As
a Supervisor of a Head-start Pre-school Center I have actually been
faced with this very situation myself many times. I have been very
fortunate in the past to have children and families come to our center
from various diverse countries from all around the world. I have had
children in our center that were from Africa, China, India, and even
Brazil. And in anticipation for these new arrivals, I have always
tried to take the necessary steps to be culturally responsive to each of
the families. But if I had to choose one country that I would be very
interested in learning about, and also to be fortunate enough to have a
recently emigrated child and family from it would
most likely have to be Russia.
And in preparation for the arrival of this child and her family, I would first learn all I can about the country of Russia, including the various customs and beliefs. I would also include my staff in this research, especially the teachers, since they are the ones who will be working in the classroom with the child on a regular basis. I will then take the take the necessary steps to help the teachers incorporate all the information and knowledge we have learned so we then can implement it into the weekly lesson plans. And finally I will then meet with the parents and or family members prior to the child's first day, if possible. So I can have the opportunity to talk to the family, get to know them, and if possible, find out about the child from their own perspective, as the parents.
In conclusion I will definitely hope all these prior preparations and planning steps will be successful, as well as beneficial, and not only to myself as Supervisor, but more importantly to the child and her family. Especially since it is them who are arriving to a foreign country where they are no longer part of the dominant culture, but instead foreigners, who are now also subject to ridicule and discrimination. But as educators and teachers it is our responsibility to help them assimilate to our country, which also includes respectively allowing them to not only continue their beliefs and customs, but also the opportunities to celebrate their own unique culture.
Sylvia,
ReplyDeleteI like your suggestions for welcoming the new family. Getting everyone involved in the learning process is important to ensure the center is prepared for the new family to arrive. I like how you mention the family being able to continue their beliefs and customs and the opportunity to celebrate their own unique culture. This is extremely important for them to keep their identity.
I appreciate the fact that you made it a large importance to have all the centers staff be informed on the information gathered about the country and culture of the child who is new to the center. It is a great tool to have the entire team knowledgeable instead of a select few. Do you have any suggestions on how you would share the information?
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