I have not heard anything from my conversation partners; therefore, I went on to the World Forum and listen to one of the podcast. The podcast participant is Bonnie Neugebauer. She spoke about the pain that she bare when visiting different countries across the world. She went to different countries to see their education plan for early childhood. In some of the countries that she visited, she found that it hurts to learn that it is a dream to feed children. It hurts that no families are there to care about some of the children. It hurts to see little or no materials for children to use to learn and it hurts to see children with no homes to go to, to lay their heads at night. Bonnie presents an activity of using a band-aid to place on others in the audience to feel the reality of hurt the children go through daily. The band-aids represent how important it is to put children first before statistics, objects, and so forth. Children are struggling in poverty and we, as educators need to see them as individuals. If educators would look back, describe a story of a particular child in poverty, and challenge themselves to see children as individuals we would have a better understanding of our children and give them equal opportunity to learn.
I learn to take more time and care with our children because every child that walks in our doors for education, we have no idea what pain they have gone through or going through.
When Bonnie spoke about all the places, she visit such as, China, Kenya, Australia and so forth, to hear that children in those countries live in such poor conditions with little or no education, hurts. Poverty is a very big issue around the world. Whereas we may think, it happens only in America, but to hear that poverty is worldwide, makes an educator feel a lot of pain in your heart. It makes me feel what is it can I do to improve the poverty in the world not just American children.
References:
- Neugebauer, B. (2009). Convention on the rights of the Child. World Forum Foundation. Retrieved from: http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child
Gwen,
ReplyDeleteI had a chance to read your blog. I thought that it is awesome that the podcast supplied a different view of what is going on as it relates to poverty. My heart too, breaks to think of children hungry wondering around and not being educated and having a chance for a better life. I ask myself when does it stop? I am afraid of the answer of how and when. It is so much that goes on with children in poverty and with families. It seems like organizations have their hands totally full.
I can relate to the presenters feelings about how it hurts to see children in this situation. I frequently tell my children that there are kids all around the world and in our back yards that do not have the toys and food they do. I do this hoping to raise children that are appreciative of what they have and to help others that dont.
ReplyDeleteI love how you remind us that we need to see each child that comes into our lives as individuals, because we don't know where they come from. I remember having children when I was a preschool teacher and being so frustrated with their behavior. I had a teacher that reminded me that we don't know what happened to that child the night before or that morning. we couldn't guarantee that child ate breakfast. We didn't know if they had dirty ripped clothes because their parents didn't have any money, or because they spent it on themselves. It is so important to take the time to look at each child and ensure their basic needs are being met.
ReplyDeleteGwen,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how lack of education and extreme poverty really seem to go hand in hand. It seems that the two situations play off of each other - when countries are faced with extreme poverty, education is no longer a priority because existing from day to day takes over.
You are right when you said that we have no idea the pain that some children go through. They are good at hiding what sometimes is a horrible situation. We must treat them all with kindness and love and always keep their best interest at heart. Often times, our love and guidance may be all they get from day to day. That famous saying...Never judge a book by its cover...is so true when it comes to the life of children. You never know what may or may not be happening in their little lives.
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