I don’t remember the names of many of my elementary school classmates, but I do remember Elaine, who was in our class for only a short period of time. Her family worked as migrant farm laborers and lived in our community only during the tomato harvest season. When Elaine came to school, she was assigned a seat in the back of the room. I never saw the teacher or another student interacting with Elaine either in the classroom or on the playground. I don’t remember Elaine having books or papers or participating in any of our class activities. I’m not sure if Elaine spoke English, as I never heard her say a word. I can only imagine how uncomfortable and isolated she felt.
I often think of Elaine and wonder how things might have been different for her while she was in our class. I wonder, too, about lessons of empathy and inclusion that the rest of us did not learn as Elaine was with us. I feel there was a missed opportunity for lessons on how to respond to her circumstances with empathy, respect, understanding and connection. I’m concerned that the message some of us might have taken away from the situation is that it’s OK to exclude some people from participating if they are different in some way. Such a message is a far cry from recognizing our own responsibility to stand up to exclusion and prejudice.
I know it wasn’t solely the teacher’s job to make Elaine feel welcome and included, but we, as children, needed some guidance on how to do this.
Here are some suggestions offered by the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA about what can be done to help new students feel welcome—including students who will be in the classroom on a temporary basis.
Give the new student a “welcome folder.”
Print the student’s name along with the word welcome on the front of the folder. Inside, provide materials that give basic information about the school (e.g., address, hours and a calendar of events) and list the names and contact information for the relevant staff.
Give the new student a “welcome gift.”
- This gift might include a notebook, pencils and simple art materials.
Assign a “peer buddy” to the new student.
- Recruit and train volunteer students to be peer buddies. The role of the peer buddy would include showing the new student around and spending time with the new student at lunch and recess, especially for the first week or so. The buddy might also sit next to the new student during class time.
Conduct a home visit or invite parents to a “welcome conference.”
- Here, the parents can meet the teacher and talk about the special needs and interests of the student. The teacher, in turn, can share information about classroom procedures and events.
Introduce the new student to the rest of the class.
- Arrange a specified time with the office for bringing the new student to the classroom. Gather in advance some basic information about the student to share with the class, such as special interests, any pets, siblings, etc. Perhaps have other students participate in a “like me” activity. For example, if the new student likes baseball, other students in the class who like baseball can raise their hands. This activity can be helpful in identifying common interests and focusing on commonalities versus differences.
While these suggestions apply to all new students, they are certainly applicable to “temporary students,” as well. Elaine was a temporary student in our classroom because of the migratory nature of her family’s work. Other students may be in a classroom on a temporary basis due to homelessness or because their home lives were disrupted by a personal, social or natural disaster.
The law mandates access to public education for all school-age children (including children of immigrants and migrant families), but it takes more than legislation to help students feel that they belong in a classroom. Finding ways to help a new student feel welcome will not only foster a sense of belonging for that student but will also impart positive messages about empathy and inclusion for all the students in the class.
Wilson is an educational consultant and curriculum writer.