TIII Series: The Home Language Survey- Ensuring Compliance and Success

The Home Language Survey (HLS), also called a Heritage Language Survey or Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ),  is used in the initial process of identifying a student’s potential eligibility for English language support services.   A heritage language survey usually takes the form of a brief questionnaire, which may be administered in English print, preferred language print, orally, or through a translator.  The purpose of the survey is to establish an understanding of a student’s language-learning background.                    

Student Example: Khaled’s family has just arrived to register him for school.  The family meets with an enrollment specialist at the school.  When completing the survey, Khaled’s mother indicates that they are from Somalia.  She also notes that Somali is the language spoken in the home.  However, Khaled’s first language (and only instructional language) is Swahili, as the family relocated to the refugee camp in Kenya just before Khaled’s birth.  Khaled’s exposure to the English language, at least according to the Heritage Language Survey, is limited. These results suggest that Khaled may be eligible to receive English-supportive learning services. 

Home/heritage Language Surveys can be extremely useful in identifying potential new-to-English learners. However, keep in mind that these, like other student assessments, are only an indicative tool. They cannot be used as an exclusive measure for language services enrollment. (And they certainly don’t capture the cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge diverse student groups bring to the table).

Next, Khaled will be screened for multilingual programming eligibility (ELL services). 

If and when an HLS confirms that a student is new to English, he or she will be considered for language learning services.  The enrollment specialist (often the multilingual department head, multilingual coach, Student Assessment Liaison, or other trained personnel) carefully analyzes the data. 

Specific testing may vary from state to state or from district to district.  Most schools employ WIDA ACCESS, ELPA, Woodcock-Munoz or a similar state/district approved measure.  Regardless of the testing instrument, timeliness is key to compliance, but more importantly, as part of our commitment to meeting the learning needs of the child. 

It is critical to note that the Heritage Language Surveys (or any other form of registration questioning) is limited in its capacity.  That is, no information obtained through school enrollment can be used to evaluate, comment or report on legal immigration status. Federal law strictly protects the rights of all children who are present in the U.S. to attend public school; and it conversely restricts school personnel from any inquiry or interference in legal immigration issues.  

I always suggest that schools walk through a HLS “Think Tank” , whether they are starting from scratch to build a questionnaire or have an existing process in place. Here are some of those Think Tank prompts: 

• What is the schools’ defined purpose for the Heritage Language Survey?  (In other words, how and why is the survey meaningful to students and parents?)

• Where on campus will the survey be completed? 

• How is a sense of welcoming and belonging achieved during this process?

• Is the assessment culturally responsive? how do we know?

• Who at your school will administer the Heritage Language Survey? What is their level of training/expertise to do so?

• Who at your school will evaluate the HLS responses? What is their level of training/expertise to do so?

• In which languages are print copies of the HLS made available? 

• In which languages can the HLS be verbally translated/communicated?

• Is the language concise and clear?

• Are families informed that information is confidential and cannot be used for any outside purpose (including immigration status)?

• If a student is highlighted as potentially eligible for English Support Services services, what is the next-step process?

• How is Emergent Multilingual (EM) testing and placement information recorded and stored?

• How often are student HLS documents revisited/ re-requested?

Finally, let’s explore an HLS example.  You’ll find that the first page can be used as a ready-to-roll version, or as a baseline for creating a site-specific version.  The template is exactly as we have described, with essential questions for determining potential language services eligibility.  That’s it.  That’s all you need.

However, you may find it useful to collect additional data.  In that case, the additional pages of the survey will provide ideas with regard to collecting additional data and insights about the student and his or her family.  Additional data collection is optional for the school, depending on your school’s needs and program goals. It is ideal to have as much information about a student’s specific background and needs at the time of enrollment.  The HLS addendum serves this purpose.  

Note that if you do choose to ask for additional data, caretakers are not obligated to provide it.  If families choose to exercise their right to withhold data, this decision cannot affect child enrollment in any way. In any case, consistency is key.  Make it a goal to have 100% incoming family participation in completing the questionnaire. 

Title III Back-to School with Multilinguals: Intro to Series

“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you are doing.”

These are the words of American engineer and statistician W. Edwards Deming. I often carry them with me into my work as an educational practitioner. 

When it comes to enrolling potential multilingual learners (and determining who might qualify for English-specific support services), a clear process is critical. After all, clarity and consistency create calm. Not to mention, they help ensure that we’re achieving legal compliance. 

Intake protocol will vary by district, and sometimes by school, too.  Your procedures should make sense for your organization.  It is also imperative that they take into careful account national, state and district expectations for student enrollment, registration and ELL placement. But the nuts-and-bolts of these procedures are non-negotiable. They’re clearly outlined by the federal government and further detailed by the Office of Civil Rights.   

Each time I work with schools in creating these documents, we begin by examining current intake procedures. I generally start with the one big open-ended curiosity: What does the enrollment process for potential multilinguals look like? 

Responses are solicited from various stakeholders: front office staff, ELD leads, classroom teachers, and principals. More often than not, most folks have a whole lot of trouble describing this process. 

Think for a moment on your organization (we’re not calling ya’ll out here, just pointing out opportunities for better serving kids!). Who can clearly map out this process? Can team members answer, for example:

• Who are the first school personnel that potential students and their family members see when they walk in the door?  

• Exactly how is registration handled?  

• What about secondary processes for probable ELLs?  

• How consistent are these procedures?  

• Who is aware that they exist?  

• Where is registration information stored? 

• What types of translation services are available to families?

• Who checks (and re-checks) files for accuracy? 

Asking questions and evaluating responses alongside school administrators always reveals a few surprises- and a lot of loopholes.  In this space, we have room and perspective to analyze what works and what doesn’t, what to keep and what to toss (outside of compliance-regulated components, of course).  We are also able to determine critical missing links (communication and clarity usually take the top spots), and get to work filling those holes in purposeful, directed ways.  The focus is on simplicity- creating a process that can be easily explained by any key stakeholder at the school. 

We’ll begin with a look at the Home Language Survey (HLS).  Continue on to our next article to learn more!

What Is Sheltered Instruction?

Effective Recent Arriver programming is structured with the principles of sheltered instruction in mind.  These techniques are not tethered to an exclusive program or curriculum.  Rather, they are tools for teaching and learning that can be applied to and incorporated into any existing program to explicitly promote language development.  All sheltering strategies are centered around the primary goal of increasing Emergent Multiinguals’ access to (and demonstrated mastery of) essential knowledge- without compromising the integrity of the content lesson.   

Strategies that are associated with this pedagogy foster academically focused student talk, intra and interdependent problem-solving skills, effective collaboration, and healthy cross-cultural communication skill development.  These practices benefit Recent Arriver and traditional students alike and can be modified to support learners across a range of language, grade, and skill levels.

Where Did the Term Sheltered Instruction Come From?

Sheltered instruction is a manifestation of the Comprehension Hypothesis for language learning.  The Comprehension Hypothesis is rooted in the idea that “we acquire language when we understand messages containing aspects of language that we have not acquired, but are developmentally ready to acquire.” (Krashen, 2013).  That is, language learning best occurs in natural settings, drawing holistically from what we hear and read.  It develops via exposure to comprehensible input, or bite-sized digestible pieces of language understanding.

This is in direct contrast to the skill-building theory, which presses for direct, rote learning of grammar, vocabulary and spelling knowledge.  Briefly, skill-building strategies are conscious measures, while comprehension-based learning is subconscious and indirect. Research overwhelmingly indicates that language learning is enhanced and accelerated when Comprehension Hypothesis methods are applied.    In fact, evidence shows that, 

“Students in beginning-level second language classes based on the Comprehension Hypothesis consistently outperform students in classes based on skill-building tests of communication, and do at least as well as, and often slightly better than, students in skills-based classes on tests of grammar.” (Krashen, 2003)

Sheltered instruction is directly representative of Comprehension Hypothesis ideals.  Its primary goal is to provide language learners with a comprehensible input through the implementation of specific instructional tools and practices.  Sheltered instruction is critical in the context of Newcomer instruction in that it focuses on content over language.  

When students are exposed to content knowledge in comprehensible ways, appropriate language output is a holistic byproduct.  Additionally, anxiety and pressure to learn the new language may be significantly diffused in sheltered subject matter settings.  In fact, “Students in sheltered subject matter classes acquire as much language or more language than students in traditional [ESL-direct] classes and also learn impressive amounts of subject matter”. (Krashen, 2013, 1991; Dupuy, 2000)

So, what does sheltered instruction look like in the classroom?

Sheltered, or scaffolded, instructional practices engage emergent bilinguals and multilinguals in the rigorous content investigation.  It can encompass a wide range of instructional techniques, each aimed at guiding and directing language learners toward proficiency, within an environment that endorses safety and facilitated risk-taking.

At the crux of impactful scaffolded instruction are effective content language learning objectives, which can be incorporated into every subject, each day.  These cornerstones provide a powerful sense of directionality for both the educator and the learner and fuel a focused sense of productivity.

Basic elements of sheltered instruction include:

• appropriate pacing;

• modified speech;

• routine and predictability;

• use of visuals, realia, and manipulatives;

• explicitly introduced body language, gestures, and facial cues;

• sentence stems;

• relevant language supportive technology;

• modeling;

• traditional or interactive word walls;

• interactive notebooking;

• multiple modes of assessment/means of demonstrating understanding;

• graphic organizers (such as Frayer models, Venn Diagrams or word-mapping);

• co-operative talk structures, such as inside-outside circles, fishbowls, numbered heads (download your cheat sheet here); 

• SIOP lesson planning, or “Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol” (Echevarria & Short), is frequently implemented as part of sheltered-instruction instruction.

When we integrate sheltering techniques into existing curricula and classroom protocol, we invite emergent bilingual and multilingual students to engage with intention and purpose, in ways that highlight existing funds of knowledge. We also support team building and interpersonal skills, which lend themselves to healthy integration. Perhaps most importantly, sheltering strategies can be overlapped with other pedagogies, such as culturally responsive teaching and learning, leading to especially dynamic socio-academic student outcomes.

For detailed information on Sheltered Instruction techniques, see The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Transition, Chapters 6-8

Download your Co-Operative Learning Cheat Sheet HERE.

Inquiry-Based Learning with ELLs

Teachers who aim to engage English learners in inquiry-based learning often feel overwhelmed at the idea of merging two seemingly separate bands of learning. However, upon closer examination, there is a significant overlap in best-practices facilitation of English Language Development (ELD) and student-led discovery.   In fact, language acquisition and inquisition do not need to be exclusive- they can (and should!) work in tandem to support one other.  Moreover, this can be achieved without dramatic increases in time, resources or teacher planning. 

Let’s begin by identifying the six stages of inquiry: planning, retrieving, processing, creating, sharing, and evaluating. Within each stage, we’ll explore possible implications for ELLs and outline ideas for inclusive implementation.

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Planning

Planning creates the foundation for the entire process of inquiry. It begins with the students, as they learn to recognize their own interests and question their own curiosities. For English learners, effective participation in the planning process also means navigating conversational, academic, and content-specific vocabulary.  It also requires an ability to navigate strategic or organizational skill sets, and these may be working concepts for students with limited or interrupted education.

Engage ELLs: Utilize graphic organizers and tech tools to assist brainstorming and planning.  Provide meaningful conversation prompts. Employ vision boards, interactive word walls, or similar visual cues. Provide opportunities to talk through ideas using cooperative structures.

Retrieving

To move forward in discovery, students must actively pursue information that is relevant to their inquisition. For new-to-English learners, this process can be hyper-stimulating and may overwhelm the student’s capacity to self-direct. Often, the teacher's response is to jump in, influencing the inquiry process with his or her own thoughts and diminishing the student’s opportunities for agency.  Shifting this responsibility back to the student requires that we explicitly prepare ELLs to successfully retrieve information. We facilitate this process by lowering affective filters and establishing reliable processing routines. 

Engage ELLs: Clearly explain and demonstrate the process of information retrieval. Explicitly teach and model self-directing strategies. Limit the amount of information a student has access to in the early stages (for example, encourage students to select ONE print, ONE online and ONE video source).  Create opportunities for small group discovery and exchange.

Processing

The processing component of the inquiry phase calls upon learners to focus ideas and information into a central topic for investigation. Alberta Education writes, “Coming to a focus can be very difficult for students, as it involves more than just narrowing the topic; it involves coming to an authentic question, a personal perspective or a compelling thesis statement.”  This aim can be especially challenging for ELLs, who are already juggling conversational English and content vocabulary- and who must now navigate and employ the language of inquiry.  Additionally, students may encounter cultural implications tied to sorting, organizing and condensing the information into a central theme.

