Week of the Young Child (WOYC) – Friday: Restorative Justice Practices

 

Restorative practices may or may not be a term that is familiar in the early childhood educators.  “Restorative” means participation by everyone who is affected by decisions, a widening of circle, focus on responsibilities and effects of actions, rather than blaming and labeling (Zehr, 1990; Wachtel & McCold, 2000).  Yes, this is a mind shift for early childhood educators of their implicit and explicit biases of Black students to shift the focus from the student (Black) to the inappropriate behaviors (e.g., aggressive, physical aggression, destroying property, tantrum behaviors, verbal aggression, noncompliance) towards recommendation to be suspended or expelled from program.  This is a process where all early childhood educators and other adults in the program must be willing to participate in the process fully for effective change in eradicating the cradle to prison pipeline. 

 

It’s time to change the typical disciplinary actions that a childcare facility has in place which will lead towards the suspension and/or expulsion of students, particularly Black where the number is 3.6 times than their White age peers.  The culture shift towards restorative justice practices reiterates an accountability measure towards the reduction and/or elimination of suspension/expulsions towards increase in student engagement and belongingness.  Remember, the Black culture represents collective community practices where everyone belongs.  Black students and the culture itself are more expressive in other manners than being verbally expressive where they should be given the opportunities if not have the words to articulate having the ability to use imaginary as well. 

 

Everyone comes together in a circle (small circle group, large circle group) for open conversation to discuss topics where all the children are given time to identify the problem and then share how it might be resolved (problem solving techniques).  The method encourages the participation in dialogue leading towards understanding and accountability of the inappropriate behavior being discussed towards restorative justice practice towards healing, restoring relationships, and developing a plan of accountability.   Communication is a key essential strategy for restorative justice practices and early childhood educators must be knowledgeable to Black communicative skills which may be more non-verbal expressive through actions (e.g., pictures, drawings) and working collaboratively than verbally speaking what’s happening.  Early childhood educators will facilitate with student’s oral fluency development building upon expressive language skillset along with posing questions and assisting Black student with the language, as needed.  Receptive language can be engaged daily through read-aloud, related activities, and role-play scenarios of acceptable ways to engage appropriately in the community learning environment that the behaviors will lead towards the reduction and/or elimination of suspending/expelling Black students. 

 

Restorative justice practices within the circles (small group circle, large group circle) again as a place where all students voices are listened to, given the ability to speak (verbal, non-verbal) and taking responsibilities for displayed inappropriate actions in the community of learning environment.  Other components of restorative practice circles create the community of learning for all students to thrive while building strong community learning environment bonds and relationships among early childhood educators, students and parents which are key towards success particularly for Black students where early childhood educators are supportive, respectful, and aligning Black culture experiences as part of the restorative justice practices.  Within restorative practice circle meetings they may include instructing students the importance of deep breathing towards regaining self-control, taking out time for a quiet pause to re-think thoughts of what’s being stated, incorporate yoga poses to re-center one’s self to think more clearly as part of self-regulation, conduct temperature checks to determine body clues as needed to regroup because actions may harm classmate, self, adults, and/or materials intentionally,  teaching emotional skills with appropriate responsive actions, and reinforce the importance of listening as other speak and/or display communicative techniques used to get thoughts conveyed which reiterates everyone  especially the students have a voice of power.  The restorative practice circles core is to build relationships within the community learning environment building awareness of inappropriate behaviors and the impact of one’s actions towards the suspension/expulsion of Black students who are 3.6 times than their White peers.  In addition, early childhood educators need to embed more affective statements through modeling and role-play facilitating student’s knowledge and application of expressing the reason of their feelings and what’s needed to feel better in cultivating proactive and sustaining powerful relationships of belonging.

