Professional Hopes and Goals: 

Regardless of the child’s race, gender, sexual orientation, economic class, ethnic group or any other culture traits, he or she is still our future.  I hear the statement all the time “Children are our future,” but do we ever really take the time to think about what those words mean to us?  I know that my ancestors did not want me to grow up in a segregated environment and made to feel inferior and though we have come a long way from slavery, we still have a long journey ahead of us.   Martin Luther King Jr’s. dream was that one day black girls and boys will be able to hold hands with white girls and boys in brotherhood.  My hope is that not just blacks and whites, but all children regardless of the color of their skin are able to come together in unity and have equal access and opportunities to be successful. 

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to equip all of our early childhood professionals with the necessary tools needed to work with diverse families in order to break the barrier of discriminatory practices in our schools.  This form of training should be mandatory for all professionals working within the early childhood field as a condition of employment.  The goals is to promote acceptance and respect by embracing diversity within our communities; thus, empowering equality and social justice for all.

First of all I would like to say a very special “Thank you” to Dr. Kien for her unyielding knowledge and guidance.  I appreciate your thoroughness and clarity of informing the class of your expectations.  Your promptness in grading and returning our assignments in order to empower our writing has truly been rewarding.  You are an awesome teacher and I hope that I am able to share some of the same qualities with my students that you have passed on to me.  

To my colleagues; you all have been my rock.  I have enjoyed reading your blogs and discussion questions, comments and post.  It is great to get feedback from such a diverse group and know that we are all working towards some of the same goals.  Whenever, I felt unsure about a topic or questioned if I should have written that, I read your comments that encouraged my writing.  I wish you all the best through your journey to success as I look forward to hearing from you in our next class.  Enjoy your two-week vacation!!

~ Brenda