Engage ELLs: Employ graphic organizers to narrow down a topic.  Allow for multi-modal processing, including kinesthetic and/or experiential learning, community interviews, and small group work.  Recognize culturally variant patterns in sorting/organizing and support culturally responsive means to an end.

Creating

The creating phase begins the active second half of the inquiry process. In this stage, learners begin to build momentum and confidence in their quest for discovery. The creating phase is threefold:

●      Identifying and arranging relevant pieces of information

●      Determining a presentation format that highlights the targeted inquiry   

●      Crafting written and oral expressions of ideas, questions, and concepts

English learners are likely to benefit from precise supports and scaffolds in this process, specifically in the domains of reading and writing. Laying the essential groundwork at the beginning of this process enables students to self-guide with efficacy- and also significantly reduces teacher workload.

Engage ELLs: Establish clear systems, protocols, expectations and performance rubrics. Employ kinesthetic and/or tech-based storyboard. Offer a wide range of presentation options, including culturally responsive means of expression.  Explicitly support students in the areas of speaking and writing.   

Sharing

School-based inquiry culminates in the sharing of findings, conclusions, and thoughts on the process of discovery. Multi-modal sharing of outcomes is encouraged; presentations may take any number of sensory-engaging forms. Regardless of the format, presenters and audience members must turn to language as the conduit for information transfer.  In this context, speaking and listening domains are emphasized. 

Engage ELLs: Support learners with rubrics for speaking and listening. Provide opportunities to restate/summarize/paraphrase the presented material. Refer to anchor charts, interactive word walls, and other content language resources.  Clarify information as needed. Allow for a variety of ways to demonstrate comprehension, both as a presenter and audience member.

The six stages of the inquiry process are tied together by reflection. 

Reflection is a metacognitive property that can be employed as a useful learning tool.  In most cases, reflective thinking must be explicitly taught and modeled- at least in the initial stages of application.  It is helpful to enact a standard process and predictable language bank for reflection.  In this way, we can invite students to reflect at the culmination of each stage.  Eventually, learners can apply these skills in sustained ways as they consider strategy and outcomes throughout the entire inquiry process.

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If we look closely enough, the relationship between inquisition and language acquisition becomes evident.  With a few thoughtful considerations, we can successfully plan for engaging, language supported discovery. We can champion inquiry-based efficacy and 21st-century success for all new-to-English learners.

Newcomer / Recent Arriver Classroom Reminders

We’re into the thick of the year. It’s a great place to pause and reflect on our practice so far this school year and how we will grow our students in the remainder of our time together. It’s a great time for Newcomer/Recent Arriver classroom reminders! Here, we’ll look at the non-negotiables.

What would you add? Be sure to share your thoughts below.

FOUNDATION

Classroom culture drives learning. Newcomer students thrive in classrooms that are safe, structured and predictable. In fact, predictability is a cornerstone of positive school engagement. Predictability breeds trust, trust lends itself to safety, and safety opens students up to entertain curiosity, absorb content and practice positive risk-taking in the classroom.

DIRECTION

It is important to lead with a plan and to ensure that the plan supports equitable participation for all students, including students who are new to the English language. Content–Language Objectives (CLOs) are an effective tool for creating a specific language focus (with the purpose of enhancing content accessibility for ELLs). They are widely flexible and can be implemented across all grades/subjects and for any number of ELs in a class. Content–Language Objectives guide lesson planning and ground student understanding throughout the lesson.

PLANNING

In preparing for English Language instruction, there is a tendency to over plan. When it comes to lesson planning, aim for relevance and quality, not quantity. Return to the Content-Language Objectives. Ask: 1. What one strategy will be most useful to my learners in making the key content more digestible? 2. What one strategy will my students use to demonstrate the language objective within the target language domain (reading, writing, speaking, listening)?

Can more than one strategy be implemented? Of course! Just be sure to aim for clarity. If things start feeling jumbled or unclear, return to your one original focus for each question. Our students will always perform better when they know exactly what is expected of them.

COMMUNICATION

It’s important to keep in mind the amount of fo language that students encounter in a given school day. Beyond the conversational language that must be learned to navigate the bus, playground or lunchroom, learners encounter languages within the language throughout the entire school day.

Let me explain. If conversational English (with its slang, reduced speech and media influences) is a tongue, so is the Language of Mathematics. Isosceles, divisor, and equation are not words students are likely to pick up in their informal conversations. This type of (academic) vocabulary must be explicitly taught. And if Math is a tongue, then so is the Language of Social Studies, the Language of Music, the Language of English Literature, and so on.

Our students encounter thousands of words in a day. For ELLs, this can be especially overwhelming. To reduce the language load, we can be intentional about listening to ourselves. How might we describe the rate and complexity of our speech? How can it be modified for clarity?

In short, here’s what we’re aiming for: Speech should be clear, deliberate and unrushed. (Side note: Louder or painfully elongated speech is not helpful.)

EXPRESSION

Language encompasses so much more than just vocabulary. Tone, register, slang, cultural cues, humor, sarcasm, reduced speech, body language, facial expressions, and gestures must all be negotiated in the context of learning a new spoken language. Gestures, or the motions and movements Gestures can be used to enforce an idea but should become less exaggerated with time, as understanding grows. Where possible, normalized conversational gestures are optimal.

PACING

ELLs often require a longer “wait-time” to produce a response. After questioning, allow up to two minutes of unprompted thinking time. If a student is not yet ready, offer cooperative opportunities for production. Partner-Pair-Share, Numbered Heads, or Rally Table are great approaches; and sentence starters can be embedded into any of these strategies. Just be sure that the student who was originally asked does, ultimately, have the opportunity to share his or her response with the class.

APPROACH

Labeling, visuals, realia, manipulatives, graphic organizers, sentence frames and hands-on exploration are essential to the ELL classroom experience. Each is a language-building path toward content accessibility. Additionally, we can be especially mindful that our curriculum and class reading materials reflect the diverse nature of our classrooms. Where do our students recognize themselves in the school day? How are students invited to express themselves using the four language domains?

PROCESS

Students, including English learners, should have guided agency over their own learning. Work with students to set goals, create viable paths toward these aims, and to monitor their success along the way. Cooperative structures are an important part of this process, as they encourage language development, enhance positive classroom culture and put students in the drivers’ seats of their own learning. Yes, our ELLs CAN meaningfully participate in student-led instruction and Project-Based Learning (PBL). Learn to establish supports… and then get out of the way!

CONSIDERATIONS

Newcomer students may be working through trauma, shock or other stressors. Monitor external stimuli to help mitigate significant stress. Learn to recognize symptoms and know when to ask for help. Work to recognize, celebrate and practice Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills throughout the school day and school year. To build background on newcomer Trauma start HERE. For more tips on trauma-informed care for ELLs (and all students) take a peek at an RC article for Edutopia, found HERE.

INVITATION

You may be a child’s first teacher of their school career, their first teacher in America, or the first teacher to breakthrough. Smile. Show welcoming. Be an example of the possibility that exists for them.

Digital Game Play for Instruction: The Why of the Practice

I recently wrote an article for Edutopia outlining 5 Free Video Games That Support English Language Learners. In this article, we’ll lay some groundwork in terms of understanding the whys and hows of using serious games to drive meaningful student learning. Our guiding question: What makes gamification so appealing, and how can we apply this to our classrooms to increase student engagement and accelerate content understanding?

The Edutopia article explains: “The concept of gamifying learning has been part of practical instruction, in various forms, for years, and for good reason: Research shows that game-based learning has the capacity to motivate students, activate knowledge and enhance critical thinking capacities.”  Additionally, we know that gameplay is a key facet of culturally responsive teaching and is an integral feature of modern ESL curricula. Serious games and simulation games, which invite players to actively solve for real and relevant problems, also expand the ways that learners see and interact with the world. 

Trends in games-based learning continue to lean into technological integration- and data backs up its place in the 21st-century classroom. In fact, research indicates that education-focused video and virtual gaming can benefit all students, particularly low-performing students who demonstrate the greatest need.  

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 Video games- including educationally driven programs- follow a predictable structure, resulting in relatively uniform user experience.  If we look closely, we see that video game design takes many of its leads from brick-and-mortar classrooms. In fact, a user’s interaction with a gaming interface mirrors the school learning experience, where instructional best practices are in place.  

Video games are largely successful at capturing users’ attention and driving players toward mastering the content of the game.  In a similar way, it is possible to recognize key features of gaming architecture in our classrooms and to leverage these features to increase student interest and motivation and to drive authentic content learning.

Let’s take a closer look at those components:

·      Play: Play is the cornerstone of video game design and appeal.  Play itself has several requisites: choice, positive peer interchange, and the opportunity to explore, coach and learn in a safe, non-threatening arena.  Schools also recognize the power of play, including the elements of healthy social interaction and cultivated trust, and we cater to it in a variety of ways. 

·      Central goal:  A game is separated from simple play by one defining feature: the presence of a central goal.  Well-designed video games direct users toward a clear and attractive end goal.  Well-organized classrooms lead students toward specific, achievable end goals, usually through a series of identified mini-goals.  We name these standards, student learning outcomes, or Content-Language Objectives (CLOs).

·      Rules: Rules are the skeleton of a game. In a video game, rules-design follows the principle that rule followers will advance to the next stage of the game; and for those who misunderstand or abuse the game’s rules, the process will be delayed or ended.  This pattern applies to most areas of life and is evidenced in the classroom setting. When expectations are clear, students understand what is expected of them and can respond appropriately.

·      Feedback: The feedback loop is central to digital gameplay.  The user voluntarily completes an action, which stimulates a system response (feedback). The user interprets the feedback and reacts accordingly. This process continues until the game ends or the user terminates the loop.

As educational practitioners, we are experts in feedback loops.  The difference is that technological feedback is direct, instantaneous and wholly interactive.  We know that prompt and meaningful feedback has positive implications for intrinsic motivation and accelerated learning.  How can we grow in this capacity to benefit our students?

·      Voluntary Participation: Virtual gaming is rooted in choice.  When personal choice is introduced, productivity, accuracy and motivation increase.  Where can we make room for more student choice in our classrooms?  Interactive station rotations, student-led inquiry and project-based learning, for example, all promote voice and choice.

·      Personalization: Video games are designed to read the user. They must determine the player’s initial level of expertise and projected wants and needs- and then adapt to fit the player.  Well-designed games scaffold learning and progressively increase in complexity.  This mimics optimal instructional protocol for all learners, including linguistically diverse students. 

·      Removed Fear of Failure: In game play, users are afforded an infinite number of opportunities to try again.   Mistakes become synonymous with new prospects- and ultimately, failure becomes obsolete.  The idea of “failing forward” is inherent to the gaming world.   Where and how can we work toward removing fear of failure in our schools?

·      Community Building: Virtual games lend themselves to collaboration and community. This is enhanced within the backdrop of joy, entertainment, belonging, teamwork… and fun.  Positive relationship building is also central to the school organism. It forms the backbone of SEL, culturally responsive teaching, and trauma-informed practice.

·      Assessment: Video games are also assessments: they recognize, evaluate and rank participation- and then adjust the experience accordingly.  In this context, assessments are also malleable. They adapt to the player’s understanding and expertise and automatically push forward (or fall back to re-teach).  Our best site-based assessments look this way, too! 

·      Debriefing: Debriefing is the process of thoughtful, purposeful reflection on one’s experience.  Educational gameplay should include debriefing as a way to complete the circuit of understanding.  In the classroom, this process can be guided and modeled and my included speech, writing or other expressive means.

Gaming is not intended as a replacement for quality instruction delivered by an experienced teacher.  However, educationally purposeful video games can support students’ learning in a host of ways.  And if we take the time to see it, we’ll find that tech-based gaming has more in common with traditional educational structures than we might realize- that the overlap, in fact, is significant.

Newcomer/RAEL Orientation Checklist

INDUCTION PROGRAMMING FOR NEWCOMERS & RECENT ARRIVERS

Induction programming is a best practices approach to Newcomer ESL/Recent Arriver English Learner (RAEL) education, as it acts as an essential framework for positive, integrated socio-academic participation.   These processes are a means of orientating the student to his or her new school surroundings. As an added component, Newcomer/Recent Arriver learners are introduced to essential concepts and understandings that are critical to success in a school-specific environment.   Guiding questions: 

• Who welcomes students and parents as they enter the school?

• Who is the first school contact for Newcomer families? The second?

• How are new students and parents introduced to the school and its staff? Are these processes amended when working with Newcomer families?

• How are all students, including Newcomers, made to feel welcomed and safe at school?

• What type of record-keeping systems ensures that no students are overlooked in the orientation process?

