Bernice Johnson Martin
Assitstant Principal Turner Co. Middle School
Monday, June 25, 2012
Competent Communication
I have heard many people talk giving speeches and lectures from
professionals in early childhood and other educations, as well as Doctors,
lawyers, policy makers, Pastors, and Ministers. Of all of the people that I
have heard communicate there is one that if I had to be like them I would be
like her. She is my oldest sister, Assistant Principal at the middle school,
and Minister of the Gospel Bernice Johnson Martin. Bernice has a way of
communication with people that catches all of their attention. Her way of
communicating actually draws you into a deep understanding, and the way she
communicated what she is saying is easy to understand and grasp. When I see her
in action it is like she is in dual roles. She is at one time in teacher mode
then in other times she is in Minister mode, but in either mode she effectively
gets her point across to the listeners. She never loses her listeners in fancy
jargon that is an onslaught of words without meaning. The communicating style
that she has is understandable to those who have little education to those that
are of highly educated. She has a great way of getting people to understand
what she is saying and it all makes sense. Bernice delivers her words in a
clear concise manner that always captures the attention of her listeners. She
is an excellent model of competent communication
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Professional Hopes and Goals
One hope that I have for working with children and families from a diverse background is that I want these families and children to realize that I am a woman that they can depend on to help them press their way through any situation that they might go through, and that I truly care what happens to them and their children.
One goal that I would like to set for the education field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice would be a Cultural Awareness Liaison for the school system in Turner Co. This person would have a multicultural educational background that would allow them to advocate for fairness in the schools for the children in the marginalized groups.
I would like to thank each and every last one of you for your feed backs on mt blog postings as well as on discussion postings. I have enjoyed this course and I leave truly believing that I have learned something that I can use in my career as an early childhood educator. Again thanks you guys for being there.
Sincerely,
Melanie
One goal that I would like to set for the education field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice would be a Cultural Awareness Liaison for the school system in Turner Co. This person would have a multicultural educational background that would allow them to advocate for fairness in the schools for the children in the marginalized groups.
I would like to thank each and every last one of you for your feed backs on mt blog postings as well as on discussion postings. I have enjoyed this course and I leave truly believing that I have learned something that I can use in my career as an early childhood educator. Again thanks you guys for being there.
Sincerely,
Melanie
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
My New Russian Student
I am a teacher at the local elementary school where I teach 4th grade and I have been notified by the Principal that I will be getting a new student and that student is from Russia. I have no idea what the customs and culture is in Russia so I began to prepare my self so that when I am introduced to the child and his family I will be prepared. I want to make the new student feel at home so I will have to learn things from his Russian life so that I can incorporate it into his new life at school.
5 ways I will prepare myself to meet my new Russian student and his family.
5 ways I will prepare myself to meet my new Russian student and his family.
- When I meet the new student I will give a firm handshake to him and his dad and look them directly in the eyes. It is Russian custom that whenever you greet each other that the males will give a firm, almost bone crushing handshake, maintain direct eye contact, and give the appropriate greeting for the time of day. The handshake for a woman is less firm. If I were good friends with the mother I would kiss her on the cheek three times starting with the left and then rotating.
- I would be able to tell the new student's fathers name the students middle name which would be the fathers first name with "vich or ovich" added to it.
- If I were invited to their home for dinner I would dress in office clothes because this shows respect for the hosts. I would take a small gift along with me. If I were a guy I would take flowers, but not yellow flowers because they are seen as bad luck.
- I should know that Russian children attend school from ages 6-17, and elementary education lasts for 9 grades. After the 9th grade they either go to secondary school or vocational school. So I will have to help the child adjust to his new school system. After secondary education the student can go onto high education which is equivalent to college for us.
- I will need to keep in mind that the Russian schools have classroom that range from 20-30 students, the students are together from the 1st grade to the last grade, the students in primary school will stay with the same teacher for all subjects and do not change classes, the school day is from 8:00-1 or 2:00.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Personal Experiences of Bias, Prejudice, and/or Oppression
One day I was in a clothing store browsing around to find me something to wear. So I was just walking from place to place in the store just looking around. So I noticed that this employee was following me around in the store. So I would move around intentionally to see if she was following me and everywhere I would move she would follow. I had found a shirt that I liked and really wanted it, but after the employee kept following me I put it down, and left the store. I went to another store and bought what I needed.
That lady was following me around as if I was about to walk out with that whole store stuffed under my shirt.I know that she was watching me to see if I were going to steal something, but rest assured I do not steal and if I do not have the money to pay for it then it will stay in their store. I have seen it many of times where there are workers in a store that will follow a black person around in the store and not follow anyone else. I guess that is because they think that black people will steal, but there are people from every race that steals so one group of people can't be singled out as thieves.
