Country:
Romania
Five
ways to be prepared:
1.
First I would have a meeting with the
parents/family to learn what I can about their culture, religion, lifestyle,
clothes and so on.
2.
Discuss
expectations of the classroom and differences that may cause problems. What may
be considered respectful in one culture may be disrespectful in another.
3.
Prepare
the classroom with words written in English and Romanian for the child to see,
include pictures from Romania and place around the room of people and places
that will be familiar to the child. Also try to include clothing in the
dramatic area for the children to play with.
4.
Invite
the family to come and speak to the class or just sit in the class and observe.
5.
Include
their holidays when possible and allow the child to share their traditions with
the class.
In
doing these things, the family will be able to share their background including
culture, heritage, religion and other beliefs with not only myself but with the
other children in the classroom. The child and family will feel welcome and
hopefully open to share their background with us. These things will also help
me learn about the child and better prepare an individual plan as well as
lesson plans that will include the child as a whole.
Hi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI noticed that we agree on ways to make the families from our chosen countries feel welcomed. I think that taking the time to prepare by doing these things will help families, no matter what country they are from, adjust, feel respected, visible, and welcomed in any new program. Great post!
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteYour idea to put clothing from their country in the dramatic play area is great. I don't think many people would have thought of something so simple that could make a child feel right at home. Great suggestion!
Hey, I like the idea about discussing the expectations of your classroom. Not only do we want the new family to feel wanted, but we also want to make sure they accept the class as a whole. You're right, what's acceptable in one culture may not necessarily be the case in all. So in other words, we want to make sure EVERYONE is equally appreciated wthout overlooking the new student nor the old students. I'm sure with these approaches, everyone will feel equally important!
ReplyDeleteAwesome idea with discussing your expectation and learning about the families expactations so that noone is offended. Love your idea of inviting the families to speak to the class. This is would be a great way to welcome families and their culture.
ReplyDeleteInviting a family into your classroom is a great way to show them respect as well as to get them involved! Sounds like you have some great ideas on how to let them know you are interested and passionate about making them feel comfortable.
ReplyDelete