TIII Back-to-School Series: Visual Orientation Handbook

I absolutely love this idea of a visual orientation handbook, shared with me by Silvia Tamminen, coordinator at the Aurora Public Schools (APS) Welcome Center in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado.  

The Aurora Public Schools (APS) Welcome Center supports one of the most diverse student populations in the country.  This demographic includes a large number of folks resettled refugee status.  The district is now home to students from all over the world, with especially robust cultural representation from Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Myanmar, Côte d’ Ivoire, and Eritrea.   

Families with school-aged children who are new to the district and also new to the English language are directly referred to the APS Welcome Center.  Staff guide Newcomer families through the processes of student registration and school orientation.  

Sylvia Timmenem heads this effort.  She’s a human rights professional with a concentration on refugee and migration issues.  Her knowledge of policy and practice is evident. But she’s also approachable and down-to-earth, with a bold, welcoming smile.  As I glance through her workspace, I notice elements of her Fin culture.

“Immigration is something I share with our clients,” she tells me.  But she’s also quick to point out that while there are some parallels, her path to America was smoother than many of those she sees in her day-to-day work. Sylvia is deeply aware of the privilege that comes with choice, with a previous knowledge of the English language, and even her appearance. Nonetheless, she does have an understanding of just how complex and overwhelming the immgration process can be. This awareness adds an additional layer of humanity to her interactions. 

Sylivia came on board with the APS Welcome Center program in its inaugural season.  She and her team built the organization from the bones up.  The visual orientation handbook is among the group’s creative, solution-seeking efforts.

The handbook is a non-consumable resource with a permanent home in Sylvia’s office.  It is composed of full-page photos and illustrations, slid into sheet protectors and organized into a three-ring binder.  Each image is captioned with a simple explanation, which is (or can be) easily translated into a preferred language. Sylvia or another APS staff member reads the book alongside incoming families (and a translator, if requested).  Page by page, the tool lays out the expectations for a typical school day.  

For example, one picture shows a group of students sitting on the ground listening to a read-aloud.  The caption reads, “Sometimes, students sit on the carpet during the school day.”

This was an important inclusion, Sylvia assured me.  “Many times our parents cannot believe that their child would sit on the floor to learn anything.  In some of their own countries, that would be very strange and maybe make a parent very angry.” She points out that often these seemingly “everyday” aspects of the school day can be overlooked. But in the context of welcoming families from culturally diverse backgrounds, taking the time to explicitly detail various aspects of the school experience can go a long way.

Here are some other situations included in the APS visual orientation handbook: 

• Kids receiving lunch on a tray (many recently arrived learners would have gone home for lunch or packed their own meal)  

• Young adults putting their supplies in lockers (this may be a first-time experience for many)

• Students arriving for school at or before the scheduled time (concepts of time and urgency around timeliness varies greatly from one culture and context to another)

• Photos of co-ed teaching staff (learners and their families may have culturally influenced expectations about the appearance of those in teacher and leadership roles). 

There are plenty more great ideas. Check them out in the Aurora Welcome Center’s comprehensive list below!

Could you duplicate this resource at your site?  As long as you have a camera and a few hours to spare, of course! (Just be sure to send out a thank you to the APS Welcome Center for the idea. Find them here: http://welcomecenter.aurorak12.org)  

This version was created by staff. But other great options might include:

• Inviting former Newcomers to take this on as a project (a modernized “buddy” system)

• Creating a digital and/or interactive version of the handbook

• Engaging teacher teams in creating grade-level welcoming handbooks

And here are a few examples of what that might look like in actuality!

(Adapted with permission from Aurora Welcome Center: Refugee, Immigrant and Community Integration. Photos copyright @DiversifiED Consulting)

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!

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

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.

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 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?

Nine 21st Century Assets for ELLs

SOURCE: Louise Kreuzer (El Yaafouri), The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Transition, Rowman & Littlefield International Press, 2016.

21st century learning promotes the application of rigorous thinking patterns across content domains through performance-based activities, while encouraging learners to effectively utilize technology and other resources to achieve performance goals. For English language learners, opportunities to organically experience real-life learning are doubly critical.  In these situations, students are supported in negotiating social cues, cultural nuance and contextual shifts in linguistic expression. 

