My First Steps When a Newcomer Arrives

Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, describes the first steps she takes when a newcomer student arrives in her school.

This video is part of our Colorín Colorado Meet the Expert interview with Ms. Testerman.

Related resources

See more in our Newcomer Resource Gallery.

Transcript

So, whenever I have a newcomer come in, the very first thing I show them is where the bathroom is. I will make a point to go to the lunchroom with my newcomers for the first couple of days to make sure that they understand the process of going through the lunch line and picking what it is that they want to eat. And I feel like, just because they've seen me earlier in the day, because I'm always the one who takes them to their classrooms, stays a few minutes, helps them get acclimated talks to the parents. I feel like just that continuity of seeing a face that they've seen that earlier that morning makes them feel much more at ease.