RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!
I have had a lot of people ask me about my thesis so I thought I would give a brief description as to my focus.
There has been a rapid increase in the number of refugee students merging into schools, globally. In fact, in the past 25 years, more than 1.8 million refugees have resettled in the United States alone. To those who are curious about the primary difference between a refugee and an immigrant…perhaps it is best summed up by Barbara Law who describes it in her book, ESL for Every Classroom Teacher, in this way, ”An immigrant leaves his homeland to find greener grass. A refugee leaves his homeland because the grass is burning under his feet…”
While it is true that we’ve had a large increase in refugee numbers, the research paints us a picture proving that this increase has not been fully accompanied by adequate educational and other specialized support. Many of the refugee students that enter the U.S. have had limited formal education, and lack of documentation that would support their transition into a formal educational setting. For example, since refugees leave their homes due to crisis they are often missing important documents that would support them in navigating the U.S. school system (i.e. birth certificates, vaccination records, educational transcripts). My thesis focuses on this generation of students and the most effective literacy models implemented to support them in the classroom so that they not only succeed, but thrive in school. I am fascinated by this new generation of students, and I think we have an incredible opportunity to mentor, educate and support them in their new communities and classrooms. These kids have experienced so much, and now we are faced with the privilege and challenge of adapting to this new classroom culture so that all students learn and prosper.
While I am enjoying all of my research, it only makes me more eager to get into the classroom and get to work…I am ready for the challenge!
Keela