Healthy 21st-century instruction nurtures active and engaged learning by providing students with meaningful and authentic tasks throughout the school day.  Authentic learning fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and social efficacy.  For all students, learning through authentic engagement enables 21st century efficacy.

Authentic learning is rooted in:

(a) Independent choice making;

(b) Opportunities for challenge;

(c) A range of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors; and

(d) Connections to the self, one’s learning, and the broader world context.

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Here we’ll define nine critical 21st century assets as they specifically relate to ELLs; and we’ll explore corresponding authentic tasks that promote development in each asset domain.

Asset 1: Innovative Communication

Communication skills are evidenced through social media and email platforms, phone etiquette, interviewing skills, a firm handshake, or the means to compose a well-written proposal. These assets are observed at lunchroom tables, on the playground, and the respectful shift in tone when a child addresses an authority figure. Beyond these basics, students must be capable of inventing and maneuvering in much more progressive bands of exchange.

Innovative communication incorporates a fluid capacity to engage and interact with people across multiple platforms of age, race, culture, religion, language, political inclination, exposure, and experience. It involves an attuned awareness to social nuances, and an aptitude for interpersonal navigation—networking, negotiating, peacekeeping, contextual management, and appropriate expressiveness. Communication skills, essentially, are people skills.

In the context of ELLs, promoting communication skills begins with the cultivation of safety, trust and individual self-confidence. It is demonstrated when we allow for multiple levels of expressive ability: oral output, drawing, labeling, singing, signing, writing, building, acting, expression or body language.  

We can continue to encourage growth by activating any of the following communication support cues:

1. Let them talk. Refer back to collaborative practices . . . and let them go! 


2.Limit teacher talk. The only way to really get students talking is to give them room to speak. By most figures, TTT (teacher talk time) should only 
account for 20%–30% of overall lesson time. Less of us, more of them. 


3.Let the games begin! Small and whole group game playing encourages practical communication and strategic problem-solving skills in a non- 
threatening setting. 


4.Model behavior.Do gently correct incorrect or inventive speech by repeat
ing the question or response in the amended format. 


5.Encourage descriptive speech and writing through questioning and hands- 
on learning. 


Asset 2: Critical Thinking Capacity

Critical thinking employs higher-level applications and solution-seeking strategies that can be tied to one grounding conclusion.  It demands analyzing properties and the ability to employ inductive, deductive, and/or alternative reasoning tactics as applicable.  Consequently, creative thinkers create and explore many ideas, possibilities, and opportunities.

Critical thinking and reasoning supports balanced judgment and sound decision-making by inviting thinkers to interpret information and conscientiously reflect upon precise predictions and decisions.  These skill sets are also intertwined with outside-the-box thinking, an essential component in creative solution seeking. As educators, it becomes our responsibility to endorse critical thinking and reasoning skills as viable components of twenty-first-century instruction.

Asset 3: Creativity

Creativity is the convergence of curiosity and problem-solving abilities. It is brought to life when humans see, feel, hear, and experience the world in original ways. Creative thinking leads to innovative ideas, which may manifest into novel designs, products, tools, solution sets, or thought output. Creative functioning follows a predictable pattern, or a life span of thought from creation to execution.

The creativity platform involves three elemental steps:

·      Naming the challenge,

·      Solution seeking (problem solving) for the challenge, and

·      Defining resolution.

Inventive skills aid our students in navigating their future lives. They fit into managing finances, negotiating travel itineraries, and coordinating college schedules. They also inspire works of art, the wording of a term paper, or a personal decision to alter a daily task for greater efficiency. Essentially, creative individuals are better equipped to meet the challenges of 21st century life.

We can nurture creativity in the classroom in an infinite number of ways. We can begin by setting aside time for imaginative exploration. Inventive thinking can be further supported through cooperative talk and technology integration, where applicable. As we plan our lessons, we can be cognizant in our efforts to provide students with multiple formats in which to demonstrate efficacy and understanding. Some learners feel more inspired when soft music is playing, when they can craft, act, or sing out their thoughts, or when they are able to kinesthetically problem solve for a solution.

