Giving Compass' Take:

• Meagan England shares her experience as a student and educator of her struggles transitioning from one school to another. She offers insight as to how teachers and schools should understand the underlying circumstances for every student's situation. 

• How is the treatment of students by teacher s at a new school affect their trajectory? 

• Similarly, we should also be applying principles of understanding and sensitivity to new immigrant students as well. 

Growing up, I moved from home to home and from school to school 18 times. Now a teacher myself, I want to share what I know about how teachers can help students who attend multiple schools each year.

Often, teachers would ask me why I moved. I never wanted to share that my mother was laid off and could not afford our apartment. The look of pity that would cover my teacher’s face was too much. So I would make something up or say I don’t know why I moved.

I now know that the transient families’ reasons for moving range from military service to efforts to escape horrific situations. So I’ve learned not to ask invasive questions about the reasons for a move. Instead, I ask questions like, “What would you like for me to know about you and your family?” Give the student time to get to know you and they will share more.

Lunches were also difficult. Though I received free school lunch throughout my childhood, every school I attended handled meals differently. Some schools would let me know right away that I had a lunch card and how to use it. Others did not, and I was embarrassed about needing one. Instead of asking, I would go hungry. It was often a teacher who would notice and help me figure out the meal program, but not at every school.

To help students, schools can incorporate an introduction program that includes how meals are handled, for students who pay and those who don’t.

Read the full article about helping students transition through schools by Meagan England at Chalkbeat