Awareness of Microaggressions

Well, last week was our last week of Children around the World Awareness. I have different races in my class. I told one students to get me a book from the book shelve. The book that she brought back to the Circle was The Color of all Of US. The book had different shades of skin tone people on the cover. Well, I have one student that always throws rude comments about skin tone. She told the student that was sitting in front of her that her skin is the skin tone that her Maw Maw doesn’t like. He skin tone was black. The student asked her why your Maw Maw doesn’t like my skin tone. She replied she always talks about Black people and how she doesn’t like black people. Keep in mind these kids are only 4 and 5. However, the Black student told her that regardless of her skin tone GOD still loves each and every one of us the same.

At that moment after observing this conversation I immediately begin talking about being different in our own ways rather its skin tone, gender, long hair or short hair. I explained to my students that we are all different but we are all humans and we must always respect the next rather the skin tone is the same or not. During this time, I experienced racial microagression.

I realized that we have to educate our younger kids more on life and explain different things to them. I feel that if her Maw Maw would’ve explained her feelings towards blacks a little better than the student probably wouldn’t’ said that to hurt her classmate feelings.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Culture is everything we do each and every day. What we may not think is culture is considered culture. From being raised in the North I wasn't acquainted with many different cultures. Now that I've migrated to the South, I've educated myself on culture. I spoke with several different colleagues and family members over the week and they all summed culture and diversity the same definition. I composed a definition that fits each description I got this week. Culture is the way an individual lives according their families' morals and values or their own choice of living.
Diversity means a variety or an assortment.

I've learned that Culture isn't just liking something and incorporated it in your life its a life time commitment or belief. One culture and belief that I'm studying and getting familiar with his Hispanic vulture because I interact with so many Hispanic families daily. I'm also in the process of learning Spanish so for my parents that has Spanish as their primary language I will be able to interact with them by speaking Spanish to them. I think this will be amazing experience for myself as well as my families I serve daily.

My 3 items that I would love to take to another country

If I was shipped off to another country and could only take three items they would be:

One item that I would take with me that means a lot to me is a picture of my family (Husband and 2 kids). The reason I will use this as one of my items is because they mean everything to me. If I was off without my family looking at that family photo would be my motivation to keep pushing and don’t give up.

Another item I would take with me is a source of technology. As far as what kind of technology, it doesn’t matter if it’s my iPad, computer, telephone or walkie talkie. This would give me an opportunity to see what’s going on in the world through the internet. I will be able to continue to see what’s going on during this catastrophic event

One final item that I would take with me on this journey would be a bible. I would take a bible with me so that I can continue to study the word and continue to pray. I will be somewhere I knows nothing about so of course I will need prayer and the word each day. During this time, reading the bible will be my focus each and every day. I will strengthen myself with learning the bible and getting to better understand the bible.  

Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you: I would be so heartbroken but I would have to do what’s right and leave the other two items behind. They all have a special meaning to me but overall I would take my family photo because my family means the world to me.