Happy Saturday loves!
Hope every one is off to a good start to their weekend.
This week is all about new insights into our resources and what we have learned from them both personally and professionally.
This week I utilized Harvard's Global Children's Initiative to learn more about the collaborations within early childhood.
Although it is (now) common knowledge that early childhood education involves fields from all disciplines, the diversity and partnerships between different fields in order to collaborate in doing the most good to strengthen early childhood is mind-blowing.
Partnerships between Harvard University and Brazil's Health Care Network are used to promote better policy towards early childhood education and development. This is done through creating a cohort of 40-45 Brazilian policy makers in a week-long training at Harvard's campus. These trainings then involve a complex array of opportunities for hands-on, engaging learning that applies broad ideas into concrete planning. These policy makers then are allowed to go and implement these strategies in their respective neighborhoods in Brazil.
This was most intrigung to me as it bridges the gap between policy and science. Anyone can read a news brief or an article but to actually apply data, concepts, and ideas to a miniature version of the problem and/or area that is in need of assistance is taking it a step further. This not only gives policy makers insight into the first-hand experiences of the population they serve but also new knowledge into the problems and their long-term effects of mental health.
Next insights are both the science of early childhood brain development as well as their preventative strategies. Early Childhood brain development is complex, intense, and beautiful. Enviornmental factors such as poverty, parental practices, violence, and constant stress can begin to delay and/or degrade brain architecture; leaving the mind suceptible to toxic stress, limited prefrontal cortex control (emotional regulation), and serve and return functions that build upon in social and emotional development.
Although these effects can occur to any population or demographic, strategies to prevent these delays and/or issues vary from each demographic. One strategy of increasing the funding for overall education for one group may not have the same effects as a group that needs more strategies to educate parents on creating healthy attachments with their kids.
Understanding these new insights have piqued my interest to know more about Early Childhood Development as well their effects in young children of color within my own backyard. As an educator that has intentions to go into policy, understanding the weight of what my decisions may hold gives new perspective into what implementations of policy and adjustments that can be created for my own community.
What may work for the Latino community may not be able to be transferred to the African-American community. Understanding that there is no one size fits all model allows me to better observe and undertand my students, their families, and their backgrounds to best assist their development inside and outside the classroom.
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Saturday, July 29, 2017
National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
Happy Saturday loves!
I am headed to the beach later this afternoon but headed to a prayer vigil for the 4 year old that was shot earlier this week from more Chicago gun violence. Pray for my city, loves. When you are aware of the issues but arent equipped with how the resolve them, you grow frustrated.
On a lighter note, this week we are unpacking our websites into further detail. I won't make this post as long as my others but as previously stated in prior entries, I selected The National Black Child Development Institute as my focal point resource.
I chose this due to its commitment to focusing solely on how policy, education, health, and economics affect African- Americans. I genuinely dislike using the term "POC" because it has lost its power for what it is and categorizes the struggles of each minority group into signal agendas.
I like how NBCDI zeros in the issues that SOLELY affect Black children and families. Our community is crippled from effects of post taumatic slave disorder, economic oppression, gun violence, domestic fragility, and mental oppression. These are unique traits that are solely identified predominately to the Black community that needs to be addressed in its own separate fashion and tactic.
Which is why.....*drum roll* I nearly fell out and lost all my edges when I saw that NBCDI had a Chicago chapter. I was so excited to see that the same mission of NBCDI was put into motion for the Chicago chapter but had revised it to reflect the unique culture of Chicago urban poverty and the families within it.
Recently, a program was implemented to instill a positive message about Black youth than the deficits of Black you and it snatched my edges. Too often we are socially engrained with negativity towards a group of people. I have traveled the world, lived and worked in 3 countries and 29 cities in the USA, and not one group of people are demonized as Black people are.
In Ecuador there is a resturant Menuestro De Negro with the mascot as a stereotypical Black child with overdramatic feature, pitch black skin, and a bone in their hair. In China, on my first day my students rhbbed my skin and asked why my dirt doesnt come off.
The common narrative about Black people in any country is that we are violent, aggressive, less intelligent, and primitive. -____-
NBCDI wants to change that narrative through instillibg self-love and pride in Black children to love themselves, their culture, and their African ancestry as nit a hinderence but a badge of honor. I greatly support this because self-hate is real. Colorism is real. Depression within the Black community is real. These things go hand-in-hand with one another and overall affect how a child sees themselves based off how society sees them as a whole.