Mechanisms for encouraging creativity in the classroom are also indicators for sheltered instruction. That is, we very likely nudge our students’ imagination as an existing byproduct of the Newcomer/ELL instruction model. If we consider creativity as an essential 21st century virtue, then we can be inspired to (creatively!) continue and expand upon our efforts to reinforce these skills.

Asset 4: Flexibility

Flexibility is demonstrated by an individual’s capacity to accept and adapt to change. These particular skill sets are usually situational; and thus are influenced by time, variable outcome, artistic influence, personality, feedback, negotiation, and other sensitivities. They are essential 21st century competencies.

Flexibility carries various faces and weights. It can mean adjusting to variant schedules and routines; adapting to shifting roles, such as weekly changes in classroom job assignments; or the ability to digest and respond to both positive and negative feedback. Ultimately, this form of intra-personal dexterity is a reflection of a person’s capacity to cope with unpredictability and other unknowns.

For our Newcomers ELLs, flexibility can carry a pronounced load. Our learners must adapt at extreme levels to situations that may be entirely new. Newcomers may be experts in flexibility long before they reach our classrooms. Many have learned to make creative adjustments when predicted food sources are not available; when home takes on a very mobile meaning; when loss and uncertainty occurs; and when financial resources exist as ebb and flow commodities.  In laying the groundwork for these demographics, structure, stability and predictability must be established, as essential markers of security.

Preparing our students for twenty-first-century success also means making room for opportunities to practice flexibility, but with safety nets in place. This can be accomplished by occasionally shifting reading group compositions, or by reversing the order of learning stations for a day. It sometimes helps to create the shift for something fun and memorable, such as an outside scavenger hunt during a scheduled block, or hosting unannounced reading buddies for an afternoon.

Asset 5: Self-Initiative

Self-initiative calls for independent goal setting, as well as the ability to effectively prioritize, monitor, and manage resources- including time, learning, and productivity. This family of skill sets is grounded in self-regulation, self-management, and strategic ownership. Self-initiating learners find direction with limited outside prompting, and are inspired to continuously develop in a target area or areas.  Self-initiation strengths are key indicators for 21st century success; and for Newcomer students, self-initiative can also enhance the possibility for timely and vigorous integration into the host society.

In the aim of fostering self-initiation skills, we can:

·      Offer a range of learning materials to pique a spectrum of interests.

·      Aid students in naming and understanding a baseline data point for a specific aim, such as math facts competency.

·      Offer guidance in identifying a goal point (advanced students can provide reasoning and explanation).

·      Mentor students in record keeping (such as graphing score values weekly) throughout the goal-seeking process.

·      Praise unyielding efforts as efforts in any regard, and celebrate failures as incredible opportunities for new understanding and growth.

Our mindfulness to these basic foundations helps us guide our students as they evolve from reactive to proactive participants in learning, and ultimately, develop as self-initiating individuals.

Asset 6: Leadership Skills

Leadership skills involve persuading others toward the accomplishment of a specific aim or aims, meanwhile exercising integrity, ethical maturity, interpersonal skills, strategic problem solving, and awareness for the common good.   In as much as leadership entails guiding, it must also encompass diplomacy, fairness, and equity. True leaders bear in mind the best interests of the whole, and they comprehend the divergence between imperiousness and spirited, pragmatic headship.

Opportunities to exercise leadership in the school setting should be governed by parameters of equity and accountability, virtues that should also be modeled by adult guides.  In the classroom setting, leadership skills are fostered through interactive activities that include project planning, team building, time and project management, goal setting, problem solving, and diversity awareness.

Leadership skills are unique in that they can be directly applied to all other faculties of 21st century development (and may effectively enhance or diminish the efficacy of any area where they are applied). The school setting, with all its safety nets in place, is an ideal ground for testing, modifying, and strengthening healthy leadership abilities.

