No, it is always better to collaborate.

I would like to collaborate with my colleagues, teachers in other departments, friends in the same profession  as well as parents to check the practicality of the plan and for refining it as per our requirement.

Part of the plan can be implemented as short term strategy and part could be long term.
Short term strategies in classroom can be -
1) Through sharing stories with the children from around the world invites discussion and celebration of our similarities and differences, they encourage empathy and spark curiosity about the world around us.
2) Through Art, Music and PE: 
Viewing artwork from different cultures; In music children can share songs from their own culture and talk about  the occasions when these songs are sung. In PE children could learn about different sports
that are popular in their cultures or they could learn dances from around the
world.
3) Through Celebrations:
We could celebrate special days with special food items and costumes of different cultures.
4) Through Parent involvement - inviting parents to come in, interact with students and read stories in their mother tongue.
Long term strategies would be - to request school authorities to organize regular workshops for teachers as well as parents for deeper understanding.
- School visits for extended understanding of different strategies. 
- Suggestion to introduce some global content into the curriculum

- By keeping some dedicated time for students to reflect upon what they did? Why they did? 
- Regular online feedback sessions with parents representatives. 
-Asking colleagues to help in reviewing student progress.

This needs the involvement of all stakeholders in the learning community. It would work best as a long term commitment. 

 

-Check-In with students to see if this strategy is working by having them share with the class about something, they have learned about their penpal’s culture background.

For international mindedness to be steeped deeply and on a larger scale for long term, all stakeholders of the learning community need to have clarity regarding the same, speak the same language of international mindedness to make it systemic as the culture and mindset adopted and ‘lived’. 

The school Mission, Vision, Policies, Vertical and Horizontal Curricula, Scope and Sequences, Assessments, Pedagogy- all need to weave in International Mindedness into them as an inherent and integral part. For this, the School Management and Senior Leadership Team need to make long term decisions to foster International Mindedness. 

Over the years, we shall see the students, staff, parents- all stakeholders exhibiting being empowered, global and internationally minded citizens. 

In school we can follow some of the following strategies to embed international-mindedness in our students. These strategies could be followed by the learning community to ensure the same.

·        Celebrating International Food Day – this celebration would be a like a fun-fair wherein children can bring enjoy international cuisines and learn about the food choices of the global community.

·        Sharing Day in class – On a smaller scale the children in the classroom can have a sharing day and they would be asked to bring their country or city’s special dish and children can share their food with one another. This way they will show respect and appreciation for each other’s food choices. 

·        Culture Day – This would be yet another learning engagement for the children to represent their own culture, they can come dressed in their local attire and speak about their culture or perhaps do a dance or sing, whichever form they want to communicate about their culture and children will learn about the global community.

·        Grandparent’s Day – This is one day we celebrate in our school where we show our care and respect for our grandparents. They walk into their grandchildren’s classrooms and surprise them with their motivational stories, giving a glimpse of their culture and history.

·        Story Time – This could be another very interesting strategy to embed international-mindedness in children. School could arrange parents to come and read in their own language and then translate the same to the students or could read them stories about different settings.

·        Author’s Visit – An author’s visit could be arranged by school and if possible famous authors from over the world could virtually meet the students and share about their life.

 

This would be a long-term strategy where these days and visits should keep happening in rotations so that children look forward to them. I do believe that it is the responsibility of each member of the school community to ensure that things work and each child develops international-mindedness.

Each month teachers and students can decide and vote for the food from different cultures that they would like to have in the school canteen, on a particular day(for example: Indian food day, Mexican food day, American food day, Italian food day, Chinese food day).This kind of international food days can enhance open mindedness towards other cultures and traditions.

Music is an international language, so learning songs in different languages is another way to promote international mindedness. Students can dedicate one art class in a week to express a culture through an art form of their choice.

The above activities would be a long- term strategy. The homeroom teachers, specialist teachers and assistant teachers will collaborate to implement this strategy and make it a success. This will ensure a strengthening of the bond between the stakeholders.

How will I know it is working? 
The feedback from students and their parents through surveys will give a clear indication of the success/ drawbacks of the plan.

 

International dress-up day as well as international festival days is another way that I would try to inculcate acceptance towards other cultures and celebrating diversity in my students.

o   Can I make this change alone?

No, the school community has to come together with the parent community to be able to create an impact in the minds of the young learners.

o   Who might I need to collaborate with?

The parent community as well as the members of the school community can come together in celebrating diversity and bring the flavour of their respective lands of origin. In the context of being an immigrant, it is all the more relevant.

o   Is this a short-term strategy or a long-term strategy?

The celebration of different cultures through annual fests and the annual student exchange programs must be regularized and repeated throughout the academic year as well as followed throughout the school. Only then will it have the desired effect of turning our students into true global citizens and develop international mindedness.

o   How will I know it is working?
Regular feedback sessions with parents as well as forums with students will give us an idea of the evolving mentality of students.

 

1.     Encourage children to visit museums and go on virtual tours to different parts of the world and learn about the people, its heritage, culture and food. 

2.     Encourage children to learn a new different language, develop empathy

3.     Consciously include concepts like Active Citizenship, Empathy and Action Oriented tasks that children can use to become Aware and Good Citizens.

4.     Children can be encouraged to read books. Giving opportunity to children to read and present the local and international news to their peers and teachers during the class assembly could be a good connect to the current events of the world.

Who might i need to collaborate with?
Stakeholders like the teachers, school community and the parents' involvement is desirable for implementation and success of the above strategies.

Is this a short-term strategy or a long-term strategy?
The above activities would be a long-term strategy. These strategies incorporated on a regular basis would encourage students to develop International Mindedness over the years.

How will you know it is working?
Regular feedback sessions from the parents and students.

I cannot make this change alone. I need to collaborate.

I need to collaborate with the staff, students and parents.

This is a short-term strategy.

I will be aware that this is working once the feedback is given from all aspects.

The plan is to prepare a program for an International Day. Each class will choose a country along with their traditions( clothes, food, etc.)

During the program, the students, parents, and staff will perform on the stage about their traditional piece. The rest of the students and parents will prepare some goods to sell and show about their respective countries. 

I cannot make this change alone. I need to collaborate.

I need to collaborate with the staff, students and parents.

This is a short-term strategy.

I will be aware that this is working once the feedback is given from all aspects.

The plan is to prepare a program for an International Day. Each class will choose a country along with their traditions( clothes, food, etc.)

During the program, the students, parents, and staff will perform on the stage about their traditional piece. The rest of the students and parents will prepare some goods to sell and show about their respective countries.