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An idea of getting students closerwould be to ask all the pupils (regular and migrant ones) to introduce themselves through a painting. I.e. first they draw and then they come up to the board, stick their painting and talk about it. So, each one will give the others a chance to get to know him/her.
To prepare regular students to learn together with the migrant ones, educators can let them watch a related video, encourage discussion about the journey of the immigrants and the problems they have experienced and guide them in realizing how they should behave while receiving them to their class.

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The most difficult thing for an immigrant student is language. They can’t speak the local language, so it’s difficult to grasp what is taught, to understand questions and answer them, to participate in discussions, to make friends, to express feelings and to protect themselves when they feel threatened. However, the Ministry in my country does not provide mediators, so educators have to struggle with this problem all by themselves.

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This year they were two, one in Grade 2 and one in Grade 5. They both came from Russia, so their mother-tongue is Russian. They were too hesitant and shy and hesitated to share their story.

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Community projects are always welcome by motivated and informed educators. Nevertheless, they require the support of the administration and of the school community if they are to be developed.

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At the regular school I’m currently working for I receive no support. On the contrary, I feel very lonely and tootired as I ‘m investing a lot of personal work . The least I would need is a well-organized transition learning plan for these pupils, a moderator among all the teachers of the refugees, regular meetings to evaluate processes, and intermediate results and to re-plan, and tutorials with the refugee parents who also need support and guidance.

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In Greek state primary schools, where refugee students are not many, the submersion model is applied. That is, the pupils are enrolled in a class and attend lessons regularly together with their Greek classmates. They are expected to attend and study all the school subjects. This proves to be extremely difficult for them, as they lack the necessary background knowledge (especially, in the community language) and learning skills. It is also too challenging for the teachers of each school subject because we often find ourselves in the demanding situation of providing personal tuition in class to the refugee children in parallel with teaching the whole group.

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1.2 Meeting the needs of newly arrived migrant students

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1.2 Meeting the needs of newly arrived migrant students

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In practice, I believe my students need primarily safety, protection against racism and threats from classmates, care (both physical and psychological) and constant input in the mother-tongue so that the opportunities for personal exposure to the local language are increased. They also need academic success because this will help them get qualified for a future job but also increase their self-confidence. The best support for me would be the head, who should first acknowledge the above learner needs too and then be extremely eager to contribute to their satisfaction.  Of course, if all or most of the teachers shared the eagerness and passion for working with migrants, then the school community could flourish faster and more effectively.

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Who would disagree with the point that the integration of refugees in a school provides a good opportunity to rethink schools in general and that the work required to integrate them can be a powerful driver for innovation at schools! Refugees, like any newcomer, are a reason why the school head as well as all the teaching staff should re-examine the background of their policies, teaching approaches and school activities and should adapt what is required. Nevertheless, one should by no means forget that there are a large number of schools where refugees will co-exist and co-learn with local children or teenagers, the educational rights of who should by no means be neglected at all. So a school unit should try to strike a balance between the rights and needs of all the recipients of education.

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COURSE PART 3: INTEGRATING NEWLY ARRIVED MIGRANT STUDENTS TO SCHOOL

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COURSE PART 3: INTEGRATING NEWLY ARRIVED MIGRANT STUDENTS TO SCHOOL

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This is the start of the above course.

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Course Part 2: Interesting and useful video materials for awareness raising

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Course Part 2: Interesting and useful video materials for awareness raising

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1. Europe immigration crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB-X_l6WdRU
2. Migrants accident from Libya to Italy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAeXnPqcKSk
3. Message to anyone thinking about travelling to Australia illegally by boat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYXnfpZa5E

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Course Part 2; Module 2.6: The role of the social media

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Course Part 2; Module 2.6: The role of the social media

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We can positively shape the role of social media when it comes to the topic of newly arrived migrants by attending to the following:
1. Be a positive model for our students by posting facts and respecting human beings.
2. Make them aware of the features of posts-to-avoid.
3. Get them trained in creating positive posts and in responding to negative ones.
4. Always promote in class the role of the positive post respondent.

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Course Part 2; Module 2.5: Activities - Arriving in a New Country

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Course Part 2; Module 2.5: Activities - Arriving in a New Country

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An additional idea to those rendered in the course materials would be to follow the 'Pillars of Identity' with an activity in which students will be asked to provide a list of things they should bear in mind re. what refugees should receive in the country they arrive (e.g. shelter, clothes, food, help with state services, etc.). Then they can be encouraged to do some volunteer work with parents and teachers like preparing food and delivering it to a refugee shelter. Re. xenophobia, I believe it has always been an issue at school as new parents are normally overconcerned with the well-being of their children.

