AuPairCare Pre-Departure Orientation Project
Apenas vou copiar o texto que recebi esta semana da AuPairCare, portanto está tudo em inglês. Sorry... mas precisamos nos habituar com a língua, não é? Qualquer dúvida é só me escrever, ok?
Have you started working on your Pre-Departure Orientation Project?
The AuPairCare program requires all au pair complete a pre-departure project. The pre-departure project will be submitted, by all au pair, to the New York Orientation Director during your orientation and training in New York. The pre-departure project is unique plan you create for sharing your background, your culture, and your childcare experiences with your new host family.
The project requires that:
- You dedicate at least eight hours of time to creating and developing it.
- It be written in English.
- You make an original, and another copy to give to the New York Orientation Director during your Orientation and Training.
- You present it to your host family.
- You give it your best and show your host family how excited you are about your au pair year!
Purpose
The purpose of this project is for you to learn more about how you can share your culture and child care experience with your new host family. You will learn many new things about American life during your year, but your new family will also want to learn from you, too.
No two families are alike and no two au pairs are alike. You have much to learn and teach the child(ren) you will be caring for. Please put your best effort into preparing this project, whether you will be caring for one, two or more children, no matter what their ages or gender.
Project Evaluation
This project is mandatory for all participants in the AuPairCare Orientation program. We expect you to spend at least 8 hours preparing it, and the quality of your project will be considered part of your sucessful completion of the orientation.
Please give your project to the Orientation Director at the opening session of your training in New York. Your project will be returned to you by the end of the training.
During special discussion groups, you will be asked to share your project with other au pairs and perhaps give a brief demonstration or explanation of some of the information you have gathered.
How do I begin?
The simplest place to begin your project is to speak with your parents and relatives, and the families or employers for whom you have worked as a child care provider. Beyond them, you can speak with teachers of young children, or go to your local library.
- Write or type your information clearly.
- Use photos and pictures for demonstrations.
- Write the project in English and provide translations in your native language whenever possible.
- Use separate sheets of paper (one-sided only).
- Print your name in the upper right corner of each page.
- You should present your original copy to your host family in an attractive binder or folder.
How do I organize my project?
We recommend you organize your project into ten sections:
Section 1. My American family and region.
In your new host family's application, they have given you information about themselves, and particularly the children.
- Start a separate page for each child.
- List their names, sex, age, any special interests or needs.
- Now that you have this information identify fun and interesting activities for each child.
- If possible, speak with your new family on the telephone before you arrive and ask those questions about each child.
Next, go to your local library and learn as much as possible and learn about the American state and region you will be living in.
As America is a huge country, there are vast differences from region to region in many ways, this includes but is not limited to: traditions; foods; social attitudes; religious involvement; ethnic background; family values; geography; climate.
It is important that you understand these differences if you are to adjust comfortably and quickly in your new home.
If anything is very different from where and how you have grown up, pay close attention to this. You will have to learn to live within this new environment and act accordingly. For instance, if you have grown up in a cold climate and will be living with a new family in a hot climate, you cannot rely on snow-activities to entertain your children. Or if you've grown up in a town where everything is within walking distance, and your new family lives in the suburbs (where everyone drives everywhere), you'll need to learn new ways of entertaining the children.
If you have grown up in a family where religion was very important to your customs and traditions, and your new family is of a different religion, you must learn waht you can about the other religion and customs, so that you can learn as well as share.
Make a list of questions to ask your host parents about all of these things upon your arrival, especially things that are very different from what you have experienced.
Section 2. Development milestones for children.
Here, you may identify and study the "Milestones of a Child's Growth". The chart is included in you Au Pair Handbook.
This will help you decide which of the following information is related to each host child's age level and interests throughout your year.
Try these items for this section:
List every childhood song that you know that involves body movement or contact (e.g., Bend-and-Stretch, Itsy-Bitsy_Spider, Ring-Around-the-Rosy). This would include songs where children are bounced on your knee (Hoppe, hoppe, Reiter) and hand-games (Pat-a-Cake), whether for ano child or a group.
Section 3. Simple crafts and snacks.
Describe simple crafts used to entertain children or special treats, especially those associated with holidays or special events (e.g., egg painting, paper-folding).
Explain simple activities involving paints, paper, glue, etc., especially interesting things such as puppets, items made of natural items (feathers, stones, sticks) or things which can be made using ordinary household items (flour-and-water clay, toothpick pictures, etc.). You may want to bring samples of these crafts to show your new family.
Section 4. Storytelling and singing.
List some of your favorite fairy tales or folk tales (e.g., stories about leprechauns, trolls, wood fairies, national heroes or gods).
List lullabies or special songs used to put children to bed or soothe them when they are upset. If you have special songs that require participation (e.g., rounds such as The Bells of Paris, or songs that require harmony), note those, also.
You may want to bring storybooks or songbooks from your home country to give your children.
Section 5. Motor skills: fine and gross.
Fine motor skills are those that involve close attention, such as hand-to-eye coordination. Gross motor skills are those involving the entire body, such as jumping and throwing.
Describe simple activities that encourage fine motor skills (lacing cards, coloring books) and which encourage gross motor skills (catching a ball, hop-scotch). Include those that you know of for both girls and boys of all ages.
Section 6. Make-believe and imitation.
Children have vivid imaginations, and love to pretend. List activities which involve play-acting (dressing up, cowboys-and-indians) and which encourage them to imitate others (helping with chores, wearing Daddy's hat).
Section 7. Sharing and cooperation.
List activities and encourage group participation with other children - (dolls, blocks or trains, setting the table). Describe games that do the same (hide-and-seek, Simon Says).
Section 8. Language and development.
Children love to play with words, no matter how old they are (and no matter what your level of English!). Describe word games such as guessing games (I Spy) and tongue twisters. Find children's books that are appropriate for each age.
Section 9. Your country, your customs, your holidays.
You will find that many American holidays and celebrations are much like your own - but there will also be many unknown to you. It is important that you learn our customs, but that you also educate us to yours.
Describe some of the unique holidays that you have in your country and why you celebrate. Little Christmas, St. Lucia's Day, Boxing Day. Are there special foods or gifts or costumes for any of your holidays? Special songs or dances? How do you celebrate birthdays? Are some birthdays celebrated differently than others?
How do you celebrate your national holiday? What is the symbolism of your national flag? Do you wear a special costume on that day?
For the holidays that both Americans and yor countrymen celebrate, such as Easter and Christmas, what are your special customs and foods?
Section 10. Summary and Wrap-up.
Once you have collected all of this information finely tune it and think about it for use when you arrive to the United States. Consider:
- Information to discuss and share with your host parents.
- Information that can be assigned to each of your family's children pages.
- Information that can be shared with the entire family.
Do not be concerned about whether your project is "right" or "wrong" - what's important is that you create a special and personalized collection of yur cultural experience. No two au pairs are alike and no two projects will be, either.
É isso! Espero que ajude!!!