Orientation systems can be complex or straightforward.  They can stem from the office staff; may include teachers, parents, and other students; or may originate at a Welcome Center site.  We’ll focus our energies for this chapter on a few simple strategies that have a demonstrated effectiveness and are easy to implement.  Then, if you’re interested in going further in developing your own orientation plan, I encourage you to visit the The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Transition.

PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING

Did you ever have to move schools when you were younger?  Or, what about that (huge) jump from the elementary grounds to the middle/high school campus?  Overwhelming, right? I remember the first time I visited my high school as a soon-to-be-ninth-grader. I was so convinced that I would never be able to find my classes.  Or my locker. Or my friends. I actually had nightmares about it.

And here’s the thing: I spoke English.  I’d been in American schools my entire life and enjoyed a network of peers, all scheduled to endure the transition with me.  Still, I was shaking in my boots.

For a moment, consider the experience of school transition from a Recent Arriver EL perspective.  We’re not talking about moving across town, or even from another state. Imagine that nothing is the same.  Nothing is predictable.  Everything is lost in a cloud of newness: language, mannerisms, climate, clothing, school.  How would you react in this situation?  What would you most wish for? What actions could a school take to help to ease your anxiety?

Let’s first examine the most critical aspects of school orientation.  As you read through the following checklist, some of items might seem erroneous.  That’s common sense.  Right- it’s common sense from our perspective, based on our own previous exposure to localized normative values.  But “normal” isn’t normal everywhere.  

Normal is a completely subjective concept.  

And so, it is important to practice viewing our school and classrooms with raw eyes.  We must remind ourselves that cultural misunderstandings are not a reflection of intelligence.  They are a reflection of vast world experience- and that’s a really cool thing! When I find myself in a cultural cross-tangle with one of my students, I like to ask my class: “Can you imagine if I visited your country?  Would I know how to do everything right away? Could I speak your language with your grandmother or cook sambusa as well as your father? Would I even be able to find my way to the market or to the school by myself?”  

This usually garners some laughter and a hearty conversation about how I wouldn’t even know that I was supposed to bow or kiss three times instead of shaking hands.  “Nooooo waayyy!” But, when I ask if they would help me to feel safe by teaching me the things I would need to know, my students all eagerly agree! Just taking a moment to recognize our students’ perspectives exposes our willingness to understand and relate to our students.  This kind of effort can really break ground and lead to trust building.  

Where can we anticipate questions, concerns or confusion?  Here are some starters!

Download a printable Google Doc of the Newcomer Family Orientation Checklist HERE.

Newcomer Family Orientation Checklist

Logistics: 

☐ Layout and map of the school

☐ School hours

☐ Student course schedule

☐ Meals at school (cafeteria options, subsidized meal applications)

☐ School transportation

School Contact Information:

☐ Location and phone number of the main office

☐ Attendance line contact, if different

☐ Names and locations of key administrative personnel

☐ Name, location and contact information of teacher(s)

☐ Name and location of key resource personnel: nurse, ELD teacher, counselor, etc.

Policies:

☐ Immunizations

☐ Attendance

☐ Dress code (including winter and gym attire)

☐ Homework

☐ Supplies

☐ Behavior & Discipline

☐ Health and Wellness

☐ Cell Phones

☐ Safety (Weapons, Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs)

☐ Field Trips

Student Participation:

☐ Co-ed learning expectations

☐ Sitting for long periods of time

☐ Carpet meetings/sitting on the floor (where applicable)

☐ Lining up as a class 

☐ Raising hand to speak

☐ Lockers (where applicable)

☐ Bell policy and tardiness

☐ Bathroom and hand washing routines

☐ Independent and group work routines

School-based Events:

☐ Back-to-School Night

☐ Report Cards 

☐ Parent Conferencing 

☐ Concerts

☐ School dances

☐ International Night, if applicable

Student Engagement: 

☐ Sports and Recreation 

☐ After School Tutoring

☐ Summer School

Parent Engagement: 

☐ Classroom volunteer opportunities

☐ Field trip volunteer opportunities

☐ Adult ESL

☐ Translation services

© The Newcomer Fieldbook, 2017

Clarifying Newcomer/RAEL Program Design

Let’s break down some thoughts and areas of confusion around Newcomer/RAEL program design. In serving our new-to-English students, it’s important that our site-based model(s) of instruction truly reflect our student population and specific learning needs.

Clarifying Newcomer/RAEL Program Framework

ELL programming is not a homogeneous application.  In fact, there are many different channels to achieve the aim of targeted, accelerated academic language instruction.  It will be up to you and your key stakeholders to determine the mode or combination of modes that will best service your specific student population, school culture and available resources.

Both Newcomer or RAEL (Recent Arriver English Learner) initiatives are unique in that they are designated according to units of time.   Newcomer and RAEL programming, as defined by ESSA, is designed to serve new-to English speakers for up to two full semesters. After this interval, students are expected to transition into standard EL programming and/or traditional mainstream coursework for the duration of their school career (though even mainstreamed students may still be eligible to receive supplementary English support services).  

However, certain exceptions can be made for learners who demonstrate exceptional need.   If, after two semesters, a student is not making the appropriate academic progress toward language-based exit criteria- and if such evidence suggests that such gap would significantly impair a child's opportunity to fully participate and succeed in a mainstream learning environment- then he or she may be referred for additional Newcomer services.

Newcomer policy differs from general ELL services (such as ESL for Spanish speakers or ESL pull-out sessions for mainstreamed Newcomers), which are not time contingent.  General ELL programming is based on English language skill and ability level. As long as an identified English language learner evidences a need for continued skill-building in any of the four language domains (reading, writing, speaking, listening), he or she will remain eligible for these services.

Let’s take a look at the most common language service programs.  Be thinking about which services already exist on your campus, or which specific styles (or combinations) might be the best fit for your campus.

Note that the stated descriptors will widely from one state or district to another. However, the core elements of each program model should remain consistent.

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PROGRAM MODELS FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING

Dual Language:  Learners are instructed in and encouraged to interact in both the heritage and the host language, with a goal of developing and maintaining proficiency in both.  ELA-S (Spanish) programs are the most prevalent form of dual language education in the U.S.

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NUMBER OF D/L STUDENTS

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PERCENTAGE OF D/L STUDENTS

Transitional Bilingual:  Learners are initially instructed in and encouraged to interact both the heritage and host languages, with a goal of developing English proficiency and fully transitioning to mainstream programming.  In this way, the heritage language is slowly phased out as English language abilities increase.

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NUMBER OF T/B STUDENTS

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PERCENTAGE OF T/B STUDENTS

Newcomer Programming:  Using Sheltered Instruction techniques and a range of socio-linguistic supports, learners are instructed in and encouraged to interact in English, with a goal of developing English proficiency and fully transitioning to mainstream programming.  Newcomer instruction may encompass other areas, including Western norms and values; trauma and shock mitigation; health and wellness protocol and additional parent-outreach efforts.

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NUMBER OF N/C STUDENTS

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PERCENTAGE OF N/C STUDENTS

Tier 2 ELL/ESL Services:  Tier 2 Services enable eligible students to participate in Push-In/Pull-Out resources for English language development, with a goal of enhancing English language abilities after a child has been mainstreamed.  In Push-In settings, a language specialist will meet and work with the child in his or her classroom, while Pull-Out options call for students to leave the homeroom for established durations to work on language development in individual or small group contexts. Programs will vary by school design. 

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NUMBER OF TIER 2 STUDENTS

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PERCENTAGE OF TIER 2 STUDENTS

Understanding Student Identity: Diving into Race, Ethnicity and Culture

What constitutes identity?  From one community to another, and from one school campus to another, we are likely to find widely varying explanations. 

Conversations around identity are typically assigned bank of related vocabulary.  Often, we employ these words – race, heritage, ethnicity, nationality, and culture- interchangeably. 

 This is problematic, and often muddles our concept of (and ability to recognize, embrace, and value) personal identity.   It makes it easier to lump human distinctions into tidy categories based on a series of checkboxes. But the reality is, it’s just not that simple. 

Race is vastly different than ethnicity, and heritage does not necessarily indicate culture.  Fortunately, getting these concepts straight is not highly complicated, either.  It just requires that we have a common working language.  Let’s get to it.

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First, let’s return to our vocabulary: Race, Ethnicity, Nationality, Heritage and Culture.

To organize these concepts in our heads, we can think of the elements as concentric circles. When I’m working with folks in a professional development setting, those pieces fit together like this:

For staff Professional Development information on this topic please visit HERE. @ElYaafouriELD for DiversifiED Consulting 2018.

Let’s first look at the concept of “race” within the larger outside circle.  Here’s the definition we’ll use for race: the composite perception and classification of an individual based upon physical appearance and assumed geographic ancestry; a mechanism used to facilitate social hierarchies.  

Race, then, is an invented construct designed to enhance the social maneuverability of some and diminish that of others. If we look to our human history, we can see that the concept of race has been effective in achieving this aim.  But the concept is overtly simplistic.  Essentially, majority parties create arbitrary social categories that label those apart from them, and them fill in those categories with identifying descriptors for each category.

Race is also a malleable property.  Racial categories (and their descriptors) differ from one society to another and change over time.  They are susceptible to shifts in power, demographics, and socio-political climate. In the U.S., we’ve historically defined those race categories by color: black, brown, white, yellow and red.  

 Of course, we know that there must be so much more to the story than this.

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The idea of ethnicity gets us a bit closer.   We’ll describe ethnicity this way: An individual’s tie to a to a broader social group as defined by shared language and value systems, which may include nationality, heritage, and culture.

 Ethnicity is a richer value than race.  It captures the many elements that link a community of together.  It also encompasses both past and present values of a social group.  The most defining feature of ethnicity is that is self-definition.  While one may be “born into” certain features of ethnicity, an individual may choose to abandon, adjust, or add to his or her ethnic identification.  

The choice aspect of ethnicity also leaves room for ‘and’.   Cherokee and Lakota.  Latina and Korean.  Palestinian and French. Igbo and Yoruba.  Black American and white American.  Multiethnic. Polyethnic. 

This singular aspect of choice is what sets race and ethnicity apart.  While both are inventive concepts, race exists only as an external social construct, placed upon an individual without choice.  Ethnicity, meanwhile, exists as an internal construct with external influences and is marked by the mechanism of personal choice and affiliation.   

For staff Professional Development information on this topic please visit HERE. @ElYaafouriELD for DiversifiED Consulting 2018.

Nationality, heritage and culture may be viewed as separate from, but somewhat living under the umbrella of ethnicity.  Language is also housed here.  Language represents the means of interpersonal exchange between peoples of a country or community.  It is also the conduit through which elements of ethnicity (including nationality, heritage and culture) are expressed.

Nationality refers to the country to which an individual was born, holds citizenship or identifies with as home.  The element of choice is observable here.  A student who was born in Russia but has lived in the United States since the age of six is likely to have a very Americanized world-view and may identify as American, even if her citizenship status does not reflect this. 

The idea of heritage looks to the place or places from which one’s ancestors originated from and what those ancestors subscribed to.  It is possible to identity with a heritage, but not the matching ethnicity.  For example, a person may recognize his African descent, but identify as ethnically Afro-Caribbean.   An individual may celebrate Irish heritage, but not speak the language or identify with customs linking it to that ethnicity.

For staff Professional Development information on this topic please visit HERE. @ElYaafouriELD for DiversifiED Consulting 2018.

Finally, we arrive at culture.  Culture, in many ways, is the most complex value. It is similar to ethnicity, but in a way, nested within it, as cultural indicators are part of the architecture of one’s ethnic identity.

Culture relates to the specific combinations of socially acquired ideas, arts, symbols and habits that make up an individual’s day-to-day existence and that influence his or her social exchange.  So, ethnicity has to do with overarching themes that define a particular social group.  Culture presents itself as (often material) markers of the ethnic group or its subgroups.

Culture has other attributes that set it apart from race, ethnicity, nationality and heritage.  Namely, it is not determined by appearance.  Culture is also a fluid property and is largely influenced by personal choice.  Cultural behaviors may be changed, shared or acquired. Any person may pick up another’s culture at any time, and a person’s culture is highly likely to change over time, in whole or in part, based on new experiences, interests, and social influences.

For staff Professional Development information on this topic please visit HERE. @ElYaafouriELD for DiversifiED Consulting 2018.

Often, the element of culture is further broken down into three layers: surface, conscious and collective unconscious.  Zaretta Hammond, in her incredible work, refers to these areas as surface, shallow and deep culture.  Surface culture mostly refers to observable markers: fashion, food, slang, art, holidays, literature, games and music. Conscious culture looks to the governing rules and norms of a community. It includes eye contact, concept of time, personal space, honesty, accepted emotions, and gender norms.