Asset 7: Accountability and Productivity

Accountability and productivity are two separate 21st century functions that are inherently linked to one another.  Productivity entails envisioning a goal, and then implementing the specific procedures and protocol necessary to ensure completion of the overall task or objective. The process demands preplanning, careful management of time and physical resources, the ability to work under pressure and satisfy deadlines, and a willingness to accept and grow from positive and negative feedback.

Accountability is the ownership piece. Accountable individuals demonstrate a sense of duty and proprietorship for their work and personal choices. This is where the doing and the character of the doer meet.  Combined, these skill sets require that individuals work hard, work effectively, and take responsibility for their work

Accountability and productivity skills are encouraged through:

·      Partnerships with essential skill sets, such as creativity and collaboration.

·      Collaborative exchange

·      Clearly communicated objectives

·      Carefully defined rubrics (picture rubrics are appropriate for Newcomers)

·      Diminished teacher talk time

·      Sentence stems, which lay the groundwork for on-task talk.

·      Brain breaks provide, which fresh blood flow and focus energy

·      Use of appropriate technology input, which saves time and develops expertise.

·      Involving parents can also deeply enhance students’ accountability and productivity aims.

Asset 8: Civic Duty and Social Fluidity

Civic competency involves a cognizance of social structure and policy. It invokes an understanding of personal choices and liberties that are available under a given civil framework, as well as the duties and obligations that define good citizenship.

Civic education assumes additional complexity in the Newcomer setting as new customs, expectations, holidays, and citizenship protocol in the host setting are absorbed, learned, and embraced.  ELLs might also be responsible for transferring an awareness of basic laws and citizenship frameworks to adult family members or to grow into their roles as citizens in the new country alongside their adult counterparts.

Civic learning in the classroom occurs through:

·      Direct instruction about the government, governmental leaders and history, and normative social values (Ex, creating a classroom city, government and/or court; designing character maps of a good citizen; giving news reports; or conducting relevant author studies)

·      Modeling of essential platforms, such as democratic participation and good citizenship

·      Explicit teaching of civic dispositions  (or character virtues), including:

• moral responsibility

• integrity

• self-discipline,

• respect

• the ability to compromise,

• empathy

• a commitment to obeying laws, and a cognizance of human interconnectedness.

• Community engagement, such as volunteer service or interviewing.

• Civic-minded interactive classroom activities     

Asset 9: Technology Literacy

21st century learners must become adept manipulators of technological resources.  In order to fully contribute in the modern workforce, students must enjoy ownership of technological mastery and online etiquette- but should also recognize and aspire to a healthy balance between technological connectivity and direct social interaction. How do we integrate technology in our classroom and at our school? How could we increase and expand upon learners’ opportunities to employ technology in their educational processes? How do we define, model, and hold students accountable for issues of ethics regarding technology and digital information?

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Our students, inclusive of our English language learners, will be expected to achieve proficiency in every facet of 21st century functionality. The tools needed to thrive as productive adults begin in our classrooms today. By striving to incorporate authentic tasks, we can help students develop their nine key assets and foster true 21st century success.

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Branson, Margaret S. (1989). International and Citizenship Education: Need and Nexus.

Cain, Jim, Michelle Cummings & Jennifer Stanchfie (2005). A Teachable Moment: A Facilitator’s Guide to Activities for Processing, Debriefing, Reviewing and Reflection (1st Ed). Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Cash, Richard M, Ed.D (2010). Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century. Free Spirit Publishing.

Hay, I., & Dempster, N. (2004). Student Leadership Development within a School Curriculum Framework. In

Iowa Department of Education (2010). Iowa Core K-12 21st Century Skills: Essential Concepts and Skills with Details and Examples. Located at https://www. educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/K-12_21stCentSkills_0.pdf. Retrieved May 2014.



Lai, Emily R. (2011). Critical Thinking: A Literature Review. Research Report. Pearson Publishing. Located at images.pearsonassessments.com/images/ tmrs/CriticalThinkingReviewFINAL.pdf. Retrieved Feb, 2015.


Partnerships for 21st Century Learning (2009). P21 Framework Definitions. Located at p21.org. Retrieved July 2011. 


Trilling, Bernie and Charles Fadel (2007). 21st Century Skills: Learning For Life In Our Times (1st Ed). Jossey-Bass. 


