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Research has shown that preschoolers can grasp what diversity is. It is my job to integrate cultural elements into the curriculum. Preschoolers love to express themselves and the best way to do that is through art. During small group I will give a couple of the students mirrors so they can look at themselves. They will try their best to make a self-portrait. Once all the pictures are done, we will hang them in the hall to showcase our differences.

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Children in preschool learn best through playing and in my preschool class we will a time slot for centers. The more popular center always seems to be dramatic play. Dramatic play is when the students can use their imaginations and pretend. For the start of school, I will have my dramatic play area set up as a nursery with different babies. Having babies of different races and genders can establish respect for cultural diversity.

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Preschoolers usually struggle with their reflexes, gross motor and social skills. “Duck, duck, goose” is a childhood favorite that can help build those abilities. Dating all the way back to the 16th century in England, “duck, duck, goose” has been a classic playtime game. It is called many different names around the world, but it is always played the same way. I would like to teach my children how to play during playtime and then show them all the different ways other places say the name.

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Whenever it is time for us to read a book, I am going to have the students come to the carpet and sit in a circle. This is beneficial for students on multiple levels. Since the whole class is sitting in a circle it gives the students a sense of belonging. While the students are more engaged with listening, we can discuss difficult topics, like diversity. I will also use this time for sharing stories using puppets or props that represent different cultures. After the story, I can ask the students questions to get an understanding of what they were more interested in.

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Educators can transform their classroom into culturally responsive places where students feel safe, seen and valued, which will enable them to engage fully within their learning process. This method helps to bridge the gap between school and the students’ home life. It also encourages students to become more engaged and motivated. The first step is getting to know your students’ cultural backgrounds, traditions, and values. Educators will want to adapt their teaching techniques to match their diverse students learning styles.

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I would like to send home a “get to know you” paper to my students during the first week of school. This paper would have different questions that would help me with getting to know my students. I would ask about family traditions and holidays that they do not celebrate. Once I have received the paper back, I would like to display them in our classroom so our students can see themselves and each other’s likes and dislikes.

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My favorite activity in preschool is when we make a friendship cake. The friendship cake is when our class takes turns mixing a white cake mix per direction on the box. We then separate the cake mix into different cups where we mix food coloring to change the color. This is when I would ask the students what color will be made when adding colors together. Once we have mixed all the individual cups students will work on a worksheet about mixing colors togethers. I will have one student at a time pick a color to pour into the cake pan. Little by little the colors will be poured into the cake pan showing all the different colors blended together. This lesson shows us that no matter what we look like we are all the same and we are all a class family.

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Preschoolers are good artists, and I love the idea of having students create different artwork for our classroom and hallways. We can learn about different holidays that are celebrated. I will set up a couple of sample art projects that the students can pick which one they would like to create. We will take our time working on our masterpieces. With all the students picking different samples to do they will all be different from each other. This will help give students some free range to incorporate their own ideas about what we learned.

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Creating an inclusive classroom environment that respects cultural differences can include a variety of things. Having diverse books in your class library shows students that all students are represented, and it gives them the opportunity to learn about others. Decorating your classroom with posters and multilingual signs and labels can encourage students to speak different languages. Even celebrating cultural traditions, food, and music with your class can show students your respect for others.

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It is important to use inclusive language in the classroom during interactions and daily routines. This can make people feel included and valued. Using inclusive language that is gender-neutral like “friends” or “class” instead of saying “boys and girls”. Also, educators want to ask their students open-ended questions to encourage their dialogue.

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When setting up your classroom you need to include a space where students can go where they feel overwhelmed. It is a safe space for a child to go and self-regulate their emotions without disrupting others. You will want to make sure you have set clear expectations for behavior and remain consistent. Preschools are learning to handle their emotions so making sure you are showing support to each students will be validate their feelings.

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Students’ first community is their family, and preschoolers have never been away from that family until now. As their first teacher you will want to establish a connection with their families to keep everyone involved. Sending out weekly communication logs can let the families know how their child’s week at school went. Aside from the student’s actual families, building your class family takes time. Having a consistent routine in place, morning meetings, displaying student artwork, and even setting class rules will help build this relationship.

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Preschool is the first time many of these children will have ever been away from their families. Not only are the children scared, but the parents are also curious about how their child is doing. I think teachers should have open communication with their students’ families. There are so many educational communication platforms that allow teachers to send pictures and messages. This allows teachers to involve the families in the educational process in a more private and confidential manner. Weekly behavior logs are always beneficial to do in coinciding with the communication platform. The behavior log can keep the families informed on what went on during the week and what their child could work on.

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Having a parent workshop can promote positive parenting practices. Parent workshops can be crucial for building supportive communities and strengthening the relationship between teachers and families. Some parent workshop ideas could be positive redirection, encouraging good sleep habits, or eating habits. The school could have a wellness week where every day is a spirit day, but it is all health-related topics. During the middle of that week there could be the parent workshop where guest speakers could discuss the pros to healthy habits. The spirit days would help in getting the students excited while the parent workshop gave the parents the right tools and knowledge.

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Community members can be beneficial to schools, especially when the school needs financial assistance. Having community nights where anyone within the school’s community is welcome to attend a night at the school. This allows families and community members to come into the school and see what the children have been up to. They can look at artwork, check out the classrooms, and play games together. Community nights can also show people what the school needs and could use assistance with.

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Hosting cultural events would be a great way to boost community morale. Anyone would be welcome to set up a table displaying their culture and whatever information they wanted people to know. They could have food, music, and display boards discussing where their family originated.