Welcoming
Families From Around the World
I received word
that I have a student coming from the country of Turkmenistan. I know nothing about this country and to
prepare, here is what I would do.
1) Google – I would use the internet to
get to know where the country is and general facts about the area and its
culture.
2) Once I feel confident I know a little about the
country and culture, I would revisit my current parent questionnaire to make
sure the questions are still appropriate to ask or if I need to ask more
questions. Typical things on the questionnaire
would read: Tell me about your child: likes, dislikes, etc. Are there any foods that your child is not
allowed to have? If I need to call home or send a note, whom should I address
concerns to?
3) I would ask the family if they would feel
comfortable sharing some of their culture with our class and if they had any
items or pictures they could donate to our room.
4) I would then let the families in our class
know we are exploring other cultures and if they would like to share anything,
we will be having an International day and there will be items in a center for
the children to explore
5) Last, I would ask my school social worker for list
of community resources that my family may need to access while they are here.
These preparations will make me more
knowledgeable about the culture my new family is coming from – giving me some
insight to their lives before I meet them and also allowing me some topics for conversation
when we first meet! A parent questionnaire
is essential because it can tell me things about sleeping habits, food
concerns, and what holidays families celebrate. It is a quick resource for me
and allows a space for the parents to tell me anything. Asking the family to share things about their
culture is something I already do and will [hopefully] make our new family and
current families feel welcomed and valued In our classroom. I think contacting the school social worker
is important because they have a wealth of knowledge about the community and
cultures that is sometimes untapped.
Having a personal resource is essential in making successful
transitions.
Resources:
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteWow! That was great thinking about revisiting the parent questionnaire to make sure that the questions would still be appropriate for the family, understanding that the family would be from a different country therefore some of the questions may be unacceptable or even possibly offensive. Another great tip you had was trying to provide the family with other resources by making sure all their needs were being met as a new family to our country.
Great Post Danielle! I will remember these important tips for future references.
Danielle,
DeleteI agree with Edith on the revision of the parent questionnaire to include appropriate questions from the parents. I believe in reaching out to other resources to help make the adjustment easier for both the family and school as if builds trust and helps make the family feel welcomed and willing to ask for assistance. Outstanding job on your post.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting country you chose as the family's origin. I would love to learn new info you gained about the family's culture and language. Overall I feel that with the supportive statements you have provided you will definitely be culturally responsive to this unique family.
Good job,
Tierra