Maura Sellars

Creating Spaces of Wellbeing and Belonging for Refugee and Asylum-Seeker Students: Skills and Strategies for Classroom Teachers outlines the ways educators can support positive educational and social outcomes for the most vulnerable children in their communities. Each chapter briefly outlines the relevant theory, expanding on this through vignettes from research and analytical reflection, helping the reader identify and apply the differentiated pedagogical understandings in their own classrooms. Providing insights from educators who are doing this work successfully across the globe, the book highlights the challenges and considerations that teachers face in multilingual, multicultural classroom environments where students’ common experience is trauma and loss and guides them towards effective practice. This book is intended for use in schools by school leaders and classroom teachers and by educational professionals engaged in supporting schools with students with refugee backgrounds.

Creating Spaces of Wellbeing and Belonging for Refugee and Asylum-Seeker Students: Skills and Strategies for Classroom Teachers outlines the ways educators can support positive educational and social outcomes for the most vulnerable children in their communities. Each chapter briefly outlines the relevant theory, expanding on this through vignettes from research and analytical reflection, helping the reader identify and apply the differentiated pedagogical understandings in their own classrooms. Providing insights from educators who are doing this work successfully across the globe, the book highlights the challenges and considerations that teachers face in multilingual, multicultural classroom environments where students’ common experience is trauma and loss and guides them towards effective practice. This book is intended for use in schools by school leaders and classroom teachers and by educational professionals engaged in supporting schools with students with refugee backgrounds.

This text offers a comprehensive portfolio of approaches to support young children with refugee backgrounds. It covers trauma-informed pedagogies, transitioning to school, authentic inclusion, play, social and emotional learning, and intergenerational trauma. In early childhood centres around the world, teachers and directors can be uncertain of how to meet the needs of newly arrived children. Based on empirical research in five countries, this book offers insights from early childhood educators who are working hard to support families and young children with refugee and asylum-seeker experiences. It illustrates the link between theory and practice and the importance of developing culturally sensitive classroom strategies to effectively support the emotional and cognitive needs of multilingual, multicultural students whose common experiences may only include displacement, trauma, and loss. Rather than offering a measure for ‘success,’ this book shares the knowledge and experience of practitioners who understand the work and the very particular circumstances of these children’s lives. The authors bring these perspectives together in order to inspire other professionals who face this challenging work, encouraging the reader to reflect, to consider how relevant some of the ideas may be in their own contexts, and to contemplate the principles which allow their professional actions to make a difference. This book is an essential resource for early childhood educators and leaders who want to ‘open the door’ to genuinely inclusive, empathetic, and supportive practice. It will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of early childhood and primary education.

This text offers a comprehensive portfolio of approaches to support young children with refugee backgrounds. It covers trauma-informed pedagogies, transitioning to school, authentic inclusion, play, social and emotional learning, and intergenerational trauma. In early childhood centres around the world, teachers and directors can be uncertain of how to meet the needs of newly arrived children. Based on empirical research in five countries, this book offers insights from early childhood educators who are working hard to support families and young children with refugee and asylum-seeker experiences. It illustrates the link between theory and practice and the importance of developing culturally sensitive classroom strategies to effectively support the emotional and cognitive needs of multilingual, multicultural students whose common experiences may only include displacement, trauma, and loss. Rather than offering a measure for ‘success,’ this book shares the knowledge and experience of practitioners who understand the work and the very particular circumstances of these children’s lives. The authors bring these perspectives together in order to inspire other professionals who face this challenging work, encouraging the reader to reflect, to consider how relevant some of the ideas may be in their own contexts, and to contemplate the principles which allow their professional actions to make a difference. This book is an essential resource for early childhood educators and leaders who want to ‘open the door’ to genuinely inclusive, empathetic, and supportive practice. It will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of early childhood and primary education.

This practical resource for principals and school leaders provides guidance on how to develop schools into places of belonging for all children, especially children of refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds. It demonstrates the need for school leaders to be informed, reflective individuals and highlights the role that leaders can play in a school culture that provides a safe place and effective educational opportunities for these students. Written in an accessible manner, each chapter includes a summary of theory and vignettes from school leaders that outline approaches, challenges, critical reflections and suggestions for how their experiences can be adapted to other contexts. Principals' voices and experiences from across the globe are included, representing a range of school levels including primary and secondary, large and small enrolments, religious and public, and urban and rural settings. This book is intended for use in schools by school principals and aspiring school leaders, and by educational professionals engaged in supporting schools with students with refugee backgrounds.

This practical resource for principals and school leaders provides guidance on how to develop schools into places of belonging for all children, especially children of refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds. It demonstrates the need for school leaders to be informed, reflective individuals and highlights the role that leaders can play in a school culture that provides a safe place and effective educational opportunities for these students. Written in an accessible manner, each chapter includes a summary of theory and vignettes from school leaders that outline approaches, challenges, critical reflections and suggestions for how their experiences can be adapted to other contexts. Principals' voices and experiences from across the globe are included, representing a range of school levels including primary and secondary, large and small enrolments, religious and public, and urban and rural settings. This book is intended for use in schools by school principals and aspiring school leaders, and by educational professionals engaged in supporting schools with students with refugee backgrounds.

This book examines the educational systems into which students with refugee backgrounds are placed when relocated into their new homelands. It discusses the current climate of neo liberalism which pervades schooling in many western countries and the subsequent impact on curriculum focus and teaching strategies. The authors propose ways in which these students can be educated with policies and perspectives which respect diversity and uniqueness, using among others a primary school in regional Australia dedicated to holistic education as an example. Informed by postmodern perspectives on education and its purposes and drawing on the interdisciplinary wisdoms of critical scholars, this book presents a theoretical introduction to the educational landscape as found in many of the countries in which students with asylum seeker and refugee backgrounds are placed as the result of forced resettlement in new homelands. It discusses the impact of reductionist pedagogical and epistemological policies which are the foundations of neo liberalism. It challenges educators and policy makers to see beyond superficial differences and competition and to focus instead on the very significant impact of trauma and loss that these students have experienced as children and young people. The book dares educators at all levels of policy and practice to become truly human again and to consider the role of educational love and care that formed the cornerstones of educational endeavours for authentic pedagogues for decades. The book concludes with a research-based study of a school in a regional Australian town which not only educates with an ethic of pedagogical love and care, promoting a sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing for all students, 30% of which are of asylum seeker and refugee backgrounds, but celebrates high academic standards needed for student success, as well.

Reflective Practice for Teachers explores a range of key issues that you will need to engage with during your teacher preparation and early career in the classroom in order to deepen your understanding of teaching practice. Case studies and ‘What does this mean for you?’ boxes in every chapter take ideas from research and show how they can apply to the real world of teaching. This second edition has been updated with: a new chapter on assessmentextended discussion of metacognition in the classroomcritical perspective on what we really know about brain-based learningfurther coverage models of reflective practice

Reflective Practice for Teachers explores a range of key issues that you will need to engage with during your teacher preparation and early career in the classroom in order to deepen your understanding of teaching practice. Case studies and ‘What does this mean for you?’ boxes in every chapter take ideas from research and show how they can apply to the real world of teaching. This second edition has been updated with: a new chapter on assessmentextended discussion of metacognition in the classroomcritical perspective on what we really know about brain-based learningfurther coverage models of reflective practice