I have to be honest when that happened to me it upset me because I do not steal and I was being followed as if my picture and name had been left at the store by the cops identifying me as a thief. I am not sure that they employee would be able to change because she felt that she was doing her job.Maybe that store had had an increase in missing products and the employees were ordered to follow the shoppers, who knows. I only know that I do not like being followed around in a store on the assumption that I might be a thief.
That lady was following me around as if I was about to walk out with that whole store stuffed under my shirt.I know that she was watching me to see if I were going to steal something, but rest assured I do not steal and if I do not have the money to pay for it then it will stay in their store. I have seen it many of times where there are workers in a store that will follow a black person around in the store and not follow anyone else. I guess that is because they think that black people will steal, but there are people from every race that steals so one group of people can't be singled out as thieves.
I have to be honest when that happened to me it upset me because I do not steal and I was being followed as if my picture and name had been left at the store by the cops identifying me as a thief. I am not sure that they employee would be able to change because she felt that she was doing her job.Maybe that store had had an increase in missing products and the employees were ordered to follow the shoppers, who knows. I only know that I do not like being followed around in a store on the assumption that I might be a thief.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions
The microaggression that I experienced was last week. I bought some apples to take with me to work to snack on in case I got hungry. I put the apples on my desk and the data entry clerk saw them. When I walked into work one morning after she had seen the apples she said to me "are you on a diet because I saw the apples on your desk"? I thought immediately how does seeing apples on my desk indicate to you that I am on a diet. She had spoken with me prior to that event about a wight loss program that some of our other colleagues were talking about and maybe she thought that I was on a diet, but that just threw me for a loop. I know she didn't mean any harm, but that offended me. I was actually on a fast at the time and wasn't eating, but I did not tell her that. I realize that I have probably done the same thing unintentionally, but I pray that from now on I am able to word without offending anyone.
I believe the data entry clerk thought that I never ate nutritious food because of my size. I am a large woman, but over the past three years I have gone from a size 28 to a size 22 and I can get into some 20's depending on where I by them from. This was a great assignment to help us pay more attention to what we say and what others say. Like I said earlier I am praying that the Lord word my mouth so that I do not say anything to anyone to offend them.
I believe the data entry clerk thought that I never ate nutritious food because of my size. I am a large woman, but over the past three years I have gone from a size 28 to a size 22 and I can get into some 20's depending on where I by them from. This was a great assignment to help us pay more attention to what we say and what others say. Like I said earlier I am praying that the Lord word my mouth so that I do not say anything to anyone to offend them.
Big or not I think that I am a beautiful woman, always have, always will !!! You go girl!!!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
What's Your Definitions?
I was given these definitions by my sister Assistant Principal of the Middle School.
Culture is shared commonalities among any group, i.e beliefs, practices, ideas, rituals.
Diversity means different, i.e.is the difference among any cultured group.
These used to be easy to define when people were not as mobile. But society, values and practices have changed so much, it is almost impossible to "group" people anymore. In my opinion, the term culture diversity is obsolete and is replaced by multicultural. I think that before segregation and the Civil Rights movement, we were culturally diverse. Since then, we are a multicultural society. Black society use to hold a set of common belief as did the White, Hispanic and others. But look today, our beliefs and values are blended. We are no longer a tossed salad society where each ingredient (group) retains it own identity but we are a melting pot where everyone is blended and does not hold one particular set of values and belief.
Segregation was good and bad in my opinion. Although segregation afforded blacks opportunities to be exposed to more human and physical resources, it It forced blacks to loose part of their culture by forcing them to adhere to a "white" education system. The system never addressed black culture but forced blacks to conform to the 'white culture' expectations. Although, other ethnic groups have been adopted into this system as well, they have programs like ESOL and Migrant education to address cultural diversity or differences. Textbooks and literature so-call addresses cultural diversity but they do not truly recognize cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is a mindset, a change in the way things are done and the expectations. Cultural diversity today would be to expect blacks to be louder with bass in their voices, a little blunt and aggressive and always in survivor mode. But this is viewed as disrespect or no home training. We cultural diversity is truly addressed, young black men will no longer be gunned down for being black in a white neighborhood.
I was given these definitions by my BFF. Vanessa Bateman
Culture: The way we define who we are by looking at the different qualities that make up our lives, such as food, clothing, language, neighborhoods, etc.
Diversity: Differences held by people and society.
These Definitions comes from the person that is culturally different from me. Mrs. Fitzgerald
Culture: the things that we have learned from our families that we honor and recognize as unique.
Diversity: The differences that we share.
As I read the definitions of the words culture and diversity from my family and friends we are all on the same page as far as the meanings of the words. Although Mrs. Fitzgerald is from a different culture than I we hold basically the same definitions of the words. All of the definitions that I have received have been touched on in the readings that we have has so far in this course. Even that opinion by my sister as far as how society views culture has been touched upon.