I can see criticism against NBCDI due to ita primary focus on Black issues but this discussion is not open to everyone and not every space requires the prescense of others. These issues affect our community in a way that ia unique and crippling that doesn't have the same detrimental effects on other communities. This is not a space or discussion to dilute our issues to appease the general public.
"Ain't nobody come to see you, Otis!"
As an educator, a Black, female educator, this assists in my professional development as it reinstills patience and ubderstanding in my teaching practices. Often my most difficult students are the ones that look just like me and it is easy to sweep them under the rug and write them off like everyone else. However, THAT is the problem. They know society has written them off so they act accordingly. Being cognizant how my attitude, teaching methodology, and exhibiting A LOT of patience is what I remain conscious of throughout the day to best serve my kids.
Also, NBCDI has ooenings for their Chicago chapter. Guess who is submitting her resume :) Wish me luck!
I am headed to the beach later this afternoon but headed to a prayer vigil for the 4 year old that was shot earlier this week from more Chicago gun violence. Pray for my city, loves. When you are aware of the issues but arent equipped with how the resolve them, you grow frustrated.
On a lighter note, this week we are unpacking our websites into further detail. I won't make this post as long as my others but as previously stated in prior entries, I selected The National Black Child Development Institute as my focal point resource.
I chose this due to its commitment to focusing solely on how policy, education, health, and economics affect African- Americans. I genuinely dislike using the term "POC" because it has lost its power for what it is and categorizes the struggles of each minority group into signal agendas.
I like how NBCDI zeros in the issues that SOLELY affect Black children and families. Our community is crippled from effects of post taumatic slave disorder, economic oppression, gun violence, domestic fragility, and mental oppression. These are unique traits that are solely identified predominately to the Black community that needs to be addressed in its own separate fashion and tactic.
Which is why.....*drum roll* I nearly fell out and lost all my edges when I saw that NBCDI had a Chicago chapter. I was so excited to see that the same mission of NBCDI was put into motion for the Chicago chapter but had revised it to reflect the unique culture of Chicago urban poverty and the families within it.
Recently, a program was implemented to instill a positive message about Black youth than the deficits of Black you and it snatched my edges. Too often we are socially engrained with negativity towards a group of people. I have traveled the world, lived and worked in 3 countries and 29 cities in the USA, and not one group of people are demonized as Black people are.
In Ecuador there is a resturant Menuestro De Negro with the mascot as a stereotypical Black child with overdramatic feature, pitch black skin, and a bone in their hair. In China, on my first day my students rhbbed my skin and asked why my dirt doesnt come off.
The common narrative about Black people in any country is that we are violent, aggressive, less intelligent, and primitive. -____-
NBCDI wants to change that narrative through instillibg self-love and pride in Black children to love themselves, their culture, and their African ancestry as nit a hinderence but a badge of honor. I greatly support this because self-hate is real. Colorism is real. Depression within the Black community is real. These things go hand-in-hand with one another and overall affect how a child sees themselves based off how society sees them as a whole.
I can see criticism against NBCDI due to ita primary focus on Black issues but this discussion is not open to everyone and not every space requires the prescense of others. These issues affect our community in a way that ia unique and crippling that doesn't have the same detrimental effects on other communities. This is not a space or discussion to dilute our issues to appease the general public.
"Ain't nobody come to see you, Otis!"
As an educator, a Black, female educator, this assists in my professional development as it reinstills patience and ubderstanding in my teaching practices. Often my most difficult students are the ones that look just like me and it is easy to sweep them under the rug and write them off like everyone else. However, THAT is the problem. They know society has written them off so they act accordingly. Being cognizant how my attitude, teaching methodology, and exhibiting A LOT of patience is what I remain conscious of throughout the day to best serve my kids.
Also, NBCDI has ooenings for their Chicago chapter. Guess who is submitting her resume :) Wish me luck!
Friday, July 21, 2017
Poverty: An Open Discussion
Happy Friday lovelies!
Hope everyone is having a good week and excited for the weekend ahead.
This week's topic is one personal and close to my heart through anetodal experience as well as through academic and professional awareness.