The collective unconscious culture is at the very core of one’s worldview. From this space, an individual processes the natural and social world- and also makes sense of his or her place within it. Spirituality, kinship, norms of completion, and the importance of group identity are all part of the collective unconscious.

It is also possible to have sub-cultures with our culture.  For example, we may belong to a skateboard, cowboy, gaming or band culture. We can attach specific elements of action and expression to each unique social behavior/interest group.

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Now we can step back and look at our map.  When we put all of these elements together, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of what comprises an individual’s identity.  We can move in the direction of looking past the first layer of race (and perhaps eventually remove this non-serving piece).  We can, through culturally-responsive teaching practices, develop our expertise in peeling away layers in our students’ identities in order to explore the deep culture factors that truly drive belonging, motivation and learning.

Asylum 101 for Educators: Learning & Lesson Plan Resources Included!

Who is an asylum seeker?

To define asylum seeker, let’s back up and explore two other designations: immigrant and refugee.  Immigrants, by technical definition, are individuals who leave the home country for another country- usually by choice and often in search of education, employment or better life opportunities.  

Refugees are set apart from other immigrants by one critical feature.  The flight of a refugee must be related to war or violence, and they must experience an earnest fear for their life as a result of ongoing persecution.  This comes from the 1951 Geneva Convention, the outcome of which defines a refugee as one who fled his or her own country because of persecution, or a well-founded fear of persecution, based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.  

Asylum seekers meet the criteria of a refugee but are already living in the host country or are seeking asylum at a port of entry. The term “port of entry” encompasses all land and sea borders to the United States.  

Where do applicants for asylum to the U.S. originate from?

Individuals and families from all over the world seek safety and asylum in the United States.  The “Big 3” countries for both asylum applications and approvals in the U.S. are China (22%), El Salvador (11%) and Guatemala (10%). (Department of Homeland Security)

However, demographics by state can vary widely.  In Colorado, for instance, the most significant asylee populations include Venezuela, Syria and Russia. (Colorado Refugee Services Program)

How is asylum status granted?

The U.S. has two forms of approved asylum: affirmative and defensive.

Affirmative applicants are those who are already in the U.S. on an approved visa. These individuals may submit a request for asylum within the initial year of entry.  As the first step in the consideration process, the applicant will meet with a USCIS asylum officer to determine whether or not he or she meets the criteria of a refugee.  An application for asylum must be approved, denied or court-reviewed.

Asylum seekers who arrive at a U.S. port of entry without a lawful means of entry are considered defensive applicants. These individuals are apprehended as unauthorized migrants.  Defensive applicants must initiate an asylum request within the first year. If refugee criteria are met and an asylum request is filed, the case is adjudicated in immigration court. (Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics, 2018)

Affirmative applicants who are denied and remain in the U.S. as unauthorized individuals may apply for defensive consideration.

A USCIS issued I-94 is proof of asylum status.

What resources are available to potential asylum seekers?

Defensive filings are often expedited. Nonetheless, the asylum consideration process typically takes between six months and several years. (National Immigration Forum)  Significant backlogs for immigration hearings and processing compound the delay. The National Immigration Forum reported that as of July 2018, “there were over 733,000 pending immigration cases and the average wait time for an immigration hearing was 721 days.”

Asylum seekers are not granted an attorney by the U.S. government.  All efforts and costs related to legal assistance are the responsibility of the individual.  However, some attorneys and organizations offer pro bono services to those seeking asylum.

An applicant’s ability to obtain legal representation does impact his or her chances for approval by as much as five times, according to the NIF.  The organization notes that “in FY 2017, 90 percent of applicants without an attorney were denied, while almost half of those with representation were successful in receiving asylum.”

Potential asylum seekers are not eligible for refugee services and may not apply for a work permit while the asylum process is pending or if asylum is not granted.

How many individuals are granted asylum in the United States?

2017 is the most recent year for which data is available.  In that year, 26,568 individuals were grants asylum to the United States, 60% of those under affirmative status and 40% under defensive status.  (Migration Policy Institute, 2018)

The number of asylum cases has risen each year since 2015.  However, the denial rate for the applicants has increased in tandem from 44.5% in 2015 to 61.8% in 2017.  (National Immigration Forum, 2018)

How are asylum seekers impacted by the events of their plight?

Asylees, like other displaced persons, are likely to have experienced unhealthy, unsafe or otherwise traumatic life events.  Trauma occurs when a person’s ability to manage stress becomes overwhelmed by the degree or toxicity of the stressor (or series of stressors).

Conditions and experiences upon or during the process of achieving asylum may further aggravate outcomes of trauma.

However, it should be noted that asylum seekers, in the same vein as other refugees, are highly capable of resilience and positive social integration.

How can I get involved and incorporate this knowledge into my teaching?

Check out these amazing resources for building awareness and engaging in the solution.  These are student-friendly tools and lesson plans, so be sure to bring your learners into the discussion!

Nowhere Boy by Katherine March.  Chapter-by-chapter educators’ guide by Kirsten Cappy and Louise El Yaafouri.  https://katherinemarsh.com/educators/

World Refugee Day Toolkit: http://www.rcusa.org/blog

Lesson Plan: Refugees/Asylum- Immigration History  https://immigrationhistory.org/lesson-plan/refugee-asylum/

Lesson Plan: Exploring Refugees and Asylum Seekers  https://www.afsusa.org/educators/teachers-toolbox/lesson-plans/exploring-refugees-and-asylum-seekers/

 UNHCR: Teaching About Refugees https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/teaching-about-refugees.html

ADL: Anti-bias education: Migrant Caravan' and the People Seeking Asylum https://www.adl.org/education/educator-resources/lesson-plans/migrant-caravan-and-the-people-seeking-asylum

Lesson Plans: Refugees and Asylum Seekers- The Advocates for Human Rights https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/uploads/eon_lesson_6.pdf

Custom & Cultural Nuance in the Classroom Setting

Karen-Burmese family at International Night, Place Bridge Academy, Denver. May 2016. Photo: Louise El Yaafouri. The following is an excerpt from The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Transition (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).

EXAMINING CUSTOM & CULTURAL NUANCES

Authentic cultural tolerance and understanding is a fundamental basis for success in the Newcomer classroom. A willingness to maintain awareness and open-mindedness in culturally divergent settings can promote positive exchange and individual growth. When we are able to engage with our students from bases of respect, tolerance, and attempted understanding, we also foster reciprocation of these same traits back onto ourselves, and also toward classroom peers. If, on the other hand, we develop habits of projecting fear, misinterpretation, and bias onto our pupils, then we have also contaminated the entire sanctity of the learning environment.

We know that the ways in which we view and interact with our students can tremendously influence students’ classroom and learning success. With regard to tolerance and cultural respect, every lesson begins with ourselves. Our behaviors will be modeled long before, and long after, our words have an opportunity to make an impression.

Realistically, however, and despite our best efforts, it can still be difficult, confusing, or unsettling to come into contact with cultural tendencies that are unfamiliar to us. For example, acceptable distances of physical proximity, vocal volume norms, pleasantry tactics and privacy stipulations can dramatically swing from one cultural demographic to another. It is impossible to notice and make sense of all of our students’ culturally divergent tendencies.

We will face many challenges in recognizing, interpreting, and accepting our students’ many cultural qualities. No one approach to living or learning necessarily trumps another. Each is simply different. Indeed, our Newcomer students may prove among the richest, most experienced cultural guides that we will know.

In the end, it is not a student’s sole responsibility to change to suit the teacher’s needs. Unquestionably, our Newcomers will be required to learn and adopt many westernized customs in order to successfully integrate into our culture. As educators, we can also allow ourselves some room for adjustment. These small personal transformations are reflected in the positive and tolerant ways that we choose to interact with students and plan for their optimal learning in each school day.

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EYE CONTACT

One specific conundrum is the eye contact issue. In the Newcomer setting, it is very common to encounter students who stoutly refuse to look an adult in the eye when they are being spoken to. This behavior may be especially evident if a child is being pointed out or reprimanded. In the West, direct eye contact with an adult or elder is typically equated with respect and obedience. Therefore, a dismissive look signals defiance and disinterest. This is our truth.

However, direct eye contact between a child and an adult is considered atypical behavior in many of the world’s cultures. Throughout East and North Africa, for example, direct eye contact between a child and elder is considered a sign of intense disrespect on the part of the youth. Resettled persons from these regions will very likely instruct their own children to look down when speaking to anyone older or of greater perceived importance, as this is what is considered the honorable thing to do.

Aha! Our eye contact-avoiding students, whom we may have perceived as acting disrespectfully, have been demonstrating utmost respect all along. These individuals exhibit respect via their truths, and according to personal experiences and relative social norms. There you have it. The teacher is just not always right.

LOSING FACE

Other cultural nuances are also evidenced in the classroom. For instance, many East Asian and Arab students are noticeably consumed with the notion of losing face. That is, they strive to avoid even the slightest run-in with public humiliation, especially that which would bring shame to the greater family unit.

This phenomenon surrounding fear of failure typically prevents risk taking, volunteering, and sometimes even trying in the classroom. Educators who come from a background of outspoken Western idealism may experience frustration at recurrent student episodes of superfluous caution. We might expect or wish that our learners would simply take a chance; to speak out, speak up, and care just a little less about peer judgment and evaluation.

From a culturally mindful perspective, meanwhile, we see that for most Newcomers, family and community comprise the very heart of a meaningful life. To embarrass or shame the family name could result in shunning either of the individual by the family, or the family by the community. Both fates equate to social death. Excellence and recognition, on the other hand, can bring respect and glory to an entire family and community.

In terms of social cohesiveness and support in the post-resettlement con- text, there are certain advantages to the saving face mentality. This inherent code of honor serves as a binding agent for resettled ethnic populations -and it may also serve as a cohesive strand between culturally diverse ethnic populations.

In the classroom, students who had been taught to adhere to saving face principals are very frequently self-driven learners who diligently applied themselves to their studies in an extended effort to bring happiness and honor to the home. They are likely to hesitate in answering questions, unless they can be absolutely certain that they have the correct response, and they may strive to please the teacher in every possible way. We can guide these students toward classroom chance taking by providing a nurturing classroom environment and celebrating mistakes as opportunities for continued growth.

LEFT HAND AS ABOMINATION

In many non-westernized cultures, the use of the left hand is considered unclean and is strictly avoided in any social setting. Eating, passing objects, hand holding, patting, or greeting with the left hand may be considered taboo.

It is wise to be cognizant of this when presenting children or parents with pencils, paper, or treats with the left hand; the act may be received as inauspicious or as an outright abomination. Also, children who may be naturally left-handed go to great lengths to avoid using this hand for writing or other activities in the classroom, and quality of work may be impacted as a result.

ASKING FOR AID

Asking for help is not encouraged in most East Asian school settings. This may occur for several reasons. The first has to do with the concept of saving face, in which an individual may feel personal shame or greater family shame for not understanding. Second, asking questions often denotes individualism, which is rarely a prized value in Eastern cultures. Finally, in many countries, the teacher is considered the expert and authority in all matters relating to education, and therefore, it may be perceived as disrespectful to ask a teacher for clarification on a subject. As a potential result of heritage customs, the concept of asking for aid may require explicit modeling in the host setting.

WANDER-AND-EXPLORE TENDENCIES

Many cultures place great emphasis on the need for children to learn through exploration and experience. Even the very young are encouraged to experiment, play, and seek answers in a very tangible sense, often apart from direct adult supervision. In some communities, practical education is regarded with as much or more reverence than structured book learning. The tools, ingenuity, and skill sets that children gather during this adventurous time often enable future work and survival success, thus serving as an asset to the community as a whole.4

This is in direct conflict with traditional Western Sit-Up-Straight-And-Tall methodology. As a result, students who are more accustomed to wander- and-explore learning may have a very challenging time adjusting to certain classroom norms in the host setting. We’re talking about that child who seems entirely allergic to a desk chair. The one who stands as he or she writes, whose shoes have a habit of magically evading his or her actual feet, and whose desk is a nesting place for pen caps, twigs, puffballs, marbles, and origami triangles—that just might be your Wander-And-Explore student.

And it’s ok. These students are still learning, after all! Typically, these harmless classroom behaviors will dissipate with time. Again, they are not wrong; they are just different than what we have been trained to be used to. Best practices call for us to provide explicit learning opportunities for wander-and-explore learners that accentuate their problem-solving strengths, such as manipulative learning techniques. Meanwhile, we can promote positive behaviors that will lend to their future success in westernized schooling environments.

