Developing Empathy for your English Language Learners
by Kerry Shelke
Empathy….some of use have a lot, some of us have a little, but all of us experience it at some point in life. As educators we often get caught up in the day-to-day tasks at hand and depending on our demographic, subject(s) taught and age levels, empathy sometimes goes by the wayside. I don’t believe we consciously choose this response, but rather are trying to put out fires all day long that we don’t always take to the time to really understand our English Language Learners’ path. In addition, we often have kiddos enter our classrooms sporadically throughout the year and usually know little to nothing about their personal and educational background. So we ask, how then do we take the time and make the effort to build empathy among and with our ELL population?
First, make sure you work closely with your ESL/bilingual staff, educators and support staff. If your school/district is fortunate to have a bilingual staff member, it is critical to utilize that person as thoroughly as possible in order to gain information about the incoming student(s) and their personal and educational background. If such person is not available, typically families will have a liaison who can offer support and information on the path the student took to get to you. Keep in mind that oftentimes students arrive with an interrupted and/or limited education, known as Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). As such, the teacher and student both face monumental challenges. Take for example a student who has moved repetitiously or has had an education equivalent to that of several years’ education in a one room schoolhouse where the child learns many subjects with peers much younger and much older than themself. Or take the example of the child who wanted to go to school but lived in a crime ladened neighborhood whose path to school was far too dangerous to risk each day. Many of these factors are out of the hands of students and parents and are simply the day-to-day challenges that are their normal.
Remember too, that teachers often face challenges once the kiddo arrives in the classroom. Teachers are presented with scenarios wherein each needs to formally and informally assess the incoming student to determine a baseline for reading and math, among other skills. This often proves difficult for the student as well as teacher. Be patient, be kind. These traits go a long way in welcoming the face in front of you. Additionally, the student now faces unknown scenarios, a foreign language and a myriad of cultural differences. Throw in that the student may not have ever been exposed to indoor plumbing, had lived in a refugee camp or had been persecuted for religious reasons (and now isn’t), all of these experiences bring with them fear, nervousness, and apprehension. Hence why learning as much about the path your student took to you is critical to both their and your success. I offer you some tips for getting to know your student.
Consider using an intake form (or equivalent). You may already have a sheet or document that you use for all your kiddos in your class, but consider tweaking, modifying or creating one for your ELL. Circumstances are most likely different for immigrant children than that of American born kids. You may want to include information such as first (or second, etc.) language, years of education, type of education (formal, informal), siblings, country of origin, country most recently lived in, and any other pertinent information that should be documented. Pay particular attention to the path the child took to get to you and document it. Even if you may not feel it is relevant, this form should travel with the child throughout their education. Undoubtedly others will want to know the same information and rather than reinventing the wheel, the job has already been done. Be proud of this document, cherish it, and use it as a baseline in understanding the challenges the little one in front of you has already faced. Confianza provides a road map for what we call a Powerful Individualized Language Plan.
Next, change your approach. If you know nothing about the country or culture from which your student is from or would like to learn more, incorporate that topic into your lessons. Instead of approaching this task as something else to try to squeeze into your day, use this opportunity to teach about this country or culture as a springboard to incorporate into your daily read-alouds, book club or literacy centers. While teaching a unit on tooth and oral care, I chose to read the book Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby Beeler. Children from around the world described what each of them does when they lose a tooth. This exposes your current students to others’ cultures and includes your new student and their culture into your existing classroom dynamic. Further, you can pick books based on the theme or topic of what you are currently learning. If it’s close to a holiday, pick a book about what others do to celebrate that holiday like A Kenya Christmas. Or, if your class is learning about many countries at a time, try utilizing Teachers Pay Teachers’ unit Holidays Around the World. If you are looking to foster unity and awareness, two great picks are Same, Same But Different or A Ticket Around the World. By using what you are already doing and tweaking it to fit your individual need, both you and the entire classroom benefit. Read more here about honoring students’ identities through stories.
What if you hosted a party? Everyone loves a party! This could be a super simple gig or could be more elaborate depending on your parameters. Once students arrive and you know more about them and their situation, you could take the time to decide if this would work with your kiddo, kiddo’s family and your classroom. Let them bring in money, decorations, food (if allowed), music, clothing, written alphabet (kids love to see Arabic written!), pictures and more! Students love to show off their knowledge and given the appropriate arena to do so, this can be such a confidence builder. Also, if you have kiddos in your classroom who share a common language, you can coach and guide them on how they can be helpers as well. Again, this is a two-way-win since your new kiddo can use recently learned vocabulary, sentence structures (with guidance/modeling as needed), and can become part of the larger group. See? Win-win!
Finally, host a poverty simulation. While not all immigrant students’ families are impoverished, a large majority are. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are large numbers of immigrants and immigrants and their U.S.-Born Children who live in poverty (see table below). How does this relate to your English Language Learner? Many of the kiddos in your classroom are fighting battles each day, some which you may be aware of (unclean, improperly fit clothing) or others you may not know about (abuse of any sort, hunger, loneliness, sadness). Talk to your administration about the benefits of nurturing empathetic students and staff. During your next professional development day, host a poverty simulation for your district. Your group will have the opportunity to spend a few hours role-playing, learning and experiencing first-hand what many of our kiddos’ families experience on a daily basis. Allow each staff member to walk in another person’s shoes for a short time. Experiencing this simulation will leave you and your colleagues talking. This simulation will have you questioning, arguing, emotional, disappointed and frustrated-and you speak English! I promise you it will open your eyes, no matter what your background.
Developing empathy may come naturally to you, while for others it may seem like more of another item on the to-do list. If you approach empathy with a different lens and try to incorporate different ideas and approaches into your day, you may be surprised at the benefits you reap….and how it spreads among all your kiddos.
What are some techniques and tips you use within your district/school to help kiddos mesh with your class? What works in your world?