About me

My name is Iliana Clark. I have been a passionate preschool teacher for 4 years. Before that I worked in childcare for 3 years, learning about child development every step of the way and continue to expand my cultural competence knowledge daily. I have learned the importance of families and community throughout my teaching career having worked with many diverse family structures.  My goal is to be a culturally responsive teacher and create a community where families feel inclusion and value. Through this course, I have gained insights, tools, and resources to help build inclusive communities. I aim to use these insights to create a sense of belonging and unity in the lives of my students and families. It is my view that we must come together as parent, educator, and community to make the world a more welcoming place; One Family At A Time.

 

Q&A with me!

In what different ways will I show students and parents that I value diversity on all levels?

  • Advocacy - Listening to families needs and advocating for their needs to be supported.
  • Cultural inclusion in the classroom environment
  • Getting to know families - listen, pay attention, understand, and learn.
  • Trainings - Constantly learning about cultural competence through trainings and workshops to expand my knowledge.
  • Anti Bias Approach - Ensuring that support for families is not biased to my own culture.
  • Celebrate differences as a classroom community
  • Teaching children how to respond positively to diversity and differences

How can I communicate with families of various backgrounds when communicating cross-culturally?

  • Actively listening - Listening to learn about families not to respond.
  • Family Centered approach - Family focused, connect with family, work with families.
  • Family system lens - Focus on way family works and functions
  • Working together - Working together with families to create home-school partnership to support the child
  • Accepting their culture - Accepting and understanding family culture.

How am I going to increase my overall cultural awareness?

  • Getting to know families and students  
  • Training - Participate in trainings about cultural awareness and competence.
  • Involvement - Be proactive involvement in the community.
  • Knowledge - Learn about your students and families uniqueness.
  • Understanding one's own culture to have an anti bias approach when addressing culture in the classroom
  • Communication - Commit to maintaining communication with families.
  • Input - Asking for families perspectives on their cultural beliefs.
  • Caring and growing my virtue as an educator

How will I help counteract bias or prejudice towards a particular group?

  • Respect

  • Acceptance

  • Equality

  • Cultural Sensitivity

  • Culturally Diverse Curriculum Inclusion

  • Teaching Children Cultural Competence

  • Celebrate Cultures

  • Communicate

  • Togetherness

 

Source for Q&A- (Janet Gonzalez-Mena, 2016)