PERSONAL SPACE AND PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS

In many countries and cultures, personal space is not valued as a commodity. In these settings, spatial boundaries may be nonexistent. It will be very natural for students from these regions to position themselves extremely close to other individuals throughout the school day. Custom may encourage students to push right up to another student while standing in line, or think little of physical contact such as touching elbows or knees at a desk. Talking may occur at close range.

These behaviors are a routine part of life in many African and Middle Eastern countries. They are, in their essence, innocent reflections of human nature, in contexts where many people share a limited space. However, privacy considerations can become problematic in the classroom when someone with contrasting personal space values encounters them. Spatial consideration may require explicit teaching and modeling within the classroom.

ADHERENCE TO TIME

Time is not regarded with the same level of importance in all parts of the world. In the westernized sense, timeliness is considered a virtue, and adherence to time is the common norm. In many cultures, however, timeliness may be out-valued by social interaction and other obligations.

In most African countries and many regions of East Asia and Central and South America, for example, it is considered extremely rude to cut greetings or exchanges short in an effort to make an appointment deadline, or for any other reason. Thus, meetings and other professional or social engagements can run far behind schedule. Lateness, in most cases, is not considered rude or irresponsible. Loose adherence to time is merely a reflection of cultural values. Therefore, punctual behavior may need to be overtly encouraged in the Western setting.

VOLUME AND TONE

Normative values for conversational volume can vary drastically between cultures. Vocal registers that may be customary to many Middle Eastern or African cultures may feel harsh or alarming, at least according to Western expectations. In many regions, verbal exchange is an animated and lively process, and volume considerations may not be as esteemed as they are in the host setting. Meanwhile, Latin American or East Asian volume norms may be seem diminutive in contrast to host values, as soft speech and inwardness are considered virtuous character traits. In the classroom context, we need to work with our learners in establishing volume norms that are conducive to social and learning success.

UNIFORMITY

Individualism is a trend that is largely exclusive to Western cultures. Most other countries celebrate collectivism, which encourages viewing the self as inherently and wholly linked to surrounding bands of community, beginning with the family. This whole-group perspective serves to motivate decision making that will positively influence not only the self, but also the entire social dynamic.

Learners who are accustomed to uniformity value systems may find little appeal in standing out in the classroom setting. They may have limited desire to be the best, or to ask for help or clarification. Blending into the overall group dynamic is seen as a definitive honor and benefit to the family and cultural group.

We can guide our students and families to enjoy some of the benefits that individualism can provide in the new environment. Ultimately, we hope for a balance. Students will need to exercise some elements of independence in order to fully thrive in the twenty-first-century learning environment; and they may also be compelled to retain certain heritage values. We can do our best as educators by honoring both avenues, as well as all the gray areas in between!

TEACHER AS EXPERT

In most non-Western cultures, educators are highly regarded as essential pillars of the community. The teacher, in these societies, is considered a sole authority in terms of all learners’ academic welfare. Thus, education is considered the singular responsibility of the teacher. As a matter of trust and respect, parents are socially deterred from interfering with this process. Newcomer parents who are accustomed to this scenario will be highly unlikely to question the role or actions of a teacher, as such infringements would be considered offensive and disrespectful.

Complications occur when this behavior, as viewed in the West, may resemble a “lack” of parental involvement or disinterest in a child’s learning. We may become frustrated or affronted. However, the families themselves probably believe they are doing the right thing. Indeed, the concept of parent involvement in education is almost exclusively a North American one.

In effort to counter this, and other misconceptions, we must share in the responsibility of opening healthy lines of communication between the home and the school. In doing so, we make room for understanding, cooperation, and collaboration. When we, as host educators, are better informed, we’re less likely to react out of confusion or insult. Instead, we might be more inclined to respond with compassion, understanding, and careful planning.

By cultivating our own mindfulness of the cultural distinctions that exist in our classrooms and schools, we can enjoy more meaningful and impacting relationships with our students and their families. As a holistic outcome of cultural tolerance, trust can be established. From a place of trust, we can wholly access our students’ learning capabilities. This is the place where magic happens.

Sources:

Virtue, David C. (2009). Serving the Needs of Immigrant and Refugee Adolescents. Principal, VA. Vol. 89, No. 1, 64–65 S/O

Moore, Dennis (2004). Conceptual Policy Issues. In R. Hamilton & D. Moore (Eds.), Educational Interventions for Refugee Children (p. 93). London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Loewen, Shawn (2004). Second Language Concerns for Refugee Children. In R. Hamilton & D. Moore (Eds.), Educational Interventions for Refugee Children (pp. 35–52). London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Charny, Joel (2008). World Refugee Day: Where are the World’s Hidden Refugees? Refugees International. Located at www.refugeesinternational.org/blog/world- refugee-day-where-are-the-worlds-hidden-refugees. Retrieved Feb. 2014.

Meyer, Erin (2014). The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Bound- aries of Global Business. PublicAffairs Publishing.

Morrison, Terry & Wayne A. Conaway (2006). Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, Adams Media.

Lustig, Myron W. & Jolene Koester (2009). International Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures (6th Edition). Pearson Publishing.

Lewis, Richard D. (2005). When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures (3rd Edition). Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Storti, Craig (2007). The Art of Crossing Cultures (2nd Edition). International Press.

Refugee 101, Part 5: Refugees as Assets

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Refugees are important social and economic assets to the countries that they resettle to, including the United States.  First, refugees are paying into our taxation systems.  With that, they are also contributing to core programs like social security and Medicare, filling in critical gaps brought on by our aging U.S. population. Perhaps most significantly, refugee Americans are single-handedly rebuilding some of our most depressed neighborhoods and towns and adding new life to communities affected by attrition.  

New Americans help keep our communities alive and prosperous.  In a nine-year period, resettled refugees contributed nearly $41 billion in federal net fiscal benefits and $22 billion to their local economies.   They are inclined to entrepreneurial efforts, too, surpassing other foreign-born populations in business start-ups and generating billions of dollars in taxable revenue.  Additionally, new Americans bring with them new cuisine, fresh ideas and perspectives, language, art, music, entertainment, and athletic talents and professional expertise.

By and large, newcomers do well in school, too.  Resettled refugees who arrive before the age of 14 are highly likely to graduate alongside their U.S. born peers.  Those arriving before age 13 are more likely to graduate than traditional students.

Many refugee arrivals come to the U.S. with prior education, including college degrees.  Often, these degrees do not transfer. Sometimes, formal documentation of a degree was left behind or cannot be verified because of existing disruption in the home country.  Many others have expertise in a particular field or trade.  With this in mind, the prior knowledge that resettled refugees bring with them is one of our greatest untapped resources. 

Refugees can and do contribute to society in innumerable ways.  We can be intentional in our willingness to learn from them, even as we empower them to learn, work, raise families, engage in civic opportunities and lead within our communities.

Excerpt from The Newcomer Student (Kreuzer-El Yaafouri, 2006):

“Resettlement is work. It requires effort, strength, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness. It requires embracing, learning, growing, and renewing. Refugees and immigrants, in the very global sense, face the shared task of renovating and reconstructing every element of the former life.

The vast majority of relocated refugees and immigrants will embrace the new country with fierce loyalty and determination to succeed. These individuals will go on to work, attend universities, build professions, purchase homes, raise children, and contribute to their communities and in most cases, obtain citizenship. They become Americans- by official decree, through day-to-day contributions to our society, or both.

Ultimately, each reality—refugee or immigrant—is yoked to separate and unique sets of resettlement implications, which can, in turn, affect education and learning. In any case, it is prudent to keep in mind that all Newcomers are capable of full and complex contributions to our own Western societies. Each of our students and student guardians has something meaningful to contribute to the academic welfare of students, and also the community at large.

Some individuals are capable of gifting real-world advice about human circumstance on a global level. Others share academic knowledge or industry insight. Many provide critical trade, labor, arts and service skills. Resettled refugees are statistically likely to make significant economic and civic contributions to their new communities. If we are effective in our role as educators, then we can also expect that our Newcomer students will grow to become positive, valued members of society.

In essence, all Newcomers hold the capacity to become the underwriters of language, history, community engagement, and heritage preservation; and this is at the very heart of the American spirit. All knowledge has a place. This is the main idea, the Big Picture, the most important thing.”

Sources:

Columbus Council on World Affairs

Department of Health and Human Services, 2017

Eduskills, 2018

Foundation for Economic Education

Market Watch, 2018

National Immigration Forum, 2017

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2017

Refugee 101, Part 4: Active Resettlement

In the previous post, we introduced a framework for exploring refugee resettlement in three parts: international, national and local. We examined the international piece in closer detail. Here, we’ll provide an overview of the national and local components of refugee resettlement.

National

Refugee resettlement to America is based upon Presidential Determination, which is declared ahead of each fiscal year.  Typically, the number of persons actually resettled is significantly less than the official ceiling. Prior to fiscal year 2018, the U.S. resettled approximately 2% of the world’s resettled refugee population.

Refugee resettlement to the United States has steadily declined since the 1980s. Even so, the U.S. has historically resettled more refugees than any other country. Over the last two years, however, U.S. intake has been sharply reduced. Today, America resettles fewer refugees that any of the 38 participating third-party resettlement countries. 

In 2018, the refugee admissions ceiling was lowered to 45,000, though only 22,491 individuals were resettled into the U.S during that period. For fiscal year 2019, the ceiling was further reduced to just 30,000- the lowest since 1980’s passage of the Refugee Act.

Graph: Pew Research Center at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/07/05/for-the-first-time-u-s-resettles-fewer-refugees-than-the-rest-of-the-world/.

It is important to note that the process of resettlement is a complex one.  Resettlement to the United States, in particular, is an intense, thorough and often lengthy process.  Of all categories of immigrants to America, refugees are the most rigorously screened and vetted.

Image is part of a learning video created by Louise El Yaafouri for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

HOW ARE REFUGEES EVALUATED FOR U.S. RESETTLEMENT?

1.    The UNHCR identifies candidates and collects essential information. Candidates undergo an extensive interview and vetting process through the United Nations, in addition to a biometric screening and medical evaluation.

2. The few who are approved for resettlement are assigned to a third party country for consideration.

3. Candidates who are assigned U.S. resettlement are referred to a Resettlement Service Center, or RSC.  The RSC creates a file for the applicant.

4.  Candidates are subject to a vigorous screening process that includes multiple federal agencies, including the National Counter Terrorism Center, the FBI, The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.   If, at any point, an individual or family is determined to be a risk factor, the application process is ended.  

5.   The Department of Homeland Security conducts in-depth interviews with specially trained agents, and updated fingerprints are taken. Any inconsistencies result in the repetition of this step or a complete termination of the application process.

6.   A full biometric screening and evaluation process is repeated, including fingerprinting and/or iris scanning.

7.   The candidate undergoes a full medical evaluation.  For those who fail the medical component, the process is terminated.

8.  Candidates take part in cultural orientation programming to help prepare them for the transition.  Non-government resettlement entities work to determine the best location for U.S. resettlement.  The candidate does not choose his or her destination state or city.

9.  Travel is organized and the candidate is subject to new security screenings.

10.  He or she arrives in the United States and is greeted by a representative from the partnering resettlement agency.  A new set of processes and chapters of learning begin.

Image is part of a learning video created by Louise El Yaafouri for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

From The Newcomer Student, “Many refugees come to the United States without any possessions and without knowing anyone. Other refugees come here to be reunited with family members. All refugees receive limited assistance from the U.S. government and localized non-profit organizations.

The United States, for instance, will provide initial haven transport for documented refugees. The commodity is received as a loan with an expected five-year repayment period. The government (or partnering nonprofit organization) will make provisional housing and job training/placement available. The receipt of this aid sets refugees apart from their immigrant peers, who do not receive any form of resettlement compensation or assistance from the U.S. government.”

Local

Post-resettlement entities walk beside newly arrived refugees in achieving healthy resettlement outcomes. The Department of State partners with nine separate non-profit entities throughout the United States to coordinate refugee resettlement.  These include: U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), HIAS, World Relief, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and Church World Service. The presence and concentration of partner organizations differs by region.

Resettled refugees do have certain requirements that they are expected to work toward post-resettlement. In addition to following the laws of our country, the must: attend English language courses, actively seek out employment (for adults) or attend school (as children). Resettled refugees are also expected to repay the U.S. government for the initial travel loan.

Resettlement agencies are also responsible for meeting certain objectives.  Namely, they must greet the new families, secure initial housing, and aid with successful integration. Securing employment and preparing new arrivals to participate in the workforce is a primary goal.  

Because integration is multi-faceted, each organization’s programming may differ slightly, so that it can be tailored to the unique populations it serves.  Secondary services may include assistance in the areas of adult ESL, school enrollment, transportation, translation, credit counseling, physical and mental health care, nutrition and senior care.

