"The highest result of education is tolerance."
– Helen Keller
After this course, I have decided to sit down and really think about what I want for families of diverse backgrounds to feel when they become a part of my classroom. I could think of many things but it all points back to one core thing - Acceptance. If every single child and family I work with does not feel accepted then I have failed.
Our first week of study, one quote really stuck with me. And that is what Hyland(2010) stated "While families are a critical piece in shaping children's values on such matters, classroom practice communicate and reinforce strong, subtle, and repeated social messages about what is and is not valued." (p.82). It stuck with me because it showed our huge responsibility as educators to make sure we teach the children we work with tolerance and acceptance because we have the power to help mold their ideas and challenge their biases. That is the goal I would like to set for the early childhood field. That we all realize our influence and use our influence to challenge biases and in return add more tolerance and love into our society.
I would like to thank every single one of you in this class. Facing biases and the like has been tough, but each of you have made me feel accepted and not judged for my thoughts and feelings. This has meant the world to me. Thank you so much. I wish everyone all the best as you become an anti-bias educator.
Resources:
Hyland, N. (2010). Social justice in early childhood classrooms. What the research tells us. YC:Young Children, 65(1), 82–89.
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