Reflecting on Learning

My most passionate hope for early childhood is that pre-schools become more inclusive of those with varying abilities and that teachers are more open to the idea.  I know the idea is great to have this inclusive pre-school where all different types of children and families are represented, but the truth is is that is is hard.  Some students can be challenging, especially when you are trying to figure out all their uniqueness's.   My hope that is teachers use their resources, talk with the community/friends/families and remember to breath because you will figure out how you can best support the child in your classroom.

I am very impressed this semester how everyone has really jumped on board with anti-biased education.  I am proud to be apart of our learning community and I am excited that everyone will be out in our world teaching our most precious children. We are really in the home stretch now and I am sure some of you are getting ready to start up another great year hopefully with lots of new ideas and plans for your students. 

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose to look at China and South East Asia because I have taught and traveled in those areas.  Traveling to countries that were so outside of my comfort zone really opened up my world to life outside of my own. 

After exploring the website it was clear that a big challenge children face is physical abuse and even sexual abuse.  It was reported that 1 in 10 children experience abuse that resulted in a physical injury and sometimes up to 33% of children are suffering. Nearly 9% of children are suffering from severe phycial abuse, or 1 and 4 children, this might include, beatings with fists or implements.  There was also a report stating between 14-30% of girls and boys have been sexually abused, forced intercourse (UNICEF, 2012).

These experiences can have a negative impact on children's emotional well being.  The damage can last a lifetime, children who suffer abuse, neglect, and re exploited are more likely to be depressed.  They also may experience mental health problems, attempt suicide, and may engage in high risk behaviors (UNICEF, 2012).

My personal experience was while I was in Vietnam. I never witnessed physical abuse in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos or Cambodia but what I did witness was manual labor.  I saw people paying children to message their feet or carry wood for miles out in the villages.  It was interesting when people paid for services, because to me they should have known better.  In the villages it was their way of life, I understand helping out the family but it was a bit much to me.  Although, it is hard for me to understand because it is not a culture that I am apart of.  So I guess this goes to show how much we have to learn about others. I hope that I can continue to travel and be opened up to new insights.

Resource:

UNICEF, (2012). "Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences: A Systematic Review of Research, ." Retrieved http://www.unicef.org/eapro/Child_Maltreatment.pdf>.

Week 6- The Sexualization of Early Childhood

I have often thought about the topic of sexualization of early childhood, perhaps because I was exposed to many shocking comments or behaviors.  It is shocking to read some of the scenarios, but when I think back to my childhood I think that all those things did happen.  The biggest thing that I have noticed over the years is what girls are wearing and toys that children are playing with.  In the article there was a fourth grade girl writing a love letter, though I do not think this is untypical, I believe that her comments were untypical (even though they were not all shared).  I can remember having “boyfriends” in Elementary school but there was nothing sexual about it, I was still wearing stretch pants in the 5^th grade and would have cried if I had to wear something uncomfortable (like a short skirt).  Girls dress so proactive to me now a days, I want to cover them up.  But it comes from the messages they are receiving from the media (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). I thought about all the media messages that we receive even as an adult. I thought about how when you get to be in your upper twenties or thirties that people expect you to get married, even close friends have said to me “when are you getting married?”  And I always respond, “not until I am sure.”  There is this expectation to get married and have babies and not I try and filter through if it really is something that I want or if I am feeling just the societal pressure (but I am sure that I do want all of this, just not as fast as some people go after it). So of course young girls feel they need to live up to something because it is ingrained in our culture to always be wanting for the perfect body/clothing/boyfriend/relationship/job, etc. 

I have so many examples…

- When I was in high school I worked at an after school program.  Each day we ate lunch with our students and a 4^th grade girl was going on diet because she felt fat and that no one would like her that way.

- A student of mine started to sing “All the single ladies” and then would do a dance and would shake her booty (she would say “I am shaking my booty).  My cheerleading in high school was not this proactive and she is only 5.

- I also have a student who is so attracted to violence, which he wants to act out.  He is five and has Autism, he has a very difficult time filtering though what is expected vs. unexpected.  His father allows him to watch adult movies, movies that are PG-13 or R. He is only five.  His mother has talked with his father about this and he doesn’t see the problem, even with the example of him acting out in the classroom.  He is not intentionally trying to hurt someone but he ends up punching a teacher or a student and then will say it was in the movie. 

I can see the negative impact on children right in front of me.  I can see the skewed views of expectations vs. reality.  Children think that one thing is okay and then being told that it isn’t.  For the little girl singing the song and doing the booty dance.  I showed her a cheer that was appropriate to do at school.  Then I got her to make up her own dance to a song in our classroom, and no, in her own dance she did not do a booty dance.  We talked about the words in her song and I said that is wasn’t appropriate for school.  As for the little boy and violence, his mom talks with me about it and has handled the situation by providing his father with examples.  She says that it might take him awhile to understand. 

As the school year is about to start up, I think that I will pay close attention to where a child may have gotten something.  I feel very out of the loop, in regards to toys and children’s TV shows.  I think that I need to take the time to familiarize myself so that I can react more appropriately to my students. 

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf