If you’re a Ukrainian school teacher or non-bilingual teacher who has Ukrainian students in their classroom and you’re looking for a way to support them, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has a new resource with strategies to help you.
Supporting Ukrainian Newcomer Students and Their Families in Alberta Schools is a resource with useful ready-to-use and practical strategies for teachers to help Ukrainian newcomer students overcome barriers and cultural changes in Alberta.
“I know how hard it is to adapt to a new environment in a new country, but there is a difference between immigration and fleeing a war. It was important for me to help other teachers and provide them with supports so their students will be successful in Alberta schools,” said project lead Solomiya Cherkavska.
Cherkavska is a teacher at Edmonton’s St. Martin School and president of the Ukrainian Special Interest Group with the ATA’s Additional Languages and Intercultural Council (ALIC). The resource was made in collaboration with the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Committee (DEHR) at the ATA.
The resource is specifically tailored to meet the needs of Alberta teachers who welcome Ukrainian newcomers into their classrooms. The content was created by teachers who represent various grade levels and areas, in bilingual and non-bilingual settings. Content includes information about education in Ukraine, common challenges and stressors, trauma and trauma-informed practice and an appendix for parents and students to use.
Cherkavksa pointed out that the resource was created based on conversations and focus groups with education stakeholders who participate in student learning, but also parents and students who shared their challenges as newcomers.
A new resource is available to meet the needs of Alberta teachers who welcome Ukrainian newcomers into their classrooms.
Get your copy
The resource can be downloaded directly from the ATA's Diversity Equity and Human Rights web page
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