Scenario: 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.
If
I were to welcome a family to a child care center, from Romania, it would be daunting
because I know nothing about this country and where in the world it is located.
Five ways in which I will prepare myself
to be culturally responsive towards this family would be as follows:
My
first task would be to make a thorough search on the internet to learn all about
the country, its people, beliefs, values, artifacts, holidays, forms of
transportation, natural environment, animals, and administrative divisions and all
that embodies culture in Romania because knowing just the “surface culture” is
detrimental and leads to stereotyping, prejudices, biases, and discrimination (Derman-Sparks&
Edwards, 2010).
I
will find out about the educational system, how children as regards to gender
differences are perceived in the Romanian society and the roles of parents in
children’ education. This knowledge would enhance the way I will develop a good
relationship with the family and respect their values and culture.
I
would hang welcoming signs in all languages including that of the new child and
also look for pictures about Romania and put around the centers in the class, to
enable the child feel like part of the new environment and to feel at home away
from home.
I
would learn about the different holidays, currency use, and religious practices
they celebrate to include in my curriculum as well and avoid the practice of a “tourism
curriculum” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010.p.48). I would want this child to
be visible and I would get Music, songs and books that talk positively about Romania
to give the child reasons to feel proud about where they come from and their
social identity.
Finally,
mispronouncing and shortening names of children for personal comfort is something
I detest that happens in many classrooms, I would learn how to pronounce the child’s
name accurately and even find out the meaning of the name. In an effort to foster
the child’s home language, I would learn a few simple and common words in the Romanian
dialect to use with the child daily.
I believe these preparations would benefit
both the family and myself because they would feel welcome; it would be a platform
to transition smoothly and to solidify a working relationship with home and
school. The family would definitely have trust and look forward to having their
child in the child care center that has their child’s interest at heart. My preparations
would be indicative of the care, love, sensitivity, and concern I have for
every child to feel included and be visible in the classroom. Above all,
developing relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and engaging in authentic
experiences would be the best way to help them experience, appreciate, and value
diversity.
Reference
Derman-Sparks, L.,
& Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and
ourselves. Washington, DC:
National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC).
