Early childhood professionals and teachers generally, are important part of the society because we are the first significant influence on children after their families. As a result of our position in the life of children, there are no doubts that what happens to us also goes a long way to affect our practice in any setting we may find ourselves.
The major -ism which I have experienced in my profession is classism and racism. There are many job opportunities I have lost as a result of where I come from. You'll see clear statements like a school only needs Americans, British or nationalities that are English native speakers. and even when you are qualified and do not come from any of those countries, the job is not meant for you. This is what I have experienced for years and still currently. In my current setting, I had to take the roll of a Teaching Assistant in my current setting because that is where they believe I should be because I am an African. Somehow, this affects the way families relate with such staff. This can also be related with classism because you are seen as poor and timid. It affects even the pay. In some cases, higher-income families may reflect social attitudes about income and professionalism and may not treat the staff with respect or recognize their educational background or their high level of skills (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Despite the good intentions the teacher may have, this unfair treatment must have an impact on the practice because when there is societal disrespect ranging from inadequate wages, lack of benefits as health care, marginalization and so many other unfair treatments, it puts the bonds and consistent relationships with the children at risk.
Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Chidimma
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing and I am sorry to hear that your race and ethnicity was seen before your expertise. I am grateful that you have stuck it out and have not allowed this to stop you from educating our most prized possessions, our children. You mentioned classism, which is synonymous with childcare workers and low wages, which is the cause of high turnover in the field. So, it is sad to hear even in a field that is always in search for quality educators they put you in another box. I agree with you when you say that it puts a strain on the relationship, when someone is left to feel that because the color of their skin, they are not allowed to hold a position in which they are qualified for. That could put a stress on coming to work when you feel that you are not valued and in turn a stressed teacher cannot perform at their best, leaving our kids with mediocre instruction.
Thank you for your feedback and reading through my post.
DeleteThank you for sharing you post, Chidimma. It is an absolute travesty that practices of excluding a person, such as yourself, due to classism, racism, or any other ism. Unfortunately, I have seen the practice where a school will say a person is not the “right fit,” where a person who is completely able to be effective in his or her job is not provided the opportunity. In my situation, I was able to use my being from a different country and a speaker of Spanish to my benefit. What practices do you feel would be most beneficial to ensure that people were not overlooked because of where they were from? Do you feel that you are given the opportunity to “prove yourself?”
ReplyDeleteThank You Beatriz for your honest feedback. I think the best practice is just for the top educational leaders, advocates and government to understand and implement anti-bias education. That is where the changes should begin, and then go down the ladder.
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