Image is part of a learning video created by Louise El Yaafouri for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

Of course, it takes a village.  Our communities rely upon an extensive, interwoven network of refugee network service providers to ensure successful integration for new Americans. Take a moment to identify and connect with the resettlement agencies (and partner organizations) that are active in your state, city or region. These groups can be invaluable resources to us as educators and help to make up the network of supports for our newcomer families.

SOURCES:

American Immigration Council (2013). Located at americanimmgrationcouncil.org. Retrieved Oct. 2012.

Russell, Sharon Stanton (2002). Refugees: Risks and Challenges Worldwide. Migration Policy Institute, 1946–4037.

Hamilton, Richards & Moore, Dennis (2004). Education of Refugee Children: Documenting and Implementing Change. In Educational Interventions for Refugee Children, eds Richard Hamilton & Dennis Moore, London UK: RoutledgeFalmer, Chapter 8.

McBrien,J.Lynn(2003).A Second Chance for Refugee Students. Educational Leadership, Vol. 61, No. 2, 76–9 O. Educational Needs and Barriers for Refugee Students in the United States: A Review of Literature. Review of Educational Research Vol. 75, No. 3, 329–64.

United Nations, High Commissioner for Refugees (2012). United Nations Communications and Public Information Service, Geneva, Switzerland. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

Patrick, Erin (2004). The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Located at migrationpolicy.org/article/us-refugee- resettlement-program. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United Nations Convention related to the Status of Refugees (1951). UN Article 1. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved June 2011.

International Refugee Committee (2015). SOAR, New York. Located at rescue. org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

Van Hahn, Nguyen (2002). Annual Report to Congress- Executive Summary. Office of Refugee Resettlement. Located at acf.hhs.gov. Retrieved Dec. 2010.

Edwards, James R. Jr. (2012). Religious Agencies and Refugee Resettlement. Center for Immigration Studies. Memorandum, March 2012.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2012). United Nations Communications and Public Information Service, Geneva, Switzerland. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va., refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va., refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (2013). Path to Citizenship. Located at uscis.gov. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va. Located at refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (2013). Path to Citizenship. Located at uscis.gov. Retrieved Aug. 2014.  

Refugee 101, Part 3: Pre-Resettlement

Photo credit: Louise El Yaafouri. Syrian youth in an English class in Saida, Lebanon. The stories that these students shared with me continue to resonate with me and inform my global perspetive. Not all displaced Syrians in Lebanon are eligible to attend school. Those that do have access to formal education attend classes in the afternoons, after the traditional Lebanese school day has finished. Many students, like most of those in this class, work as day laborers outside of their three hour learning window.

EXPLORING THE PRE-RESETTLEMENT PROCESS

“En route to a place on our classroom rosters, the resettled refugee child will have coursed through an intricate system of relocation mechanisms and endured innumerable transformations. Refugee families often endure multiple relocations, endless interviews, and a myriad of mental and physical assessments on the path to resettlement. They might have also experienced unimaginable distress: loss, sacrifice, hunger, human atrocity, and an exceptional scarcity of basic needs.

Resettlement histories are the ballads of a conflicted mankind, and testimonies of human migration are rarely uncomplicated. Rather, they are elaborate, winding, uncomfortable testaments to the greatness of character and spirit.

A very small percentage of those roads lead directly into our classrooms.” – The Newcomer Student: An educator’s Guide to Aid Transition, Louise El Yaafouri, (Kreuzer)

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Let’s explore refugee resettlement from three stages: International, National and Local. We’ll begin with the international piece. This is where refugee identification and pre-resettlement considerations begin.

The path to resettlement is complex and extensive.  Ultimately, it is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, who is responsible for determining eligibility for refugee status.  UNHCR agents are positioned in various international regions with the central purpose of screening, interviewing, and preparing candidates for asylum. Generally, whole families are referred at once. Incredibly, less than one percent of the world’s refugees will be referred for facilitated resettlement.

In making referrals for refugee status, the United Nations ensures four critical checkpoints.  A person must:

·      Experience a well-founded fear of persecution.  

·      Be outside of the country of nationality. 

·      Be unable to access protection from the home country

·      Not be a national of another country.

Image is part of a learning video created for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

Once Refugee Status has been established, the UNHCR considers three durable solutions:

1.    Voluntary repatriation back into country of origination

2.    Localized integration into a neighboring country

3.    Resettlement to an agreeing third party country.

Image is part of a learning video created for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

From The Newcomer Student:

“In considering possible outcomes for displaced persons, voluntary repatriation into the country of origin is always the primary objective. In situations where this is not an immediate or long-term possibility, localized resettlement options will be considered. When this occurs, the temporary host country (typically the refugee camp sponsor of the displaced persons) will agree to absorb its refugee-status guests into its own country as free-moving individuals with national rights.

Localized resettlement (or local integration) countries are generally proximal to the zone of distress. Frequently, receiving countries are similarly affected by turmoil and instability, even while the circumstances of distress may differ. Therefore, it is not uncommon for nations in war-torn regions of the world to “flip-flop” their national citizens; as people leave one country to seek safety in another, others may be seeking haven from persecution in the reverse direction.

Third-party resettlement is the least desirable and least attempted solution. Only a minuscule fraction of the world’s refugees will become eligible for relocation to a third-party host nation. A few make it through.

They become our students.”

SOURCES:

American Immigration Council (2013). Located at americanimmgrationcouncil.org. Retrieved Oct. 2012.

Russell, Sharon Stanton (2002). Refugees: Risks and Challenges Worldwide. Migration Policy Institute, 1946–4037.

Hamilton, Richards & Moore, Dennis (2004). Education of Refugee Children: Documenting and Implementing Change. In Educational Interventions for Refugee Children, eds Richard Hamilton & Dennis Moore, London UK: RoutledgeFalmer, Chapter 8.

McBrien,J.Lynn(2003).A Second Chance for Refugee Students. Educational Leadership, Vol. 61, No. 2, 76–9 O. Educational Needs and Barriers for Refugee Students in the United States: A Review of Literature. Review of Educational Research Vol. 75, No. 3, 329–64.

United Nations, High Commissioner for Refugees (2012). United Nations Communications and Public Information Service, Geneva, Switzerland. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

Patrick, Erin (2004). The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Located at migrationpolicy.org/article/us-refugee- resettlement-program. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United Nations Convention related to the Status of Refugees (1951). UN Article 1. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved June 2011.

International Refugee Committee (2015). SOAR, New York. Located at rescue. org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

Van Hahn, Nguyen (2002). Annual Report to Congress- Executive Summary. Office of Refugee Resettlement. Located at acf.hhs.gov. Retrieved Dec. 2010.

Edwards, James R. Jr. (2012). Religious Agencies and Refugee Resettlement. Center for Immigration Studies. Memorandum, March 2012.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2012). United Nations Communications and Public Information Service, Geneva, Switzerland. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va., refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va., refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (2013). Path to Citizenship. Located at uscis.gov. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va. Located at refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (2013). Path to Citizenship. Located at uscis.gov. Retrieved Aug. 2014.

Refugee 101, Part 2: Who is a Refugee?

Image is part of a learning video created by Louise El Yaafouri for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

Currently, there are more than 65 million displaced persons in the world.  Of those, nearly 26 million are classified as refugees. More than half of the world’s refugees are children.

Less than half of one percent of the world’s refugees will ever be resettled to a third party country, such as the U.S.  A slight handful of that exceptional one percent will make their way into our schools and classrooms.  This means that our newcomer students truly are one in a million- and in the broader context of displaced persons, closer to one in a billion.

As educators, we may be presented with the unique opportunity- and awesome responsibility- to serve students from refugee backgrounds. In this five-part series, we’ll explore the refugee experience, outline pre and post-resettlement processes, and celebrate resettled refugees as assets to our communities.

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WHO IS A REFFUGEE?

Migration is a central theme of the human story.  Many, including including immigrants and migrants (by technical definition), relocate by choice- usually in search of new opportunities or improved ways of life.  

Others are forced to relocate as a means of survival.  Displaced individuals are pushed from their homes or communities involuntarily and under high duress- often leaving behind possessions, loved ones and personal histories.  Catalysts for displacement include war, famine, natural disaster or economic instability. 

Refugees are set apart from other displaced populations by one critical feature.  The flight of a refugee must be related to war or violence, and they must experience an earnest fear for their life as a result of ongoing persecution.  

This comes from the 1951 Geneva Convention, the outcome of which defines a refugee as one who fled his or her own country because of persecution, or a well-founded fear of persecution, based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.  Asylum seekers meet the criteria of a refugee but are already living in the host country or are seeking asylum at a port of entry.

Image is part of a learning video created by Louise El Yaafouri for Colorado Refugee Connect. View the full video and get involved at corefugeeconnect.org.

Each story of the refugee experience is unique.  Some travel through multiple countries in search of asylum.  In the process of escape, many must tolerate uncertainty or entrust their lives to smugglers.  Some endure periods without food, water or shelter.  Many flee without important documentation. Some are forced to leave loved ones behind.

The majority of refugees relocate to urban camps, where groups of affected individuals band together within established cities.  Urban camps are generally makeshift and may evolve to have their own economies.  Some resettle in formal refugees camps, typically organized and operated by the UNHCR. These are the image of refuge camps that most Westerners are familiar with, usually having standardized tent structures and organizational staff.

From The Newcomer Student:

It is difficult to capture the essence and extent of what a refugee camp actually is. Refugee settlements are not typically self-supporting, and rely extensively on external aid for nearly all matters of finance, food, health, and 
 viability. They are notoriously unglamorous, routinely undersupplied, and statistically dangerous. The UN High Commission for Refugees offers that, “Refugee camp is a term used to describe human settlements which vary greatly in size and character. In general, refugee camps are enclosed areas, restricted to refugees and those assisting them, where protection and assistance is provided until it is safe for the refugees to return to their home or to be resettled elsewhere.”

On average, a refugee lives in a camp setting for 17 years.  It is common for refugees from one country to be born in a refugee camp in another country (for example, a Bhutanese student may identify as Nepali, a Burmese as Thai, or a Congolese as Tanzanian.)  On average, a refugee is away from the heritage country for 20 years before a return can be realized.

 Prior to upheaval, most refugees did not desire to leave their home countries.  In fact, this process can be very traumatic.  In her poem “Home” Somali poet Warsan Shire writes, “No one leaves their home unless their home is the mouth of a shark.”

SOURCES:

American Immigration Council (2013). Located at americanimmgrationcouncil.org. Retrieved Oct. 2012.

Russell, Sharon Stanton (2002). Refugees: Risks and Challenges Worldwide. Migration Policy Institute, 1946–4037.

Hamilton, Richards & Moore, Dennis (2004). Education of Refugee Children: Documenting and Implementing Change. In Educational Interventions for Refugee Children, eds Richard Hamilton & Dennis Moore, London UK: RoutledgeFalmer, Chapter 8.

McBrien,J.Lynn(2003).A Second Chance for Refugee Students. Educational Leadership, Vol. 61, No. 2, 76–9 O. Educational Needs and Barriers for Refugee Students in the United States: A Review of Literature. Review of Educational Research Vol. 75, No. 3, 329–64.

United Nations, High Commissioner for Refugees (2012). United Nations Communications and Public Information Service, Geneva, Switzerland. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

Patrick, Erin (2004). The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Located at migrationpolicy.org/article/us-refugee- resettlement-program. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United Nations Convention related to the Status of Refugees (1951). UN Article 1. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved June 2011.

International Refugee Committee (2015). SOAR, New York. Located at rescue. org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

Van Hahn, Nguyen (2002). Annual Report to Congress- Executive Summary. Office of Refugee Resettlement. Located at acf.hhs.gov. Retrieved Dec. 2010.

Edwards, James R. Jr. (2012). Religious Agencies and Refugee Resettlement. Center for Immigration Studies. Memorandum, March 2012.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2012). United Nations Communications and Public Information Service, Geneva, Switzerland. Located at unhcr.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va., refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va., refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (2013). Path to Citizenship. Located at uscis.gov. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants (USCRI) (2015). Arlington, Va. Located at refugees.org. Retrieved Aug. 2015.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (2013). Path to Citizenship. Located at uscis.gov. Retrieved Aug. 2014.

Refugee 101, Part 1: An Introduction

The only remaining photo of Eh Doh Htoo and his family in the Thai refugee camp for Karen Burmese. He shared this photo with our class as part of a “Heritage Book” project in 2009. He graduated high school last year.

The following is an excerpt from The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Transition by Louise El Yaafouri (Kreuzer), available HERE.

