Welcoming Families From Around the World

 

 

 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

            The family I chose to welcome from around the world is from Somalia, because the people have endured two decades of war and violence which has been devastating to the families because they are poor and hungry and feel hopeless (Mohamud, 2010).  Many Somalia children have been orphaned because of terrorists and tribal violence, so a lot of them have to work full time to help the family situation instead of having the luxury of going to school these families are constantly being displaced and they live in fear.

            Most Somali’s practice the Muslim religion which involves praying five times and not consuming alcohol and pork.  The nuclear family usually lives together and they often share their meals from the same bowl by hand.  Elders in the family are given the utmost respect and adults are addressed by uncle or aunt, which is very different in the US.  Oral communication is considered the highest degree of art forms.  It is important that the male of the household is considered as the head of the household and has total control over the family and decisions.  Men usually work outside of the home while women are expected to be the caretakers of the children and home.  It is customary to exchange handshakes with people of the same sex and say “peace is with you”.  It is not proper for men and women to touch each other outside of the family. Men speak for the women in most households. Most girls in Somalia undergo some form of circumcision before their 10^th birthday and I was surprised to find out that this is also a custom that follows the girls to the US.  Some girls are sent back to Somalia to get this devastating procedure done.

            To help this family adjust to life in the US I would devise a five-part  plan to help the children to adjust to school life by providing  content integration, reducing prejudicial attitudes, equalization in learning, welcoming different cultures, and helping them to socialize in a new environment (Miranda, 2010).  Curriculum should be inclusive of various cultures because this helps children to have a global view of the world and universal acceptance.  This also helps children to view different biases and how these biases can be eradicated (Miranda, 2010).  Differentiation is the key to academic success in the classroom because teachers must recognize that not all children learn the same way but all children have the ability to learn.  I would plan monthly family meetings in the classrooms where students and parents can come together to share various family traditions and cultures and share rituals that are dear to them.  This will establish a learning platform so all parties will be able to understand the richness of a global school community.

            I feel it is very important for teachers to do the research about where families come from in order to obtain an understanding of some of the intricacies of deep culture.  In the case of the Somalia family the teacher will know to respect the male of the family to make the major decisions where children are concerned.  It is not proper to hug people of the opposite sex so the teacher should not make physical contact to children or parents of the opposite sex.  Ramadan is the religious holiday practiced for Muslim children so the holiday needs to be recognized in the classroom.  Shared and oral communication is preferred in this particular culture so the Somali child would probably enjoy cooperative learning and verbal recitations.  Knowing and understanding who you teach can be a rewarding experience for all.

 

References

Miranda, E. (2010). Going global in Arlington, Virginia. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development

            4(2), 219--226.

Mohamud, S. Somalia's Forgotten Children. One World Education, 1-2. Retrieved June 21, 2014,

            from http://www.oneworldeducation.org/somalias-forgotten-children