 

Overall, restorative justice practice is a cultural norm that must be taught and facilitated by early childhood educators and childcare facility at large in the community learning environments in conjunction with family members. Black family members and students need to know restorative justice practice circles along with other restorative justice philosophical methodologies which will incorporate working on positive appropriate behaviors centered around social emotional learning, executive function related to self-regulation, and building connectedness with trust and supportive relationships taking responsibility for their actions through inclusive language. 

 

References

 

Wachtel, T., & McCold, P.  (2000).  Restorative justice in everyday life.  In J.
     Braithwaite & H. Strang (Eds.), Restorative justice in civil society (pp. 117-
     125).  New York:  Cambridge University Press. 

 

Zehr, H.  (1990).  Changing lenses:  A new focus for crime and justice.  Scottdale,
     PA:  Herald Press.  

 

Week of the Young Child – Thursday: Character Social Emotional Development Model

 

Character social emotional development model provides a framework for community learning classrooms and childcare facility staff at large to integrate  social-emotional development skills in conjunction with character development model they learn about students (Black), cultural (Black) background information, experiences, life habits that contribute to the student’s (Black) overall learning experiences from academic, career and personal success so behavioral actions  will not lead towards Black students being suspended and/or expelled from program. With the implementation of character social emotional development model through inclusion of cultural and linguistic for Black students through incorporating strategies and techniques to increase executive functions of self-regulations, increase prosocial behaviors, reducing inappropriate behaviors with appropriate methods to regain self-control (e.g., yoga, breathing exercises, mindfulness activities) increase social and emotional skills (e.g., being empathetic of others, problem solving skills) and helping Black students self-reflect on how their choices and consequences effect self and others.

 

Early childhood educators must be knowledgeable of Black culture in planning and implementing culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices knowing that Black students work together collaboratively as part of culture.  While planning lesson plan activities and experiences incorporate character education (e.g., respect, responsibility, fairness, self-discipline, kindness) learning processes building community learning classroom and program at-large. Select books where main character(s) are Black reinforcing positive character images (mirror) social emotional development which will be read in a participatory manner with dialogue of actions along with incorporating role-plays of situations that may or may not have occurred in community learning environment.  In addition, display supportive posters, books, pictures, and other materials representation of Black people reiterating character education and social emotional development with familiarity of Black culture with students along to engage in conversations on actions relating to personal and family stories.  Early childhood educators continue building positive relationships with Black students through sharing and listening to their experiences highlighting or pointing out character education traits embedded with social emotions skills making connections of the character social emotional development model.

 

Family engagement is key towards successful actions of Black students.  Early childhood educators and family members are engaged in two-way communication to build on the Black student’s character social, emotional development in ways towards creating positive habits from interpersonal and intrapersonal relations that are reinforced at both home and school.  The relationships are working towards reducing and/or eliminating the potential of suspending and expelling Black students by 3.6 times more likely than their White age peers. 

 

Character education and social emotional development overlap where the overall goals are for students (Black) to be successful in life moving into adulthood, productive contributing members of the community (i.e., school, neighborhood), being responsible of all actions and critically thinking and problem solving of actions to regain self-control over mind and body (e.g., deep breathing, remove self from situation) and intertwining being a good listener, showing compassion and empathy.   Character social emotional development model is a process where Black students acquire character and social emotional skill goals in becoming responsible productive citizens into adulthood and not a statistic of the cradle to prison pipeline.  

Week of the Young Child (WOYC) – Wednesday: Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching

 

Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching involves early childhood educators acknowledging the legitimacy of different ethnic groups to embed students (Black) culturally and linguistically content into the community of learning environment, so students (Black) see themselves where there is connection between home and school experiences bringing an appreciation of heritages (Gay, 2000).  It is key that early childhood educators engage and support students (Black) cultural and linguistic disciplinary techniques which are important to embed into various teaching methods as part of classroom management.  Hillard (2002) has observed that ‘culture is nothing more nor less that the shared ways that groups of people have created to use and define their environment’ (p. 89) which has to be taken under consideration as part of inclusive settings valuing every student and their families particular Black which will lead to reducing and/or eliminating the need to suspend or expel Black students from program at-large, 

