This assignment comes at an
interesting time. I enjoyed watching the
Olympics this past week and reading some interesting stories about athletes
from other countries. One story that
caught my attention involved the two women from Saudi Arabia who are the first
to ever participate in the Olympics from their country. Sara Attar participated in a track event and
followed the tradition of being completely covered including a head covering
called a hijab. The other woman, Seraj
Abdulrahim Shaherkani who participated in judo did not. This is being viewed as a huge step forward
for women in Saudi Arabia as well as globally.
Having found detailed information on Saudi
Arabia on the following website- http://www.everyculture.com,
I decided to have my family originate from Saudi Arabia. Their daughter will be entering my preschool
class at a child care facility. I would
prepare for her arrival by in the following ways-
1-
I would learn more about the specific region of the country the family was from
since I learned through my research of the country that there are four distinct
regions and the lifestyles are different in each one.
2.
I would learn more about the dietary restrictions their culture and religion
imposes to be sure to be mindful of this when preparing menus for the lunches
served.
3. I would read more about the common practices
concerning childrearing as related to parent child interactions and
expectations.
4.
I would investigate the family’s level of comfort with English to determine if it
would be appropriate to bring in a translator for their first visit to the
center.
5. I would read more about the social etiquette especially
concerning gender. Having read about the
Saudi views that are very evident even today concerning gender, I would try to
be respectful of their beliefs in my interactions with the family.
I
think learning more about the Saudi Arabian culture in general would help me be
prepared to handle some of the differences in a culturally responsive way and
help the child and her family feel welcome and comfortable .
Judi,
ReplyDeleteYou are very culturally responsive in the ways that you chose to support diverse families. Learning about the family's specific region, dietary restrictions,child-rearing practices, language and social etiquette concerning gender are all important parts of being an anti-bias and culturally responsive educator. Thanks for sharing!
Judi,
ReplyDeleteFinding out about any dietary restrictions was so smart! I hadn't thought of that! When dealing with other cultures it is quite important to be mindful of food that is served as it plays an important part in most cultures!
Judi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I missed that part of the Olympics, that is good to know. I think its a great idea that you would read more about the common practices concerning childrearing as related to parent child interactions and expectations