Poverty is a controversial subject that is extreme conditions of financial hardship and lack of econonic opportunity and/or resources. I decided to take a microscopic look at my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
With Chicago gaining national noteriety for its increased influx of gun violence ( a seperate topic of itself), there have been many questions asked about my city- both indirectly and directly- concerning to the bug WHY; WHY DOES CHICAGO HAVE INCREASED GUN VIOLENCE?
As much as many "professionals" and experts try to give a clear cut answer, its nit simple to explain or understand. The one size fits all theory does not apply to describing the concentrated amounts of gun violence in the city's south and west sides.
Fun facts that are an prologue to the discussion is that roughly 10% of the city's families live in extreme cases of poverty- half the national poverty level with the largest concentrations being that of African-Americans. *Gasp*
Its no surprise, at least to me, that the highest concentrations if poverty happen to be in my own backyard because not onky did I personally experience this narrative, but poverty and race have become almost synonymous due to defacto segregation and political infrastructure.
I can go on and on about how Chicago was literally built and designed to benefit affluent, white migrants over black laborers that migrated to Chicago during the industrial revolution but I won't go there today. (MY undergrad degree is ALL about Urban Politics so I can go on and on) However, poverty disproportionately affects African-American communities due to the lack of economical and social resources that allow families to get and stay ahead.
"What do you mean Chanel?"
Outside of disproportionate property taxes that fund local schools that are built like prisons, the hiring of unqualified white teachers from surrounding suburbs that lack cultural sensitivity and understanding, and the limited economic opportunity due to the inability to own land and create ownership without being bombarded with debt or high interest loans that can never be paid off.....
It ALSO breeds.....*drum roll* VIOLENCE. And with Indiana and its lax gun laws next door and Trump sending FBI agents to the south and west side to FURTHER the distrust and turf war with even more semi-automatic weaponry, you would think people would stop asking stupid questions. -____-
My mentor and esteemed colleague, Natalie Chadwell, MPH, sat down and spoke with me concerning the poverty and its affects on the Black community. Chadwell is the accreditation specialist for The University of Illinois Hospital while formally serving on the board of directors for their subsidized, health care division.
For twenty plus years, Chadwell hss dealt with poverty on a first-hand basis through her work in public health. Poverty is a public health issue that not only affects the physical but the mental and emotional conditions of a community that perpetuates a toxic mentality through a lack of understanding, compassion, and access to resources.
Chadwell enlightened me that poverty within Chicago was not by accident but designed due to the creation of ghettos that mimicked those in WWII, redlining, and illegal political and economic practices that kept African-Americans from ownership and integrated spaces.
The poverty that bred violence began with the public housing projects-the notorious Cabrini Green that gained national head lines for Girl X- and how they were systematically designed to keep the males out of the household; leaving female-led homes that ran on limited income. Once those public housing sites were demolished, the issues that were once concentrated to a confined space from a set group of people within that area became disbursed into the general population.
Chicago then morphed into "factions" based on blocks or neighborhoods and gave birth to the current enviornment as it stands.
The effects of poverty literally shorten a lifespan by creating a constant physical reaponse towards stress and anxiety to where the body does not recognize how to regulate itself. Poverty also delays ckgnitive maturation due to the prefrontal cortex being under developed from the lack of emotional regulation; increasing the amount of emotionally charged responses. Health and nutrition in poverty affects the physical and psychosocial due to limited nutritional value in the affordable foods that are available from local gricers that inflate prices due to the food dessert enviornment.
Many public school students get the bulk of their daily nutrition from school lunches while programs such as safe passage ( a city sponsored initiative puts neighbors of a community on "hot spots" to keep kids safe during thier walk to school) exist to keep children from getting inducted or affected by gang violence.
Children can focus in a school that has chicago police in every classroom, metal detectors, and teachers that are only present to have federal loans forgiven and be expected to succeed. Not only are they biologically wired to have more emotionally charged responses and are immersed in an enviornment that is literally killing them because of stress, they are placed with expectations that they are aware they are not believed they can meet.
These issues of poverty have allowed me on my journey to educate and be a role model to the most vulnerabe children in black and brown communities due to a lack of opportunity and resources. Poverty gies beyond the financial hardship and burden of a family and extends to the social, emotional, and cognitive maturation of Children that grow to be incomptent adults that literally do not know better.
