Develop a curiosity about other people and places. Read books, listen to music and generally be open to new experiences outside of your own culture.
Realize and understand that preserving the child's home language and culture is important toward developing the child's solid identity and self-confidence, as well as intellectual and emotional learning. The child and family will make a better adjustment overall if the connection to the child's home culture is retained. In such an environment, the child can become bicultural, rather than feel obliged to choose one culture and surrender his home culture. The child will not tend to flounder between cultures, without a sense of belonging. Equally as important, parents will see the benefits of adapting smoothly and being bicultural, and they will be more supportive of their children, especially when they feel more comfortable, less intimidated and not judgmental.
Provide opportunities for the child to use both languages. The child may be more fluent in his first language --- depending on the age of the child --- and continuing to learn that language will develop the child's ability to understand abstract concepts. This understanding of abstract concepts in his native language will assist the child to also understand the more difficult concepts in English. Without a firm understanding in the first language, the child will not become proficient in either language. He will be limited in his ability to convey complex thoughts in either language as he grows up.
Address racist and bigoted comments or jokes immediately. Do not tolerate racial or gender-based slurs.
Be culturally sensitive. Ask questions if you do not understand the rationale behind something that is done differently in the other culture. Keep the channels of communication open and try to put yourself in the other person's position.
Talk with all students about differing viewpoints and world views that exist within the classroom and the world at large. Encourage parents or other family members who have immigrated to the United States to come and share their cultures with the class --- whether or not they are fluent in English.
Encourage the parents to continue to speak their native language at home. Sometimes, well-meaning people tell the parents to speak only English to their children. Unless the parents are fluent in English, their speaking ability will reinforce poor English speech patterns that can hold the child back from learning to speak standard English correctly. The parents and their children can work together to learn English, but day-to-day parenting should be done in their first language.
Speak to the child and the family in their first language, if you are bilingual. This will help the child feel more comfortable and will enable parents to communicate more abstract thoughts and feelings than they may be able to do in English.
Demonstrate to the child and family that you are willing to take risks with a language you do not understand by incorporating some of the child's native language into the classroom. This may be done by posting labels or words in different languages around the classroom, displaying diverse books on various cultures and subjects and so on. Consider offering a cultural event every month to highlight a particular culture, for example, or national holidays, national heroes or heroines, or special events --- to celebrate cultural diversity and cherish family traditions.
Ensure that the child is not isolated but that he is made to feel a part of the classroom community, even if he is not fluent in English. While the child is learning to master the English language, use pictures, pantomine and other nonverbal communication, in conjunction with verbal communication.