Director Interview

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From the course by Arizona State University

Engaging ELLs and Their Families in the School and Community

35 ratings

Arizona State University

Engaging ELLs and Their Families in the School and Community

35 ratings

Course 3 of 4 in the Specialization ELL Success in the Content Classroom: Teacher Toolbox Series

In this course, you will learn how to better and more successfully engage your ELL(s) and their families in the school and community. You will learn how to engage your ELL student in the classroom setting as well as in various aspects of the school including extracurricular activities and the inner workings of the school and education system. You will also be introduced to strategies for engaging the families of your ELL students in the school community and the wider community of your city and state. You will interact with a variety of case studies that highlight teachers, schools, and communities in different cities throughout the United States and the ways in which they successfully engage ELLs and their families. From sharing their experience, you will have the tools necessary to implement strategies and procedures for engaging your ELLs and their families. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: * Define the culture of ELLs in K-12 classrooms across the U.S. * Recognize cultural impact on learning and formal education * Assess your school’s engagement of ELLs and their families * Incorporate culturally sensitive techniques to engage ELLs in the classroom and school * Implement strategies for engaging ELLs’ families in the school and larger community * Design a plan for engagement of ELLs and their families in your school * Create a checklist for school and community resources for engaging ELLs and their families

From the lesson

Community Outreach

Welcome to week 5 of the course! In this module, we are going to take you beyond the classroom and look at a variety of ways to engage the family in different aspects of the community. By the end of this module, you will be able to identify organizations in your community that provide support for families, approach organizations regarding working with your students and their families, and implement online resources and apps in your classroom communication as a method for reaching parents and maintaining parent-teacher partnerships. Let's get started!

Introduction to Refugee Organizations4:07

Director Interview7:49

Meet the Instructors

Claire McLaughlin
Senior International Educator
Arizona State University
Ellen Manos
Senior International Educator
Arizona State University

[MUSIC]

Hi and welcome back.

Today with me I have Fatema Alharbi and

she is the director of the Iraqi American Society for Peace and Friendship.

So Fatema, thank you so much for your time today.

I appreciate you letting us come in here and talk with you.

>> Of course, and thank you for coming.

>> Our pleasure.

So could you take a couple minutes for us and describe what your organization does?

>> So the Iraqi American Society, it's a non-profit, community-based organization

that is dedicated in assisting new refugee arrivals in metro Phoenix area.

>> Okay. >> By providing educational, advocacy, and

empowering programs.

>> Great. Who are some of the refugees that

you help, are they just Iraqi refugees?

>> No, we welcome everyone.

We've seen a few other community members such as Somalis,

Congolese, Afghanistan, we help whoever comes in.

>> Whoever comes in the door.

>> Yep, walk-ins.

>> Great, good, and when did it begin?

>> It began back in 1993.

>> Wow. >> Where one of our board members started

helping other community individuals.

And later on board member Jabir Algarawi and Rosalind Rivera,

along with a few other board members, they were able to successfully manage and

direct federal grants >> So

you need those people to keep the grants coming.

>> Right. >> And keep your operation going.

>> Right, non-profit organizations usually run on grants.

>> Yeah. >> To assist the arrival of refugees.

>> Great. So what kind of programs do you offer?

>> Our organization offers three different programs.

We have the women program, youth program, and employment program.

>> Mm-hm. >> Within these programs we

offer services such as English classes, citizenship classes, employment support,

immigration services, translation services, and

also referrals for other community service around the area.

>> Okay, so Fatema, describe for us the role of the organization.

>> The Iraqi American Society for Peace and Friendship,

it's a non-profit community-based organization that is dedicated to help new

refugee arrivals in metro Phoenix area.

>> Okay.

>> And overcoming barriers through self-sufficiency and integration.

>> Mm-hm. >> By providing educational, advocacy, and

empowering programs.

Now these extended through some services developed after recognizing that more than

11,000 Iraqi refugees have been settled in Phoenix over the last two decades.

>> Wow, so Fatema, describe for us your role in the organization.

>> I started with the Iraqi American Society back in 2013 as a women

coordinator.

>> Okay. >> Where later on in March 2015 I

was promoted as a director.

