School staff have a critical role to play in creating safe and caring school communities for all students, including English language learners (ELLs). This article offers some general ELL tips for school staff, as well as key tips for specific roles.
Additional articles are available for front office staff and school nurses.
Getting Started
Creating a Welcoming School Environment
All staff members are important members of the school community, and every adult in a school has the opportunity to make a positive difference for a student. When former ELLs recall their school memories, they often recall moments of kindness from individual staff members or teachers. For example, consider this conversation shared by Jan Anglade, an ESOL teacher in Georgia:
Me: "So you like this school and the teachers?"
Student: "Yes, I like it. You are my favorite teacher."
Me: "But I'm NOT your teacher. You have never been in my class."
Student: "Yes, but you are nice to us, and smile, and talk to us, and say good morning to us."
Here are some tips to help students feel welcome:
- Greet students with warm smiles.
- Introduce yourself with the name that students should use.
- As you get to know students, learn to say their names correctly.
- Say hello to them when you see them.
- Show respect for students' cultures.
- Look for opportunities to involve students and ask for their help with special jobs or tasks.
- Intervene immediately if students are being bullied. Keep an eye out for bullying due to language, accent, country of origin, cultural customs, food, dress, or immigration status.
See more in Engaging the Whole School Staff, a special video produced with advocate Ricky Robertson on our sister site, AdLit.org.
Helping Multilingual Families Communicate
You may be wondering how to communicate with families who are still learning English if that is part of your job. Schools should have clear guidelines about how to use language resources, such as interpreters, language lines or apps. If you have not been given this information, talk with your supervisor about what to do if you need to communicate with a family that needs an interpreter. Keep in mind that families have a legal right to communication in their language from the school, and schools should have a clear language assistance policy that school staff can easily follow.
In addition:
- Treat families with respect and patience.
- Consider what it's like to be in their shoes and navigating a school system, perhaps in a new language and new country.
Translation apps
Translation apps can fill in gaps where needed. Your school may already be using an app like this with families, and if so, it can be a helpful resource for school staff.
Translation apps are best for quick questions, reminders, and straightforward issues. They are not appropriate for sensitive communication — and they are not perfect. They also can't take cultural considerations into account the way that bilingual, bicultural staff members can. While translations apps become more accurate and offer a good starting place, it's important to advocate for long-term, people-centered solutions.
Serving Immigrant Students
All students have a right to a free public K-12 education, regardless of their (or their parents') immigration status. Students should never be asked about their immigration status by school staff.
In addition, it's important for all school staff to know what steps to take if law or immigration enforcement visits the school. Ask administrators for legal guidance and training on:
- Student privacy
- Interactions with law enforcement
- Interactions with immigration enforcement
Collaborating with Colleagues
Your colleagues can be valuable partners in your work supporting ELLs. This includes:
- Other team members in your role
- Other staff members throughout the school
- Colleagues who work closely with ELLs and ELL families, such as family liaisons, bilingual teachers, and ESL specialists
If you have questions or issues that need to be addressed, reach out to colleagues who can brainstorm ideas together. Everyone's role and perspective is valuable!
Note: If you are bilingual, talk with a supervisor about establishing guidelines for communication with families so that you are are not frequently being pulled from other duties to translate.
School Safety Policies
- If you notice recurring safety issues, bring these issues up to a supervisor. Students or families may need more information or reminders in their language about specific policies.
- Keep in mind that students and families may not be familiar with school policies or procedures, especially if they have recently arrived in your district or to the U.S. These may be related to arrival, dismissal, early release, inclement weather, traffic, food safety, and prohibited items.
Requesting Training
If you have additional questions that need to be addressed, consider asking for additional training with staff members or administrators who can help answer your questions.
Bus Drivers
- Keep in mind that some ELLs may be new to riding the bus.
- Be patient as students and families get to know the bus routine.
- Ensure students know where to get off of the bus.
- Review safety rules early and often.
- Post signs with safety rules that include visuals.
- If possible, add translated terms to safety signs in students' languages with the help of school staff. (Bilingual safety signs may also be available.)
- Find out if you can provide families with cards that include their bus number, stop, and time, along with emergency contact information.
- Address any bullying on the bus immediately. ELLs and their families may not be familiar with school policies related to bullying and they may be afraid to report any incidents.
Food Service Workers
- Help students find their way around the cafeteria. If possible, find a staff member or student buddy to show new students where to get food, drinks, and utensils and how to pay for meals.
- Review safety procedures related to food allergies with the school nurse and other teachers.
- Identify ways to quickly contact the nurse or teacher if students have an allergic reaction.
- Find out if school menus are available in other languages. If so, post them on the walls and make sure students and families know where to find them.
- Add visuals to school menus if possible to support students' understanding.
- Post signs in multiple languages related to healthy eating.
- Explore the possibility of including foods from students' cultures on the school menu.
Custodial Staff
- Help students understand safety rules related to different areas of the school and how to stay safe in different situations.
- Make sure students know where to find the custodian office in case they need to find you.
Education advocate Ricky Robertson recalls, "I worked in a building where the custodian had some of the strongest relationships with the students in the building because of the time he took to say hello, greet them, or to check in with them. He built trust and he built relationships. And I have no doubt that he positively impacted the lives of thousands of students over the course of his career." (See more in Ricky's video, Engaging the Whole School Staff.)
School Resource/Security Officers
- Help students understand school safety procedures, particularly at arrival and dismissal.
- Keep in mind that school staff should not ask students or families information about immigration status.
- Treat all students and families respectfully.
- If a situation escalates, determine if language support is needed to help clarify communication.
- If you notice recurring safety issues, bring these issues up to a supervisor. Students or families may need more information or reminders in their language about specific policies.
Crossing Guard
- Ensure students and families know the safety rules for crossing the road.
- Use signs with symbols if needed.
- Greet students and families each day.
- If you notice recurring safety issues, bring these issues up to a supervisor. Students or families may need more information or reminders in their language about specific policies.
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