Hope everyone is having a good week and excited for the weekend ahead.
This week's topic is one personal and close to my heart through anetodal experience as well as through academic and professional awareness.
Poverty is a controversial subject that is extreme conditions of financial hardship and lack of econonic opportunity and/or resources. I decided to take a microscopic look at my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
With Chicago gaining national noteriety for its increased influx of gun violence ( a seperate topic of itself), there have been many questions asked about my city- both indirectly and directly- concerning to the bug WHY; WHY DOES CHICAGO HAVE INCREASED GUN VIOLENCE?
As much as many "professionals" and experts try to give a clear cut answer, its nit simple to explain or understand. The one size fits all theory does not apply to describing the concentrated amounts of gun violence in the city's south and west sides.
Fun facts that are an prologue to the discussion is that roughly 10% of the city's families live in extreme cases of poverty- half the national poverty level with the largest concentrations being that of African-Americans. *Gasp*
Its no surprise, at least to me, that the highest concentrations if poverty happen to be in my own backyard because not onky did I personally experience this narrative, but poverty and race have become almost synonymous due to defacto segregation and political infrastructure.
I can go on and on about how Chicago was literally built and designed to benefit affluent, white migrants over black laborers that migrated to Chicago during the industrial revolution but I won't go there today. (MY undergrad degree is ALL about Urban Politics so I can go on and on) However, poverty disproportionately affects African-American communities due to the lack of economical and social resources that allow families to get and stay ahead.
"What do you mean Chanel?"
Outside of disproportionate property taxes that fund local schools that are built like prisons, the hiring of unqualified white teachers from surrounding suburbs that lack cultural sensitivity and understanding, and the limited economic opportunity due to the inability to own land and create ownership without being bombarded with debt or high interest loans that can never be paid off.....
It ALSO breeds.....*drum roll* VIOLENCE. And with Indiana and its lax gun laws next door and Trump sending FBI agents to the south and west side to FURTHER the distrust and turf war with even more semi-automatic weaponry, you would think people would stop asking stupid questions. -____-
My mentor and esteemed colleague, Natalie Chadwell, MPH, sat down and spoke with me concerning the poverty and its affects on the Black community. Chadwell is the accreditation specialist for The University of Illinois Hospital while formally serving on the board of directors for their subsidized, health care division.
For twenty plus years, Chadwell hss dealt with poverty on a first-hand basis through her work in public health. Poverty is a public health issue that not only affects the physical but the mental and emotional conditions of a community that perpetuates a toxic mentality through a lack of understanding, compassion, and access to resources.
Chadwell enlightened me that poverty within Chicago was not by accident but designed due to the creation of ghettos that mimicked those in WWII, redlining, and illegal political and economic practices that kept African-Americans from ownership and integrated spaces.
The poverty that bred violence began with the public housing projects-the notorious Cabrini Green that gained national head lines for Girl X- and how they were systematically designed to keep the males out of the household; leaving female-led homes that ran on limited income. Once those public housing sites were demolished, the issues that were once concentrated to a confined space from a set group of people within that area became disbursed into the general population.
Chicago then morphed into "factions" based on blocks or neighborhoods and gave birth to the current enviornment as it stands.
The effects of poverty literally shorten a lifespan by creating a constant physical reaponse towards stress and anxiety to where the body does not recognize how to regulate itself. Poverty also delays ckgnitive maturation due to the prefrontal cortex being under developed from the lack of emotional regulation; increasing the amount of emotionally charged responses. Health and nutrition in poverty affects the physical and psychosocial due to limited nutritional value in the affordable foods that are available from local gricers that inflate prices due to the food dessert enviornment.
Many public school students get the bulk of their daily nutrition from school lunches while programs such as safe passage ( a city sponsored initiative puts neighbors of a community on "hot spots" to keep kids safe during thier walk to school) exist to keep children from getting inducted or affected by gang violence.
Children can focus in a school that has chicago police in every classroom, metal detectors, and teachers that are only present to have federal loans forgiven and be expected to succeed. Not only are they biologically wired to have more emotionally charged responses and are immersed in an enviornment that is literally killing them because of stress, they are placed with expectations that they are aware they are not believed they can meet.
