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Module 2 - Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.7 Classroom community building

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Module 2 - Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.7 Classroom community building

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I have tried the plank game, but in Seminars for teachers.
In Environmental Education we use sometimes a game similar to "robot and engineer'. We divide students in pairs. One student is blindfolded and he/she has to trust the other one in his pair to lead him/her to a tree. He/she touches the tree, trying to remember the shape and other characteristics. The blindfolded one is guided by the other kid away from the tree.
Then, the one who was blindfolded must try to find which tree he/she touched before.
It is a game of trust and orientation also, and kids love it. They learn to trust one another and also they must remember the route, the characteristics of the tree, so they have to use all their senses.
Such activities are games and help children to connect and trust each other, even if they do not know the language of each other.

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Module 2 - Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.6 Supporting language learning

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Module 2 - Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.6 Supporting language learning

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Some links in Greece:
http://www.oepek.gr/pdfs/t-Yliko.pdf
http://www.keda.uoa.gr/epam/ed_material.html
About integrating music, material from "Melina" project (songs, sounds of nature etc) http://iema.gr/data/EducationalProjects/Melina/Hxos_tis_mousikis.htm
Material from "Melina" project "Travelling in Greece" and "Travelling in Mediterranean" http://users.sch.gr/evaggelidis61/mesogeios/mesogeios.htm(with songs from some Mediterranean countries among them Egypt and Morocco http://www.iema.gr/media/Melina/Mediterranean/Taxidevontas_sti_mesogeio.pdf
Also music and fairy tales of Kurdish people and Gypsies http://www.iema.gr/data/EducationalProjects/Melina/tsigganoi_kourdoi.htm These are some very interesting links in Greek.

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Module 2-Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.5 Classroom activities

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Module 2-Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.5 Classroom activities

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There are many nice ideas proposed here, I thank both the instructors and our peers for it.
I have tried the "catch the ball" game for the students to introduce themselves to the others (we can also use a stuffed animal toy instead of a ball).
Students also like pantomime, music (or a combination of the two - pantomime while listening to music).
Playing games is a great way of learning and making friends at the same time.
Very useful for the same purpose in working in small groups (up to 4-5 students).

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Module 2 Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.3 Supporting specific needs

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Module 2 Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom - 2.3 Supporting specific needs

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Having worked in the past with newly arrived migrants and refugees, I think the most important thing is the language. Teaching them the language of the country where they have come is very important, because it gives them the chance to communicate and be integrated.
We should know our boundaries, but, unfortunately, in Greek schools there are no psychologists and social workers now (there had been in the past when there were many migrants and refugees from Eastern European and Balkan countries after the regimes changed there).
But there are solidarity groups and NGOs, covering the absence of the state policy in this field.

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Module 2 Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom 2.1 Preparing for arrival

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Module 2 Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom 2.1 Preparing for arrival

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I currently work in an Environmental Education Center, where we have different pupils from various schools every day.
In the past I have worked in welcoming classes in Primary Education. There I had pupils coming from Albania, Georgia, Ukrania and Russia

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school   1.5  Community-based projects

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school   1.5  Community-based projects

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I like the RespAct project. It has many elements of Environmental Education, it is Environmental Educaiton and I currently work in this field.
The Environmental Education Center of Vamos in Crete wher I work could easily adopt the RespAct project ideas.
We could also organize Seminars and workshops for teachers, as we expect in a few days the arrival of refugee children in our Prefecture and in the major cities of Crete island. The children and their families will leave at last the camps and will be hosted in appartments .and houses in our major cities of the island with the help of UNCHR and we want them to attend schools of their neighbourhoods, classes of their age with language support.
So, we must support teachers also with ideas and specia education.

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school  1.4 Organising support at school level

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school  1.4 Organising support at school level

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In Greece there is little support (as mentioned by Veronica from Belgium and Chiara from Rome). In most of the cases, the teacher is left alone to deal with migrant children in his/her class.
There is urgent need for the creation of language support classes, but it is also important for immigrant children to be participate in art, sport and other activities every day with the other children of their age.
We also need support from psychologists and social workers (in the past the ministry had sent some in schools where there were immigrant children, but they were working part time, only a few hours a week).
Additionally, there is urgent need for special educational programs for teachers and also lessons in the languages of the immigrants, so that they do not lose connection with their origins.

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school  1.3 Models of school integration in Greece

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school  1.3 Models of school integration in Greece

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In Greece, in most schools there is submersion. Most students are sent to classes of their age without any additional help. Back in the 90s and the first years of the 21st century, we had a lot of immigrants mostly from Balkan and Eastern European countries. Then the ministry decided to create "welcoming classes" in primary schools where there were at least 9 immigrant students. In these classes, wherever they were created, there was a teacher who divided the students in four groups according to their knowledge of the Greek language (young beginners, old beginners, young advanced and old advanced). In these classes they attended some school periods every day and the rest of the periods they attended classes of their age, the regular program. Main goal was to learn Greek in order to be integrated fully in the classes of their age with local children. These classes were not supported as the ministry ought to do, eg with special educational programs for teachers. After a while, the ministry gave directions that only newly arrived migrants should attend, assuming that all others had no need for support.
After the big refugee wave in 2015, there are about 60.000 refugees left in Greece. Among them there are 18-20.000 children. Only a small number of them attends some kind of school. There are efforts from volunteers in some camps. The ministry of Education sent in the beginning of this school year about 3.000 pupils in primary schools in separate classes in the afternoon.

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school 1.2 Meeting the needs of newly arrived migrant students

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in school 1.2 Meeting the needs of newly arrived migrant students

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The most important thing is to have a warm and welcoming environment.
Secondly, there is a need for pupils to be among other pupils of their age from local families. With the help in learning the local language, they can be integrated and learn the local language fastly. If they are isolated or in special classes only for immigrants, the cognitive progress is too slow and the integration might never happen.
Of course we must secure that basic needs for food and accomodation are met.
There is also need for the help of psychologists and social workers for dealing with cases of trauma.

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in the school 1.1 Challenges and opportunities

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Module 1: Newly arrived migrant students in the school 1.1 Challenges and opportunities

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I agree with Prof. Dr. Pant. Integration of refugees and migrants in our schools is an excellent opportunity for innovation of schools. Schools can try new methods, open up to society. Refugees and migrants add wealth to our school and local communities. We must also act for educating adult immigrants, at first with language lessons (English and the language of the country where they are).
It is also an opportunity for the introduction of lessons about the language of refugees and immigrants, so that they do not lose their native language. Local children could also be able to choose to attend a lesson of these languages voluntarily.

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I have worked in Primary Education and in special welcomming classes for migrants. I currently work as Head of the Environmental Education Center of Vamos that is situated in the village of Kefalas in the Prefecture of Chania in Crete.

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I have worked in Primary Education and in special welcomming classes for migrants. I currently work as Head of the Environmental Education Center of Vamos that is situated in the village of Kefalas in the Prefecture of Chania in Crete.

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My name is Fotis Pontikakis. I am a teacher working in Environmental Education.

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My name is Fotis Pontikakis. I am a teacher working in Environmental Education.

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I live in Chania, in the island of Crete in the south of Greece.