If you want to see a quick video of cultural responsiveness in action, check out this inspiring video of how a family resource coordinator at Dixie Elementary went above and beyond for Congolese refugee students at her schools.
Author: labirm2
Newcomers & Beginning English Learners – Where Do I Start?
“Research and experience tells us that our beginning English learners need time, exposure, experiences, and direct language instruction. BUT….the reality is we don’t have extended time. We have one semester to conquer this content. All of these students need something a little different, yet there is only one you. Where do you start??” If you have ever felt yourself in this position, check out this article from English Learner Portal for great tips and advice on what to do with newcomers in your classroom.
Seeing Through the Lens of an Immigrant Parent
I feel confident in saying that most teachers do things with the best of intentions-fundraising for a field trip, sending home papers or planners to be signed and returned, involving parents in their children’s homework- but sometimes the things we expect of our families are not sensitive to their cultures, languages, or values. This first-hand account, “The Homework Assignment That Does Not Work” was very enlightening to me, and I hope it is to you as well.
Preventing Seclusion–Engaging ALL English Language Learners
“There are a lot of reasons and sometimes it’s good intentions on the teacher part which result in isolating the students. So, for example, good intentions on the teacher part if you are doing an activity, where students are required to get up and move and find a partner or have some kind of conversation. Students participate, get up and move and the teacher would say, “oh you can sit this out and you can just write it quietly” or you know, three four five English learners there, “You all can go to that table and do this together. You don’t have to get up and do this activity with us.” I totally understand that is compassion at work and teachers trying to just protect students from doing something that’s a risk-taking thing. They’re hesitant to do it, but I ask you to really think about that practice because when we excuse students from what the rest of the class is doing, we are adding to the seclusion.”
As I listened to this podcast I though to myself, “I have totally been guilty of doing this with my students and thought I was doing what was best for them.” In retrospect, I see how I may have been sending the wrong message; the message that I didn’t believe that they were able to do what the rest of the class was doing. I highly encourage you to listen to this fifteen minute podcast, Preventing Seclusion to get ideas about how you can engage all of your ELLs in your classroom. If you like this podcast, check out the second podcast in the series, Newcomers and Trauma.
Did you know Kentucky is 9th in the nation in the number of refugee arrivals compared to other states?
Sometimes people don’t associate refugees with Kentucky, but in 2018 alone, Kentucky welcomed 1,902 new refugees. Refugees are initially resettled in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Owensboro. The website kentuckyrefugees.org has wonderful information about the refugee population in Kentucky and information about the resettlement agencies. One of my favorite parts of the website are the Refugee Stories . They are sure to touch your heart and inspire you!
Arrivals in Lexington by Nationality
October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018
“Thumbs up! Way to go…..maybe?? “
We all use gestures to communicate different feelings or ideas, but did you know that some of the gestures that we use can be offensive to people from other cultures? Watch this short YouTube video to find out what different hand gestures mean around the world.
Helping Immigrant Students Adjust to New Schools, New Lives
When newly arrived immigrants come to America and enter the US school system, they face many challenges. How can we help to bridge linguistic and cultural differences and make our students and their families feel safe and welcome? Watch this inspiring video to see how one community in St. Cloud, Minn. is meeting the needs of their large Somali refugee population.
New Year-New Activities for Newcomers
It’s a new year and with that often comes New Year’s Resolutions. Why not try out new things with your students as well this year? Larry Ferlazzo always has awesome ideas and tips for teaching ELLs. His post “Four “New” Activities I Am Doing Next Week With My ELL Newcomer Class” is a great one to check out, especially if you service newcomers and want to try some new activities in 2020.
Informing Parents about ACCESS and Sharing Results
No matter what language they speak, parents should be an integral part of setting and helping their child reach their English language proficiency goals. One way that this can be accomplished is by informing parents about what the ACCESS for ELLs assessments is. Then, once the student results are in, conferencing with parents and students to discuss strengths, areas for improvement, and implications for future instruction.
WIDA has two documents that can be very helpful when involving parents in the assessment process.
The first is an ACCESS for ELLs Parent Handout which is available in numerous languages. It helps to explain the ACCESS for ELLs assessment and its components, including why the test is given, when it is given, and how the results are used.
The second resource is the ACCESS for ELLs Individual Student Score Notes. It gives teachers great guiding questions to consider when preparing to share ACCESS scores with students and their families. I love that the document begins by discussing the students’ language strengths and how it also has a place to compare the students scores from the previous year. This is something that I think classroom teachers, EL teachers, students, and parents would find informative and beneficial.
Advocacy and Engagement: How to Involve Families and Become More Culturally Responsive
“Research has long showed that increased family presence and involvement at school leads to academic growth and more positive attitudes toward education for students.” As educators, we know how important it is to get parents and community members involved, and how critical it is that our students and their families feel like their cultures and languages are valued. However, we often find it challenging to effectively include our ELL families in their children’s education. Whether it is due to a language barrier, conflicting work schedules, or a perceived lack of engagement from parents, when it comes down to it, the majority of parents want to be included and care about their child’s education. Sometimes, traditional outreach methods aren’t the answer. The three resources below offer a wide-range of non-traditional ideas to increase parent and community engagement for our ELLs.
Advocating for English Language Learners through Culturally Responsive Approaches
Buchanan's Blog-Tips for Teachers of ESL Students 