I work in an early childhood classroom for second graders. Within the classroom, there are ESOL students, but most come from Latin America. There is a new student joining us from Cameroon, in Africa. In order to prepare me for this new student, and prepare the family for a new learning environment I will prepare using a few steps.
1. Research the country of Cameroon.
2. Find the language the family is the most comfortable using for communication. French is a language that many people from Cameroon use, so if this is what they are comfortable using for communication this will be good to know. I can find books in French and set up their ClassDojo account for communication with them.
3. Set up a meeting with the parents and student to allow for acclimation to the school and a chance for the establishment of communication between myself and the student, as well as myself and the parents.
4. Find books that represent the student to have available in the classroom.
5. Tell students that a new student will be joining us and that we should be open to learning about one another and having our classroom be home away from home, for all.
My hope is that by taking these steps I will be able to get to know the family and their learning culture. I will learn what they are comfortable with and the family and the student will have a chance to feel welcome and have a chance to talk about what to expect from our classroom/school setting. This will be an opportunity to allow for a true bi-cultural experience for the student. I will not undermine the parents while also having the chance to acclimate to our classroom culture and learn about one another.
Heather, I love the steps that you would take to get to know the family. I believe when children are able to see a positive relationship between educators and their parents it makes a difference in the relationship the child forms with the educators. I also feel that it makes a welcoming environment when you take time to get to know the parents as well as the children.
ReplyDeleteHeather, great post! I am sure that you have cover your bases with enough information and implementation to welcome your new student. Welcoming a child to a new environment is very essential. Making him feel a sense of belonging to the environment as well as being accepted is very necessary.
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