Van Briesen, Jeanne M. (2009). Oral presentation for Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Carnegie Mellon University. Located at nae.edu. Retrieved May 2015. 


The Power of Narrative Storytelling with Emergent Multilinguals

Personal narratives can be a valuable teaching and learning tool.  For refugee and immigrant language learners, the process of narrative storytelling can be especially significant, as it fulfills multiple aims.  Storytelling can motivate Emergent Multilinguals to engage in the new language, develop essential writing skills, process critical life events, and foster inter-peer relationships.

Narrative expression is an essential component of our humanness.  We are drawn to share pieces of ourselves through storytelling, and we discover our interconnectedness in doing so.  For many of our students, storytelling is also part of a rich cultural tradition- one that is intrinsically embedded in nearly every facet of social functioning.

In the classroom, setting, we can employ personal narratives as a means to draw students into language learning.  Meanwhile, we can draw out details that allow us to know and understand our students better.  The strategy is helpful in that it can be implemented across the language acquisition spectrum and can be scaffolded in a variety of ways.

“Storytelling can be a very valid means to experiment with the new language in a variety of contexts. It is an accessible option at various stages of the language acquisition process, and it is a skill that can develop in accordance with a learner’s expanding linguistic capabilities.” -The Newcomer Student

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Additionally, storytelling is a powerful strategy for working through transition shock.  Transition shock is a broad umbrella that encompasses transition, trauma, culture shock, and stress-related anxiety.   From Elements of Behavioral Health, “Talking about [experiences] helps organize memories and feelings into a more manageable and understandable psychological ‘package’. Telling the story, or developing a trauma narrative, is a significant step in the trauma recovery process no matter what array of symptoms is present.”

 “There is an additional dimension to storytelling that can be profoundly cathartic and healing. The particular exercise of capturing human feelings and experiences, through fictional characters or biographical ones, allows students opportunities to release, revisit, question, and make sense of poignant life events. The retelling of personal experiences creates a fertile ground for self-discovery and social understanding.”         -The Newcomer Student

Where Do We Start?

Family trees are an excellent start point.  In research and focusing on the aspect of lineage, students are invited to work within a safe space, sharing what they feel is comfortable and “right” to them (this may be particularly relevant for refugee students who transition with family members who are not necessarily birth parents).  This activity may also draw from parents’ existing funds of knowledge and encourage caretaker participation in students’ academic pursuits. 

Incorporating heritage language is one way to increase intrinsic motivation.  Constructing a family tree can also generate vocabulary connections for English words like father, grandmother, or uncle.   Sharing a family tree in s safe learning space can benefit a learning community and lead to increased student ownership and self-esteem.  Constructing a family tree can also generate vocabulary connections for English words like father, grandmother, or uncle.

The included samples were created by third grade students.  

Heritage Books

Heritage reports, or heritage books, expand on the process of sharing students’ original stories.  These are multi-step projects that “are designed to guide students in expressing their personal stories with others via sheltered instruction” (The Newcomer Student).   Heritage books also enhance meaningful vocabulary expansion and promote empathic, tolerant school-based relationships.

A detailed description of heritage book planning and building is available in The Newcomer Student: An Educator's Guide to Aid Transition, available HERE.

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Areas that are worthwhile to explore include:

·       About Me

·       U.S. Flag/flag study

·       Alternative country flag(s)

·       Traditional dress

·       Traditional food

·       Traditional customs

·       Traditional housing

·       Celebrities and pop culture

·       Alphabet/number systems

·       Family tree

·       Family photos

·       Emigration story

·       Future hopes and wishes

The following samples are from third grade students.

“Heritage book authors are usually very eager to document, show, and share their projects with an audience. Meanwhile, they are practicing cooperative language structures and cultural normative values (handshaking and simple greetings for each guest) throughout the sharing process!” (The Newcomer Student)  

Personal narratives are certainly worth including as a viable part of classroom learning and relationship building.  Share your own experience enacting personalized storytelling with students to @ELYaafouriCLDE, #ELstorytelling #heritagebook

Connecting ELD & Academic Language

Rights Reserved. RefugeeClassroom, 2018.