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An Introduction to the Refugee 101 Series

Newcomer students are often defined by a long and complicated series of statistics: data scores, influx patterns, poverty analyses, and of course, school performance grades. Certain figures are certainly useful and valid. But they lead us apart from the relatable, tangible person. The relatable, tangible student; the learner we show up for. This leads us to the who.

In elementary talk, human seeking refuge is the main idea of the refugee story. Refugees are individuals with palpable faces and names who are colored by real life stories, experiences, families, and successes. Refugees and immigrants, not apart from our host-nation selves, are people—parents, children, adventurers, workers, dreamers, teachers, students, feelers, believers, doers, and learners.

Again, like us, refugee individuals and families carry with them other things: tribulations, stressors, and personal legacies. Some family fabrics are cohesive; others show wear. Some individuals appear well adjusted and decodable, while others are stalemated in secrets, burdens, and internalized fears.

These pieces, combined, highlight one simple, beautiful, extraordinary truth. We are all human. Each of us is susceptible, and yet, each of us is a channel for resiliency. We are all magnificent and full of promise, just as we are tarnished and unsteady. Each of us owns an access point to greatness. More than this, we all possess the inherent ability to help and guide one another through processes of personal and contextual transformation.

Let’s think this through. Are we, as westernized Americans in our own subjective neighborhoods, so exempt from characteristics of trial, loss, joy, confusion, relocation, or overcoming? Of course not! Sure, some of our stories register relatively low on the scale of global severity. Nevertheless, our personal tribulations and successes are meaningful to us, within the context and perimeters of life as we are familiar with it. No story is insignificant.

Greatness belongs to each of us.

"Home": Acknowledging the Complex Transitions of Refugee Newcomers

Drawing by former student Pah Leh Paw (age 9), depicting the Thai refugee camp where she grew up, after her family fled from the Karen cultural region of Myanmar Burma.

“I AM FROM . . .”

In my first year of teaching in the Newcomer sector, I remember feeling flabbergasted by one very real truth: our little four-walled classroom housed the world inside its perimeter. Out of the twenty-five students that first year, fourteen countries were represented in our classroom, with nineteen first languages among them. I still cherish this memory, and perhaps more so now that I’ve also acquired some understanding of the unique countries, customs, and languages that we have in our care.

I arrived as head of the classroom that year, the first year that our refugee-magnate school was set in motion, highly unprepared. I was fresh, sure, and knowledgeable in the field of education, too. I was also remarkably naïve. Armed with personal monologues of out-of-country experiences, I thought I was worldly, exposed, and ready. Then, I got schooled by a class of eight-year-olds.

When, for example, students stated, “I am from Burma,” I assumed, well, Burma. As in, one Burma, the one I located on Google Maps (just to refresh my memory . . . of course). As in, one culture, one language, one struggle, one united journey to our classroom.

That episode of simplistic thinking was short-lived. Within days, I figured out that several of my Burmese students couldn’t actually communicate orally with each other. Moreover, this group of students did not always appear outwardly friendly toward one another, despite their apparent cultural similarities. In fact, I was noticing intense tensions and aggressions between like-cultured groups, even while cross-cultural communications remained friendly and outgoing.

At one point early in the year, Snay Doh came to see me in private. He asked to move his seat away from his Thai peer, Thaw Eh Htoo. He wished to sit at a separate desk, between Valentin from Burundi, and Khaled from Yemen. “I don’t mind thinking about this, Snay Doh,” I replied, “but I hope that you can explain to me why this is a good idea. Moving your seat isn’t going to make a bigger problem go away. What is it that seems to be keeping you and Thaw from getting along?”

Snay Doh, with his limited English vocabulary, broke down the entire dilemma, with Crayola illustrations and all. In the end, I learned that Snay Doh’s parents were Burma-Burmese, and that he was born in the refugee camps in Thailand. Thaw Eh Htoo was also born in a Thai refugee camp. However, his parents were Karen Burmese. Not only were these two families from geographically, linguistically, and culturally separate parts of Burma; they were also at war with one another.

With a little more research, I came to realize that four rivers physically separate the small nation of Burma into five distinct geographical regions. Within these regions, a multitude of individual tribes maintain separate and exclusive lifestyles and cultures. Seven of these tribes demand high social and political prominence. These clans have an epic history of interaction, often involving warfare on every level and for every reason: territory, religion, water, trade, and government.

Members from five of these tribes held places on that first year roster. So, no; that original seating arrangement with four of those Burmese students, of four separate religions, customs and dialects at the same table didn’t work out so well. (Enter school-wide positive behavior system roll-out.)

Similar dichotomies are repeated each year in our schools and classrooms, and are reflected in the lives of our students from all over the world: Congo, Iran, Somalia, and Libya, and many others. The truth is that people who originate from one country are not necessarily homogeneous, or for that matter, oozing with camaraderie with one another. Fundamental views and values may vary dramatically, even to the point of enmity. For me, this lesson was critical. Indeed, we are never done learning.

AS THE CROW FLIES

Interestingly, our students’ documented countries of origination are rarely aligned with actual ancestral roots. This occurs primarily because many of our students are transported to (or even born in refugee camps) proximal to the heritage region.

For example, most Nepali refugees are Bhutanese. Many Thai students are Burmese. Our Kenyan students might be exclusively Congolese, Somalian, Rwandan, or Ethiopian. A Lebanese student’s first home may have been Syria, Palestine or Afghanistan.

Sometimes a spade is a spade; Congo really does mean Congo, and there is no need to complicate things further. But often, it doesn’t hurt to engage in a little sleuthing. The results can be astonishing. Frequently, Newcomers will have lived in a multitude of nations, even leading up to the country of origin that appears on resettlement documentation. This information can be helpful, in that it allows for additional insights into students’ probable cultural and learning backgrounds. It might also sway us away from topical assumptions and approaches to our craft. Cultural geography 101, via the wide-eyed testimonies of our learners.

The list below indicates possible refugee origination locales. The perimeter countries represent heavily documented home nations. The adjacent regions are plausible induction zones. Often, grouped nations may be interchanged as first, second, or third origination countries. Of course, this resource equates to a rough-sketch approximation guide. The only true authorities on our students’ pre-resettlement paths are our students and families themselves.

POTENTIAL REFUGEE ORIGINATION LOCALES

Nepal: Bhutan, Tibet

India: Iran, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and China

Kenya: Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia

Ghana: Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal

Egypt: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Djibouti, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Yemen, Congo, and Lebanon

Libya: Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Senegal, Egypt, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Yemen, Djibouti, and Algeria

Thailand, Malaysia: Myanmar Burma, Karen Burma, Chin Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and China

Bangladesh: Rohingya Burma, Urdu Pakistan, Iran, Philippines, and Vietnam Jordan: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Armenia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Afghanistan

Turkey: Russia, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan

Brazil: Venezuela, Honduras, Paraguay, Ecuador, Columbia, and Costa Rica

Mexico: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Honduras, and Chili.

Creating Newcomer ELD Program Mission/Vision Statements

A school district’s mission and vision statements define and guide the work of the educational staff and the growth of the students.  These statements are publicly visible, and serve as a pint of communication between central administration, teachers, students, families and community stakeholders.  In most cases, districts and schools can also benefit from designing and implementing separate mission/vision statements that are unique to ELL and/or Newcomer programming, but that function alongside and in alignment with overarching district goals.

EL/Newcomer initiatives that operate with clear, program-focused mission/vision statements are able to set goals, monitor progress and make critical decisions to promote socio-linguistic growth of its diverse populations.  Great!  So, where do we begin?

The answer is, we begin where you begin.  You- your school or organization- will begin this journey at a unique map point.  You may model yourselves after other successful programs; and later programs may follow your lead.  But, your school cannot walk step-in-step with another Newcomer-ELD education initiative. 

Why?  Your school is not the same as any other school.  Your specific student demographics are unmatched. 

Your team of educators- their personalities, strengths, opportunities for growth- are exclusive to your campus.  Your team’s vision and goals and daily protocol are your own.  Your children- the ones who stop to hug you on the way to the office, the ones you call to by first name for moving too quickly down the hallway, the ones you visit with in their homes on the weekends- these are your kids.

Who knows your students and their needs best?  You do.  Who knows the capacities and limitations of your space, resources and funding?  You guessed it.

Your task is to craft- that is, to design and refine- successful Newcomer-ELD mission and vision statements that work for your organization, based on your particular set of ambitions, goals, needs and available resources.

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 DEFINING MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS

Mission and vision statements are cornerstones in determining your group’s purpose and function.   These declarations help to ground and guide your team as a unified organism with a clearly defined cause.   Mission and vision statements are more than formalities.  In the case of Newcomer-ELD programming, they serve as a map that guides us, instructionally, in the direction of culturally-responsive EL student growth.

Once they are established, they also serve as a baseline rubric for evaluating all decisions and outcomes.  Your team can ask, “Does this item align with our mission and vision?  If not, how can we effectively adjust or release it?”

Your mission statement defines what your group aims to accomplish in the present context- right now.  The goals outlined in the mission declaration should be realistic and attainable. The vision statement outlines your team’s long-term objectives or ideals- your vision for the future.

Let’s look at some broad examples.  Here’s Google’s mission statement:  “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”.  Their vision statement is “to organize all of the data in the world and make it accessible for everyone in a useful way”. (Google online, 2016)

Google works to organize and make information accessible right now.  Organizing data for the entire world is a lofty objective that will take time, but could actually be accomplished at some point in the future.

Mission and vision declarations do not need to be complicated.  In fact, simplicity is best. Ikea’s current mission is to “make everyday life better for their customers”.  Current is emphasized because mission statements can be utterly static and should be revisited frequently as the team’s success or understanding progresses.

Meanwhile, Ikea’s vision is, “to create a better everyday life for many people. We make this possible by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home-furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”  The phrasing as many people as possible indicates a long-range goal, or vision, for the future.  

I bet you’re thinking, “That’s great, but why are we talking about Fortune 500 companies?  We’re trying to get our Newcomer Centers and ELL programming off the ground!”  Well, we can approach that very aim with a business-like mind for strategy, organization and anticipated gain (in this case, language acquisition, social integration and academic accomplishment).  In this context, mission and vision statements are certainly applicable.  Let’s examine some approaches in the educational realm. 

Pearson Education details their vision and mission as:                        

“Our Vision: To fulfill the educational needs across a spectrum of individuals with reliable experience and technology.  Our Mission:

·       To provide end-to-end education solutions in the K-12 segment.

·       To become a leader in the education services field.

·       To create comprehensive educational content that can be delivered through a series of innovative mechanisms, thus removing physical and cultural barriers in knowledge dissemination.

·       To be a vehicle of change by creating interfaces that allow education to reach the underprivileged.” (Pearson online, 2016)

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In narrowing our interest, here are a few inspiring examples specifically related to refugee and immigrant Newcomer educational services.  Canada’s Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre services refugees and immigrants in multiple capacities.  Their mission is, “To enable independence and respectful community participation for Newcomers to Canada by providing settlement and integration services in a safe and welcoming environment, and by promoting cross cultural awareness to all in the communities we serve.”  

Southwest Newcomer Centre’s Vision is more objective.  It calls for the center, “To be a comprehensive newcomer service providing agency acting as a gateway to equitable, respectful, welcoming communities where all members are empowered to actively participate and contribute.”

Austin, Minnesota is a refugee hub with a thriving Newcomer Welcome Center.  It also has a clear mission statement: “The Welcome Center serves the City of Austin as the community’s multi-cultural center, building community by welcoming newcomers, supporting residents in transition and creating access and opportunity.”  Austin’s vision holds that, “The Welcome Center envisions a vibrant and culturally diverse community where everyone is accepted, respected and independent.”

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HOW DO WE CREATE OUR OWN M/V STATEMENTS?

First, gather your team.  Mission and vision objectives are not one-man (or woman) shows.  Make room for ideas to circulate.  Open the floor.  Disagree.  Break thinking down and re-configure it. Decide what’s best for your team.  Then, decide what’s best for the population you serve and override the interests of the team. 

This is a time for finding your organization’s core.  All outward momentum will come from this center, so be sure it’s solid.  (Or at least, that it is stable enough to bear the weight and stress of the current and future objectives you will set for your organization).

Then, jump in.  Here are a few guiding questions as you begin your thinking around mission and vision statements:

·       Who are we serving?

·       What are the precise demographics of the population that we are serving?

·       What do we want to accomplish?

·       What do we aim to provide?

·       By what means will we accomplish these aims?

·       How will our efforts enable student success?

·       Why is the student success we defined important?

·       How will we measure/determine success?

·       How will our efforts better our school and community?

