A family from Laos will come to the program later and I know very limited knowledge about this country. First I will check on the internet to find out useful information about this country, for example, geographical region, language, food, politics and living standards. Then I will chat with colleagues to see if they can provide me with any useful information. I will try to learn educational system of the country so that I know the different standards/expectations the family may have. I can learn simple greeting from their language to make them feel welcoming and respectful. I also need to be aware of any particular customs about this country to avoid being offensive to them.
By preparing myself with enough information about this country and the differences we may have, I may be able to create a welcoming environment for this family. I hope this preparations will benefit me in knowing more about the country, the family, the value of education and possible expectations for their child. I hope it will also be beneficial to the family because they can feel that I am respectful to their culture and their country, and they will feel relaxing and open when sharing their thoughts with me. I hope by preparing myself, both the family and I can be open to each other, so that when the child joins the program, I can better assist him/her in adjusting to the class.
Karie, I think that the more information we can gather about children and families who are culturally different will help us to understand them and their culture better.
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