Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Specific Blog Assignment 5
This story is very influential as everyone involved is their to love and support the child they are honoring. Having such support never seemed like as you are honoring the child, but having a meeting to better help the child is only because everyone cares. I have never experienced a meeting like this one. All of the meetings I have been to seems more like a process, not a celebration. I have just completed a meeting with a family where we can all better help the child, be more consistent as a family. This meeting felt more like we were all on the same page as we support and care for this child. Having a cultural or ritual celebration prior to the meeting seems very joyful, but I have never experienced one as the educator is usually calling the meeting. Having a celebration and prayer prior to the meeting sets a stage for a positive outcome. If this happened to you, would you feel comfortable if this was not your culture? or would you put your personal feelings aside and come into an agreement for the child? How can you improve your meetings with parents?
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Hi Anjoleen,
ReplyDeleteThe story allows us to see the inner workings of other cultures and their experiences. Having empathy grows us to expand our thoughts and limits we have so we can be sensitive to others or ALL. When our focus is because we care for the child, then the culture protocols or expectations will be the learning we get from the experience. Working with children of diverse cultures, shouldn't we already be sensitive to their ways? What happens when the culture conflicts with policies, laws or requirements? This particular story focused on the unity of the group, but what happens when there is disagreements and strife? What ways can we strengthen our community by including diverse culture? Great job. ZENA
Hi Anjoleen,
ReplyDeleteComing to a common agreement for a child -- this is an interesting provocation. What does this mean in practice for a director? a teacher? a child? a family? Who has the power in this equation -- is the child and family? the teachers and director? How can placing child and family as most critical change how teachers and directors position themselves? In traditional expectations (and possibly also societal practices) are teachers and directors given more power than child and family? How does this impact how practice and policies are created and implemented? How might the scenario shared in the text help teachers and directors rethink power, practice, policy, and position in order to create spaces where child and family genuinely are respected, trusted, and viewed as capable?
Jeanne
Hey Anjoleen,
ReplyDeleteWhat did the educators need to understand about the culture and community to be a part of a meeting such as that? Why do you think they did not insist on having the caretakers come to them? As a director what would need to be taken into consideration to have staff meet with families in this manner on a regular basis? How else can the program be more flexible and supportive of families?
Hi Anjoleen,
ReplyDeleteI think many of us really like the story in the textbook. What connected with me about was how much Hawaii's culture (mix of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Samoan, Filipino, Micronesian, and etc.) is very similar in that family is important. Instead of having a ritual like the story, what piece of Hawaii's culture can you integrate into parent-teacher conferences? Is there something from the family's culture that can be used to build parent-teacher relationship? Should you start the conversation with your concerns or find out what the family's concerns are first?
Hi Anjoleen,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this part of the book, when they talked about having a meeting we should honor the child is a brilliant way to look at what we are doing for these children. I also agree with you when you say that meetings are processes and not celebrations of the child. Meetings that I have been apart of in the past have always been more of a listen an what can we do to help the child instead of this child is special and has done this, this and this what can we do to further that childs growth? I think that as an educator I will now walk into meetings wanting to further and honoring the children and making sure that everyone in the meeting walks away with the same feeling.