WELCOMING FAMILIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

When I read the blog assignment for this week I had to really think which country I knew nothing about because of my work with exchange students.  I also wanted to find a country that I have never heard of before and would entail research on my end to learn more about.  I finally chose the country of Brunei. 

The scenario for this week’s blog assignment is:  I am working in an early childhood setting (my own licensed child care) and have received word after conducting an interview with a recently emigrated family from Brunei that they would like their child to attend my child care.  This being said, what can I do to prepare myself as well as the children currently in my child care for our new addition to our group?  What can we do to make the new addition to our group feel comfortable in our environment?

Five ways in which I would prepare myself and the children in my child care for our new student would be, but not limited to:

1.  First and foremost it is important to research as much as I can about the history of Brunei; find out its customs; learn about the family culture/environment; and any other information I think is relevant to my level of understanding and that of the children’s understanding for a smooth transition.  I would do this by purchasing a variety of books; using the university library to find articles, etc… about Brunei.

2.  Once this information is researched it would be important to sit down with the children currently attending my child care and explain that we will be having a new friend coming in.  I would then explain that our new friend is from a different part of the world and as the children if they would like to learn about our new friend’s country of Brunei.

3.  I would then make sure there were pictures, posters, and other materials which reflect the cultures and ethnic backgrounds of all of the children and families who attend my program.  If we have none of these items to represent our new friend, I would then order some to be delivered before their first day of attendance.

4.  I would also make sure there were appropriate props for the dramatic play/housekeeping area which are culturally diverse enough to include items representative of Brunei as well.  This would also include books/literacy items in order to make our new friend feel welcomed.

5.  I would also find out about what types of food are a favorite of our new friend and plan a special menu for the first week they are attending.  Since I cook all the meals for the children and the children help make the menus as well as help prepare the food when they can, this would be a great learning activity before and after our new friend’s arrival into our group.  One the second week we could plan a special menu of foods our new friend would like to try out.  We could also plan an International week were each child would think of a menu representing their own culture to share with the other students.

6.  I would also make a welcome packet and send it home for our new friend.  This way the new student would be a little more familiar with the group before attending full-time.  I would include (with parental permission) photos of the children and myself along with drawings/cards welcoming our new friend made by the other children.

I feel by making these preparations the lines of communication would be open in both directions and we would have a greater chance of a smooth transition.  The more familiar everyone is with each other, the more comfortable everyone will be in asking questions of the family and our new friend.

One of the issues which we, as educators, need to continuously work on in regards to changing demographics and diversity, is making sure everyone feels respected and included in their community and their child’s education.  I say this because as the demographics and diversity change in my child care and community, so must I.  Fortunately, working with exchange students has really opened my eyes to this issue and allowed me to understand that I can keep growing and learning along with the families/students/community.  The students are always willing to educate me on their cultures, customs, etc…  All I have to do is ask.  If I do not know something I make sure I ask the families to educate me.

It is always important to remember the following:  respect that each student and their family have a culture that is to be valued and affirmed; allow students and families to fully participate in the educational process – keep communication open in both directions; reflect on our own definition of diversity and educate ourselves in any areas in which we, as educator’s, need more information in (Salend, 2008).

Reference

Salend, S. J. (2008). Creating inclusive classrooms: effective and reflective

          practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.