These issues of poverty have allowed me on my journey to educate and be a role model to the most vulnerabe children in black and brown communities due to a lack of opportunity and resources. Poverty gies beyond the financial hardship and burden of a family and extends to the social, emotional, and cognitive maturation of Children that grow to be incomptent adults that literally do not know better.
Friday, July 14, 2017
National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
Happy Friday!
This week is all about organizations that take to the forefront if issues that affect students within our local communities.
I have chose last week's organization, The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) to further gather information on their distinct mission and how they help families within our communities.
First and foremost, I LOVE how this organization specifically cater to the develooment of Black youth. I am not a fan of the political blanket term "POC" and how it is used as an umbrella to encompass issues people of color face as a universal thing. Absolutely not. My community's stuggle of oppression and raciaim differ and vary from the issues of language barriers and immigration to the Latino community and issues if the "model minority" complex of Asian-Americans.
Furthermore, Black youth lag behind in local, state, and national data concerning academic achievement and overall socioeconomic success behind their peers. Organizations such as NBCDI are utilized to nit only close those achievment gaps but are also used to meet the special and unique needs of young black children.
NBCDI uses both policy and local grassroots, community involvement to better serve Black students through partnerships with local, state, and federal policy makers to ensure adequate funding goes towards high-risk schools, a well-qualified, diverse workforce is a constant within the learning enviornment, while efforts to retain and train a more qualified work force is implemented. NBDCI knows that young Black children are often educated by less qualified, experienced educators that inadvertently stunt and/or delay growth and maturation.
Health/ Wellness is another huge investment NBCDI is at the forefront of tackling when it comes to their families and students. Through their affiliate networks and partnerships with organizations and business like Wal-Mart, health and wellness is addressed through an implementation of healthy eating habits and nurtrional curriculum that is demonstrated in a variety of mediums through their affiliate network. Food demonstrations in a local community grocer to promote healthier eating options while literature and material for a better quality of health through a more conscious mind at a local community event are just a few of the ways that NBCDI get involved.
These are just a few of the ways NBCDI gets involved into assisting African-American families into becoming healthier and more prosperous while creating better developing outcomes for their students.
NBCDI acknowledges that the ever-changing demographic is becoming more reflective of a time where cultures blend and create blended families and mixed-race children. However, what I appreciate is the fact that the issues and controversies unique to each individual ethnic group- in this case, African-Americans, are not swept under the rug or pushed into a generalized POC category. NBCDI acknowledges the unique challenges of the average Black family and uses its platform to better serve those students and families directly as opposed to indirectly.
https://www.nbcdi.org/who-we-are
This week is all about organizations that take to the forefront if issues that affect students within our local communities.
I have chose last week's organization, The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) to further gather information on their distinct mission and how they help families within our communities.
First and foremost, I LOVE how this organization specifically cater to the develooment of Black youth. I am not a fan of the political blanket term "POC" and how it is used as an umbrella to encompass issues people of color face as a universal thing. Absolutely not. My community's stuggle of oppression and raciaim differ and vary from the issues of language barriers and immigration to the Latino community and issues if the "model minority" complex of Asian-Americans.
Furthermore, Black youth lag behind in local, state, and national data concerning academic achievement and overall socioeconomic success behind their peers. Organizations such as NBCDI are utilized to nit only close those achievment gaps but are also used to meet the special and unique needs of young black children.
NBCDI uses both policy and local grassroots, community involvement to better serve Black students through partnerships with local, state, and federal policy makers to ensure adequate funding goes towards high-risk schools, a well-qualified, diverse workforce is a constant within the learning enviornment, while efforts to retain and train a more qualified work force is implemented. NBDCI knows that young Black children are often educated by less qualified, experienced educators that inadvertently stunt and/or delay growth and maturation.
Health/ Wellness is another huge investment NBCDI is at the forefront of tackling when it comes to their families and students. Through their affiliate networks and partnerships with organizations and business like Wal-Mart, health and wellness is addressed through an implementation of healthy eating habits and nurtrional curriculum that is demonstrated in a variety of mediums through their affiliate network. Food demonstrations in a local community grocer to promote healthier eating options while literature and material for a better quality of health through a more conscious mind at a local community event are just a few of the ways that NBCDI get involved.
