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How to Get to Know Your Diverse Students
It is very likely, given the variety and mobility among second language minority groups, that most teachers will at some point in their teaching career encounter students whose language and culture they know little about. Such a challenging situation requires not only fact finding but also continual observation and interpretation of children's behavior.
Getting Basic Information When A Student Arrives
1. Find out facts about the child:
• What country is the child from?
• How long has s/he lived in the USA?
• Where and with whom is the child living?
• What language or languages are spoken in the home?
• If the child is an immigrant, what were the circumstances of immigration?
2. Obtain Information about the Child's Prior School Experiences:
• School records may be available if the student has already been enrolled in a US school.
• Obtain English proficiency information from the district office.
• Find out if the student had prior school experiences in the home country.
• Find out whether or not the child is literate in her/his native language.
3. [BBecome Familiar with the Basic Features of the Child's CultureB]
• Religious beliefs,
• Customs,
• Food preferences and restrictions,
• Roles and responsibilities of children in the family. |
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| Comments posted for this Tip: 7 |
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My student questionare looks like this:
Name_____________________ Place of Birth______________________
Age_____ Marital Status_______________
Why are you here today?
What word would best describe your early childhood? (words like: happy, rewarding, fun, moved around, lonely, depressing)
What funding allows you to go to school? Scholarship? Student loan? Government grant? Parent or relatives? Military benefit? Job benefits? Self funding?
Where do you want to be next year?
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
Would you say you are from a: two parent, single parent or no parent (grandparent) family?
Are you a good student overall?
Are you good in math?
What are your typical grades in previous math classes?
What is the amount of time you usually study each evening on any or all subjects?
How much study do you expect to do for every hour in my class?
Do you plan to skip my class ever? Sometimes? All the time?
Do you think you can pass the COMPASS at the end of the semester?
Where do you live? i.e. on campus dorm? off campus apartment? at home?What is the most important thing I should know about you to be able to teach you this class? (use the back if necessary)
I never tried to gather info from this questionare because my supervisor thought that all of this information was too personal to request. So my tip is, YOU BEST CHECK WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR BEFORE INQUIRY
I still get most of the information from student teacher discussions but it is a laborious task. |
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Posted on: December 1, 2012 6:01 am
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I guess it depends on what grade the teacher is teaching, but I have used several games instead of a written questionaire. I want to teacher the younger grades, so games are a great way to find out more information about what the student is like. I have cards that have pictures like a family, different foods, etc. Also, if the student is unable to speak any English, even holding a globe or pulling down the large map and having them show the other students where they are from could be a learning experience for them all. |
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Posted on: February 28, 2013 8:29 am
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This is an great solution! i will definitely use this in my classroom. |
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Posted on: October 2, 2015 6:28 pm
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Wow I think this is a great way to get to know your students. |
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Posted on: October 12, 2016 12:04 am
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You can incorporate this idea n a lesson plan and find out this information in a fun way. |
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Posted on: October 14, 2016 7:54 pm
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This will be very helpful. |
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Posted on: July 3, 2017 7:08 pm
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This will be very helpful! |
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Posted on: October 5, 2023 1:34 am
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