A few years ago, I asked students in my Newcomer/ELD 1 class to write children’s book for a group of 4th graders who had a classmate who was being teased because he was a newcomer. Above is one of their stories.
I want to tell you about a former student of mine whom I will call Raul. He was from Zacatecas, Mexico. He was about 15 years old when I met him. His family owned a horse ranch in Mexico. He loved his animals. He loved his home. One day, his father came home and informed his family that they would be relocated to the United States. Just like that, his whole life changed.
As a student, on the surface, he looked unmotivated and unwilling to learn. Each day, all he wanted to do was wear his hoodie and put his head down.
I began to learn his story and let him share his culture with me and our class. He chose his favorite songs to play as our transition signal for rotating stations in class. He wore his boots proudly and told me that even when he was in school in Mexico, his mind was always on his animals and he missed them dearly.
Slowly, over the course of two years, I watched him change and grow. Part of that change happened when he got a part time job, outside of school. Part of that change happened as he worked with some really great teachers and staff at my site, who gave him both care and push to begin to see the benefit of education for his life and future. He became a leader in class, encouraging newcomers to try to speak English in class. He stood with them during oral presentations so they would feel more comfortable. He volunteered to write his answers on the board. He graduated from high school last year.
I will always remember him.
What stories are you telling yourself about your students? What motivations and traits are you ascribing to them? Could it be that you may be misjudging or misinterpreting students’ behaviors? I know I have. What looks like laziness may be sadness or depression. What looks like defiance may be PTSD. What looks like a lack of motivation could be a lack of skills. This is not to say that we don’t push students to meet behavior or academic expectations. We just do it with compassion and gentleness.
Learning students stories has helped me to check some of my assumptions. I want to look for opportunities to ignite their curiosity to learn and grow, rather than write them off as not willing to work. Our kids need us to look at them with hopeful eyes, to give them multiple opportunities for success, and to be their ally no matter what.
Here is a beautiful fictional children’s book written by some of my students. It’s very hopeful.
Tips for Teachers of English Learners 