For this blog, I chose to learn more about Jamaica. I have to say that even though I am very much so fascinated by the country, I never took the time to learn about it. I live in a very diverse neighborhood but I have yet to meet one Jamaican. I have hopes to find one soon.
If I had a child from Jamaica in my classroom, the first step would be to learn about the country and child’s the family. Consequently, I went online and learned some very interesting facts. Jamaica is populated by approximately 3, 000,000 people who speak both English and Patois. The majority of the population is from African descent and there is a variety of religions. The literacy rate is very high 87% of the pollution 15 and older. “About 20,000 Jamaicans immigrate to the United States each year; another 200,000 visit annually” (US Department of States, 2012, para. 6). After this general overview of the country and the population, I would talk to the family. I would want to know about the child’s physical and socio-emotional health, the family’s home language, equally importantly their aspirations and dream for the child and anything else they believe would help me know their child and family. I would also want to know if there were aspects about their home as well as country culture that, the family would like to share with us, like us to celebrate. If the family only spoke Patois, I would like them to give me a list of words that we could use to communicate with the child (e.g., come go, bathroom and other world commonly used with children). Likewise, I would like the family to visit our center with the child at least twice before he/she could start. I would also ask their permission to conduct a home visit to learned a little more about the family paying special attention to role and responsibility, hierarchy, atmosphere and living arrangements.
From my work with children, I have learned that all families have hopes and dreams for their children and often they may differ from my ideals but at the end of the day families want the best for their children. Research in the early childhood field, family development and psychology tell us that the developmental niche greatly influence by the family culture (Taylor, 2010) . Therefore, I make it a point to know the family and their intersecting cultural values that could potentially influence the child’s education. As an educator, I put much emphasis on family engagement. I want to keep families engaged in their children education. I have learned the best way to do so is to understand the family’s realities (e.g., their socio economic status, their educational background, their home language, and their child-rearing views among others). I have also learned to be open, receptive, respectful, and communicate with the families. Therefore, the information I would asked will help me improve services delivery for the children because I would know the child enough to individualize his/her education. Likewise, this information will enable me to develop ways to keep the family engaged in the child’s education as well as center activities.
References
Taylor, K. (2010). Practical Guide to Caring for Children and Teenagers with Attachment Difficulties. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
US Department of States. (2012, January 17). Background notes on Jamaica. Retrieved from Diplomacy in Action: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2032.htm
You are exactly right about all parents having hopes and dreams for their child and often specific hopes and dreams for what they hope their child will accomplish that year. Our district has a whole section on the child's hopes and dreams for the year. It is in place with the hope that parents are included in this too. I know many classrooms who have parents come in and post hopes and dreams they have for the child too. I think this is an excellent way to get to know what they parent desires and a possible path to build a relationship on how that hope will be reached.
ReplyDeleteAs you spoke about what you would do if a child from Jamaica came to your class, it appears you have a very set plan of what you will do that is realistic and so helpful.
Dear Nar,
ReplyDeleteI see that we have a lot in coming when it comes to preparing ourselves to be culturally responsive towards new families from different countries. For instance, I too went on online and learned about the country where my new family is coming from, and learn about their cultural background. I also, wanted my family to feel welcomed and loved, so I decided make sure that they would be involved in their child’s education. I believe parent involvement helps strengthens the child’s education. I want to be that teacher who could communicate with her families not matter their cultural background. Hopefully, the things we do can help better prepare us for diversity in our classroom. Good Post!
After reading your post and comments from others, it is clear that this class has helped all of us to see the importance of learning all we can about individuals before passing judgment. The best way for us to support these families and children that come from other countries is to learn all about their culture and family life so we can welcome them with open arms into the school environment. It is helpful to be able to share the information with the students so they also welcome the child into the "family."
ReplyDeleteNar,
ReplyDeleteI have a family from Jamaica in my center and they are such great people. I know I am not supposed to have favorites but with them I just can't help it. Isn't it amazing how much we can learn from the internet? Really we all have no excuses for not knowing about the families in our centers! Thanks for your post.