the benefits of advocating for access, equity, and change on children's healthy development and learning.
• An explanation of how advocating for access and equity in early childhood classrooms and programs can benefit children, families, and communities, and provide a specific example.
• A recommendation for developmentally appropriate learning experiences for each child, with an explanation of how these experiences reflect the principles of developmentally appropriate practice.
References
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Nieto, L., & Boyer, B. (2006). Understanding oppression: Strategies for addressing power and privilege: Part 3: Skill sets for agents.
Nieto, L., & Boyer, B. (2006). Understanding oppression: Strategies for addressing power and privilege: Part 2: Skill sets for targets.
Boutte, G. S. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. The Social Studies, 99 (4), 165-173.
Boutte, G. S. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. The Social Studies, 99(4), 165-173.
Royea, A., &Appl, D. (2009). Every voice matters: The importance of advocacy. Early Childhood Education Journal,89-91.
Ounce of Prevention. (2009). Early childhood advocacy toolkit.
ZERO TO THREE. (2010). You have what it takes! A tool for identifying yourself as an early childhood advocate.
Gonzalez-Mena, J., & Pulido-Tobiassen, D. (n.d). Teaching "diversity": A place to begin.
Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Tip sheet for early childhood-child welfare partnership.
UNICEF. (2013). The state of the world's children 2013 executive summary: Children with disabilities.