Professional Growth

My Continued Professional Growth

My learning in this course has helped me in growing as a reflective, responsive educator, helping me to increase my cultural competence. Now, I will enter into learning environments with the mindset of treating everyone with respect and promoting equity while embracing their diverse backgrounds. I will commit to expanding knowledge of beliefs and values, communication, and behaviors across cultural groups to continue informing my experiences in school and in the larger social context by sharing what I know about diversity, respect, inclusion, and equity with others. Specifically, I will continue to encourage children and families to share their cultures with others in our program, and promote inclusion through the engagement of activities in the classroom.

Moreover, I will continue to identify, learn, and use new skills that offer a culturally responsive approach to educating students and communicating with families across cultures through the engagement with families and staff, such as through Family Night activities, posting resources on the Parent Board inside the school, verbally redirecting others by sharing different perspectives when social conflicts arise, and posting children artwork in the classroom. To further my understanding of inclusion, I will refresh my memory of specific aspects of diversity through reading articles, engaging in webinars, and continuing to learn about different cultures.

Five virtual resources that will help support my ongoing learning after my studies have ended include DAP: Engaging in Reciprocal Partnerships with Families and Fostering Community Connections, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Preschool, Embracing Diversity: Seven Approaches Leaders Can Use, Building Partnerships: Guide to Developing Relationships with Families, and 10 Tips for Embracing Language & Cultural Diversity in the Classroom. These resources will keep my mind updated on how to engage with others with diverse backgrounds other than my own, communicate with families effectively, build stronger relationships with families and children, and maintain developmentally appropriate practices with children and staff. Additionally, these resources will help me continue to embrace diversity and use others’ interests to promote developmental and academic success. Furthermore, I can follow the strategies provided in the resources to create and maintain an inclusive learning environment.