I just watched the video. It is very thought-provoking! I feel like I have all the ‘stuff’ you mentioned, but I always feel there is more to it-and then you talked about the adult responses! That, I think, is where we are lacking at my center. It’s easy to document the dolls, posters, and so on, which we need to do for NAEYC accreditation, and sometimes people think that’s enough. But I know it’s not. Our center is mostly white families, with not much diversity among the families or the staff. I am always looking at myself to make sure I am offering diverse resources and reflecting on my responses to children. I think what frustrates me is that most of the other staff don’t, and they do or say things that make me cringe. For example, one of the families from India wanted to make us an authentic Indian meal for lunch one day, and the staff member they talked to said that no one would probably eat it and that pizza would be a better offering. I was mortified when I heard this. It was rude, in my opinion, because a gift was rejected and because this person spoke for all, not thinking that we would appreciate it and eat it. And, the family offering it had to be hurt and offended. It’s this kind of thing that happens that worries me because I don’t know how we change this attitude. We say that all families are welcome and we want them to share their culture, but do we really mean it? This is what makes me really look at myself and what I do. It was really a wake-up call for me!

We had one session on diversity, done by one of the teachers who was going to school. I think it was a project he did. Unfortunately I am not in a position to organize the trainings (I am one of the toddler teachers), but if the opportunity comes up I will definitely recommend you.

Thank you for the welcome! I am excited to get started. I have been in the EC field for over 37 years, so it is not easy to find resources and continuing ed that keeps me fresh and motivated. This looks like it is just what I have been looking for! One of the things I have been looking for is more reflection and connecting it to my work.