Immigrant students face a number of challenges when first entering our school systems. They are experiencing a dramatic culture change and it can be very hard to adjust. They are expected to learn a completely new language as well as learn the required material as well. As a teacher, I intend on making sure each of my immigrant students are welcomed with open arms. ImmigrantKidTips offers some advice for teachers on how to assist with this transition.
Teachers with immigrant students should research where their students come from. Understanding your students backgrounds with help you better understand them. For example, I had an experience with a new toddler who started in my classroom. Her family had just come to the United States from another country. My co-workers and I noticed that she was not eating at all throughout the day so we contacted her parents. They explained to us that she does not self-feed. It was part of their culture to mouth feed their children until they were 10 years old. If I would have done research or communicated better with her parents, I would have known this beforehand.
Another important aspect is to adjust your teaching style to fit the learning styles of your students. An emphasis on visual and auditory lessons can be really beneficial to students, especially to students just learning a new language.
I also think it would be beneficial to utilize all possible support services the school and community have to offer. Working with the parents is also an important part of the transition. It may be difficult to communicate if they do not speak English. Maybe there is a school translator or a class that can teach the parents English as well.
Effectively teaching immigrant students takes hard work and patience. Not only do you have to teach them the required academics, you have to teach them how to adjust to their new environment so they are able to learn. I would never want a child to feel lost or helpless.
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