Another "bad teaching" rant? Could subtle racism be involved?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (238388)
Walnut Creek, California
December 12, 2019 8:00pm CST
There's a kid I work with who has a special affection for me. He's 2 1/2, and has this affection because I listen closely to him, talk to him, and play with him. When he acts out (he's a hitter), I do not get mad at him. I try to get him to express what he's experiencing. And then I try to teach him "sharing."
But he's language-delayed. And he may be on the autism spectrum. His expressive language (speaking) is hard to understand, and some of his behaviors are peculiar. For example, he will stand and howl for no particular reason. And he sometimes seems "in his own world."
My way of dealing with him has been to play with him, to engage him in conversation, and to make sure he's looking at me (my lips in particular) when I speak with him.
With me, his language has improved, and I can sometimes understand up to four-word sentences from him. He also "models" my behavior, and will sometimes hug a child who is crying. Empathy is HUGE on my list of things to teach toddlers.
But because he is a hitter, and lives in a big body, other children are sometimes hesitant to accept his affectionate and empathic gestures.
What pisses me off is that some of the teachers simply interpret his behavior as "bad," scold him, don't interact with him closely, and are quick to "remove" him from an escalating situation.
He winds up crying, hitting teachers, and generally acting frustrated.
The racial aspect? Most of the teachers are Latino, and this child is African American. I have encountered fear of black Americans among Latino Americans in the past, and I may be seeing it here.
Today, the child came over and hugged me. He and I were playing in the sand. I was asking him questions that forced to try and communicate with me using the spoken work. I understood some of what he was saying.
At a certain point, the head teacher demanded that he move away from The Horse, and play with other children. He wound up crying and hitting the teacher. Next, he wound up on "time out" for several minutes. I was ticked off. I had been playing successfully with him (in the sand) and helping him play with other children without "incidents."
I'll end it here. Long posts aren't read. Are Early Childhood Education "qualifications" taken seriously where you live? Does racial prejudice sometimes play a role in how children are treated?
14 people like this
14 responses
@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
15 Dec 19
It's taken quite seriously, but there's always the problem of getting staff that's educated and haven't chosen the profession because they think they need to make some kind of sacrifice.
Or because they think that working in a kindergarden is an easy job.
When they start school with 6 the problem can be the same, not enough educated people so they'll have to just get someone to do the job.
I'm seriously hoping that racial prejudice doesn't play a role in schools here. I've one kid from Eritirea (kid or youth, 15 years old) trying to pull the "You're only telling me to be quiet because I'm black!". He didn't get far with that, as his best friend, definitly born and bred just around the corner from the school, got told off just as much.
And a friend of mine in Germany had a child (I'm guessing 10-11) trying the same the first time she had the class. She just looked at him, she's German but her father's from Senegal. The kid had used that for the first 4 years in school, never used it again.
However, I know that some of the kids in my school when I was a kid were told not to play with the two children adopted from Korea. I found it weird then, I find it weird now.
And this is getting long. I should stop. Wouldn't want to get accused of writing too long posts, using too many words.
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
15 Dec 19
@TheHorse It's always easier with small children that develop as all the other small children.
I'm hoping the teacher-student I teach are better with children then with science! 'Cause some of them don't really know much about science. They'll be teaching from the first til the seventh grade (6 - 12 years old) and they'll get all the kids, 'cause they're not split until the 11. grade.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238388)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Dec 19
Hemingway would wag his finger at you! Interesting stories, actually, and worth the words. Kids here pull the "because I'm black" card pretty often. But in this case, the kid is too young to even know about race. I think they (the other teachers) probably treat him too harshly because he is a developmentally delayed kid in a big body.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (53005)
• Mojave, California
13 Dec 19
Nice brother, someone actually took the time to explain this. I always say there is people who say they are teachers then there is real teachers. No, early education costs money and they waste it by not taking the time to do it properly, but move them along just to keep that funding coming in. I actually had a speech problem when I was young and the early catch helped me immensely even though it comes back from time to time. People should take this seriously. How to stop future Hitlers is important work
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238388)
• Walnut Creek, California
13 Dec 19
Can you remember certain people who believed in you and helped you with your language development? I have some "academic" publications out there, but sometimes I'm frustrated that my most important "work" flies under the radar screen. Will anyone read the book I'm writing? Will it help disadvantaged kids in future? I don't know.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (53005)
• Mojave, California
14 Dec 19
@TheHorse Actually I do, they made it fun also, I can see her face anyway. I was real young so do not remember her name. She joked around a lot because she knew it was frustrating for me. My mom also put me in one of those big brother programs in Lawrence Kansas. It was something like that but not big brother because was a single lady and she had this German Shepherd. I spent one evening with her to give my mom a break. We had so much funny taking the dog for a walk, he was so fun. I guess where my love for German Shepherds started. See, proper education, not some stat.
I will read your book, it sounds interesting, is it out?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238388)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Dec 19
@crossbones27 Making learning fun is a big part of what I try to do at whatever level. I'm glad you have fond memories of the lady and her German shepherd.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (136063)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Dec 19
I dont have any little ones in anything right now but have not heard any complaints.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (136063)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Dec 19
@TheHorse More like friends grandkids and a couple of great grands. But yea close 
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238388)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Dec 19
@wolfgirl569 Heh. Got it.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 19
No I don`t think race is a problem here.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238388)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Dec 19
@andriaperry If preschool teachers are to be paid more, they have to be better trained.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 19
@TheHorse Yes, they treat all of them the same.
2 people like this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
13 Dec 19
First, i honor you as a teacher. It is a job with lots of joy, and a whole lot of pain.
I would love to argue against your thesis but I am afraid based on what you've shared that you are right.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
15 Dec 19
@TheHorse when I was teaching I had an ED kid. He was literally on his 4th teacher that year. He read at a passable 1st level and was in 3rd grade. But by November he is in my classroom. He and I battled his demons often. I always struggled to help him. I know I did a little, I saw him many years later, but I wish always wish I could have done more.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51839)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Dec 19
Why aren't YOU the head teacher? You seem to be the only one who knows how to keep things running smoothly.
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (19091)
• Indonesia
13 Dec 19
I am afraid it doesn't as far as I am aware.
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (19091)
• Indonesia
13 Dec 19
@TheHorse The racial prejudice does not play a role in how children are treated in my country. We are of more than 30 tribes but are the same in giving treatment.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
15 Dec 19
We did not have a racial problem where I lived when my children were little. But things have changed. There has been a lot of immigration and I don´t know how this is working.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502886)
• Italy
13 Dec 19
I do not think that race is the problem here. You say that he is a big boy who has the habit to "hit", the other teachers only fear that he can hurt the other young children. They are surely trained to treat all the kids the same (no discrimination), so they do not spend more time with this kid just because he has problems.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222896)
• United States
13 Dec 19
Kudos to you for successfully helping this child. I am not familiar with ECE qualifications in my area.
1 person likes this
@thedevilinme (5216)
• Northampton, England
13 Dec 19
get those cholo's in order
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238388)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Dec 19
Ironically, working with kids who are mostly Mexican-American has increased my appreciation for the beauty of Mexican culture. I see a lot of love in the families, and I have never worked with 2-year-olds who are as quick to say "You OK" and help their friends up when they fall. Their nature empathy warms my heart.
