I decided to go back to school when the world saw a crisis due to COVID-19. It was the beginning of the pandemic, and I thought, how bad could this be? COVID cannot last forever. I just need to enroll, learn, grow, and complete a degree. I realized my staff was suffering from trauma and mental illnesses; who am I kidding? I learned I was too, and so were the families we served. Add that to my program, and things were tough but manageable. My state (Texas) experienced a week-long freeze, where I lost power (home was 52 degrees inside), no way to cook, and no water, but I managed somehow to continue working on my degree. I hoped it would stop there, but I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and struggled to get out of bed because of the pain in my feet, and I had to fight my pride because I could not use my hands and needed help more than ever. I am here…I am finished…through the last eighteen months, I contemplated quitting multiple times, but it was the comments from the professors and classmates that kept me going.
Through my courses and the last few months, I learned the importance of looking at situations through multiple lenses. For example, we have families that drop off their children every day as if all is well. Sometimes late, and maybe the child acts out in class, and the school can reach no parent. Looking at this through the lens of a community member or an uninformed teacher, I could think they do not care about education. However, if I switch to a professional or a trauma lens, the family could be late because the person who used to help get the children ready was sick or had passed away from COVID. Maybe the family had lost their job, and the child was hungry. Looking through multiple lenses helps our practice deepen and evolve as an educator whose compassionate and willing to see the whole child (Janssen, n.d.).
As I evolved, I never thought I would have realized the depth of my social identities. I look in the mirror, and yes, I know that I am black, a woman, a mother, an educator. But what happens when we cross those identities? The identities we possess will combine in unique ways that influence our life experiences (Center for Creative Leadership, 2020). These multiple identities also influence the early identity formation of the children that we serve. It is their understanding of themselves, their family, and the community around them (Salamon & Chng, 2019).
My last takeaway is that I preach every day to children that they have a voice, but I do too, no matter how small I think it is. Advocacy does not have to be on a grand scale. When I hold meetings with stakeholders, I advocate for children, when I train the staff, I am advocating, even listening or giving parental advice is advocacy.
Although a small voice (in my opinion), my long-term goal is to grow in that area. I am a member of many organizations. I read their journals and articles, and sometimes I even attend conferences. I want to become more active in the organizations I have subscribed to. I want to attend meetings, and I hope to have the courage to speak out on policy changes or be a part of panels.
Guys, this is the end of our studies here at Walden, and the cohort that Walden helped us form was the drive that kept my focus to see it through. Now we move on with the knowledge of advocacy for the profession and the skills to work internationally if we want to. I wish you all well in your future endeavors. Farewell.
References
Center for Creative Leadership. (2020). Understand Social Identity to Lead in a Changing World. CCL. https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/understand-social-identity-to-lead-in-a-changing-world/#:~:text=%20Everyone%20has%20multiple%20identities%2C%20and%20combinations%20of
Janssen, S. (n.d.). Looking Through Multiple Lenses — How Bob Ross Informed My Social Work Practice. http://Www.socialworktoday.com. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/exc_021420.shtml
Salamon, A., & Chng, A. (2019). Multiple early childhood identities. Routledge.
Tiny Hands Big Heart 