Among the many challenges faced by educators is the changing demographics of American classrooms given the increasing number of newcomers who require specialized support to succeed academically and to be mentally healthy. Adhering to a standard curriculum while seeking to include students who are grappling with language and cultural differences requires both academic flexibility and careful attention to the social-emotional factors that impact learning.
The Department of Education uses the term “newcomer” to describe foreign-born students and their families who have recently arrived in the U.S. with little or no knowledge of English, and who have no understanding of the complex social and academic structures within typical American school districts. Migration has increased globally so the challenge of integrating recently arrived students is by no means unique to the United States. At the same time, the already existing cultural diversity in many of our communities can add to the complexity of creating an inclusive environment that allows newcomers to have active participation and equal access to learning opportunities.
Students need to have a sense of belonging to achieve both academic success and emotional well-being. Educators must employ deliberate strategies to create a supportive, culturally responsive learning environment while also providing students with numerous opportunities to interact with peers to promote language acquisition and cultural exchange.
Understanding the Stress of Newcomers and Their Families
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average number of American public school students who are English Learners (ELs) is 10.6 percent. Data reported in the fall of 2021 indicated that ELs represented 10.0 percent or more of public school students in 13 states, with Texas, California, and New Mexico having the highest percentages.
To foster the integration of newcomers, it is first important to understand the typical stressors that they experience. While many are relieved and excited to seek opportunities in their newly adopted country, it is also quite common for newcomers:
- To experience a deep sense of loss with respect to their native country. For adults this can include the loss of professional and social identities, possessions and possibly wealth, social connections, traditions, and a way of life. Children might be grieving the loss of family members and friends left behind, as well as beloved toys, activities, and familiar places.
- To feel disoriented because everything is unfamiliar, and life patterns have been disrupted. This can be especially difficult for children who need structure and routine to feel safe and to foster self-regulation.
- To feel frustrated because of the inability to express themselves and thereby get their needs met.
- To be angry and confused by the many bureaucracies that must be tackled.
- To experience anxiety and low self-esteem because of their increased dependence on others.
- To experience the pressures related to generational role reversal. Children tend to adapt culturally and learn a new language faster than their parents. This can create intergenerational tension related to values and customs and can lead parents to become dependent on their children for translation and for navigating around their new community.
- To have symptoms of PTSD if they are escaping violence, war, famine, natural disasters, economic hardships, and/or political strife in their home countries. At the same time, it is important to remember that being a refugee or immigrant does not automatically indicate that an individual is traumatized.
- To fear authority figures depending on the conditions in their home countries and on their experiences with police and/or immigration officials in the United States.
Newcomer children and families also experience many specific stressors as they try to make a new life for themselves. These include financial stressors, difficulty finding adequate housing, difficulty finding employment, the loss of community support, confusion about how to access resources, and transportation issues. The stages of cultural adaptation do not necessarily occur in a linear fashion and individuals may shift back and forth from excitement and idealization to the frustration and demoralization of culture shock, through various phases of adjustment, and ultimately to integration.
Not surprisingly, students who are newcomers can feel isolated from their peers and struggle to bridge cultural misunderstandings while at the same time becoming vulnerable to discriminatory behavior and bullying. These conditions can undermine confidence and self-esteem as they try to form an integrated identity that includes elements of their new culture while honoring their culture of origin.
Tips for Educators Seeking to Foster an Inclusive Learning Environment
There is much evidence to suggest that strong teacher-student relationships are the bedrock upon which academic achievement and social-emotional skills are built. This is especially important to keep in mind for newcomers. While being mindful to not be too intrusive at first, ask newcomer students about their immigration experience and encourage them to share their stories with you and with peers. These stories can alert you to the possibility of trauma and to whether a mental health assessment is warranted sooner rather than later. Remember when talking to children and their parents about their mental well-being that different cultures view mental health symptoms differently. For some, mental health symptoms as defined in the U.S. are attributed to physical or spiritual causes or are not considered pathological at all, while for others even admitting to “feeling stressed” may be acknowledging that one is “crazy” or “mentally ill”.
As you get to know newcomer students, consider the possibility that they have significant responsibilities at home. These responsibilities can include caring for younger siblings, household tasks, translating for or otherwise assisting parents who don’t speak English, and even the need to earn money to contribute to the family’s income. These responsibilities can impact sleep and energy levels in school as well as the time available for homework.
Structure and classroom routines are important for all students, of course, but especially for students for whom everything feels unfamiliar. Teachers can seek the assistance of an adult who speaks the child/family’s native language to make sure that both the newcomer student and parents understand classroom routines. Throughout the day embed emotional regulation and mindfulness techniques that don’t require words (e.g., breathing, stretching, playing catch, drumming, or dancing) to help students regulate emotions and re-set.
There are numerous things that teachers can do to create a welcoming environment for newcomers. For example, learn to pronounce the new student’s name correctly, and prepare peers for the arrival of a newcomer by sharing some information about his native country. Brainstorm with students about the challenges a newcomer may face, and about ways to make her feel welcome. Encourage new students to share their language and culture with the class and perhaps incorporate a ritual that is common in their native country (e.g., a typical greeting or behavior, such as bowing as a sign of respect.) Recruit “buddies” to help newcomers find their way around school, and if possible, identify one or more students who speak the newcomer’s native language to accompany him during the first few weeks. Buddies who speak only English are also invaluable: they can take newcomers on a tour, show her how to use the lockers, sit with him at lunch, spend time together at recess, and help her find her bus. Remind your students to smile, to speak slowly, and to face the newcomer when initially learning to communicate. And discuss with all students how to balance “fitting in” with maintaining and celebrating their respective cultures.
Some Tips for School Leadership
The global pandemic reminded us that schools are safe hubs within our neighborhoods. Districts have the responsibility to advocate for students and their families and to link them to services within the larger community. As such, school personnel play a critical role in helping newcomers integrate into their new environments.
District leadership needs to set the tone by conveying that inclusion is a mindset, not just a set of policies and procedures. Teacher training in cultural awareness is essential and should also address the inevitable unconscious biases that influence our behavior even when we have the best intentions to treat all students equitably. Adopting a stance of cultural humility is optimal – there is no way for any one person to be an expert on all ethnic, racial, and cultural groups so maintaining a curious and open approach to learning about a newcomer’s background, traditions, and priorities is always the best approach.
The power of peer support and encouragement can also be harnessed to help newcomers feel welcome. Group work and collaborative projects provide opportunities for language practice and for social interaction. Cultural celebration events for students and families can help foster a sense of belonging while at the same time encouraging students to honor their own heritage and customs.
Districts should also invest in available technology and multimedia applications (for example, instant translation applications) and in culturally responsive teaching materials to assist teachers in their efforts to create culturally inclusive classrooms. School-based mental health staff should develop a protocol for checking in with newcomers and be provided with a roster of newcomer students as they enter the school. And of course, as with all school initiatives, the effectiveness of inclusion strategies should be regularly evaluated to ensure that they are meeting the needs of newcomer students and to allow for the identification of any service gaps and areas in need of improvement.
Resources:
Fast Facts: English learners (96)
https://firstliteracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ESOL-toolkit-Mental-Health-1.pdf
COE – English Learners in Public Schools
12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom | Cult of Pedagogy
10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects | Edutopia
