I have a family arriving to my developmental preschool from Sweden. I have no knowledge about Sweden. I know nothing about the culture, the politics, the history, or the people of Sweden.
5 things I will do to prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family will be:
Research the country and learn as much as I can about it
Find Swedish books and toys and have them available upon the child’s arrival.
Research the Finnish, the native language of Sweden and try to learn some phrases to make the child feel comfortable. I will also find a translator if needed for the child.
Finally, I will invite the child’s family to come to the school to teach the other children and me about the land of Sweden. I will also speak privately to the parents and conduct a home visit to discover what else I can do to make them and their child feels welcome and comfortable at their new school.
I hope these preparations will put the child and parents at ease. I also hope that the knowledge I have gained will help me head off any potential behavioral issues that may arise as a result of moving to a new country.
Jennifer I chose some of the same things in order to make the family feel comfortable it is important to learn about the background of their culture thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteI chose many of the same ideas. I did, however, neglect the language issue. I have had many students in my classroom that were from Europe and spoke different languages. The parents were interested in full imersion and did not want me to hire a translator. Perhaps that could be something discussed with the family first? Great post!
Raina
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI too choose many of the same ideas that you choose to help my families to feel comfortable for them as well as their children. I like the ideal of speaking privately to the parents and conductding home visits to discover what else can make the parents as well as their children feels welcome and comfortable at their new school.
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas of making the child feel welcome and comfortable in your class setting. I really like the idea of learning some phrases or word in the child's native language. I also like connecting with the family/parents to get more of an understanding of the culture so that the transition would be much smoother.