5.3.2 Example of welcoming deaf inmigrant students body protocol
There is not only one pattern of a Welcoming Protocol. The general guides are different in every Autonomous Community. Besides, every center acts according to its own autonomy. Thus, the protocol followed must be considered as a simple general proposal adaptable to different situations.
1.- Welcoming and schooling. When an immigrant family gets to the center to apply for a place for their son or daughter, this application must be received by a member of the management team, who will tell them the documents they must bring to formalize the enrollment.
These documents are: a community census certificate, photocopy of the updated Family Record Book or, at least, of their Passport or residence permit; photocopy of the Social Security Card, photocopy of the vaccination card or any equivalent certificate; two ID photos, academic record or address, if possible, of the last center where he/she was enrolled.
2.- Information about the functioning of the center. The same day the parents come to formalize the enrollment, they will be informed of the functioning of the center. If parents do not know properly the sign language or Spanish, this information should be provided in their own language or in a second language they are able to understand. Here we can turn to the intercultural mediator role, if any, or any father or mother who knows his language.
Opening hours of the center. Regular schedule for the student body. Particular Schedule during the first “adaptation” period, if any.
Points of entry and exit of student body:
· Visit to the center, facilities and classrooms or places where your son or daughter is going to work, gym, break, library, computer room, etc.
· School materials required
· School rules
Activities carried outside the center: trips, visits, trips for Physic Education area, etc. They will be required to sign the appropriate permit, according to the model set out in the center.
· Absence justification
· Service and functioning of school canteen. Prices. Delivery of menus and guarantees of respect for specific requests
· Information about books, transport and school canteen
· Information about functions, activities of the Parent’s Association
3.- Initial Evaluation. Psychology maturity tests by the team of this area or Guidance Service.
Initial Evaluation tests, especially about the linguistic and curricular competence level (mathematics).These tests must be taken jointly by the tutor and the compensatory teacher or guide.
4.- Entrance to the class group. At first, the student is assigned a grade corresponding to his/her chronological age. To determine the group, the following principles must be taken into account:
The opinion of the cycle and management teams, according to:
· Number of students with especial educational requirements of each group in the same grade
· Number of foreign students of each group in the same grade
· Number of students with behavior problems.
· Number of students with learning difficulties
· School enrollment registration number
· Results of Initial Evaluation tests
· The Guidance Team report
To be agreed with the families:
If it is necessary or possible for students enrolling pre-school to stay a full-day or part-time for its adaptation process.
5.- Interview with the Teacher or Tutor. The Tutor will have an interview with the family to obtain information related to the student.
6.- Welcoming the student to the class.
Lines of Action:
1.-The Tutor will explain to the class the new student’s arrival. He/she will say his/her name and his/her country of origin.
2.-Two students will be chosen to “guide” the new peer during an Initial period (2 or 3 weeks).They will be seated next to him/her in class, in the school canteen, they will be with him/her during breaks and will try to make him/her feel comfortable and accepted. However, cooperation will be reinforced, looking for the involvement of the class in his/her adaptation process.
3.- The day of the new student’s incorporation, he/she will be introduced by the Management of the Center and the class Tutor, being appropriate the presence of the compensatory specialized and guiding teacher, who must work with that class.
4.-Mechanisms will be used to explain the rules of coexistence in the center and the rules of operation in the classroom to him/her.
5.-New student’s personal skills will be reinforced in front of the class group to enhance his/her own self-esteem and consideration of his/her peers.
6.-To encourage communication between all students, small working groups will be created stimulating the group’s dynamics as part of the Tutorial Action Plan.
7.-Try for the new student to participate as much as possible in the group’s responsibilities, routine, rules, etc.
8.-Plan the student’s schedule and inform him/her.
9.-The Tutor must become the new student’s leader, so the student knows he/she can always go to the tutor when having any difficulty.
At High School, since the Group’s Tutor will only be with the student several hours a week, it would be advisable for the tutorship to be “shared” with the Compensatory or Guidance teacher, since it is located in the same reference class, it is easier for students to go look for him/her there than start looking his/her reference Tutor who may be teaching groups of different grades in very different areas and practically unknown for the student.
10.- Curriculum organization and planning.
An Initial Evaluation of previous knowledge must be undertaken.
Check if the student has been in school before and what kind of education he/she has received.
Check his/her linguistic competence level; if the student understands when someone speaks to him/her.
Check his/her mathematics level with tests made by Compensation or Guidance or any other created by the cycle team or Department.
Once we have ended this previous evaluation, we can organize his/her curriculum, taking into account that he/she can participate in the classes of Physical Education, Music, Plastic, Computer Classroom… although at first he/she will have communication problems.
For those students needing linguistic support, we will organize a Support Class, with the following objectives:
- Acquisition of a basic vocabulary of relationship and communication
- Acquisition of a specific vocabulary for each field
- Acquisition of basic conversation skills, to facilitate his/her communication
- Acquisition of understanding structures to facilitate the supervision of different areas.
The methodology must enhance the importance of learning:
- Selecting materials which facilitate sign language and Spanish understanding
- Proposing open activities related to the student’s environment
As regards space, the student who has just arrived, must integrate in the classroom, especially in Pre-school and Elementary School. However, at the beginning of his/her schooling, the learning of sign and official languages must also be carried out outside the classroom; preferably in small groups where it’s possible to provide individually the first teaching-learning process of the language.
11.- Organization and functioning of the ordinary classroom.
For the integration of deaf immigrant students in the classroom, it is important to take the following points into account:
- Deal with these students in the most normal way and on equal terms, making them participate as much as possible in the group’s responsibilities.
- Offer them as much security as possible, making them participate in those activities or situations which we think they do the best.
- Facilitate their work load, try to make them carry out the greatest number of activities similar to the rest of the group.
- Facilitate communication between all students, stimulate specific conversation activities.
- Prepare activities that do not suppose a handicap for these students to reach the expected goals.
- Anticipate activities flexible enough to be suitable for different levels of curricular competence.
- When reading-writing activities cannot be adapted to these students, an individual work plan will be provided using suggestions and materials made by the Cycle Team and Compensatory or Guidance.
- Try to have a cozy and motivated class environment for the new students, with small posters or wall paintings, welcome sentences in their language, or photos which show characteristics of their own culture.
- It is important that in areas needing minor supervision, they have the same material than the rest of their peers.
- Pay special attention, with implicit assessment included, when the student carries out a different job than the rest of his peers.
It is also important to prepare the students, so they can face the activities or situations that may result strange for them: school’s celebrations, local feasts, trips, medical examinations, vaccinations, etc.
We must deal with situations in which they might feel rejected or underestimated in school.
Establish mechanisms, if necessary, to allow these students to participate in the center’s activities requiring financial contributions.