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Course Part 2; Module 2.4: Activities - Experiences of Flight

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Course Part 2; Module 2.4: Activities - Experiences of Flight

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Storytelling and video watching are wonderful ideas! Very effective. I would also suggest helping the whole class write in small groups their own stories about an imaginary refugee (boy/girl at their age).

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Course Part 2; Module 2.3: Activities - Origins and Reasons for Leaving

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Course Part 2; Module 2.3: Activities - Origins and Reasons for Leaving

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What Erika has suggested is what I have also done with primary school children at Year 6. It works very well. I particularly like the idea of involving the students in constructive, well-expressed dialogue about e.g. the pros and cons of leaving a country.

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Course Part 2; Module 2.2: Finding external partners - Concerns

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Course Part 2; Module 2.2: Finding external partners - Concerns

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Finding external partners for the purpose of working with learners on contemporary issues like immigration has always proven to be valuable. However, my concerns re. this are:
1. My colleagues and the headteacher (because many of them are xenophobic). E.g. I need their approval for bringing a refugee into my classroom.
2. The parents (a large number of them have a negative stance towards refugees and may claim that their child's educational needs should be prioritized differently).

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Course part 2; Module 2.1: General teaching strategies and activities

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Course part 2; Module 2.1: General teaching strategies and activities

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I work as an EFL teacher at Greek primary state schools. My teaching approach includes current worldwide issues that influence my pupils' life in some aspect(s). So terrorism appears to be such an issue. With young learners, the situation is similar to that with adolescent students, because they bring their parents' or other adults' views in class. So I tend to first present the topic, elicit the core ideas they associate the issue with and create mind maps. The mind map is a reflection of the background mental knowledge of the class (right or wrong). If I want to get the pupils work in groups and research the issue, I may ask groups to collect information about the different issues the class raised; information gathering should strictly follow questions I have given out on a handout. Following this, groups will present the collected information (e.g. orally, with a PPT, with a combination of photos and information cut out from printed sources). However, before this step, I have realized it is necessary for the teacher to provide some basic information s/he knows the pupils will need to understand the collected information of their peers (like where Syria and Iraq are, what a muslim is, what ISIS claims, etc.). Then , the class focuses on the problems that a terrorist attack may cause locally. This is also a useful time for the teacher to realize the feelings that the children bring in them and to intervene by rationalizing some of them and reducing their fears. Then, we focus on how the situation was faced by the local police, whether this was adequate or not and what could have also been done. Finally, I encourage the creation of logos by the children against terrorism and for a healthy way to express objections and disagreements.

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Course Part 2; Module 1.5: Arriving in Europe

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Course Part 2; Module 1.5: Arriving in Europe

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Arriving in the European continent means that refugees are faced with a large number of responsibilities and rights. A very useful source about rights and responsibilities of refugees in Greece is the following: https://www.unhcr.gr/fileadmin/Greece/News/2013/PCjuly/Greece_Positions_July_2013_EN.pd

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Course Part 2; Module 1.4:  Journeys to urope

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Course Part 2; Module 1.4:  Journeys to urope

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According to a Frontex BBC Source, migrants may come to Europe from Turkey,  Greece, Russia, Bulgaria, and Central and Western African zones on the Mediterranean Sea. This site can be of particular interest: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911

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Course part 2; Module 1.3: Who are the newly arrived migrants

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Course part 2; Module 1.3: Who are the newly arrived migrants

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Newly arrived migrants in my Greek neighbourhood used to be from Albania. Now they are from the Middle East (Pakistan), and are very few. They have large families (e.g. with four children). Families are male dominated. The father works for employers, or manages to create his own business (like a small car washing station). The mother stays at home, raises children and does the housework.

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Course Part 2; Module 1.2: Why do people migrate?

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Course Part 2; Module 1.2: Why do people migrate?

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Obviously the answer is that they migrate for a large variety of reasons. Investigations show that refugees leave homelands because of the uncertain, dangerous situations faced there. They are so hopeless that they believe no better days can come in their countries. So the only thing that can empower them to continue being alive is the struggle to reach better conditions away from home.

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Hi, everybody! I'm an experienced EFL teacher and I work in an Athenian primary state school. Attending a course on newly arrived immigrants means to me that I will gain basic information about the global situation of moving populations around the globe, about the way(s) children and adolescents from these groups are included in the educational systems of the countries where they land, about anticipated problems  during the inclusion process and about trouble-shooting in the cases of these problems. The statements of these expectations of mine reflect, I believe, my information gaps and/or the areas I feel less confident about.

