“Intro to America”: Newcomer Government Class Creates A Safe Space For Adolescents As They Enter A New World
By Isabella Bagnaro
Fluorescent lighting burns your eyes, hundreds, thousands, of new faces, floating around you occasionally bumping your shoulder muttering a quick “sorry” as they rush into small rooms that decorate the beige-brick walls. A dull panic sets in your chest, anticipation pulsing through your blood, millions of questions and concerns crowding your mind all at once.
“Feliz primeiro dia de aula” “С первым днём в школе” “Heri ya siku ya kwanza ya shule”
“Happy First Day Of School” you mutter, before making your way into a dim, furnished classroom.
The English Learning program at Jenks High School focuses on educating adolescents in standard high school topics such as various arithmetics, sciences, and histories, while also integrating the English language and American culture into that curriculum.
Transfer students from foreign countries begin by taking an assessment that measures where they're at with reading, writing, and speaking the English language. It also will help admin place students according to what knowledge in various subjects each student may possess. In some cases, a student may have been living in a refugee camp and may not possess “on level” knowledge on high school curricular topics. In other cases students may have been receiving an education, just in a different language, in which they will be placed accordingly.
An extension of this program is the Newcomer Government class.
The Newcomer Government class focuses on students who are “brand new” to America and possess little to no ability to speak English. Many students enrolled in this class moved to America as recently as August of that school year.
Heather Reilly, teacher of the Newcomer Government class, spoke on how she operates to ensure her students' success. “Force focus” and “structure and grace '' are how she described the procedures and attitudes in her classroom. She went on to explain that she has her students put away their phones at the beginning of class to ensure that they are focusing on the lesson, making sure that she speaks slowly and repetitively, and measuring success by reflection and daily monitoring are all components that she and her coworkers have found to help.
Lesson planning is a vital component of the Newcomer Government class. Mondays, students will learn a letter of the alphabet and three words to go with it, usually consisting of an animal, emotion/idea, and government term. Tuesdays are dedicated to an American symbol such as the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, or Uncle Sam. On Wednesdays, lessons are dedicated to important historical people such as Fredrick Douglas, George Washington, or Rosa Parks. Thursdays are set apart as movie days, due to research done by the staff that found that one of the best ways to pick up a new language is to just be exposed to it via listening to it, even if you don’t necessarily know what they're saying. One of the best ways to do that is by watching a movie in the language you are trying to learn. Fridays are game days, Reilly utilizes this time to teach her students American games that American students usually grow up with, this helps establish a collaborative and enjoyable classroom setting. On most days there is also a distinguished time for students to use Google Translate to help them in their interpretation of the English language.
“I don't just give academic experiences, but I get to experience things for the first time as they do,” said Reilly.
Reilly discussed how one of the special parts of educating these students specifically is that there are so many new things that we may look over that they haven't gotten to experience yet and oftentimes she gets to discuss and even share those experiences with them. Instances such as one of her students began to ask her about snow until she came to the realization that he hadn’t ever experienced snow before. As a result, in their conversation, she promised that if it snowed while they were at school she would take his class outside so he, along with everyone else could experience it. Another anecdote she shared was from a few years back, as homecoming was approaching, and student conversations were buzzing about it she had several students who were curious about what it was and what traditions people took part in. She decided to discuss it with them and even close her classroom door and teach them how to dance!
Reilly went on to talk about how her students also educate her, exposing her to different cultures and the beauty of different languages. Her role has also taught her how to speak and interact with these groups of students. Acting out of patience is very important, the students who walk into her room often have traumatic pasts and may come from very difficult situations so acting out of gentleness and patience helps put students at ease and aids in reducing the stress of their entire world shifting. Recognizing the value of her students' native cultures is also a crucial part of the classroom environment she intends to create. Making sure her students know that their “languages are beautiful and that there is a place for them,” often helps these students feel seen and understood.
Students got to write “pumpkin” on of the words of the day on the board in their mother language.
While she is unsure of what the future holds for her class and program, she knows that she and her colleagues are working hard at trying to create a safe and happy place for their students to learn and grow. And her impact will be remembered by these students for the rest of their lives.
Jena Al Sagheer, a student currently enrolled in the Newcomer Government class, spoke on her experience in the class and with Mrs. Reilly. She discussed how she feels connected to her fellow classmates and is able to communicate and bond freely with them.
“I feel like we have a lot of memories, we do a lot of fun things,” said Sagheer.
Sagheer spoke on how the daily structure of the class has helped allow for those memories to be made, especially Thursdays and Fridays. Fridays are dedicated to learning games American children usually grow up playing and Thursdays her class gets to watch a movie in English, to help with exposure to the language. But it also leaves room for memorable experiences. One of these movie memories was of her class experiencing a cliffhanger in a movie they were enjoying, despite it being in a different language.
“We were watching a movie and it was a little bit interesting, and at the end of the movie something happened that made us wait for the next part. But the class was done, we couldn’t watch anymore of it. It was kinda sad but funny at the same time,” said Sagheer. “Even on the days we just study, there's something fun. Because she makes it fun. I love her class.”
Sagheer explained that when her classmates are having a difficult time with a word or phrase, Mrs. Reilly often tells them to “open their Google Translate,” and if they are still having trouble, she will break the phrase down for them and make sure that they understand it.
“When we need help she just helps us, she explains it,” said Sagheer.
Joseph Sian Mang is one of Reilly’s Newcomer Government class students. Mang has her as his AVID teacher as well, allowing him to experience her teaching style in different subjects.
“She never fails to teach me, she makes sure that I understand what she is teaching,” said Mang.
Mang explained that while he likes every class that he takes, Mrs. Reilly stands out as a teacher.
“So far, she is one of the best teachers I have ever had,” said Mang.
When talking about the Newcomer Government class, he explained that despite the language barriers Reilly still manages to educate her students with grace.
“She is really patient,” said Mang, “In this class, no one really speaks English. Everyone speaks their own mother language, and she doesn’t understand all of them. She will always tell them to speak English, but sometimes they don't listen, but she's never angry with them, she's really patient. That’s one thing I like about her.”
Students working on notes.
In my own experiences sitting in on the class, I was overjoyed by the bright colors, unique learning tactics, and lively conversation that sprouted around the classroom, not just between students but with Mrs. Reilly as well. Just by observation, you can see how much she values and cares for her students and their education. Reilly makes it a point to connect with her students through the Newcomer Government class, and it impacts them for the better.
