True story! I was recently
informed that I will be getting a new student from China. The family is moving to America because
her parents are studying at one of the local universities. To help with the transition
I suggested to her parents to schedule discovery hours for her to visit and interact
with her new classmates before she official starts schools.
To prepare for her arrival, I will do the
following to ensure I’m culturally responsive to her and her family:
1. Do research on the
country’s typical family structure. This will give me more information on what
the home atmosphere is and the dynamic amongst the family.
2. Do research on the
country’s education policy, views, and expectations. Doing this will help me
better understand what the family may be expecting. This will also give me the
introduction to let the family know what to expect from my class and US
education in general.
3. Do research on
Chinese family traditions. I will invite the new family into our classroom
to share their culture.
4. Learn about
Chinese holidays and ways they can be incorporated into the class as we
celebrate other holidays.
5. Learn the language
spoken by the family. As the family to share different words that we often used
in the classroom. Such as bathroom, water please, thank you, yes, no, ect. Post
often used words in the classroom and display them in English and the family’s
language. This will also be done for others
students who speak another language.
By doing this
research, my hope is that the student’s transition into the classroom will be
easier. I hope that the family will accept my efforts into learning more about
their culture, and hopefully feel open to share with me as well.
Kiara,
ReplyDeleteOver the past few years, there have been at least three or four children at my school who moved here from different countries and were unfamiliar with U.S. customs, and the school unfamiliar with theirs. In order to make the family and child feel welcome and comfortable, the teachers, myself included, had implemented some of your ideas. There is one of your ideas that I have not tried, the idea of researching what the country's education policy, views and expectations are so that I can be prepared to know what the family may have experienced or their expectations. I think the family will appreciate your efforts.
Kiara,
ReplyDeleteThe idea of inviting the family to schedule a discovery hours visit so the little girl can have a chance to meet her new classmates is a great idea! This is a terrific way to help relieve any anxiety that she or her family may be feeling. The visit will, also, provide you with an opportunity to build a connection with the family.
Wishing you well,
Donna
Kiara,
ReplyDeleteI think these are some fantastic ideas, but when do you take the time to do all of this research? Teachers days are jammed packed. Is this plan a reasonable one? Is it possible to conduct all of this research? What do you do if you get this student with short notice?