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COURSE PART 2: RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE SITUATION OF NEWLY ARRIVED MIGRANTS

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COURSE PART 2: RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE SITUATION OF NEWLY ARRIVED MIGRANTS

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This is the start of the above Course.

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COURSE PART 1: CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN MY CLASSROOM

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COURSE PART 1: CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN MY CLASSROOM

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Note: This is the first of a three-part Course. To see part 2, please move down.

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Working on interculturalism in education

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Working on interculturalism in education

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Reflecting and learning about Interculturalism in Education

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Reflecting and learning about Interculturalism in Education

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Course Part 1; Module 2.3: "Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? The language profile: a door opener to intercultural discussions ."

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Course Part 1; Module 2.3: "Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? The language profile: a door opener to intercultural discussions ."

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Firstly, I would like to thank Erika for sharing her ideas and practices with us. What I have been thinking about are the following:
- What can we do to persuade parents we are not wasting tme in class?

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Course Part 1; Module 1.3: Sharing useful resources  

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Course Part 1; Module 1.3: Sharing useful resources  

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1. School Education Gateway http://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/index.htm
2. www.padlet.com
3. Learning Designer http://learningdesigner.org4. Book: It's OK to be different https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYf3prwXJU
5. English Language Learners: Culture, Equity and Language https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HU80AxmP-U
5. Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV36efjBKRU
6. Seven Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IptefRjN4DY
7. Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTVjJuRaZ8
8. Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Students  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPutaPc9gB8

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Course Part 1; Module 2.5: Developing empathy and open-mindedness

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Course Part 1; Module 2.5: Developing empathy and open-mindedness

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My open-mindedness and empathy have resulted from the way I was brought up in my family, my life-long learning and my travels. However, not all my learners have had the above privileges so they are not yet as open-minded and empathetic as they shouldbe. Here is where education comes in through specific classroom activities.

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Course Part 1; Module 2.4: Creating a sense of belonging and identity in class and at school

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Course Part 1; Module 2.4: Creating a sense of belonging and identity in class and at school

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I always try to create the sense of a community in my EFL classes by instilling in learners behavior classroom rules and important human values, and by forwarding them in daily communication in class and during the break. I encourage learners to contact me when something negative has occurred and invite all sides involved to discuss the problem and find a solution. We also work in pairs and groups. However, the school I currently work does not have the same attitude; it's rather uninterested. Cultural diversity is not appreciated by most colleagues at school level; they consider it more a hindrance to their daily job rather than a blessing for educating children inbecoming the citizens of the future in a globalized peaceful world.

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Course Part 1; Module 2.2: Supporting sts with different first languages; Problems encountered re. an school open to parents

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Course Part 1; Module 2.2: Supporting sts with different first languages; Problems encountered re. an school open to parents

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There are certainly a lot of advantages in opening the school to parents with a multilingual background and in organising varied learning and teaching activites in class. Such ideas can be exciting for EFL teachers and effrective in terms of learning. But they are demanding in terms of application. What is needed is certainly money for all the supplementary materials, and staff and parent cooperation. Both rely on a change of practical philosophy about school education and practice. For example, in my country, parents believe that everything at school is the teachers' job. Since they get long vacations (!), they should be made to do everything on their own. And if the school opens the door to them, they see this as a chance to get to know what is happening within the school in terms of e.g. teacher relations; so gossip is encouraged in the neighborhood.

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Course Part 1; Module 2.1: Example activities to develop students' intercultural competence

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Course Part 1; Module 2.1: Example activities to develop students' intercultural competence

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I have attended the course videos very closely. From those mentioned, I have implemented projects on famous personalities repeatedly. They work exceptionally well, and the students are enthusiastic and productive. Bear in mind however that projects need very disciplined planning and implementation on behalf of the teacher and the learners. Because at school we are facing frequent problems with Internet connection and with broken equipment that we don't have the money to replace, working on the Net is feasible at certaiun times and with certain classes only. And due to the pressure of the syllabus to be covered and the related need for controlled practice activities before the productive opes, the number of the activity types the video speakers present have to be too limited in a large number of classes. Nevertheless, children of Year 5 and 6 are being trained in searching machines over the Net, locating information on tasks I give them, recording information and presenting it in class. Recent projects have also been reading poetry, developing vocabulary, creating art-inspired paintings in pairs or individually, and getting to know the poets. Other classes have made their own books over the whole school year with pieces of self-created writings on personal experiences.

