On of the biggest "isms" I face is agism. I am much younger than the parents I work with and appear to be younger than I am. Also, until recently (about 6 months ago) I had no children of my own. Because of these factors, my judgement was always, and still is, questioned. I have been told on numerous occasions that "I'd understand when I have my own kids" or "yeah, I use to believe that when I was young too." These statements, when said within hearing of the children, would undermine my authority. Over the years I have gained a reputation in the community for running a high quality program and many of these comments have dissipated. When meeting with someone new however, they are often shocked at how young I am.
Because my effectiveness has been judged so harshly because of my age, I take care not to assume a child can not do something because of theirs. I always encourage the children in my class to try and do more so that they always feel like they are capable regardless of their age.
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