Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Being an Indian and living in an Arab country, an ‘ism’ that I definitely experience on a daily basis is ‘racism’. Arabs think high of ‘white colored’ people. They value their identity above everyone else. Therefore, even at my work place my colleagues, who do not have the teaching experience or qualification as much as I have, get paid more than me just because they are ‘white’. Arab parents want their children to be taught by British irrespective of the teacher’s credentials just so that their child can pick up the British accent. There are times when families enter my classroom with preconceived prejudice and stereotypes regarding an Indian teacher. Their difficulty to give me a smile or even acknowledge my position as a teacher pronounces their attitudes. Let me share a personal experience that occurred very recently to illustrate this further.

I have a local Emirati girl in my class. She has an older sister in the next grade whose class teacher is a British. When this girl joined my class, she was such a timid and shy girl who would not utter a word even if she had a need. But during the course of the year, with lots of encouragement and support she has emerged to be a confident girl. I was so pleased to see her perform for our school concert last week on the stage in front of all the audience. Her mother too was happy to see her become the person she came out to be. However, at the end of the concert, the mother brought a gift of appreciation for her sister’s teacher. I felt hurt not because I did not get a gift. I felt hurt because my job is taken for granted just because I am Indian, while the other teacher being a British is honored for her role. 

However, as an early childhood professional working in a multinational setting, I consider it my responsibility to be culturally and linguistically responsive and emotionally intelligent to welcome all children and their families into my classroom irrespective of the way people react to me or the ‘ism’ I experience. I do not in any way let my experience affect my interaction with the children of these families or impact my professional practice. I believe these children are innocent and before their families communicate their culture’s values, beliefs, rules and expectations to their children, as the first adult outside their family, I need to make an impact on the child’s life and thereby on the family’s lives. In all these years of my teaching experience, I have only done themes like ‘Me and My family’. However, ever since learning on anti-bias education and the importance of making cultural sameness and differences real, I realize the need to incorporate cultural awareness theme and talk about how everyone is similar and yet different in my curriculum. Persona dolls and appropriate books can also help to widen their circle of experience beyond the cultural rules and practices of their own family. At this point I would like to ask all my colleagues to offer advice and suggestions of what books to read and activities to include exploring cultural diversity and similarities.

Early years are an auspicious time of childhood and childrearing, that with special attention and nurturing we can help children become sensitive human beings as they venture into the world beyond their homes.