Supporting Refugee English Learners: Practical Strategies for Educators

Welcome to your Morning Boost, brought to you by AWB Education. Here we amplify knowledge, widen reach, and broaden impact in education, delivering your daily dose of professional development. This program is sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services, where together we are transforming education, one leader. At a time. Now get ready to amplify your day with your Morning Boost. Ready to revolutionize education At AWB Education, We combine insightful resources with personalized coaching right here from Iowa. Transform your school with our expert program designing edge instructional practices and efficient automation elevate your learning experience. Now partner with AWB Education today. Visit aweducation dot org for more info your path to success awaits. Good morning and welcome to your Morning Boost. I'm your host today, Melissa Grinstead, and I am a lead ESAU contributor to the work of AWB Education. Reach out for more information as always to get connected to serve your ESALL needs, and we'll dive right into today's topic, which is supporting our refugee English learners. So when we think of our refugee English learners, the challenges are really multifaceted. So many of our refugee English learners have experienced some significant trauma, whether that occurred in their home country or along their journey to resettlement, or a combination of both. Trauma can really impact their learning, their behavior, and their overall well being. And so those are things just to keep in mind right out of the gates when we are welcoming our refugee els. Additionally, some of our refugee ls are arriving with limited formal education, some may have never attended school at all, And of course there's that pasky little language barrier that's also a huge hurdle. I always remind myself think about learning a new concept in a language you don't understand while also navigating a completely unfamiliar culture. It's pretty daunting. So everything is going to be new to these refugee students, the food, the customs, the way we interact with each other, our school system. They're trying to adjust to a new life while grieving the loss of their home, their community, and sometimes even family members. It's a lot to process for anyone, especially children. So it's going to be critical that before we even think about the academic piece, that we are really focused on building that safe and welcoming environment these refugee students more than anyone, need to feel seen and heard and understood, and they want to feel like they belong. So anytime that we can really focus on building those relationships with both the students and their families, even though communication can be difficult, we are going to see a lot of bang for our buck when we do that. Right out of the gates, it's going to be critical that we rely on our interpreters and cultural liaisons so that we can get to know the families and their stories and their needs and help support them in any way possible. We know that our families are the children's first teachers and their biggest advocates, and we need to work closely with them. They are the ones that can help us understand what are the kiddo's cultural backgrounds, what are their strengths, their needs, what challenges might they be facing, What resources can we help connect them with. We want to make sure that those basic needs are met so that the end we can get going and really dive into that English language acquisition and content area instruction. I think that one of the biggest misconceptions about refugeels that I've heard is that they are uneducated. It's simply not true. Many are highly intelligent and some come from really educated backgrounds, but they just need some support and accessing that curriculum in English. It's also a misconception that because the student is a refugee that they're just set up on this path to struggle academically. Of course, many of them need extra support, but many thrive and excel, and actually they bring really unique perspectives and experiences to the classroom that can enrich the learning for all students around them. So I think my biggest takeaway for working with refugee students is be patient, have compassion, and be willing to learn about their cultures, their languages, their needs. These students have incredible amount to offer. They are some of the most resilient, strong human beings that I've ever had the opportunity to work with. And when we can find a way to focus on their strengths and celebrate that progress and growth that we're seeing, no matter how small, it's going to make a huge difference. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Many times, refugee students and their families have needs that are outside of the scope of a classroom teacher, and it's okay for us to be able to reach out to outreach staff in our districts or elsewhere to help get them connected to the resources they need. The collaboration is going to be huge with these students. I think one of the most beautiful things with refugee students is that there is such a high ceiling right and we have the opportunity to see so much growth and really untap into some amazing potential. And I just love. Working with refugee eels. That is your Morning Boost for today, and we will talk with you again soon. That concludes another episode of your Morning Boost. We hope today's daily dose of professional develops helps you amplify knowledge, widen reach, and broaden impact. Your Morning Boost is an AWB Education production brought to you with the generous support of Grundmeier Leader Services. Join us again tomorrow for more. Until then, keep boosting your impact.