Week+2

Week 2 Final The following Project was submitted 

 I, Amy Morris, verify that the members of our group, listed below, worked with me to complete this assignment. Aurora Arnett Kathryn Cook Megan Lines Amy Morris

//A director of a preschool program with a diverse population decides to have an Easter Egg hunt. Children are to assist in painting and decorating eggs. Do you believe this is appropriate? Why or why not?//

Realizing that the school has a diverse population, the director could adapt the lesson by taking the emphasis off of Easter and concentrating instead on the concept of spring and its connection to 'starting over' in nature. One way this can be done is by integrating literature focusing on eggs. The Talking Eggs and The Big Enormous Egg are two pieces of children's literature that come to mind. Instead of involving students in an egg hunt in which they must actually touch the eggs, hold an egg contest. Give the students options for competing in the egg contest, such as decorating a real egg, drawing an egg, or creating and painting a papier-mâché egg. Have children take a role in deciding the contest categories prior to the activity so that students can establish a goal for their design as well as a rubric for deciding the winners. This type of activity lends itself to discovering more about spring, in that the eggs are a symbol of life. A follow-up discussion might ask, "What other symbols of life and new beginnings are present in spring?" Providing options and alternatives gives everyone a chance to participate and no one has to be removed from the classroom activity. It is the responsibility of the educator to make sure that everyone can participate, and that each activity holds meaning for every student involved. Only offering one option is not the best choice in most controversial classroom activities. We suggest that you do not put yourself in that situation.

//A child in your class has parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses. The principal has planned for the entire school to have a Valentine's Day celebration. The child from the Jehovah's Witness background is not allowed to participate. What would you do?//

The fact that the principal of the school has already planned the celebration for the entire school poses quite a dilemma for the teacher who wants to be sensitive to the students' cultural and religious beliefs. A possible scenario for a caring teacher might be to send home communication to the students and parents explaining that instead of celebrating Valentine's Day in our classroom, we will be celebrating "friendships." Explain that no Valentines should be purchased, but instead ask students to write a short note to five members of the class (randomly assigned by the teacher), sharing with each student one personal characteristic that they admire. Older students could post "bulletins" on student "message boards" in the classroom. Bulletins can be signed or anonymous, but must be positive. For younger students, read The Letter from Frog and Toad are Friends to the class. Discuss how Frog's letter made Toad feel so happy. Suggest to the students that their letters and messages could also have an impact on their friends. The words that are written on each of these notes would build everyone's self-esteem. Cookies, treats and punch could still be included in the Friendship Day celebration. While these activities may incorporate the spirit of Valentine's Day, they are not a direct celebration of a holiday. Instead, they appeal to the students' sense of community and concern for others. We would also encourage this educator to make time at some point and discuss the concerns of the holiday party with the administrator. Perhaps the administrator just needs to be reminded of cultural differences within the school.

//Javier is a kindergarten student from Nicaragua. His teacher is constantly scolding him for not looking at her when she calls his name. Why does Javier look down? If you were his teacher, what would you do?//

Javier is probably looking down due to a cultural norm taught to him by his parents. He should be taught that his culture is valuable, while at the same time learn how to function in the culture he is now living in. The teacher could ask Javier to point his face toward the person calling his name, while keeping his eyes pointed down. This way his teacher knows she has his attention, but he is not made to feel like he is doing something wrong. It is certainly appropriate to bring Javier's parents into the decision-making process, so that they will feel that Javier's culture is being respected in the classroom, and so that Javier will not feel that he is letting his parents down by deviating from what they have taught him. She could also include Javier and his family in various cultural celebrations that are so important to learn about in kindergarten. Perhaps his parents would be willing to engage the class in a Nicaraguan tradition, as much of the social studies curriculum in kindergarten includes celebrating how people are the same as well as how people are different and unique.

//The PTA president has developed a parent education group and worked closely with them throughout the year. The president asks the parents to bring a present for exchange with another parent at the December PTA meeting. What are your thoughts about this? If you were a parent, how would you handle this if you disagreed or thought it was a bad idea? Also, what are some reasons a person might disagree with this practice?//

If my child’s school PTA president asked the parents to bring a present at the December PTA meeting, I would suggest that he or she take into consideration families' financial situations and cultural differences, as well religious beliefs. First, I would mention how grateful I am for the effort he or she has put into developing the parent education group. Then, I would explain to him or her that certain families might feel uncomfortable about bringing a present due to financial situations, religious beliefs, and culture differences. Next, I would suggest another idea on how to make our December PTA meeting interesting and inviting to all the parents. One possibility I might suggest to the PTA president is to have the parents choose from a list of options they would feel more comfortable with. Some options might be having parents volunteer to bring baked goods, family pictures, items about their culture, or discuss his/her hobbies. Another idea would be to ask each parent to bring in a winter recipe, indoor family game or craft idea, or a tip that helps their family get through the cold winter months with energetic children. The ideas could be combined to create a "Winter Survival Manual" that would benefit the families of all students. With a project such as this, parents will feel as if they contributed to the occasion, and the PTA president will be more knowledgeable of the parents’ cultures and religious beliefs. As a PTA president, it is important to become well acquainted with the parents by learning more about their background in order to understand the reasoning behind their actions.