Welcoming a Non-English Speaking Student
to Your Class
Tobey Cho Bassoff
As teachers, we are detailed oriented, but when it comes to
being ready for the unexpected, even the best of us can be
caught off-guard. The following article will give you helpful
suggestions on how to easily plan ahead, only for new students
to your class, but also for students new to an English speaking
community.
When the school year begins, teachers define readiness. Our
classrooms, not to mention our desks, dazzle the world with
unarguable order. After a few days of being in the classroom and
following our routines, the order is still there, but it begins
to take on definite shape and life. So, when a new student
arrives, she is expected to be immediately drawn in to the inner
workings of the “workshop,” known as our classroom.
What should be viewed as a wonderful opportunity for our
classroom community experiences and knowledge base to grow,
turns into a sigh and a question that many of us are too
embarrassed to admit we ask, “How am I going to deal with this
one?” This question is a reality of a time intensive job. Yet,
as you will discover, if we change our planning to incorporate
the unexpected student, then our outlook about this student’s
place in our community will change too.
The newcomers folder is a two-pocket folder that contains
getting-to-know you activities, desk plates, a map of the
school, quick assessments, and a checklist for the teacher. This
bright folder should be in a prominent place in your classroom
and allow for easy access. For many of us, the luxury of finding
out about new students ahead of time is not a reality. So, when
that new student walks through the door with little or no
warning, like in the middle of a lesson, you will have something
ready to welcome her.
Getting to-know-you activities range in quality. When selecting
an activity, you should pick something that allows the student
to express her individuality, but one that is not peppered with
instructions in English. I use a star activity that allows a
student to draw a picture of herself with things she likes and
dislikes. Every student in the class makes a star, usually at
the beginning of the year, which represents their place in the
classroom and our global community. This star ties with our
first theme, “Journey to Adventure,” where we study space. All
of the stars are displayed on a bulletin board throughout the
year. When the new student arrives, I welcome her and then I
show her our board. I have a model star in the folder with
picture symbols to clue her into what she is supposed to draw on
the star. This activity provides her with a sense of belonging
to a caring community. For more ideas on newcomer activities,
visit http://atozteacherstuff.com/tips/Back_to_School/Welcoming_Students/index.shtml
Desk plates send a message that says, “We’re glad you’re here.”
Many of us have heard some version of the “uninvited guest” who
makes an appearance during holiday meals and who feels welcomed
to join the feast, because a place is already set for her. Desk
plates provide a similar sense of community. When your student
arrives, welcome her to her desk with a desk plate. If you are
given advance warning, the desk plate can already have her name
written on it. However, if the student arrives with no warning,
then have a blank desk plate on an empty desk so it’s always
ready for the “unanticipated guest.” Invite her to decorate the
plate as one of the activities that she completes while you are
otherwise engaged. If you are a middle school, high school, or
specials teacher, then you can welcome your new student with a
temporary name plate that is made from a tri-fold of 8 ½ x 11
sheet of paper. If you elect to do this, then it may be helpful
to your student to have the other students in the class use
their name plates as well. For printable name plates, visit: http://atozteacherstuff.com/printables/by_lanie.shtml.
A map of the school should be simple to follow and should have
visual cues for the essential places in the building. I draw the
map that I provide for my students. Later in the year, I offer
students in my class the opportunity to improve upon my design.
They often do, and it is a wonderful exercise in cartography!
The map that I draw has the major areas: cafeteria, restrooms,
playground, nurse’s office, computer lab, gym, music, and art
rooms labeled with pictures. The pictures that I use are taken
from clip art. Visit http://school.discovery.com/clipart/ for clip art ideas.
Quick assessments allow you to quickly determine your new
student’s comfort level in the school setting. Seasoned teachers
know that assumptions about a student’s background can quickly
backfire and cause a lot of valuable instruction and classroom
bonding time to be lost. Therefore, if you select some quick
assessments that provide you with a general picture of your new
student, then you will be much more prepared for the unexpected.
When choosing assessments, you should consider the attainable
goal. I choose the word “attainable,” because it is important to
understand that this assessment is by no means comprehensive,
nor complete. My main goal is to understand how comfortable my
students are with being in a school environment, fully
recognizing that not all school environments are the same. The
assessment I give provides a place for the student to write her
name and the date. (Again, I have a model paper that shows how
this is done.) I will look for his or her ability to copy form,
or on a higher level, interpret what I have done and transfer it
to the native language, or the current date, which is always
posted in the class. Next, I have four different boxes with
pictures, which provide a prompt for a writing sample in the
native language. Most of my new ESL students come from Mexico,
so the conventions resemble English. I look for command over
punctuation and capital letters. Many times I find that my new
ESL students have neither. If the new ESL student comes from a
different part of the world, then try to find someone to help
you get a handle on their level of command of their native
language. If you want to understand what a new student wrote,
then you can also go to http://babelfish.altavista.com for a free translation in
several different languages.
Finally, provide yourself with a checklist that helps you keep
track of the new student. Teachers have many ways of setting
their students on the path to success. These ways include
portfolios, formal assessments, workshop folders, lab notebooks,
etc. If you have a list to check off when you have completed the
“intake” process with a new student you will find yourself a lot
more organized and happy.
A final word on newcomers: Treat them as if you are thrilled
that they are choosing to have you as a teacher and to be a part
of your classroom community. Every child has a story to tell and
every student has a knowledge base from which every member of
your class can benefit. Listen to them and invite them into your
world of learning with open arms. Even if the student does not
speak English, she has so much to offer if you will take the
opportunity to make her feel welcome into your classroom.
Questions or comments? E-mail Tobey. |