Saturday, December 15, 2012

Welcoming Families From Around the World


This assignment came at a very helpful time. I recently found out that our program will have two new child (cousins) from Azerbaijan. I had never even heard of this country and had a hard time spelling it. This list has given me a great to-do list over the holiday break so that I will be ready come January 7.
My family from Azerbaijan will arrive in January just after the New Year. To prepare myself for their arrival so that the children and families feel welcome and comfortable I will …
1.     Research this country as mush as possible through the library and Internet, being careful to look beyond surface information and tourist information. 
2.     Visit the international community center in my area and seek out another family form Azerbaijan that I may interview or talk to about customs and characteristics that maybe helpful when meeting the family and teaching the children.
3.     Learn what the family values and structure, culture and traditions are in order to know how to support and incorporated these into the curriculum.
4.     Learn some basic words of greeting in order to make the family feel welcome in the mornings.
5.     Incorporate authentic food into the lunch menu; find home decor items, rugs, or clothing to place in the classroom to help the children feel more at home.
I hope is that these preparations will help make the family more comfortable when arriving to my class, that the children will be more relaxed so that learning can take place, and that I will be confident in what I know about the country and open to learning more. 

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