Welcoming Families Around the World

The family I am working with is from Israel.  In order to be culturally responsive towards this family I conducted research on Israel to learn about their values and customs. 

The people of Israel generally celebrate Jewish holidays; therefore, I will make sure to include these holidays in celebration. I will provide books, pictures, coloring pages, etc that are reflective of the Jewish holiday’s.  We will observe these holiday’s in the classroom with celebrations as well.

Clothing is reflective of religious or political views. This may include men wearing skullcaps and women keeping their heads covered. In order to respect the family, I will ask about the importance of this and if there is any other important information I need to be aware of. I will incorporate books and pictures of children and families wearing this type of clothing.  

Many families are considered nuclear; however, in some families women and men live separately.  In order to be culturally responsive towards this family, I will ask if the husband or wife is the person of contact when it comes to providing information about their child.  Grandparents are also included in this nuclear family so I will include them in interactions if necessary.

Families from Israel are information with their social interactions. In some instances, they may be considered rude.  Being aware of this will help manage my expectations of interactions when meeting for conferences or other school related activities. Please and thank you are not spoken often, therefore, children may not use these terms as comfortably as children from the United States. As a teacher, I need to be aware and respectful of this and realize it is not out of disrespect.

            Being culturally aware of this family and preparing for their needs will help interactions run smoothly. It allows me to be educated and respectful of their culture. My awareness and desire to learn more will show the family that I am interested in learning about their culture. My hope is that the relationship between family and school will be strong.