Some of the facts that have been omitted are the deep meanings of culture. With the last two sets of definitions there is a surface view of culture. We have learned that we should go beyond the obvious in ones culture into the deep understanding of culture.
My definitions are some similar to the definitions of the ones that I received, but I have learned to look deep into the cultures of others so that I can really get a true understanding of their culture.
Culture is shared commonalities among any group, i.e beliefs, practices, ideas, rituals.
Diversity means different, i.e.is the difference among any cultured group.
These used to be easy to define when people were not as mobile. But society, values and practices have changed so much, it is almost impossible to "group" people anymore. In my opinion, the term culture diversity is obsolete and is replaced by multicultural. I think that before segregation and the Civil Rights movement, we were culturally diverse. Since then, we are a multicultural society. Black society use to hold a set of common belief as did the White, Hispanic and others. But look today, our beliefs and values are blended. We are no longer a tossed salad society where each ingredient (group) retains it own identity but we are a melting pot where everyone is blended and does not hold one particular set of values and belief.
Segregation was good and bad in my opinion. Although segregation afforded blacks opportunities to be exposed to more human and physical resources, it It forced blacks to loose part of their culture by forcing them to adhere to a "white" education system. The system never addressed black culture but forced blacks to conform to the 'white culture' expectations. Although, other ethnic groups have been adopted into this system as well, they have programs like ESOL and Migrant education to address cultural diversity or differences. Textbooks and literature so-call addresses cultural diversity but they do not truly recognize cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is a mindset, a change in the way things are done and the expectations. Cultural diversity today would be to expect blacks to be louder with bass in their voices, a little blunt and aggressive and always in survivor mode. But this is viewed as disrespect or no home training. We cultural diversity is truly addressed, young black men will no longer be gunned down for being black in a white neighborhood.
I was given these definitions by my BFF. Vanessa Bateman
Culture: The way we define who we are by looking at the different qualities that make up our lives, such as food, clothing, language, neighborhoods, etc.
Diversity: Differences held by people and society.
These Definitions comes from the person that is culturally different from me. Mrs. Fitzgerald
Culture: the things that we have learned from our families that we honor and recognize as unique.
Diversity: The differences that we share.
As I read the definitions of the words culture and diversity from my family and friends we are all on the same page as far as the meanings of the words. Although Mrs. Fitzgerald is from a different culture than I we hold basically the same definitions of the words. All of the definitions that I have received have been touched on in the readings that we have has so far in this course. Even that opinion by my sister as far as how society views culture has been touched upon.
Some of the facts that have been omitted are the deep meanings of culture. With the last two sets of definitions there is a surface view of culture. We have learned that we should go beyond the obvious in ones culture into the deep understanding of culture.
My definitions are some similar to the definitions of the ones that I received, but I have learned to look deep into the cultures of others so that I can really get a true understanding of their culture.
Friday, May 11, 2012
My Family Culture
I would really hate it if I would have to be torn from my life as I know it and to be thrust into some country that I have never been to and that I am unfamiliar with. Sometimes major events happen in our lives that we have no control over. If a catastrophic event were to take place and I did have to relocate to another country and I could only take a change of clothes and three small items I would take:
1. My family scrapbook/photo album
2. My Bible
3. A pair of earrings given to me by my mother on my wedding day.
I would explain that the scrapbook.photo album holds all of the memories that I cherish most from the beginning of life with my children, family historical events, and memories of how we looked long ago compared to how we look now.
I would describe the Bible as being the root of my life and that every word of it was so important that it was a life and death situation.
I would describe the earrings of a tangible blessing that my mother gave me as a symbol of her love and support of me.
I would be devastated because each one of the items listed above mean so much to me and I wouldn't want to part with any of them. The first thing that I would give up would be my Bible. The reason why I would give up that physical Bible would be because I have the words of the Bible written upon the table of my heart and no one can take that away. That is why the Bible tell us to study to show thyself approved.
Some of the most simple things that mean so little to me, might just mean the world to someone else.
1. My family scrapbook/photo album
2. My Bible
3. A pair of earrings given to me by my mother on my wedding day.
I would explain that the scrapbook.photo album holds all of the memories that I cherish most from the beginning of life with my children, family historical events, and memories of how we looked long ago compared to how we look now.
I would describe the Bible as being the root of my life and that every word of it was so important that it was a life and death situation.
I would describe the earrings of a tangible blessing that my mother gave me as a symbol of her love and support of me.
I would be devastated because each one of the items listed above mean so much to me and I wouldn't want to part with any of them. The first thing that I would give up would be my Bible. The reason why I would give up that physical Bible would be because I have the words of the Bible written upon the table of my heart and no one can take that away. That is why the Bible tell us to study to show thyself approved.
Some of the most simple things that mean so little to me, might just mean the world to someone else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)