I basically direct ethnic-based community organization.

>> Mm-hm. >> And also the staff and daily operation.

>> Okay. >> And plan and

implement policies that ensures continuing operation daily office work.

As well as build and maintain partnership with local government and

also some agencies around the area.

>> Great.

>> And ensure compliance of the grants and report our complete federal and

state reports.

>> Great, great.

So you do a lot of things.

>> Right. [LAUGH] >> You wear a lot of hats, right.

So what are some of the typical challenges

that parents face when they have to relocate their family to some place new?

>> For a new refugee arrival they face many challenges.

>> Mm-hm. >> But the majority of the challenges that

recently refugees have been facing is a language barrier.

>> Right. >> Cultural barrier and

also understanding the US education system.

>> Yeah. >> As well as providing financially for

their family because it's really hard to find a specific job with lack of

the language.

>> Sure, sure, definitely.

>> English language.

And so employment, it's one of the challenges as well.

>> Okay, great.

And what challenges do you help parents overcome

when they're working with their children's school?

>> We receive many challenges or

cases between the school and their parents, and a few examples of these

challenges are understanding the grading system in school.

>> Yes.

>> When it comes to GPA, grade letters, and also elective classes.

>> Uh-huh. >> And what classes to choose.

Other challenges are when notices are given to students

to be delivered to their parents, or parents receive letters in mail they lack

of understanding of what the letter contains or what they should do.

>> Sure. >> And

we try to explain to them how important it is to attend the parent-teacher

conference.

And also have knowledge about after-school activities or

even before school and how they can help or follow up with their children.

>> So there's a lot of information that they need to know.

>> Right, and I believe in my opinion that they need to, upon their arrival,

there should be a special session where it's given to the parents.

Whether it's coordinated with the school or

with some agencies that bring them here.

Explaining the US school education system,

because it's totally different than back home.

>> That's a great idea.

That really is, because I can't imagine being a parent and

having all that new information coming at me.

>> Right.

>> So Fatema, describe one particular situation that you had

when you had to work with some parents and their school.

>> I had a case about a year ago where I had to help one of the clients where

she had a PE course, and she had to take within that course, swimming session.

>> Okay.

>> And due to her culture she felt uncomfortable taking the swimming class

and swimming in front of guys with having her head scarf on.

>> Right.

>> When she asked the teacher if she could do other activities instead,

the teacher refused and she was sent to the office.

Later on we came in to discuss the situation with the office and the teacher,

explaining the culture behind the idea of her refusing to swim.

>> Mm-hm.

>> Where later on the case was taken to the district office, and

they changed the rule that for any student that doesn't feel comfortable swimming

during that session they could do other activities instead.

So it wasn't only based on that cultural aspect.

>> So I like the idea that cultural information made this big change.

>> Right. >> For everybody.

Not just one population of people.

That's wonderful.

So can you describe for

us one success story that you can think of off the top of your head?

>> I worked with a client about a year and a half ago.

He was in fourth grade and he was diagnosed with autism and

behavioral health disorder.

>> Okay.

>> His situation was that he wasn't able to be on the same

pace with other students in his class.

>> Of course.

>> And he would have some behavioral,

he would do some comments in class that the teacher wasn't accepting it.

>> Sure.

>> Therefore the teacher recommended to the parents and

the office if this student can be transferred to a different school.

>> Mm-hm.

>> Where he could be with the same students his age and

also with the same health issue.

And the parents weren't accepting the idea for their student, for

their child to be transferred to special schools because of the stigma.

>> Stigma, sure.

>> Therefore we had to go to the school and speak to them, and

explain that again it's the cultural or even the idea of not accepting

for your child to be different than the other child's or do the same task.

So the school agreed to provide a special tutor for him, and

that way she could help him during a few periods.

>> Great.

>> And help him out with the assignments.

>> Good, and how is he doing now?

>> He's doing great.

He's in sixth grade in the same school.

>> Awesome.

>> Yeah. >> That's great.

That is a success story.

Great. Fatema, thank you so much for

your time today.

>> You're welcome. >> I really appreciate it and

I really appreciate you sharing your information on helping refugees in

the Phoenix area.

>> Thank you for coming.

>> Thank you.

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