Welcoming Families From Around the World

Hard to believe Week 7 of this course is upon us already! I have to say that while this class has been challenging I have truly enjoyed it overall. For our blog assignment this week, we have to envision we are a part of a specific scenario and discuss ways in which we would approach the situation. The scenario is as follows:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice - a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin. 

In order to imagine this scenario, I have chosen the country of Zimbabwe, as it is a country I know little to nothing about their language, experiences, culture, etc. If I were in this situation and learned of this new student coming into my classroom, I would attempt to learn more about the country, culture, and more. However, this would only be surface facts and information that may not necessarily be applicable to this specific student. Therefore, it would be crucial to find additional ways to learn about the country and this specific family. In order to properly welcome and work with a child from another country and culture one is unfamiliar with, one must first understand the concept of cultural responsiveness. "To be culturally responsive is to be open to those differences, to be open to those complexities, and realizing that not everybody thinks the way you do, that not everybody sees the world the same way you do," (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). Considering cultural responsiveness, a few possible ways to help the student and family feel welcomed by utilizing culturally responsive practices could be:

1. Make the children feel important, feel valued, feel understood and appreciated in the classroom and in the home. Ask the child and parents about their likes, interests, language, culture, beliefs, country, and more. Having important conversations and taking the time to get to know them individually will set a precedent and help them to feel valued and invested in the education process, even when in a new country.
2. Incorporate the diversity in your classroom into classroom decor. Allow students to bring in or design items that represent their culture, heritage, family, beliefs, etc. to put on display throughout the classroom. Children can explain what it is and why it is important to be shared with their classmates. This will help students of all diverse populations feel comfortable and safe within the classroom environment. 
3. Create opportunities for children to share their family history and heritage with their peers and teachers in the classroom. It could be in the form of a family show and tell, traditions project, and more. It will help students to learn about the diverse cultures thriving within our society and promote tolerance, understanding, and acceptance, while also helping the child feel equally important and valued as other children in the class, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, etc. 
4. Invite families into the classroom frequently and keep them actively involved in their child's educational experience. This will allow you to learn more about the child and their culture, as well as their personal family values and family identity. Parents can come in as volunteers for events or in day to day classroom activities or just to observe. 
5. Make visits to the child's home to interview and observe family life in this environment. This will show you are invested in the child's well-being and education just as much as the family and it will give great insight into the family's perspectives, routines, culture, and more. Understanding the family in this way will allow you to communicate effectively and make a positive difference in this child's life. You will be able to utilize what you learn to accommodate the child within your classroom. 

By completing the following guidelines and examples of cultural responsiveness, it would positively impact and benefit the lives of the children and families within your classroom, as well as the teachers and staff. These guidelines could make a positive impact for children and families in that they will feel important, feel appreciated and respected. It will instill a positive foundation for their future in education. Additionally, the guidelines could positively impact the educator(s) involved as it will allow them to learn more about various cultures and understand ways to incorporate diversity into the classroom to allow ALL students, regardless of background, to feel welcome, comfortable, safe, respected, and appreciated so they can learn and grow in a community of learners. 

References: 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2013). Cultural responsiveness. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from      

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