The Refugee Project Part 4: Time to Shine

January 6th, 2026

“For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

-Amanda Gorman

Have you ever just stood in the middle of your classroom, looked around, and noticed that everyone was doing exactly as they were supposed to be doing? And using information they had learned during previous lessons to do so? Maybe not in August or September, (maybe not even in October for that matter!) but eventually? As educators, there is absolutely nothing that brings a greater sense of joy than watching our students begin to naturally, easily, and without prompting, apply what they’ve learned in meaningful ways.  Afterall, that’s the point, right? Some of our students may take a little longer than others to get to there, and that can happen for variety of reasons. For example, when it comes to English Language Learners, there could simply be a ‘silent period’, where the student is ‘soaking-in’ and making sense of the new language, demonstrating their comprehension through movement and actions (in the ELL world this is known as Total Physical Response or TPR) , but not quite ready to verbalize.

In the case of my brand-new refugee students, there were multiple reasons that many of them were not quite ready to use the English they had been acquiring during our lessons outside of the lesson itself. First, they hadn’t been in the United States for very long at all and their brains were still processing the events that brought them here in the first place. Next, because they were still very rarely outside of their own community, there wasn’t a real sense of urgency for trying to authentically use the English that they had been learning during our lessons. Finally, their self-confidence was juuusssttt beginning to grow and there was still that fear of making a mistake. These folks were so tenacious and strong, I never doubted that eventually the day would come when they would feel secure and ready to cross the chasm. I just hoped that I would actually be there to see it happen!

So, picture this: we’re sitting on the floor having our English class in a small apartment crowded with women and children, and there is a knock on the door. This alone is unusual because, I learned quickly, typically people just waltz in and out of one another’s apartments at will. So, the ‘lady of the house’ got up from the floor and opened the door to a man holding a clipboard, wearing a lanyard and a warm smile. ‘Hello, how are you?’ he asked. ‘Hello, I am fine thank you’, my student responded. I, along with her own kids and friends in the room, nearly fainted in disbelief. ‘I have some questions’, he proceeded. ‘What is your name?’

‘My name is Azula’, she proudly replied. When I tell you that my heart soared out of my chest in awe and pride and her friends’ beaming eyes were as big as saucers, I am not exaggerating. She was doing it! Azula was using the language expressions and vocabulary that she had been exposed to for weeks in a purposeful, useful way. This particular student seemed to really love our time together but hadn’t felt confident to use her voice in English…until now!

Often (not always, but often) our newcomer students have been through life challenges that we may or may not know about or understand (if you’ve been following this series, you know what I’m talking about!). When we provide opportunities to build trust, to build relationships, to build language in a way that is purposeful, natural, and fun, we are slowly but surely building confidence that will propel our already courageous students forward.

If you haven’t seen the progress that you’ve been hoping for in your students quite yet, don’t give up or be disheartened! In due time, your own students will get that knock on the door, literally or figuratively, that will move them to bravely and confidently shine.

Ready for your ELL students to shine? Just click the contact us below to see how GrapeSEED’s Vocabulary, Songs, Stories, Action Activities, Chants, Poems and Big Books can help!

Looking forward to reading about how this 5-partseries ends? Be sure to look for the 5 th and final article coming soon!

Midyear Glow-Up: Refreshing Routines in Your Classroom!

December 11, 2025
The new year is a perfect time for reflection and renewal—not just for us, but for our students, too. After a long winter break, January offers a natural opportunity to revisit and reinforce classroom routines and procedures, especially in multilingual classrooms where clarity and consistency are key to helping all students feel secure and successful. For multilingual learners, routines are more than just classroom management—they provide language-rich structures that support understanding, reduce anxiety, and foster confidence. Whether students are newcomers or have been learning English for years, a clear and predictable environment helps them focus on learning rather than guessing what’s expected. Start the month by gently reviewing procedures: entering the classroom, transitioning between activities, participating in group work, asking for help, and using classroom materials. Model each step and invite students to demonstrate, using visuals, gestures, and multilingual supports when possible. Pair verbal directions with pictures or sentence stems to help students connect words with actions. This not only aids comprehension, it builds community and shared responsibility. Remember, reviewing routines isn’t about enforcing rules—it’s about resetting the tone for a peaceful, productive, and joyful classroom. Make space for students to share what helps them learn best and celebrate the positive habits they already bring with them. By investing time in January to revisit expectations with warmth and intention, you're setting the stage for a second half of the school year filled with growth, laughter, and learning—for every student, in every language.

Meet AI, Your New Teaching Assistant!