            Next, elaborate on your values.  What character traits, key ethics or primary goals does your organization consider sacred or essential to program success?  How does or will your team maintain its integrity?  Values encompass qualities such as leadership, partnership, innovation, safety, continuous growth and improvement, accountability, and professionalism.  What does your team stand for?

            Now, begin to work together to invent (or revisit) your statements.  There is no right or wrong way or any blanket format.  Find what works best.  You can start big (vision) and bring those ideas into clear, applicable focus (mission).  Or, flip the process and move outward toward your team’s vision.

            Come back to your M/V statements regularly.  To reinforce their importance, begin and end meetings with them, especially in the beginning stages.  Remind each other to check in with your team’s core values throughout decision-making processes.   Let your mission and vision define your team’s work.

As a Newcomer-focused educational consultant, my professional objectives read:  

My mission is to empower educators to provide Newcomer ELLs and all students with the tools, resources and support they need to achieve their highest academic and social capacity.  

My vision is that all learners have an equitable right to high quality education and upward social mobility.  All learners possess an ability to achieve greatness.  All educators have an equitable right to training and support that enhances student growth.  All teachers are capable of instructional excellence.

What is your team’s mission and vision?

10 Vocab Strategies for ELLs (and all learners!)

Vocabulary Strategies

Vocabulary development is an important component of language acquisition.  If you’re ready to explore new strategies, jump into any of these.  They are teacher tested (self-included!), cross-curricular and can be modified to suit all grade and language levels.  Best of all, each strategy is low-prep and places students at the center of their own learning- which is exactly where we want them.  

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4-PLEX

This activity encourages vocabulary development, especially that which builds throughout a unit or text.  Students draw a set of perpendicular lines on a paper to create four equal segments (or fold a piece of paper into fourths). 

In the upper left section, students will write a vocabulary word.  In the upper right quadrant, they will illustrate the word.  The lower left section will contain a sentence with the vocabulary word underlined or highlighted.  In the last quadrant, students will produce a definition. 

Older students may create smaller versions of this exercise in a personal notebook, with multiple 4-square organizers per page. Alternatively, students can work to complete these organizers in groups of 2 or 4 to encourage cooperative talk and collaborative skills. 

CAPTAIN

This activity allows students to study content vocabulary and practice speaking and listening skills in a fast-paced game format. Begin by dividing the class into two teams. Arrange teams so that all but one student from each group is facing a whiteboard or Smartboard. Position two chairs (one for each team) so that they face the members of their group, with the backs to the whiteboard or Smartboard.

One student from each team sits in the chair so that he or she can see their teammates, but not the writing space. He or she is the "captain". The remaining team members form a line facing the chair. The facilitator records a vocabulary word from a familiar unit of study on the board. The student at the head of each line aims for the captain to name the correct response without actually saying, drawing, or spelling the target word. The team whose "captain" says the word first gets a point. Line leaders from both lines move to the end of the line and the next student steps up, repeating the process.

Once all students have described a word to the captain, the chairperson moves to the end of the line and the line leader becomes the next captain. This process repeats until all vocabulary words are used.

CLOSED SORT

Closed sorts allow students to process new information and vocabulary in a guided, structured way. Sort decks can be made ahead of time, and for very young learners this may be ideal. Generally, it is best to have students create their own sort decks as a means of practicing reading and writing skills. Sorts can be completed independently, but partner work is even more beneficial in that it encourages collaborative problem solving and exercises listening and speaking components. To create sort decks, students can use a class generated list, personal dictionary or unit vocabulary wall to write individual vocabulary words on index cards (or halved index cards).

In a closed sort, the facilitator clearly defines the sort groups for students in advance. For example, an animal sort might include the categories: mammal, reptile, bird, fish, amphibian. An earth sciences sort might include the categories: rock, mineral, fossil. Students work to organize their cards in alignment with the pre-determined categories. Students’ work should be validated by a teacher, textbook or pre-made answer key.

OBJECT-VERB MATCH

The Object-Verb Match activity reinforces the relationship between nouns and verbs. It encourages students to share existing vocabulary knowledge and to explore new language in an interactive context. The activity is best suited for students up to 5th grade and emergent higher-grade learners.

Facilitator uses sentence strips or sticky notes on pieces of butcher paper to post various nouns around the room. As an alternative, images of various nouns (ex: horse, towel, archaeologist) may be posted. *Note: vocabulary that is specifically related to a text/topic of study is suggested.

Students are invited to walk the room, visiting each noun. Learners use the space on each piece of butcher paper to identify and record as many corresponding verbs as possible for each noun posted. Once completed (a timer is recommended), students may be invited to compose sentences using the identified vocabulary, act out the verbs at each station, or discuss contributions in an inside-outside circle format. Examples- Horse: gallop, trot, run, glide, prance, jump, leap, eat, walk, canter, race.  Towel: wipe, dry, clean, mop, wring, wash, dry, hang, use, share, spread.   Archaeologist: dig, explore, discover, search(ing), examine, think, brush, study, write/record, travel, talk, save/preserve, protect, carry, store.

OPEN SORT

Sorting activities allow students to process new information and vocabulary in a guided, structured way. Open sorts are similar to closed sorts but differ in one critical area. In a closed sort, the organizational categories are pre-determined by the facilitator. In an open sort, students will work independently or in workgroups to devise, define and label their own categories, with only limited guidance from a teacher.

This process encourages critical thinking, rationalization, and problem-solving skills. For this reason, open sorts are best suited to older learners and intermediate/advanced language learners. It is best to have students create their own sort decks as a means of practicing reading and writing skills.

To create sort decks, students can use a class-generated list, personal dictionary, or unit vocabulary wall to write individual vocabulary words on index cards (or halved index cards). Within small collaborative workgroups, learners strategize a rationale for organizing cue cards. *Note: group end products do not need to mirror each other. Groups may be asked to present their sort and rationale to the class. Student work should be validated by a teacher, textbook, or pre-made answer key. For limited proficiency modification, see "Closed Sort" activity.

SYNONYM RACE
Synonym race is a collaborative activity that guides students in exploring similar-meaning words. To prepare for this activity, create identical sets of play cards to be used for groups of students working together (3-5 groups recommended). Cards can be printed and cut or written on index cards.  Play cards should contain adjectives that students may or may not be familiar with.

To play, divide students into working groups and distribute a play deck to each group. For each round of playing, facilitator calls out one adjective that is not included in the decks but is a synonym for a word in the deck. (Ex: Silly: Amusing.  Interesting: Fascinating.  Run:Dash). Groups of students must shuffle through their decks, locate a synonym, negotiate a word (if necessary), and either hold up the selection or write it on a white board. The first group to do so gets a point. Facilitator or a student records all synonym matches in a visible location.

This process continues until decks are exhausted. To close the exercise, students independently write the list of synonyms (and, for upper level students, come up with additional synonyms for each word) into their personal dictionaries, synonym study book, pre-made worksheet or alternative space.

THIEF IN THE MIX

This is an engaging game that allows students to practice the use of verb conjugation while exercising all four language domains. Prior to the start of the lesson, the facilitator creates a class set of index cards with sentence clauses that students will use to construct complete first-person sentences. (Ex: trombone player, last year; dance teacher, 6 years; Lego expert, 4 years old). For early language learners or very young students, sentence stems will be more appropriate.

Pass out index cards to students. Explain that something is now missing from the classroom and that there are a designated number of "thieves" in the class (3-5). The students must now become detectives and seek out the thieves.

To do this, students will need to circulate the room. When they encounter a partner, they have two roles. First, if using a clause card, they must share the detail about themselves. (I have been a trombone player since last year. I have been a dance teacher for 6 years. I have been a Lego expert since I was 4.) Then, the partner records the information in the third person. (He has been a trombone player since last year. She has been a dance teacher for 6 years. She's been a Lego expert since she was 4.) Roles reverse.

When this process is complete, students find a new partner. The game continues for a designated amount of time or through a set number of partners. Finally, the facilitator reveals the details of the "thieves". Those students whose index cards match a description of a thief come forward and read their sentences to the class. As an alternative, all students can practice reading their sentences in an Inside-Outside Circle or similar format.

WORD EXCHANGE

Word Exchange is a strategy that engages learners in all of the language domains. To begin, distribute index cards with vocabulary words written or printed on them. The other half of the class receives index cards with matching vocabulary definitions. Have students read and become comfortable with the cards, offering assistance where needed. Next, students are prompted to circulate the room interacting, exchanging ideas, and problem-solving to match each new word with its corresponding definition.

Once pairs are set (is it wise to have students confirm definition using text glossary, picture dictionary or another resource), they can move to the next step. Partners may compose and display labeled drawings, graphic organizers (such as the Frayer model), songs, or skits to explain the target word. For added linguistic practice, allow each pair an opportunity to present their word set to the class.

WORD RELAY

This activity incorporates kinesthetic engagement as it encourages students to actively demonstrate collaborative skills, content understanding, and sentence building. To begin, students are divided into teams of three to six participants. Each team assumes a “home base” in a corner or side of the room. The facilitator places one deck of cards in the center of the room. This deck of cards contains content/unit-specific words. A second set of cards is placed next to the first. This deck contains sentence building cards, including various prepositions, conjunctions, punctuation marks, and “double underline” cards (indicating the use of a capital letter).

When cued, one person from each team approaches the cards, selects one from each pile, and returns to his or her “base”. This process continues until one team has constructed a full, meaningful sentence, complete with appropriate sequencing and punctuation. Members of the finished team may join other teams as they continue to play until completion.

WORD STRENGTH

Word Strength is best suited for intermediate and advanced language learners. The exercise helps students to better understand subtle gradients in adjectives within like categories. The facilitator's role is to guide students in the process of ordering feeling words from the least to the most exaggerated meaning. This can be achieved in a group or independent context.

To complete the group version on a smartboard or large piece of chart paper, begin with a horizontal line stretching from one side of the workspace to the other. Distribute index cards with pre-recorded target adjectives. In the early stages, it is best to begin with a limited number of cards (3-5), working up to as many as twenty.

Students work collaboratively to organize words on the gradient of intensity. The use of personal dictionaries, anchor charts, contextual text or other resources is encouraged. Example 1: icy, frigid, cold, chilly, lukewarm, warm, toasty, hot, scalding. Example 2: evil, wicked, mean, aloof, indifferent, cordial, friendly, affectionate. The same process can be repeated on a smaller scale for independent work and/or station work.

Ready to dig deeper? These activities (and many others) were created by Refugee Classroom as part of the comprehensive EduSkills platform. Learn more at eduskills.us.

EduSkills is an educational services and school data analysis company serving schools and districts Pre-K through 12th grade. EduSkills collaborates with schools and districts in order to help teachers and administrators become high-performing outcome-based educators with a clear focus on high-level student achievement.

ELLs & the Silent Period

The following is an excerpt from The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Tranisition (Roman & Littlefield International, 2016). Interesting in exploring the full book? Find it on Amazon, Roman & Littlefield, or your favorite retailer.

The Silent Period & Obstructed Speech

The effects of a child’s emotional and psychiatric distress are routinely fleshed out in the Newcomer classroom.   Often, the first of these symptoms are speech-related.  In many cases, newly resettled students endure a period of marked silence.  Silence is usually ascribed to the process of emotional transitioning.  During the silent phase, which last for variant lengths of time, an individual will not express thoughts in the host language, either out of reluctance or inability.[1]  Those who experience this phenomenon are sometimes referred to as “shell shocked”.[1] [1]  The silent phase can last a period of days, weeks, or months.

In addition to silence, exposure to traumatic episodes at any period in a child’s life can trigger recurring nightmares and cognitive delays, as well as speech “freezes” and impediments. Such blocks include stuttering.  Newcomer students who exhibit impeded speech should also be evaluated for traumatic stress.  

Both silence and stuttering have a need to be addressed in the classroom.  To begin, students should not be expected or mandated to produce oral language before they are ready.   It is also wise to avoid situations that might embarrass new language learners, including publicly calling on them to speak before they are ready.  We can be careful to offer caring encouragement and guidance.  Also, we are responsible to practice patient wait time for processing speakers.  In doing so, we model this behavior for other students.  

Specific classroom accommodations must be in place to support language learners, and particularly non-verbal ELLs.  First, to achieve this, a healthy and nurturing learning environment is critical.  Small group engagement, tactile activities and positive feedback may encourage speech attempts and decrease overall anxiety.  Alternative-expression tasks, such as drawing-and-labeling, script singing, or charade acting can provide additional opportunities to demonstrate knowledge in a language-centric environment.  

Of course, kindness and caring are often the most influential antidotes to stress-stemmed silence.  In the context of non-verbal ELLs, relationship and safety are everything.   Simply, security induces speech.