Wk 7 Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I have chosen for this assignment is Sri Lanka. My setting is a child care center. Since I don't know anything about Sri Lanka, I have lots to learn about the deep culture of this country.

The five ways in which I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

• It's 2013, so of course I begin with the internet. I would do a Google search of Sri Lanka and go to the Sri Lanka Tourism website. I have found this to be an excellent way to learn about a country when I am traveling. Viewing this site can provide me with some basic information about customs, values, heritage,what's respectable in Sri Lanka, and of course, the surface culture.
• I love calling embassies to get information  (It helps that I can just drive to an embassy and pick up information). I would call the Embassy of Sri Lanka and ask for information on family life, values, and how to show respect in Sri Lanka. I would want to learn about gender roles, privilege and oppression, the class system, and how families view education and the role of the teacher.
• I would prepare a "Getting to Know You" packet for the family that would include: information about the center, the curriculum, the community, the children in the program, my biography; a "Family Survey" form that asks questions about the child's family background, name he/she prefers to be addressed by, family traditions, religious background, eating habits-likes and dislikes and allergies, toileting, family discipline and guidance strategies, preferred family contact for emergencies and important matters, child's favorite toys and play habits, family's understanding of play-based learning; and there would also be a form for parents to write down any notes or questions for me to respond to after our initial meeting (In case they are uncomfortable with asking questions face to face).
• If the child does not speak English, I would learn basic words in the child's home language to support his/her needs: bathroom, pee, hungry, eat, food, water, hello, goodbye, can I help, friend, play, and toy.
• I would make sure my classroom is inviting to a new family. I would ensure the child has a cubby, clearly marked with his/her name, to place his/her belongings. I would have an engaging morning circle to welcome the child and include his/her name in songs and stories, etc. I would wait until after meeting the family and getting to know them before adding things to the environment. I would ask if the family would mind having their picture taken and displayed on or in the child's cubby, I would ask for a donation of favorite books or a list of recommended children's books that are familiar to the child, I would ask if there is something they would like to bring in to help the child connect home and school. I have learned that it is better to ask the family what they prefer and need rather than assume my decorating with cultural artifacts would be appreciated. It is important to me to know how the family would like to connect home with school and what they see as their role in their child's education and my role as the educator.

I would hope these preparations would help me to demonstrate my willingness to really get to know and respect this family. I think they would appreciate the effort I have put into trying to learn about their country, who they are, and how to best meet their needs. We would both benefit from having an equitable relationship where we could empower each other as we learn about our differences and similarities. It would also be beneficial to learn something new and develop a new relationship.