 

It’s time for early childhood educators to take a deep archaeology of self of one’s cultural bias of students (Black) who do not reflect their cultural background, knowledge and disposition.  Those cultural lens can be reflective with implicit and explicit bias (verbal, non-verbal) in actions displayed by students (Black) exhibiting inappropriate behaviors which may led towards expulsion or suspension responsive as way to resolve situations.  The cultural perspective of early childhood educators can affect how one engage students (Black) to active participants, engaged, and successful in the community learning environment through culturally and linguistically responsive teaching ensuring the Black student feels safe and belonging seeing themselves in all aspects of activities, classroom design and culturally and linguistically in individualization goal plan in conjunction of working collective with family members towards the students success.

 

Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices required a transformation required for effective implementation of early childhood educators perception of Black students and respond to the cultural norms of students micro level effective in his/her life.  Therefore, to ensure early childhood educators are culturally and linguistically responsive teachers must have access to professional development should include knowledge of (a) their implicit bias and impact on decision making in engagement with Black students towards the reduction of suspending and/or expelling Black students who need to be in the community learning environment engaged in culturally developmental age appropriate practices, (b) continued learning and working with mentor/coach to culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices for Black students and how those practices will be implemented, (c) a critical self-reflection in assumptions of Black students and reframe from insight of the cultural experiences and (d) incorporate strategies/techniques to prevent and addressing what has been deemed inappropriate behaviors from the lens of Black culture.  Again, it is critical to gain an in-depth knowledge, comprehension and application embedding the cultural effective. 

 

References:

 

Gay, G.  (2000).  Culturally responsive teaching:  Theory, research, and practice. 
     Teachers College Press.  

 

Hillard III, A. G.  (2002).  Language, culture, and the assessment of African
     American children, in:  L. Delpit & J. K. Dowdy (Eds.).  The skin that we
     speak:  Thoughts on language and culture in the classroom (New York, Free
     Press), 86-105.  

Week of the Young Child (WOYC) – Tuesday: Strength-based Model or Practice

 

The strength-based model or practice embodies a student-centered practice of education primarily with the transformative goal of building student’s confident, providing successful opportunities with intentional results towards becoming lifelong learners with a sense of purpose being productive citizens in adulthood.  Early childhood educators who are working towards implementing the strength-based model or practices will focus on the Black student’s strengths along with interests and needs s/he brings into the community learning environment which includes their micro level (family, community) than adapt instructional approaches from their individualization goal plan, small group and large group learning experiences towards motivating student becoming productive member of the community learning environment.  Black student’s family members need to be engaged in the process of defining the student’s strengths, interests, and needs to move forward in facilitating domain skills through scaffolded expectations set for success with a degree of challenge, too. 

 

It is important to bring family members into the planning process showing early childhood educators are reinforcing the use of the whole-child approach and not seeing Black student only from his/her demographic characteristics such as low socioeconomic status, high crime neighborhood, imprisoned family members and others factors not controlled by Black student.  While engaging in the two-way positive communication system all are discussing student’s strengths and areas of growth reinforcing the African proverb “it takes a village to raise (educate) a child” to build this strength-based model or practices motivating families to reinforce school activities at home and other surrounding environments for him/her to achieve domain skillset and not as a disciplinary issue without success of individualized goals set. Early childhood educators must be mindful of Black student’s strengths, interests and needs while building relationships of trust, support and authenticity of caring showing wanting the best of the best from the student in conjunction with family members. 

 

Yes, the strength-based model or practice philosophy explores ways to empower students (Black) to flourish in the community learning environment building on their strengths in conjunction to learning behaviors in social situations.  Early childhood educators must frame the strength-based model or practices as part of the developmental process that required intentionality building upon strengths, interests and needs of the Black students towards becoming productive citizens into adulthood and not becoming a statistic being suspended and/or expelled on the downward spiral of cradle to prison pipeline demise of livelihood.  