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.” – Flora Lewis

Language learning engages some of our most complex cognitive capacities.  Growing our understanding of how language acquisition works helps us to better address the needs of our new-to-English learners.  Indeed, "Academic Language is believed to be one of the most important factors in the academic success of English Language Learners, and it has been shown to be a major contributor to achievement gaps between ELLs and English-proficient students." (Willis, 2013).

We’ll look at language acquisition under two distinct umbrellas: English Language Development (ELD) and Academic Language.  The first refers to direct language use and function (social expressiveness), while the latter addresses content-specific communication. New-to-English speakers typically achieve conversational language fluency at or around two years of practice; academic language proficiency can take five to seven years to develop.  

Teaching for ELLs requires a dedication to English Language Development.  ELD instruction is deliberately designed to promote language proficiency and overall school success.  As a learner develops the ability to navigate basic language use and function, he or she can begin to access academic language components.  Basic social expressiveness falls under the realm of ELD.  These elemental mechanisms of inter-personal communication are essential for successful integration and can be heard in the hallways and lunchrooms and on the bus or playground. 

Here’s what we need to keep in mind about English Language Development:

·       It is the basic infrastructure for language learning

·       It is necessary for communication

·       Language acquisition is the primary goal   

·       ELD is structured around Tier 1 and Tier 2 words

·       ELD instruction should be continued, even as academic language is introduced

·       ELD instruction benefits cooperative structures, team building, classroom culture, information processing.  

·       ELD techniques can be effectively used in whole class settings across a range of language ability levels (including non-ELLs!) to grow command of the English language.

 English, in the context of ELD, is explicitly taught using specific strategies that are shown to enhance and accelerate language acquisition.  Instruction often occurs in small group settings and focuses on the domains of listening and speaking to build efficacy in the areas of reading and writing. ELD efforts provide opportunities to learn and practice English vocabulary, syntax, conventions, functions, grammar and registers.  Student engagement is enhanced through the implementation of sheltered instruction techniques and consistent ongoing feedback toward student growth.

The goal of ELD is to provide ELs a foundation on which academic language constructs can be mapped, built and renovated.  Students require academic language proficiency in order to navigate the classroom experience, to fully participate content learning and to express knowledge in school-appropriate ways.  Students encounter academic language in learning objectives, textbooks, course/content exercises and standardized testing materials.  Writer and researcher Todd Finley summarizes: "Academic language is a meta-language that helps learners acquire the 50,000 words that they are expected to have internalized by the end of high school."

Here’s what we need to keep in mind about academic language, or integrated ELD:

·       It is discipline and content specific

·       It grows from basic conversational fluency

·       Academic language is explicitly taught in direct content context   

·       It is standards based and essential for school success

·       Academic language is structured Tier 2 words and beyond

·       Academic language includes and expands upon essential ELD principles (vocabulary, syntax, grammar, conventions and functions)

·       Sheltered instruction techniques can also used for the purpose of teaching and clarifying academic language 

·       ELD/social language aptitude is not an accurate indicator for academic language proficiency

As educators, we can encourage the shift from social language to academic content language in organic ways.  One approach is to assist language learners in making conscious moves to “upgrade” known language.  In this way, we can scaffold the transition toward advanced content-specific vernacular, or “juicy” words, in elementary-teacher talk.

Let's look at some examples in shifting from social to academic language:

·       Know: recognize, experience, comprehend

·       See: observe, examine, distinguish

·       Think: determine, consider, summarize

·       Guess: predict, wonder, imagine

·       Show: demonstrate, prove, establish

·       Write: record, compose, formulate 

 It is important to point out that social and academic English need not (and should not) be mutually exclusive entities in the classroom context.  Each serves a unique purpose and supports the other.  In fact, conversational English is an essential tool for teaching, clarifying and exchanging ideas around academic language.  

We can refer to the structure of language building as an "iceberg".  At the tip of the iceberg, above the surface, social language proficiency is demonstrated (as output defined under ELD).  This is what we hear when we engage with our students.  It provides a snapshot of an individual's level of BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills).  Below the surface, we find the deeper, more complex tier of academic-content language, associated with CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency).  The wide bottom platform of the iceberg represents language mastery. 

