Today is the day! It's the first day of school here in Brooklyn and the sun is shining bright! School busses of kids filled the streets eager to start the new school year.  

   Claudio steps off his porch and starts the walk four blocks to his new school.  Not only is this his first day of second grade, it's his first day of school in America! His family had just moved from Brazil to the States for his father to pursue his opera career. His mother is from Japan and his father's family came from Italy to Brazil. Claudio and his family speak Portuguese at home and he can understand very little English.  

    This makes Claudio very nervous for starting school. He had a few weeks to adjust to living in America, but didn't feel like he was ready for school. He was worried that he will be lost, laughed at and left out. He was nervous about not knowing English very well and didn't know how he was going to talk to anyone around him! As he walked down the streets, passing groups of kids laughing and spilling stories of their summer, Claudio hoped for the best.  

    "Ms. Carlie, the principal would like to see you," said the secretary in the front office. That is not really the best line to be walking back into work to after the summer off.  Ms. Carlie went down to the principal's office to see what she needed.      

    Ms. Carlie is a second grade teacher who was so well loved by all her students. Principal Sam let her know that she will be having a very special student in his class this year.  "Claudio is a little boy who just moved here from Brazil with his family. He speaks very little English and his mother says he is very shy and nervous about school. I have no doubt in my mind you will be able to ease him into school here comfortably with the support he needs." 

    Ms. Carlie was flattered by the principal's kind words and was so excited to meet her new student! She is patient and nurturing, Claudio is in great hands.  

    Ms. Carlie collaborates with Mr. Kevin, who had a student in a similar situation last year, for different strategies and advice to help create a comfortable and inviting environment for Claudio.      

   Mr. Kevin gave Ms. Carlie great advice.  He said try to connect with him on a personal level; find out his interests and what he does on his free time. With that, try to incorporate culturally appropriate texts to make instruction relatable in order for him to build connections. Mr. Kevin said you want to be sure his voice is heard in any way.  He mentioned home visits, collaboration with parents, conversations in their native language if possible are all other strategies he found to work. Frequent "check-ins" are important. 

    Claudio enters Ms. Carlie's class and was very taken back. This was very different to the classrooms he was used to in Sao Paulo. There were endless books in the library, color coordinated tables, an activity table, different stations throughout the classroom and more. He instantly felt a bit of relief once he met Ms. Carlie. She introduced herself and spoke slow so he could understand.  He also met another young lady, Ms. Sadie, that Ms. Carlie said is the classroom helper.  He found his seat with his name tag on it and waited for directions. The other kids at the table said "hi" and introduced themselves to Claudio. He was too nervous to even look up and kids were annoyed by that. They started to laugh at him and give nasty looks.  The teacher then called for everyone's attention.  

    Ms. Carlie introduced herself and Ms. Sadie and asked how everyone's summer was. A few students told stories while Claudio kind of just sat there. He was embarrassed and discouraged. Ms. Carlie gave the first assignment, which was to turn and talk and share two interesting facts about yourself to your partner. 

    Claudio was so scared to even talk to the kids next to him as they might make fun of his accent. With some encouragement from Ms. Sadie, he finally shared with his partner where he's from and his favorite food; brigadeiro, which is a traditional Brazilian dessert.  

    To his surprise, the other student thought that was so cool and insisted he brought some in for him to try the next day.  As days went on, Claudio and this boy, Paul, became close friends and within weeks they were inseparable! Claudio learned so much from Paul while Paul learned just as much from Claudio. Ms. Carlie had frequent check-ins to be sure Claudio is comfortable and doing well throughout his transition. Ms. Sadie is so helpful to Claudio and supports him as he learns English the best he can. Everyone is so excited for this new adventure!

                                References

    Understanding resistance: Preservice teachers’ discourse models of ... (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1598/JAAL.55.1.3 

    Toppel, K. (2015). Enhancing core reading programs with culturally responsive practices. The Reading Teacher, 68(7), 552–559. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1348

    Disciplinary literacy through the lens of the next generation science ... (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaal.497