I imagine welcoming a family from Greece. I would do the following to prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:
· Learn about the cultural background of the family (customs, greetings, language
· Once they arrive, embrace curiosity by being “careful not to ignore or discourage the families questions about differences among people, even if the questions make me uncomfortable” (Boutte, 2008, pg. 171)
· Learn important phrases in the native language and communicate with the family in their language; teach children important phrases as well so they can be excited about learning
· Explain to families that they are always welcome and encourage them to attend so they will know and understand what their child(ren) will be immersed in
· Don’t make any assumptions. Ask the parents what they expect for their child and ask them how I can help them implement those goals
I hope that these preparations would help us all by laying the foundation for transparency and open communication. Also, I hope that the family will really understand my desire to not only make them feel welcome, but to fully immerse them in our culture while still respecting theirs.
Boutte, G. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can
promote social justice. Social Studies, 99(4), 165-173.
I like your idea about not making any assumptions. As mentioned by Boutte (2008), teachers need guidelines and professional development on these topics. Multiculturalism is often valued conceptually versus practically and efforts to address diversity issues are frequently superficial. Therefore, putting aside any ideas about someone from Greece allows for windows of opportunities for everyone to learn and even allows for that child to learn about you!
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Boutte, G. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. Social Studies, 99(4), 165-173.