We can make the (often overwhelming) task of learning a new language more manageable when we shape our instruction in purposeful, developmentally appropriate ways.  That is, we can provide students opportunities to achieve language mastery by building on the brain’s holistic tendency to sequentially stack learning according to accessibility and complexity. We show intentionality in our work with language learners by building on known language and scaffolding into new domains.  

School success for ELLs requires an integrated approach that combines English Language Development and explicit academic-content language instruction in a ways that are tailored to a student's English language capacity at a given time, in a given space.   In this way, students are able to work toward the successful negotiation of both worlds on a continuum toward language mastery.  After all, assures artist and intellect Edmund De Waal, 

"With languages, you are at home anywhere."

Crafting a Language Rich Classroom

Traits of a Language Rich Classroom

Language rich environments promote direct interaction with contextual print and vocabulary in facilitative, non-threatening ways.   These types of learning environments are especially critical for ELLs, who are likely to have had limited exposure to literacy in the new language.   Classrooms can and should be designed to promote literacy accessibility across all language and reading levels.  Print rich environments accomplish this by providing students many different opportunities to engage in many different components of language and literacy.

The key in creating an effective print-rich environment is to first evaluate the specific ages, interests and learning needs of a student population.  An 8th grade Newcomer classroom should not reflect the learning or interest needs of an kindergarten Newcomer classroom, a 3rd grade ESL classroom or a sophomore Geography class.   Print-rich planning should encourage rigorous, grade-level content learning by making language more accessible to developing readers and language learners.

 The good news: creating a language rich learning environment is not rocket science.  In fact, you are likely incorporating many literacy-promoting techniques in your school or classroom right now.  Our aim, then, is to grow and refine our repertoire.  The following ideas can be employed across multiple grade and content levels. Start with two or three; add on as the school year progresses.

 Exposing children to more than one form of communication sparks interest and interest turns into learning. This connection quickly becomes the making of meaning for reading.  –Leyva & McClure, et al.

·       Rebus Labeling: Familiar items (door, bookshelf, glue) should be clearly labeled and in student view.  Labeling works best when combined with an image.  To avoid over-stimulation, refrain from labeling every item in the room.  For example, one “ window” tag is sufficient, even if there are four windows in the room.

·       Content Language Objectives: CLOs should be visible at child-height, clearly printed and worded in student-friendly ways.  Objectives should be read aloud and together with students at the beginning of each lesson and revisited throughout.  Eventually, academic frames used in Content Language Objectives will become predictable; and individual or small groups of students may have the responsibility of reading CLOs aloud to the class.

·       Student-created books: Learners develop special relationships with stories and books they create.  The act of physically and mentally composing text makes it relatable and “readable” in subsequent visits to the material, even if a child is not yet actually (or fully) literate in the text language.   Student-created books also encourage sequencing and oral production and fluency, when shared aloud.

·       Teacher-created books:  Teacher-created books serve many of the same functions and advantages of student-created texts.   Instructor-created books, however, are more deliberate in their use of content-based vocabulary, target sight words and proper grammar and punctuation. 

·       Name Labels: Students love seeing their name- it’s also a great way to encourage print concepts!  Options: label student photos, desks, lockers, cubbies, notebooks, attendance markers

·       Displayed Co-Created Work: These samples should remain in student view for the day or days for which they are relevant.  Ideas include: morning message, whole group text summaries, co-created objectives, daily weather or “news” reports.

·       Print-based charts: Essential charts are very helpful.  Again, the caution is in not overdoing it.  Too many posters create clutter and issues with over-stimulation.  Pick and choose carefully, and re-adjust as students’ specific learning and unit needs change.  Examples: days of the week, months of the year, weather, colors, sight words, planets, homonyms, life cycle, Pledge of Allegiance. Alphabet, calendars, schedules, directions, number line, teacher helpers, anchor charts and rubrics are posted in clear student view and referred to often.