Week of the Young Child (WOYC) – Monday: Racial Discipline Gap

 

The “racial discipline gap” has been documented in a report issued by the Children’s Defense Fund, “School Suspensions:  Are they helping children?” which first identified the racial disparity of suspension rates in 1975.  Early childhood educators must take a long hard look into the mirror and honestly reflect on the question, “Am I contributing to the racial discipline gap of exclusionary discipline actions of Black children from my implicit bias and structural racism?” 

 

Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz discusses the archaeology of self where one must dig deep in self-reflection and peel back layers from personal life experiences via one’s implicit and explicit biases on children particularly Black children.  From the archaeology of self-philosophy, one must continuously reflect on whether s/he is demonstrating verbal and/or non-verbal racial microaggression that Black children are not capable to follow rules, unruly, loud, aggressive, and so forth.  Early childhood educators, reverse your archaeology of self to see Black children in the lens of being bright, smart, intelligent, curious, innovative, capable, celebratory of greatness, and so much more.  It is key to denote that early childhood educators behavioral experiences, rules and classroom policies are closely aligned with the norms found in White and middle-class values of disposition taught in higher education formal coursework.  And yes, some White teachers have reported feeling less comfortable in their roles as disciplinarians of Black students than Black teachers (Cooper, 2002).  Therefore, reinforcing an awareness of Black culture related to students backgrounds it is an important component of students school success removing the cradle to prison pipeline philosophy of doomed outlook for Black children. 

 

Dr. Walter Gilliam and other researcher conducted a study with 132 early childhood educators to view six minutes video clips showed four children (Black boy, Black girl, White boy, White girl) watching for behavioral problems.  It should be noted there were no behavioral problems; however, the eye tracking technology used showed teachers spent more time watching the Black boy than the other children.  Yes, Black children are suspended and/or expelled at higher rates (3.6 times) more than their white age peers.  If this statistic does not reverse in changing the racial discipline gap the documented projection of life is deemed to not graduating from high school (dropout), high percentage of being in the criminal justice system, and other factors that have determined Black children not becoming productive citizens of society into adulthood.  Early childhood educators need to gain a deeper knowledge of Black culture as an example where students prepare themselves for tasks by rearranging and checking materials which can be perceived that Black student’s behavior is off-task and being deficient through procrastination of directive given by early childhood educator (Gilbert and Gay, 1989) which is not the case but their preparation state of mind for task. 

 

Therefore, early childhood educator’s your actions and reactions towards Black children must be equal and equity along the same lines of fairness as given to their White age peers when various aspects of discipline have been honed as appropriate or inappropriate.  Working toward eliminating the racial discipline gap,

early childhood educators are required to implement multifaceted solutions based upon cultural classroom management and their in-depth personal levels that undertake the breath, depth and application of Black cultural experiences which are embedded toward effective change grounded in one’s pedagogical discipline philosophy. Draw upon the Black child’s home environment a key component in closing the racial discipline gap discrepancies to reduce or eliminate the need to suspend or expel Black children. 

 

For the racial discipline gap to close and be dismantled early childhood educators must be conscientious on their actions based on racial responses due to implicit and explicit (verbal, non-verbal) biases towards Black children.  Authentic dialogues are needed to acquire new insights into Black culture that undergirds appropriate techniques to address behaviors abandoning the norms using White, middle-class standards as benchmarks for successful outcomes.  Early childhood educators revisit your pedagogical practices ensuring they are culturally relevant with differentiating between disruptive behaviors and actions with cultural roots whether responding with racial discipline to close and remove 100 percent the racial discipline gap for suspending and expelling Black students 3.6 times more than their White peers. 

 

References:

 

Children’s Defense Fund. (1975). School suspensions: Are they helping children?
     Cambridge, MA: Washington Research Project. Civil Rights Project. (n.d.).

