My philosophy of teaching involves...

The first of the three positions that will influence the way I teach is that of having a structured methodology with an anti-bias curriculum in which the children can develop positive appropriate responses to differences through open discussion. I hope I can structure many activities that will increase the quality of childrens’ interracial and inter- “ethnic” peer interaction. (p. 9 Rethinking ECE) I want to encourage children to embrace differences and celebrate what makes each child unique. There were so many ideas talked about in Rethinking ECE that really sparked my interest and seem like wonderful ideas for activities for the classroom.
The second idea I would like to discuss is what I want to bring to the classroom regarding my personal knowledge and acknowledgement of the privilege and even oppression of my race in our society. I want to begin to understand myself as one tradition among many rather than the norm. In Delpit’s Other People’s Children, Charles Payne talks about a teacher educated at an elite university who goes to teach in the Washington D.C. public schools. He believes that his values and ideals are the “norm” and the most enlightened and that all the other teachers should be like him. He forgets to clearly analyze why teachers use certain methods and how their cultural background might be the reason for this, as well as the cultural backgrounds of the students. I do confess, that while I am open to different ways of teaching, I am strong in my belief that there should not be antagonism and put downs in my classroom among students and from teachers.
The third idea I would like to use is the “Me Pockets,” whereby children take home clear photo envelopes and fill them up with as many things as possible to bring to school to share with students. I think this can open up some exciting discussion and foster a true sense of community among the students. This is a bit similar to the “I am…” activity we did in our class, which was something I had never done or experienced before. This was so powerful to experience and the idea has had a real impact on me. Delpit and Pelo have such great ideas for activities that encourage the healthy dialogue about what makes each of us alike and what makes us different.
I believe classrooms are to be places where children feel safe and comfortable to be who they are. It should be a place of nurturing and security, recognizing that the classroom might be the only place like this for some children. I know that I have so much to learn through experience, but I really want to instill these ideals into my everyday teaching practice. My students will be exposed to new and different ways of thinking. They will be actively pondering what makes all of us different and develop empathy for those who face more challenges in daily life simply because of their race or origin.