Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country that I have chosen as my “Family’s” country of origin is Australia.  I know very little about Australia and in order for me to prepare myself by learning all there is to know about this country.  Here are some ways I would prepare myself for this family.

1. Do research through the internet or even at the library, so that I can learn about their language, religion, and their life styles.
2. I would talk with the point of contact that has enrolled the child, so that I could find out where the child is coming from and contact the early childhood program that this child was enrolled in before moving.
3. I would collaborate with co-workers to see they have any information about Australia or if they have been to Australia.
4. Once I found out as much as I could about this families background, I would incorporate materials that represent their lifestyle.  Added familiar materials in my classroom would make my child feel welcomed.
5. In educating myself about this culture, I would have a one or two week long curriculum teaching the children about all the cultures that relate to all the children including myself.  Having activities that are related to all the children’s culture allows the children to see where and how they live and see new artifacts about each culture.

In preparing to welcome my family, I would benefit by obtaining information about this culture and diverse background in hope that this families would feel welcome and comfortable in my classroom.  With the information I have learned about their background I would be confident that I could provide the best education for the child and that the child feels comfortable and trusts me. I would hope that this family would see that I put my whole self into the education of children and that I am not holding any kind of bias towards them.