 

Cooper, P. M.  (2002).  Does race matter?  A comparison of effective Black and
     white teachers of African American students in:  J. J. Irvine (Ed.).  In search of
     wholeness:  African American teachers and their culturally specific classroom
     practices (New York, Palgrave), 47-63.

 

Gilbert II, S. E., & Gay, G.  (1989).  Improving the success in school of poor Black
     children, in:  B. J. R. Shade (Ed.).  Culture, style, and the education process
     (Springfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas), 275-283.

 

Gilliam, W., Maupin, A. N., Reyes, C. R., Accavitti, M., & Shic, E.  (2016).  Do
     early educators’ implicit biases regarding sex and race relate to behavior
     expectations and recommendations of preschool expulsions and suspensions?  
     Yale University Child Study Center.

 

Gilliam, W. S., & Shahar, G.  (2006).  Preschool and child care expulsion and
     suspension rates and predictors in one state.  Infants & Young Children, (19) 3,
     288-245.

 

Sealey-Ruiz, Y.  (n.d.) Archaeology of self.  Retrieved
     at https://www.yolandasealeyruiz.com/archaeology-of-self

 

Week of the Young Child (WOYC)

 

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Child (NAEYC) the “purpose of the WOYC is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs”.  Question:  Are infant and toddler age children being suspended and/or expelled from childcare facilities?  Answer:  Yes.

 

Suspension and/or expulsion of African American preschoolers are 3.6 times than their white age peers.  Research conducted by Walter Gilliam identified three best predictors of preschool expulsion were the three B’s: “boy, Black or big”.  This means teachers are more likely to recommend preschool suspension or expulsion when the child is a Black, boy, or is physically larger than his age peers.  In addition, I attended a webinar where Rosemarie Allen spoke on this topic where she added an additional letter which needs to be included with high level documented percentage data in conjunction with the 3 Bs which is “D”.  The “D” stands for children who have been diagnosed with a or multiple disabilities.  Early childhood educators must use the growth mindset which reinforces them demonstrating to students they can improve their ability(ies) exhibiting behaviors that are culturally appropriate within the community learning environment in all spaces towards positive outcomes with the reduction and/or elimination of suspending or expelling students from program. 

 

Therefore, for this week I want to bring the conversation back to the forefront highlighting for early childhood educators a range of self-reflective cultural discipline actions and practices which can embed into their community learning environment known as the classroom. Embedding these practices will work toward eradicating the cradle to prison pipeline (as coined by the Children’s Defense Fund) of Black students which are the following and NOT listed in order of implication but collectively for best results of inappropriate behaviors deemed noted for suspension and/or expulsion (e.g., physical aggression, destroying property, tantrum behaviors, verbal aggression, noncompliance):

 

1.     Racial discipline gap,

2.     Strength-based model or practices,

3.     Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching,

4.     Character social emotional development model, and

5.     Restorative justice practices or circles

 

In childcare facilities, one may or may not hear or use the terms suspension or expulsion, but the actions implemented with student results are the same.  View the chart below towards expanding knowledge, comprehension and how applied.

 

Words	Descriptions
In school/program suspension	Child is temporally removed from classroom and sent to another class or director’s office
Short term out-of-school/program suspension	Child is sent home for some part of school program where asked to pick up in response to cited behavior
Out-of-school/program suspension	Child is not allowed to return to school for one or more days in response to cited behavior
Expulsion/dismissal	Child is no longer enrolled in program where told “not a good fit” in response to cited behavior

 

A powerful quote by Dr. Rita Pierson is “Every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.”

 

References:

Dreher, A.  (March 23, 2017).  ‘Big, Black or Boy’ Preschoolers Face Higher Expulsions and Suspensions.  Retrieved at https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2017/mar/23/big-black-or-boy-preschoolers-face-higher-expulsio/

 

Dweck, C.  (2007).  Mindset:  The new psychology of success. New York, NY: 
     Ballantine Books.