December 2, 2025
In today’s classrooms, elementary school teachers juggle countless responsibilities—planning engaging lessons, managing behavior, communicating with families, and differentiating instruction for every learner. Fortunately, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening up a world of support tools that can help educators reclaim valuable time while still meeting the diverse needs of their students. Lesson Planning, Simplified AI tools and other educator-focused platforms can generate customized, standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes. Whether you're teaching reading comprehension, performing science experiments, or developing math centers, AI can help you brainstorm activities, create differentiated tasks, and suggest formative assessments—all tailored to your students’ grade level and learning goals. Behavior Intervention Plans Made Easier Creating thoughtful, individualized behavior intervention plans (BIPs) often requires collaboration and time that’s hard to find. With the right prompts, AI can assist by generating plan templates, suggesting positive reinforcement strategies, and even helping you write goal-specific language that’s clear and professional. This allows for quicker implementation and better support for student growth. Boosting Communication with Families Need to send home a weekly newsletter, a classroom update, or a quick note in family-friendly language? AI can help you write clear, respectful, and engaging messages in seconds—and even translate them into multiple languages. This promotes stronger school-home connections without adding to your workload. More Than Just Words AI isn’t just about writing. It can generate visual aids, adapt texts for different reading levels, offer creative ideas for classroom themes, or even draft rubrics and anchor charts. When used responsibly, AI becomes a teaching assistant in your pocket—offering fresh ideas and saving you time. A Word of Caution—and Empowerment AI isn’t a magic wand, and it doesn’t replace the care, creativity, and wisdom that teachers bring to the classroom. But when used thoughtfully, it can remove some of the mental load and help you focus on what matters most: building relationships, inspiring learners, and making a lasting impact. AI can be a game-changing tool for educators—not by replacing the human touch, but by enhancing it. With the right approach, you can use AI to create, communicate, and collaborate more efficiently—without sacrificing quality. Just as AI can support teachers in the classroom, GrapeSEED does the same. From intentionally designed lesson plans to materials at your fingertips, to a results driven, joy filled curriculum for your language learner students, GrapeSEED has it all. Click here to learn more !

Finding Balance in a Too-Much-to-Teach World

November 3, 2025
If you’ve ever looked at your lesson plans and thought, “There’s no way I can fit all this in,” you’re not alone. Teachers today face an ever-growing list of standards, assessments, and initiatives, all while striving to create joyful, meaningful learning experiences for young children. The struggle is real! So how can we honor curriculum expectations without overwhelming ourselves or our students? Read on for ideas and strategies! Start with What Matters Most Not everything carries equal weight. Identify the skills and concepts your students truly need to succeed, both academically and developmentally. Prioritize depth over breadth when possible. A well-understood concept is more valuable than one that’s been rushed and checked off a list. Integrate Across Subject Areas Look for ways to blend content. A science lesson can include reading comprehension. A writing activity can connect to social studies. Integration allows for richer, more efficient learning and saves time while deepening student understanding. Protect Time for Play, Talk, and Joy Children learn best when they are engaged and emotionally connected to content. Carve out time for class discussions, movement, and creative exploration. These “non-academic” moments often bring about the deepest learning and are critical for social-emotional development. Be Realistic, Not Perfect It’s okay if not every lesson goes as planned or every objective is met on the first try. Focus on consistent growth, not perfection. Trust your professional judgment. After all, you know your students best. Support One Another Collaboration is key. Talk with teammates about what’s working, what can be scaled back, and how to share the load. A balanced curriculum starts with a balanced teacher, and that balance often comes from working together. Remember, you aren’t just covering content, you’re helping to shape children’s lives. When we prioritize purposeful, joyful learning over packing it all in, we give students (and ourselves) what truly matters most.. To learn how GrapeSEED English for Children saves teachers time so that they can focus on what is important, click here today!

Small Steps, Strong Starts: Supporting Multilingual Learners at Test Time

October 6, 2025
What is inevitable in most schools across the United States? Standardized testing! And for our English Language Learner students, there is no getting around it... standardized tests are nonnegotiable. So, what is the challenge for elementary teachers and administrators? Striking the right balance. The key to that balance is preparing children for these assessments without completely tossing out developmentally appropriate instruction AND without creating anxiety. Why Preparation Matters While standardized tests might not capture the full range of our students' growth, they do influence school accountability, placement decisions, and even the allocation of funding and other resources. So, we prepare our students…not by ‘teaching to the test’, but by giving them the skills that they need to feel comfortable and confident during testing time. Multilingual learners, especially, benefit when we scaffold their testing experience, making sure they understand test formats, directions, and strategies, so they can truly show what they know. Ready for a few practical test prep ideas? Let’s dig in! Meaningful and Age-Appropriate Strategies 1. Build Familiarity Through Routine Incorporate test-like questions into regular classroom activities in a low-stakes way. Use short passages, multiple-choice questions, and timed activities that mimic test conditions, without the pressure. 2. Focus on Language and Concept Development ELL students need time to develop academic vocabulary and comprehension skills. Embed test-related language (e.g., “main idea,” “infer,” “evidence”) into their daily instruction in ways that make sense contextually. 3. Use Play and Movement For younger learners, active learning helps reinforce skills. Try review games, partner quizzes, or station rotations. These help students internalize content and practice test-taking skills in an engaging, age-appropriate format. 4. Practice Metacognition and Self-Talk Teach simple test-taking strategies like rereading the question, eliminating wrong answers, and checking work. Model “think alouds” to show how good test-takers reason through tricky questions. 5. Support Emotional Readiness Let students know that tests are just one way to show learning. Create a calm, encouraging classroom culture that frames testing as a chance to “show what you’ve learned,” not a judgment on their worth or ability. A Final Thought for Administration Administrators play a vital role in ensuring that multilingual learner teachers are supported with training, resources, and realistic expectations. Providing carved out time for your teachers to focus on standardized test readiness and making room for differentiated assessments, shows your support and commitment. When done thoughtfully, preparing your students for testing time can reinforce key skills, boost their confidence, and ensure that every student…especially our multilingual learners…have a fair chance to succeed. Are YOU looking for the best way to support your multilingual learner students? Then YOU’RE looking for GrapeSEED! Click here to learn more.
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