These are just a few of the ways NBCDI gets involved into assisting African-American families into becoming healthier and more prosperous while creating better developing outcomes for their students.
NBCDI acknowledges that the ever-changing demographic is becoming more reflective of a time where cultures blend and create blended families and mixed-race children. However, what I appreciate is the fact that the issues and controversies unique to each individual ethnic group- in this case, African-Americans, are not swept under the rug or pushed into a generalized POC category. NBCDI acknowledges the unique challenges of the average Black family and uses its platform to better serve those students and families directly as opposed to indirectly.
https://www.nbcdi.org/who-we-are
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Exploring Issues in Early Childhood
Good Morning
This week we are exploring issues and controversies in early childhood education and child development. Currently I am in Latin America and have gained the opportunity to expand my horizons within learning about different cultures, communities, and issues that accompany children from various socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the world.
Unfortunately, internet here is not the best so streaming a podcast this week was not an option. However, upon researching Save The Children- an organization that helps children in The United States and abroad as well as National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), I have come across a plethora of information that has expanded my knowledge on childhood development while raising questions.
Firstly, Save The Children is an international organization that helps children in The United States and abroad grow up happy and healthy through means of assisting in poverty alleviation, health and nutrition, and education. 1 in 5 U.S. children grow up in poverty with 90% of them in rural communities. That BLOWS my mind seeing as we are the world's leading super power and a first-world developed, industrialized country.
In a country run by capitalism and the global economy, HOW can we have 1 in 5 children in poverty? Resturants and chain stores like Whole Foods and MCDonalds literally throw money away when they toss hundreds of pounds of fresh food that goes unsold at the end of the night. Immigrants literally flock to our country to study at the leading universities because of our quality education system yet some of our own citizens go without educational foundations like pre-school. Health care is LITERALLY a monopoloized market that puts people in precarious situations where they have to decide between their health and livelihood.
HOW!?
I teach ESL to rural students in Ecuador and every last one of them idolize The United States. They literally dream of going to give themselves and their familt a better life and live the "American Dream". It baffles me how The United States- my country- can be the world's leading super power and an international influence while still maintaining third world country conditions to its nations less affluent citizens.
This discussion lead me to look into the NBCDI because I have NEVER heard if it before. As a Black woman, firstly, I am PROUD that this organization was created by BLACK WOMEN in support if how the American Education System treated Black children. #BlackGirlMagic
As an African-American, I grew up in this disparities that are often normalized in my community as the status quo. It wasn't until high-school and college where thise disparities came to light through my lack of education in simple subjects like The Cold War (Which I still don't get) and WWI that made me realize I was grade levels behind my peers and had to work twice as hard just to get the same grades.
What I enjoy about the NBCDI is that that center the whole-child through their methods through reaching and engaging policy-leaders, communuty officials, professionals, and parents to ensure Black children are allowed a quality foundation in their education. Programs, trainings, and advocacy are just some of the limited resources available to educators, professionals, and parents of Black families that assist in the development of cultural knowledge of Black children as well as educational tools to better serve our youth.
I enjoy how this is exclusively fit to serve the demographic of Black children because we as a community have our own issues that cannot be coupled into the "POC" umbrella. Programs that are available to educators and ECE professionals that help enlighten and inform on best practices to serve the serve these vulnerable populations of children allow The United States to increase our stance and dedication towards early childhood education and assisitng in decreasing the amount of children that lack access to quality education.
This week we are exploring issues and controversies in early childhood education and child development. Currently I am in Latin America and have gained the opportunity to expand my horizons within learning about different cultures, communities, and issues that accompany children from various socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the world.
Unfortunately, internet here is not the best so streaming a podcast this week was not an option. However, upon researching Save The Children- an organization that helps children in The United States and abroad as well as National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), I have come across a plethora of information that has expanded my knowledge on childhood development while raising questions.
Firstly, Save The Children is an international organization that helps children in The United States and abroad grow up happy and healthy through means of assisting in poverty alleviation, health and nutrition, and education. 1 in 5 U.S. children grow up in poverty with 90% of them in rural communities. That BLOWS my mind seeing as we are the world's leading super power and a first-world developed, industrialized country.
