What Lessons We Could Learn From Children...

When you have the opportunity to sit back and observe children we could learn many lessons. It is fascinating to watch how children interact, behave, play and even share. Since I work in a toddler classroom, I have a firsthand perspective on how children act. I often see children sharing and interacting with others even if it is the first time they meet. Children generally do not make judgments on others, are naturally curious and are friendly towards others. Children are also, carefree and bear little worries. As adults we tend to make pre-judgments towards others and over think, even the simplest of things, which, in turn causes us to stress out. Children don't worry about things like getting messy, burping in public, crying in public, or even about what others may think of them.

In Ralph Fletcher's novel, "Walking Trees," he paints vivid images of how children function in their classrooms. In every class that Fletcher visits, he leaves with a little something he didn't have before. Fletcher recognizes that children are honest beings, and often tell things as they are. When Fletcher made a visit to a junior high school in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, a student named, Carlos, volunteered to read his writing entitle, "Jealousy," to the class. Carlos wrote openly and explicitly about his jealousy towards his mother's boyfriend. Carlos was also eager to share his work with his classmates, without any concerns about what his classmates might think about him.

As adults, we could learn a few things from children! We should accept all types of people, get messy once in a while, stop worrying about our image, and even about what others think about us!

Expanding Knowledge on Other Racial/Ethnic Groups

In order to expand your knowledge base about other racial/ethnic groups, one must disregard all stereotypes that have been implanted within us from the media, society, parents, and or teachers. In order to understand other racial groups we need to embrace them with openness without any preconceived judgments. All too often, people forget that every individual is different from the next, regardless of their background. We need to learn to accept people and learn from others by observing and participating in their cultures.

In my lifetime, I had been discriminated against because of my nationality. I used to think that everyone except Caucasions got discriminated against. A bias that once had is that Caucasians have life easier because they do not get scrutinized based on the color of their skin. As I grew older I have learned that it is not a true belief. All people face challenges. Friends of mine who are Caucasians have been called names because they are white; especially when they were in an environment where Caucasians were a minority. I have learned that no matter who you are and what color you are, there unfortunately will always be someone else who will make a racial remark. In my ideal world, such ignorance would no longer exist and judgments would not be based on race, culture, or gender.