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When developing Circles for engagement with English Language Learners, there are complex needs to be considered. Newcomer and refugee students require culturally safe and appropriate support in educational settings. To respond to trauma-informed education, five values should inform care. These include safety, trust, empowerment, collaboration, and choice (Stewart, 2018). These values determine the organization of the following sections of Circle delivery.
ELL and newcomer students are complex individuals who arrive with diverse lived experiences. It is important to consider what may emerge in Circle.
We all want to belong, and newcomer and refugee students face larger barriers to fit in with their peers. Once they feel safety in their school environment, building relationships that overcome language and cultural differences is critical.
Change and movement create new worlds for ELLs to learn and they will often feel unsafe and unsure of how to integrate and do "what is right". Newcomers come from diverse experiences, and it is important that their first Circles are ones of safety and trust.
Like all youth, ELLs strive to have independence and the confidence to be change-makers. Once relationships are established, ELLs should work alongside their peers to lead Circles and facilitate. The Circle should not just know newcomers but should learn from them.
Stewart, J. (2018). Bridging two worlds : supporting newcomer and refugee youth : a guide to curriculum implementation and integration. CERIC.
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