In a country run by capitalism and the global economy, HOW can we have 1 in 5 children in poverty? Resturants and chain stores like Whole Foods and MCDonalds literally throw money away when they toss hundreds of pounds of fresh food that goes unsold at the end of the night. Immigrants literally flock to our country to study at the leading universities because of our quality education system yet some of our own citizens go without educational foundations like pre-school. Health care is LITERALLY a monopoloized market that puts people in precarious situations where they have to decide between their health and livelihood.
HOW!?
I teach ESL to rural students in Ecuador and every last one of them idolize The United States. They literally dream of going to give themselves and their familt a better life and live the "American Dream". It baffles me how The United States- my country- can be the world's leading super power and an international influence while still maintaining third world country conditions to its nations less affluent citizens.
This discussion lead me to look into the NBCDI because I have NEVER heard if it before. As a Black woman, firstly, I am PROUD that this organization was created by BLACK WOMEN in support if how the American Education System treated Black children. #BlackGirlMagic
As an African-American, I grew up in this disparities that are often normalized in my community as the status quo. It wasn't until high-school and college where thise disparities came to light through my lack of education in simple subjects like The Cold War (Which I still don't get) and WWI that made me realize I was grade levels behind my peers and had to work twice as hard just to get the same grades.
What I enjoy about the NBCDI is that that center the whole-child through their methods through reaching and engaging policy-leaders, communuty officials, professionals, and parents to ensure Black children are allowed a quality foundation in their education. Programs, trainings, and advocacy are just some of the limited resources available to educators, professionals, and parents of Black families that assist in the development of cultural knowledge of Black children as well as educational tools to better serve our youth.
I enjoy how this is exclusively fit to serve the demographic of Black children because we as a community have our own issues that cannot be coupled into the "POC" umbrella. Programs that are available to educators and ECE professionals that help enlighten and inform on best practices to serve the serve these vulnerable populations of children allow The United States to increase our stance and dedication towards early childhood education and assisitng in decreasing the amount of children that lack access to quality education.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
My Supports
Happy Saturday lovelies :)
I hope this week has been a good one for everyone. I have had both a traumatic and exciting week but feel indifferent to it all due to the timing of everything and how everything is currently playing out.
I find it ironic how this week's blog is about our support systems and how they keep us grounded. This past Sunday, June 11th, 2017, I was sexually assaulted my a former lover of mine. It was a traumatic experience and one I am currently dealing with privately. I feel dazed, confused, and often replay that evening over in my head repeatedly to see if there was something maybe I did wrong since law enforcement here in Chicago practice victim/slut shaming when called to investigate attempted rape cases- but I digress.
I also was recently hired by the Ministry of Education in Ecuador to teach English to pre-k children for a year and will be leaving Monday.
So much excitement and trauma has occurred within the last seven days that I am a mixture of emotions and unsure how to feel. But one thinf remains sure is that without my support system, I would be a wreck and lost without guidance.
Even before my current events, my support systems have been consistent and a driving force in my life.
My number one support system is my faith in GOD. I know that despite all things past, present, and future that may be negative or positive GOD will guide me through it with grace and humility. My favorite bible verse since I was a kid, and the only one I truly remembered verbatim, is: "I can do all thibgs through Christ which strengthens me"; Phil: 4:13.
I live that verse in my daily life through my troubling and exciting times because it tella me I can do anything. From learning to turn my pain of losing my only son into love for others to taking another position in another country despite fear, to persuing my Master's; I can do it all with Christ by my side.
My second support system is my family and friends.
My family and friends have always been by my side. I have three best friends I have known aince junior year of high school that I am still as close, if not closer, to this day. After almost ten years of friendship, they are considered family more than friends.
My family and friends are my support system because they aren't afraid to tell me the truth and are there for me when I lose my way. Family and friends have your best interest at heart and only want what is best for you; despite what you may have for yourself.
My mother is a very opinionated lady whom I love to death. She feels that going abroad again isn't the best career move for me but supports me anyway. She feels I should find permanent employment and root somewhere. Ultimately, that is the plan; but not on her timeline. She only wants what's best for me even if we bump heads about it.
Same for my best friends. They feel I should take a semster off to deal with the recent happenings of my life and maybe they are right; but I don't want to put my life on pause whether it be professionally or educationally because of a bump in the road. I know myself better than anyone and if anything, school serves as a release for me because it keeps my mind busy.
