From Germany to America
My family's country of origin is Germany. The first thing I would do to prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards my new family is research historical facts about Germany. I would research languages, customs, and foods. Next I would learn phrases such as good morning, good afternoon, good evening/good night, breakfast, snack, and lunch. Next I would research about the early childhood education programs. Then I would research which childrens' toys and be sure to include those toys in my environment. Lastly, I would invite the child or children to introduce something of their culture to our classroom.
My goal is to foster a welcoming spirit and inviting environment. I hope that my initiation of trying to learn about Germany would display our interest and demonstrate a sign of acceptance and respect to the family. I hope these preparations would initiate the building blocks for new relationships between the children and their family and reflect our respect for receiving diverse families into our program.
Hello Dana,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to ask about toys and plan to have those in your teaching environment! I wrote your idea on my to-do list to welcome a new family. Also, inviting the child (and perhaps their family) to introduce themselves to the class sounds like a terrific idea since the child will feel validated and good about themselves. Thank you for your great post!
I really like your overall goal of having a welcoming spirit. your positive spirit of energy will translate to a welcoming feeling for family members and child. This will make the family feel safe about leaving their child in your care.
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