"With the right approach, a plain white hat and a plate full of yarn spaghetti can contribute to a young child's cognitive development."--Deborah Leong, Ph.D.
“Using an anti-biased approach has an impact, not just on the children, but on the teachers who have to kind of figure out who they are and understand themselves and uncover their own discomforts and misinformation.” –Louise Dermon Sparks, Professor Emeritus at Pacific Oak College, CA
“I’m not here to save the world. I’m here to just make a difference in the community that I’m working in.”—Raymond Hernandez, Executive Director at the School of Early Childhood Education
Arica,
ReplyDeleteYour second quote reminds me of a quote I found a few years ago about the mind of a child.
"Follow where the mind of a student wanders. You might find a lesson waiting there."
My students would often get off track in class and tell me stories that had nothing to do with what we were talking about at the time. But I often found that those conversations were great teachable moments.
Krista
Dear Arica,
ReplyDeleteI like the quote you shared by Loise Derman-Sparks in regards to teachers understanding their own culture as well the cultures of our students. Regardless of culture, ability, disability, etc., as teachers we need to be proactive and address cultural differences as well as be aware of our own cultural bias in order to create an environment where students are free to appreciate and respect the diversity of others as they: make connections with their peers and community; work and collaborate cooperatively with one another; build confidence, self-esteem, tolerance, compassion, and empathy.
Thanks so much for sharing your quotes!