Welcoming Families From Around the World

Tanzania is a country that has always fascinated me, yet I never have done much research about it. In this scenario, working as an early childhood educator, I believe that if a child who emigrated from Tanzania entered my classroom, I would take many steps necessary to ensure they and their family felt welcomed. The five steps I would take are:

1. Creating a "Get to Know Me" sheet that I obtain from all my scholars at the beginning of the year. I believe this is important as I want to know about the child themselves, not just their place of origin. I want to know their favorite color, favorite animal, what foods they like and dislike, and so on. I believe this shows that every child is special and unique and by highlighting these qualities, I am able to connect with my students on a deeper level.

2. The second step would be to set up a conference with the family so that I can meet them in person and establish the best source of communication based on what works for them. I want the family to feel comfortable reaching out with anything and everything they need, especially with their child transitioning not just schools, but countries as well.

3. The third step would be to find out any information pertinent to the child's well-being while they are in school. This includes any limitations (can they participate in classroom parties, etc...) in order to make sure cultural standards are still observed and to find alternate means for situations that the family does not want their student a part of. Or even the knowledge of religious and/or cultural holidays that we can factor into our ADA.

4. The fourth step would be to make sure the child feels safe within the classroom, especially if they were transferring in after the year had already started. Usually, when I have a new student, I find them a 'buddy' in which they shadow and have the chance to bond with someone from the get-go. I understand language barriers may be an issue so by the child following and watching their buddy throughout the day, they may be able to develop a visual representation of what our day-to-day activities look like.

5. The fifth step would be communication with the family once again. I am a regular picture taker within my classroom and upload pictures on our class website so that parents see how their child's day is going. I believe with my family's case, a picture of their student learning and surrounded by new friends would be a comfort in the stress of moving to a different country and ultimately a different culture.

It would be my hope that both the family and the scholar would feel happy and safe within my classroom and that the line of communication would be strong with myself and the family.