Learn with Mel Hern

Newcomer students—recent arrivals to the United States—often face a whirlwind of challenges as they adjust to a new country, culture, and school system. For educators, the responsibility of supporting these amazing students extends beyond academics. It requires empathy, cultural responsiveness, and a commitment to creating equitable learning opportunities. This blog explores the journey newcomers face, practical strategies for supporting them, and how we can embrace bilingual instruction to help students thrive academically and socially. Please know that this post is not an exhaustive list of the struggles Newcomers face and the strategies that educational institutions must take. Instead, this is a very basic springboard to ongoing work that should most definitely continue as educators receive more diverse students from around the world in their classrooms. Understanding the Newcomer Experience Newcomers arrive with a variety of backgrounds, languages, and educational experiences. Some...

English language learners (ELLs) form a diverse group within the United States education system, bringing unique perspectives and backgrounds to the classroom. However, they also encounter distinct challenges that can impact their academic experience. In this blog post, we'll explore the hurdles faced by English language learners and delve into important strategies that teachers can employ to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Challenges Faced by English Language Learners:  Language Barrier: ELLs often face the immediate hurdle of a language barrier, impacting their ability to comprehend lessons, participate in class discussions, and complete assignments effectively. It is imperative that teachers find student native language level so that further instruction in English can take place. One tool that I have found useful is ENIL from the American Reading Company. It is a very self explanatory evaluation tool that looks at Spanish language independence level, fro...

Growing up Mexican-American in the United States was growing up to be White. I was raised In South Texas, in a predominantly brown town, but let’s be real…the town was run by the minority White folks. So, to say that I fully embraced my culture, my history, would be a lie. I was more White than I should have been. From the time I was born, the society in which my ancestors fought in wars for tried to rid me of my heritage. Forget that my Great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were veterans and saw bloodshed for this country and forget that my ancestors where here long before Texas became Texas. None of that matters when you are growing up brown in America. Why is that? Why are our White brothers and sisters so scared of allowing us an equal playing field? Stop right there if you think we have always had equality because if you do, you are sadly mistaken. Let me give you a brief history of my family’s field and you decide if I have had an equal chance at life. Were opportunities the...

To bring back to life from apparent death or unconsciousness is to resuscitate. It is hard work, sometimes gut wrenching work. The act of resuscitating a human who has lost consciousness may be what seems to you as an eternity; arms shaking, deliberate movements to find life, and a hope-filled energy that moves you to not quit until you have heard a breath or found a pulse.  The unconscious body being resuscitated is symbolic of our education system as it hangs on for dear life, not quite lifeless yet but nearing the threshold. Years and years of oppression, segregation, manipulation, drawing of lines to separate Black from White, rich from poor is taking its toll. From political destruction of our system to outright mandated teaching methods that simply do not work, our students are finding it hard to stay conscious folks, that is unless they are wealthy and live in the right school districts. Our system that is supposed to educate its youth is tattered, hanging on for dear ...