I have started this blog to share insights in teaching immigrant students, whether they are kindergartners or in college. My goal is to discuss what works and what doesn't, and how to encourage them to learn despite the language barrier. There are also various types of immigrants, so there are many factors to take into consideration, but don't worry, it's easy once you know what to do and when to do it.
I am from Rwanda, and I attended schools in Zimbabwe and The United States as a refugee, so I know first hand what worked and what didn't from my former teachers. I have been blessed with a skill to read people, to know who they are, what they like, and how they behave. It is a skill that can make it easy to manipulate people, but it can also be used to enrich people's lives.
For two and a half years I also dealt with immigrant students in a class room setting. At times, the class would be composed of 20 students from 12 different countries. I worked in kindergarten because of several reasons: 1. I was qualified to teach but I wanted to see if that was the right profession for me, so I decided to work under a teacher until I was ready to invest in a Master's degree. It turned out I didn't want to be a teacher and it saved me a lot of money and time. 2. Young children are easy to teach as they learn fast. Don't get me wrong, I dealt with a lot of tantrums, but I became an expert at quelling them. 3. I worked with an amazing teacher, and a great kindergarten team. 4. I just love young kids.
The interesting thing about dealing with the children is that not only do you have to deal with them, but also their parents, many of whom speak little if any English and are anxious to know if their child is at the level they should be. I was blessed to work at a charter school where 50% of the students were immigrants. I was also blessed with having lived in several countries and having picked up ways to interact with different cultures without causing friction. I loved the team I worked with, the parents, and, more importantly, my kids. I just received a text about my kids asking me if I will show up to their fashion show next week. Unfortunately, I'm now in Upstate New York and they are in Atlanta, Georgia. I still miss them.
I have also tutored at a community college where I worked with immigrant students looking to pass English and Math exams. Needless to say, I found the kindergartners to be more fun to teach than the adults.
Well, if you have any questions, please post them here and I will address them with my next post. I will be posting everyday.
