A Safe Environment
The first common theme I gathered from the sessions I attended at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference is that it is absolutely imperative that teachers build positive relationships with DLL children. Help them to feel safe and included.
Have you ever been in an environment where you didn’t feel safe? Heard some strange noises at night? In the car with a reckless driver? In a heated argument with someone physically stronger than you? Or how about simply watching a scary movie?
Think about what was going through your head, the first thing you thought you needed to do. Getting to safety, right? Grabbing that bottle of mace, getting out of the car, calling the police, covering your eyes and hiding behind the friend sitting next to you. Anything to get you out of that situation. You focused on saving yourself, on self-preservation.
Some of these examples may seem extreme and unrelated to a child in a classroom (hopefully). My point is that regardless of the situation, when you don’t feel safe, your first priority and thoughts focus on self-preservation, on getting to a place of safety. The same feelings occur in a child who is in an unfamiliar environment, especially when they cannot communicate in your language. If you’re in an environment where you don’t feel safe, you close down and only focus on self-preservation. How can a child learn and prepare for kindergarten if she doesn’t feel safe?
Additionally, behavior issues can stem from this inability to communicate. Think back to a recent meeting or presentation during which you did not pay attention. The topic didn’t apply to you. The presenter was wretchedly boring and just kept droning on and on. Or maybe it was a good presentation, but you were thinking about a looming deadline instead or what groceries you needed to get on your way home that night. What did you do? Pretended to listen, nodded in agreement during regular intervals and acted as if your grocery list were really notes from the material?
It’s okay, we’ve all done it! John Gunnarson from Napa Valley College calls this “procedural display.” We as adults know how to act like we are paying attention. Children have not yet learned this technique. If a child does not speak the language used in the classroom and, therefore, does not understand what is being said, what will he do? Act out? Pursue activities that are interesting to him? Can you blame him? Over time, what message are we sending to DLL children who do not receive enough language support? We are telling them that school does nothing for them. Think about the long-term implications for this message.
Thus, teachers should focus on helping DLL children to feel safe and included by building a positive relationship with each one. If a child feels safe in a classroom, she’ll take risks, like trying a new language. Would you be more willing or less willing to jump out of an airplane if you were 100% sure the parachute would work? How about 50% sure? Helping a child to feel included and valued will encourage her to try new things such as speaking a few words in English.