Getting Off to a Good Start

Starting the school year with an atmosphere conducive to learning is a good concern that school authorities should give priority. The more efforts should be exerted in making a good atmosphere in learning particularly with students of culturally diverse and low-income settings. Noticeably, during the early days of the first year of students in school, students would almost want their parents to be with them. Students want parents to sit side by side with them. Students need more time to adjust to be more or less independent in the classroom. But while in the process, an orientation has to be made in order to lessen the anxiety of new students, and on the part of the parents, they could be assured of the safety and learning of their children, thereby allowing them to settle into their new school community successfully. The orientation should lead to students' adjustment that would redound to an adoption of a new environment. It must lead to improvement. And improvement should be evidenced by their ability to make friends and their interest in class discussion and activities.

Teachers must be able to reach out new students to nurture and guide them. This could be done by assigning them a classmate who could help them adjust to a new environment. Meanwhile, school counselors may help parents of new students to acquire parenting skills.

The content of curriculum is so vital in the learning process. It is therefore imperative that the processes by which students and teachers engage must be made accessible and inviting to everyone. As much as possible, curriculum should be rigorous, integrated, and multicultural curriculum.

School must take family and community engagement a step towards students’ acceptance of the new environment. There must be a concerted effort between and among parents and teachers to reach out an activity that would lead to showcase in which students share their stories on such issues as local environment, career development, and educational options. In this way, family and community members present in the activity not only learn from the students, but are empowered to give feedback.

In conclusion, it is imperative that school authorities should be able to reach out actively and persistently to their diverse students and their families, rather than waiting for nothing because parents are not involved that plagues multicultural and low-income contexts. Moreover, school should be innovative in connecting with the students and families because in doing so, students would learn more as they have more mentors whom to interact – the teachers, the parents, and the community. Students felt acceptance in and out of the school.

Clearly, it is imperative for schools to collaborate effectively with multicultural, no matter how high or low is the standing of the students and their families in the society, particularly when the students are at their early stage of learning.