I am a very shy and quiet turned person until I really get to know someone and at times people get the impression that I am snobby or better than them because I don't speak first to people and make direct contact. This really hurts my feelings when people jump to these assumptions without even knowing me because I am a very friendly and kind person.
I can imagine working in an early childhood setting and children coming up to me and asking me if I'm better than them because I am white, are you better than my family because you make more money than them, do you have better things than my family, or even why don't you talk to my family that much, do you not like them. These questions can really make me feel bad because that is the last impression I want to make. This would lower my self-esteem because I would then worry about how to approach the children and their families. This could also make the families and children feel ashamed and embarrassed of who they are and what they have in life and I don't want that. I want both the children and families to know that I am approachable, kind, caring, and there for them. I want to have a trusting relationship with each family and to let them know how important their child's care and education is to me.
In such a case I would really need to take a step back and look at my non-verbal cues because I am sending the wrong message to people. Also my communication skills needs to be worked on so I am more open, talkative, approachable, and make eye contact while talking. Children and families need to know that not one person or group is better than any other and I want that known in my classroom by making it welcoming, comfortable, and displaying a variety of cultures around the room.
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