EDSE 521 - Student Mobility: Supporting New Students

Students change schools due to a variety of circumstances, many of them difficult. Parental job changes, divorce, military deployments, foster care, poverty, migrant family mobility, immigrant and refugee travel, and natural disasters all contribute. Research shows that student mobility is increasingly becoming a cause of student underachievement. But how can teachers help these students when they enter the classroom all throughout the school year and teachers know little about their backgrounds, skills, and challenges?

In this course, you will learn how to alleviate the negative aspects of student mobility by building bridges between students, their families, and your school. First, you will take a close look at the causes and effects of different types of student mobility. Then you’ll develop specific welcoming strategies for different situations to help newcomers feel comfortable in your classroom. In addition, you’ll study the federal guidelines on the services that schools need to offer mobile students. Finally, you’ll examine the issue of compassion fatigue and burnout among teachers, and how you can care for yourself in the midst of caring for this special student population.

Using the techniques from this course, you will be able to welcome new students from all walks of life and help them thrive emotionally, socially, and academically in your classroom.