I am a preschool educator and my director has just notified
me that I will be receiving a new student who is from the country of Jamaica.
The student and her family speak very little English and have never been
included in a predominantly all English speaking classroom setting. My director
has told me that I have one week to prepare myself and classroom environment to
assist with making the child and her family feel welcome and comfortable.
The first way to prepare would be to contact my
close friend Tucker who is from Jamaica. I would like to learn from him what to
expect and what should I do to make my new student and her family feel
comfortable. I would study the country
of Jamaica to learn more about the culture and the characteristics, learning
styles, and any other important information that will assist me with the
transition of the child and her family.
The second way
to prepare would be to inform my current students and staff of the new student
and family. They should also be prepared to welcome the new student and her family.
Preparing them will eliminate the need for many questions or stereotypes that
may surface when the child arrives. Knowledge of the culture will have already
been discussed before hand.
The third way to prepare would be to make sure that
my classroom environment reflects the culture of the child. It is important
that the child and her family see that we respect their culture and respect the
diversity of their culture.
The fourth way to prepare is to prepare an
individualized plan for this student due to her limited experience in a
classroom of a different culture and language. If possible, I would ask my
director if there are any aides that do speak the child’s home language to
assist with the language barrier. If not, I would at least try to learn a few
of the basic words in Jamaican from Tucker so that I can be able to communicate
with the child and family.
The fifth way to prepare is to review the child’s
file to learn more about the child and the child’s family structure. It is
important to know if whether or not the child has any special needs, illnesses,
disabilities, and whether or not the family is a single family home or if both
parents are involved. As an advocate, it is my responsibility to make sure that
the child and her family receives the necessary links that will make their
transition easier. I can assist with lining up community resources to assist
with the family’s transition to the country. Maybe the family can use
assistance with employment, medical attention, health insurance, and other referrals.
All the preparations that are made are in hopes that
the entire transition of my new student and family is well. In every way I hope
that the preparations will help me as the new teacher to be more understanding
of the child, her culture, and her family composition. I believe that with the necessary
preparations, the transition of the child and family will be smooth, the
students and the staff will know what to expect, and I will have a general
knowledge of how to be culturally responsive to my new student and her family.
Hi Cotati,
ReplyDeleteYou had a lot of good ideas! I like the one about contacting your friend who is from Jamaica. That can be really helpful, to be able to talk to someone and not just read things online or in a book.
I did not know that you also linked families to community resources as part of your job. That is part of what we do in early intervention, and it can be time-consuming, and sometimes frustrating and, in our community, sometimes impossible because we are rural so have little to offer compared to big cities - but families really do appreciate that kind of help, especially if they are from out of state or out of the country.
Good post!
Carol
Cotatti, I like your ideas, especially the third one. I have always had the concept in my head to implement various areas of the world into the classroom. I will most definitely have areas based off the children in my facility. This will help them feel welcomed and visible. It is not fair to only have a United States map in the room and not a map depicting other nations and countries.
ReplyDeleteHi Cotati, You had many good ways to prepare yourself and the enviornment for the new amily. Your second idea informing your staff and the children is a good idea. I have a family child care business. When a new child is being enrolled I always let the parents know but I usually do not tell the children, I will start informing the children as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for new ideas
Deborah
Great ideas on how to welcome this new family. One thing that has stood out to me is the fact that as educators our lives have to be so diverse in order for us to actually bring it into the classroom. I love the idea of reaching out to friends you have that share the same culture and ask for their helping hand. New children love to see someone who shares something in common with them especially their culture. Great Post.
ReplyDelete