For the past 7 months I have been out of the classroom and working with asylum seekers near the California - Mexico border. While I was always aware the students enter our classrooms with their own stories and baggage, the depth of those stories has now taken on a new meaning to me. The following article shares some of those experiences and aims to provide some practical getting-to-know-you games that take into consideration the difficulties faced by so many kids that we can never truly understand. In December I took some time away from the classroom. I had relocated to California that fall and found myself starting over in a school where I felt like I didn't fit in. Throughout the first semester I was spending my nights and weekends volunteering with asylum seekers - almost entirely Central Americans - fleeing their countries out of fear and desperation. That work felt significantly more meaningful to me, and so when a job opportunity presented itself, I took it. I traded in the eye rolls of teenagers for the grateful hugs and cuddles of complete strangers passing through our shelter for a couple of days. It has been an unbelievable experience, full of gratitude and immediate results, something that can be hard to find in the classroom. I feel so lucky to have been at the right place at the right time to experience it. People often remark that my job must be so challenging, constantly surrounded by trauma. However the truth is that every day I get to see the determination and resiliency of humanity, which has been more inspiring and heartwarming than anything else. While our clients have suffered tremendous loss and uncertainty, once we meet their basic needs and show them compassion, they continue to persevere. Children play and laugh and dream. They squeal with delight watching bubbles float through the air, and light up with joy over toy cars and legos. They hold their parents close and fight with their siblings. They are kids, and no matter where they came from, their hopes and dreams are the same.
I point this out because I can't help but look at these children through my teacher's lens. I worry about what will become of them when they enter our school systems in the US. I doubt they will share their stories with their teachers of the perilous journeys they took to arrive in the US, or the underlying fear that they are here on borrowed time, waiting for an arbitrary decision from a judge, possibly years from now, as to whether or not they can stay. I see the love they have for their families and the pure determination to succeed, but I know the obstacles that lie ahead for a 13 year old who has only completed third grade in a country where the school day ended at noon and only those with money could afford to attend. What will happen to these curious, warm, compassionate and determined kids when they are shoved into a 7th grade classroom with a 3rd grade education and no English? Will they sink or swim? Will they make friends or fall in with the wrong crowd? Although I am not a parent myself, I'm sure these are the fears of any parent; no one wants school or the influence of other children to corrupt the sweet, lovable innocence of their child. But what can we do as teachers to accept these newcomers into our space in a safe way? For starters, maybe we get rid of the various "my summer vacation" ice breakers and open with something that shows our underlying humanity and connectedness. Click here for some culturally sensitive ice-breakers. The trick here is walking the fine line between treating everyone the same and also recognizing that they are not. Your newcomers are going to need more support, even if they don't want to ask for it our of fear of being different. Maybe offer some free tutorial hours to the entire class that have nothing to do with your subject, but teach the students some basics: how to use various expected technologies in your school, when is an appropriate time to ask questions or use the bathroom, how to navigate simple daily tasks. The key here is to open it up to everyone. You can casually, and privately, invite your newcomers if they don't show on their own, but it's important to remember that, culturally, they may not know that they can and should ask for help. That might be something you have to explicitly teach them. I share this all with your, random internet followers, just as a tiny reminder in the back of your head that children come with stories. We all know this, but my new job has brought the depth of those stories to the forefront for me. So please take care of the kiddos. They have so much more going on than we know.
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