One Child at a Time

  "The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence"....Jiddhu Krishnamurti. I have the opportunity this weekend to visit the Galleria (This is a high-end mall in the Houston area). I observed diverse adults and young children communicating as they moved from one store to another. I noticed different interactions between adults and their young ones as I watched. There were diverse age groups in the mall. Some parents and their children engaged in deep conversation about prices and the products they want to buy. There was mutual respect flowing between adults and the children. On the other hand, some children I observed were recalcitrant and pulled along by angary parents. Finally, I observed a mother and her daughter having a heart-to-heart talk on one of the seats outside Macy's store. I took particular interest in this mother's deep conversation with her daughter, who was about eight years old, as I sat on the garden seat with them. I wa

            Affirming environments emerge from environments where children feel safe, physically and emotionally, and are culturally responsive.  My anti-bias family-based center is a comprehensive, home-like learning center with children and staff from diverse backgrounds. The center curriculum promotes diversity and inclusiveness where all children learn, grow, and develop their full potential. In addition, children are equipped with the tools to cultivate friendships, partnerships, social justice, and equity as adults. The center staff is annually retrained and recertified, giving them the tools to help them be better caregivers in nurturing each child's developmental growth. The center atmosphere "exemplifies effective practices, and an intentional approach to anti-bias learning and community building" (Castillo; Laureate Education, 2011).          Our is to provide every child and their families the warmth, care, and love they expect in a care center. As a result, th