[Tawna]

My culture is actually two. I am half Mexican and white. We have many family traditions we do every year. We make tamales, Mexican wedding cake cookie and we make pozole which a soup made during Christmas time.

[Tawna]

I invite children to sing a song while washing their hands. I also acknowledge when children wash their hands without being remind. I also thank children when they clean up after other when they go the extra mile.

[Tawna]

I would encourage role playing with the children and offer different types of jobs and their roles within society so children could learn different ways of establishing themselves at a young age. This would be for more of a preschool/school age setting.

[Tawna]

I would do an activity that explores how shapes are different and base most of the time finding shapes that are similar and encourage both children to display what they have found. I would encourage them to both show how each is different.

[Tawna]

My biggest worry about keeping children healthy and safe is that I will somehow lose count of one of them. Or that they may have an allergic reaction or something like that. I am constantly wanting to know how many kids I have when I am outside with them. I am wanting to learn how to deal with special personalities better. I find I become impatient when dealing with children who have challenging personalities.

[Tawna]

I would check to see if everything is okay. I would ask the parent if there is someone else who can pick the child up at the correct time. I would also remind her that it does cost extra to keep the child later.

[Tawna]

WAC 110-300-0085 Family partnerships and communication.

The family engagement WAC describes to what extent a family should be involved in this:

(i) A child’s strength in areas of development, health issues,
special needs, and other concerns;
(ii) Family routines or events, approaches to parenting, family
beliefs, culture, language, and child rearing practices;
(iii) Internal transitions within the early learning program and
transitions to external services or programs, as necessary;
(iv) Collaboration between the provider and the parent or guardian in behavior management; and
(v) A child’s progress, at least two times per year.
(b) Communicate the importance of regular attendance for the
child;
(c) Give parents or guardians contact information for questions
or concerns;
(d) Give families opportunities to share their language and culture in the early learning program;
(e) Arrange a confidential time and space for individual conversations regarding children, as needed;
(f) Allow parents or guardians access to their child during normal hours of operation, except as excluded by a court order; and
(g) Communicate verbally or in writing:
(i) Changes in drop-off and pickup arrangements as needed; and
(ii) Daily activities.(i) A child’s strength in areas of development, health issues,
special needs, and other concerns;
(ii) Family routines or events, approaches to parenting, family
beliefs, culture, language, and child rearing practices;
(iii) Internal transitions within the early learning program and
transitions to external services or programs, as necessary;
(iv) Collaboration between the provider and the parent or guardian in behavior management; and
(v) A child’s progress, at least two times per year.
(b) Communicate the importance of regular attendance for the
child;
(c) Give parents or guardians contact information for questions
or concerns;
(d) Give families opportunities to share their language and culture in the early learning program;
(e) Arrange a confidential time and space for individual conversations regarding children, as needed;
(f) Allow parents or guardians access to their child during normal hours of operation, except as excluded by a court order; and
(g) Communicate verbally or in writing:
(i) Changes in drop-off and pickup arrangements as needed; and
(ii) Daily activities.

AND Diversity: AND 110-300-0160

An early learning provider must provide culturally and racially diverse
learning opportunities. Diverse learning opportunities must be demonstrated by the provider’s curriculum, activities, and materials that
represent all children, families, and staff. A provider must use
equipment and materials that include, but are not limited to:
(a) Diverse dolls, books, pictures, games, or materials that do
not reinforce stereotypes;
(b) Diverse music from many cultures in children’s primary languages; and
(c) A balance of different ethnic and cultural groups, ages,
abilities, family styles, and genders.
(2) An early learning provider must intervene appropriately to
stop biased behavior displayed by children or adults including, but
not limited to:
(a) Redirecting an inappropriate conversation or behavior;
(b) Being aware of situations that may involve bias and responding appropriately; and
(c) Refusing to ignore bias.) An early learning provider must provide culturally and racially diverse
learning opportunities. Diverse learning opportunities must be demonstrated by the provider’s curriculum, activities, and materials that
represent all children, families, and staff. A provider must use
equipment and materials that include,but are not limited to:
(a) Diverse dolls, books, pictures, games, or materials that do
not reinforce stereotypes;
(b) Diverse music from many cultures in children’s primary languages; and
(c) A balance of different ethnic and cultural groups, ages,
abilities, family styles, and genders.
(2) An early learning provider must intervene appropriately to
stop biased behavior displayed by children or adults including, but
not limited to:
(a) Redirecting an inappropriate conversation or behavior;
(b) Being aware of situations that may involve bias and responding appropriately; and
(c) Refusing to ignore bias.

My thoughts:

The WACS are much more involved with how we should be communicating professionally with families. I like how congruent each step is. I find that this WAC gives you exactly the concrete information they want us to be speaking about and including all families in. I feel like with this being a step by step process that they are pointing out I would be better equipped with communicating with families.

For the diversity I think they did a good job explaining what needs to be present in the curriculum. I think they did a good job citing the biased behavior and intervening when necessary because I can see how this is necessary when working with diverse families and kids.

[Tawna]

I find that as long as I am treating each child with dignity and respect that I am doing my job. As the children are safe not being bullied are following the program to the best of their ability with our help then we have done our job. Having open lines of connection with parents who may have just come here from a foreign country or who are in the military are also important. I have encountered several kids who’s cilture is different than mainstream American culture but they have been taken care of with no difference when it comes to guiding their behavior. And this is in several different classroom settings (Ages).