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Course Part 1; Module 2 Starter: General info about the learners I teach

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Course Part 1; Module 2 Starter: General info about the learners I teach

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The overwhelming majority of the learners in the primary school I work are Greeks. But there are always some who have a foreign background. In this aspect, my classes are characterized by multiculturalism, which must be taken into consideration for the design and implementation of an effective lesson plan. The larger number of these few learners is from Albania. Recently, I received a girl and a boy from Russia. The Russian girl had received some school education in her country; this obviously led her to develop an extremely disciplined behavior in class (even in the way she would sit at her desk). Equally disciplined was and still is her handwriting. She has become very careful with listening to the teacher and trying to do homework at home. But there are gaps in her knowledge re. Greek school subjects. Her brother had attended no school before they came to Greece. He was too immature when he started attending Grade 1 and it still seems difficult for him to reach the level of other good learners. Their family and the kids themselves keep a distance from me the English teacher, although I try to inform them about several issues and keep a regular contact with them. In one of our lessons, the girl shared cultural information about Russia with us. I enjoyed this time because the activity shed light on this girl, who was kept in the shadow for a long time by the school context. She became enthusiastic and started approaching me more easily. The boy looks bored in class no matter what we do; I’ve started considering the possibility that it is not actual boredom but that he has not developed communication skills to an adequate extent. Re. the Albanians, because they have been born in Greece or arrived at a very young age, they are well-integrated into the Greek culture. Their families also speak with Greek family members in equal terms.

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Course Part 1; Module 2: General info about my teaching situations

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Course Part 1; Module 2: General info about my teaching situations

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I have been teaching EFL to primary school learners. The majority are Greek. There is usually a minority from Albania. Occasionally, some are gypsies or from countries like Russia. The Greeks seem to have a very strong ego (cultivated by families). The migrants obviously lack self-confidence and face difficulties in becoming equal class members. My role as an EFL teacher who meets with them three times a week is too restrained. Nevertheless, I make it clear in my classes that we are all equal, we are all capable of succeeding and we are all obliged to communicate in an unimpeded way.  I manage to have a very good communication with the learners; the obstacles come from other teachers who usually  envy educators who are doing their best in class, and from parents who resist in accepting migrants and their families.

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Course Part 1; Module 1.4: Developing intercultural competences in students

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Course Part 1; Module 1.4: Developing intercultural competences in students

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Speakers in the Teachers Academy videos have outlined very important areas that matter in the development of intercultural learner competences. In my teaching experience, it is of utmost importance to forward the values of self-respect and respect to others in a classroom and the value of democracy. An extremely challenging task is that of approaching  and working with parents who have not adequately developed these skills in themselves and who exert major influence on their child, to the extent that our interventions have merely no result.

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Course Part 1; Module 1.2: Developing intercultural competence as a teacher

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Course Part 1; Module 1.2: Developing intercultural competence as a teacher

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The audiovisual materials by Teachers Academy rendered ten areas as vital for developing intercultural competence in teachers. From my viewpoint, these areas can be minimized to five; ie. 1 personality skills (encompassing ability for self-reflection and for encouraging communication within a group), 2 pedagogy-didactics (covering living the diversity in class, being open to change, integrating diverse resources, and integrating cultural diversity as a cross-curricular theme), 3 social psychology issues, 4 parent involvement  and 5 language. Taking for granted that the first two and the two last ones are a must for efficient teachers, we are left with knowledge of social psychology issues, which is what I consider absolutely essential for a teacher who wishes to develop intercultural competence in him/herself and in the learners.

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Course Part 1; Module 1.1: Why address cultural diversity at schools

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Course Part 1; Module 1.1: Why address cultural diversity at schools

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At schools, we are faced with the essence of human beings, i.e. human diversity and uniqueness. Difference among individuals can be the case not only when they come from different countries, but also when they are from the same home country. So cultural diversity, in a wider sense, applies to all contexts; where it can be understood to denote the diversity of each individual's  personality. When we start talking and working on cultural diversity with our school learners, we can help them become more tolerant to each other and to human beings outside the school context. This can lead to collaboration, effective learning, progress, democracy, and peace.

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Course Part 1; Module 1: Introductions Who I am

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Course Part 1; Module 1: Introductions Who I am

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Hello, everybody!!! I'm Vani, which is short of Vassiliki-Foteini. I come from Athens, Greece, and I have been an EFL teacher for more than 30 years. My experience is derived from both the private and public school sector. During the last 20 years I have been working in public primary schools spread over Greece. At the moment I'm teaching young school EFL  learners aged 6 to 12 at a school in an Athenian suburb. I decided to do this course because now it appears more essential than ever to understand intercultural competence (and the sub-skills involved) and get trained in the development of an effective methodological approach and of appropriate teaching/learning materials.  This is because our pupils are very likely to come from the large groups of migrants that have landed in Greece. I want to get ready for this moment! I hope we will all enjoy the course and become members of a large company of inspired teachers!