Ultimately, between my faith and my family/friends, I have a strong support network that keep me grounded and guided throughout my personal and professional journey. Without them, it would be difficult to undertand how to deal with life and life's unique situations .
To have a quality support system means to have a foundation that strengthens your growth and development through your process of finding yourself. We as educators are the foundational support systems for our students much like our support systems are to us. We are here to ensure the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical neess are met of each child while ensuring that we build close-knit relationships where we can enter their personal space and support them in difficult areas of development with guidance, nurturing, and understanding.
Friday, June 2, 2017
My Connections to Play
Happy Friday friends!
After a long work week working with the kiddos, I just want to "play" by getting into my favorite pajamas, firing up Netflix, and sipping sangria with my hubby.
Speaking of play, our topic this week has been all about childhood play and how important it is in terms of development. We established that play is essential in developing social, physical, and cognitive skills in children while also learning that play has different variations and cultural backgrounds.
Growing up, play was different for me than some of my peers. I grew up on Chicago's south side and didnt live in the best of neighborhoods. Running around outside in grassy fields ans meadows is uncommon for me while playing kickball with my friends was something I never heard off until middle-school.
Play for me was double-dutch on the street until the street lights came on, block party dance contest to Chicago juke music, and Saturday night skate parties at "The Rink" with my friends.
Due to the area of my upbringing, I wasnt allowed outside much and going to a neighborhood park was not common unless it was the one downtown where it was safe- and that was every so often. When I was outside, I socialized with my friends from school and my block; jumping double dutch and slurping on bomb pop popscicles for $1 while the boys played basketball at the court across the street fron us.
Play is different than it was when I was a child because it is very technology driven. Children arent encouraged to go out and be active anymore and are more interested in their mobile devices and electronics than getting dirty and sweaty in the summer heat. When I was younger, my mother would force me out the house just to get active and "be social".
I had family and friends support me during my play as it was engrained into my culture and background upbringing. Soing much od anything else would deviate from the social norms at the time. As an adult, I apprecoate ny mother encouraging me to branch out and become social with other young ladies because I could sometimes be a loner. My mother was concerned with my social development and felt outside interaction and play would create friendships- which they did.
If I could pick two quotes to describe my childhood play they would be:
"Hey Chanel (Yeah?)...Are you ready (For What?)....To Jig (Jig what?)....JIGALO"- Childhood Game Lyrics
"Be back in this house before them street lights come on!" - Black mothers in America
After a long work week working with the kiddos, I just want to "play" by getting into my favorite pajamas, firing up Netflix, and sipping sangria with my hubby.
Speaking of play, our topic this week has been all about childhood play and how important it is in terms of development. We established that play is essential in developing social, physical, and cognitive skills in children while also learning that play has different variations and cultural backgrounds.
Growing up, play was different for me than some of my peers. I grew up on Chicago's south side and didnt live in the best of neighborhoods. Running around outside in grassy fields ans meadows is uncommon for me while playing kickball with my friends was something I never heard off until middle-school.
Play for me was double-dutch on the street until the street lights came on, block party dance contest to Chicago juke music, and Saturday night skate parties at "The Rink" with my friends.
Due to the area of my upbringing, I wasnt allowed outside much and going to a neighborhood park was not common unless it was the one downtown where it was safe- and that was every so often. When I was outside, I socialized with my friends from school and my block; jumping double dutch and slurping on bomb pop popscicles for $1 while the boys played basketball at the court across the street fron us.
Play is different than it was when I was a child because it is very technology driven. Children arent encouraged to go out and be active anymore and are more interested in their mobile devices and electronics than getting dirty and sweaty in the summer heat. When I was younger, my mother would force me out the house just to get active and "be social".
I had family and friends support me during my play as it was engrained into my culture and background upbringing. Soing much od anything else would deviate from the social norms at the time. As an adult, I apprecoate ny mother encouraging me to branch out and become social with other young ladies because I could sometimes be a loner. My mother was concerned with my social development and felt outside interaction and play would create friendships- which they did.
If I could pick two quotes to describe my childhood play they would be:
"Hey Chanel (Yeah?)...Are you ready (For What?)....To Jig (Jig what?)....JIGALO"- Childhood Game Lyrics
"Be back in this house before them street lights come on!" - Black mothers in America
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