·       Frequent Read-Alouds: Listening to teacher read-alouds and audio read-alouds of text encourage auditory processing and help students learn to identify and use appropriate intonation and emphasis.  Tip: Read like an adult.  Learners should hear (and learn to mimic) natural tonal fluctuation.

·       Language Based Technology and Media: Computer-based programs that support language learning and literacy can be incorporated as station work.  Watch for: computer use as a crutch, diversion or means of “occupying” a learner during mainstream instruction.

·       Displayed Student Work: This is a very powerful tool for promoting student confidence and encouraging learners to read and reflect on peer accomplishments.  Posted teacher celebrations on the work (or peer celebrations) also encourage reading!

·       Writing Centers:  Writing centers are a chance for students to explore print and practice skills in differentiated ways. Provide different sized writing tools to develop fine motor skills and interesting paper sources that invite participation.  Suggestions: shopping lists, thank-you cards, Pen Pal writing, journaling, invitations, notes to teachers and school personnel, postcards, reading response logs.  Early writers will benefit from sentence stems and graphic organizer choices.

·       Teacher-print: Teacher-printed dictation, summaries of student expression, daily vocabulary or other relevant items are meaningful to students as models for appropriate spelling, spacing, punctuation and print.

·       Murals: Whole class murals invite students to contribute understanding and insight on a theme in ways that are accessible to each at his or her own language development level.  A mural on the story, Swimmy, by Leo Leonni, for example, might include a story line or multiple story lines; labeled pictures of fish, characters with thinking or speaking bubbles; pictures or descriptions of the environment; single or multi-sentence structures about the story; opinions on characters or plot; or non-fiction statements about fish.  A word of note: language development is key.  That is, while illustration is an important element of mural work, it should not be the only element.  Encourage students to exchange topic-focused thoughts with their peers as they work and to include some variation of print expression with every illustration.

·       Classroom Libraries:  Inviting, comfortable classroom libraries are an essential component of the Newcomer classroom (or any classroom!). Exemplary classroom libraries are age, ability and interest appropriate, and they are representative of a global community. Newcomer classrooms are especially diverse and include an incredible range of reading and interest levels; libraries should reflect this diversity.  Books should be organized and clearly labeled.  Students will benefit from reading books at their level and also exploring other texts in interest areas that are outside of reader ability.  Early readers, especially, will learn to explore print concepts, picture cues, captions, directionality and broad content idea-shaping.  Depending on the age and grade level, Newcomer classroom libraries areas should include:

o   Picture, dual language (where applicable), English dictionaries

o   Tactile and Predictable Picture Books

o   Special-interest books

o   Multi-cultural books

o   Dual-language books, where accessible

o   Grade-level content texts with supports

o   Maps and atlases

o   Magazines

o   Play-based and life-based print: magnetic letters, menus, phone books, recipes, bus schedules, business cards

·       Word Walls: As many thoughts and ideas exist on word walls as word walls themselves.  Alphabetically, by unit, by tiers, by reading group, by color code?  Growing throughout the year or rotating through? So many choices!  Bottom line?  They work!  Ask around, try different variations… see what works best for you, then modify and refine. 

·       Theme displays: Theme displays are helpful in anchoring ideas related to an ongoing unit.  These are excellent areas to post unit vocabulary, charts, pictures, student work and teacher dictation related to a topic.

·       Involve parents: This may be the most important trait of all.  Most Newcomer parents do wish to help their students learn English and succeed in school.  The most commonly heard Newcomer parent frustration?  The feeling of helplessness that arises in wanting to aid their child in at-home learning, while working through language learning themselves.  In the vast majority of cases, Newcomer parents are eager to take part in their child’s successes and are open to guidance from the teacher and school.  So- make this process fun!  Allow for activities that can be completed as a family.  Host parents at the school to discuss cultural expectations around parent involvement in learning and creating quiet “homework” spaces at home.  Invite parents to share their strengths with students.  Parents can gain confidence by working with their children on math, teaching them the history of their heritage country, creating regional maps, or explaining in-depth science concepts in the native language.  Learning is a collaborative process- and parents are an essential link!

Download & print Language Functional Survey (GREAT for classroom observations!) HERE