Dealing with the Invisible Backpack
We are all formed by the experiences we make. In this sense, we all carry with ourselves an ‘invisible backpack’ which influences the way we act and react. This unit deals with invisible backpacks which are particularly heavy and make it difficult for the young people who carry them to respond to our proposals in the way we – and maybe they themselves – would like to. What is important to bear in mind while working with refugee and migrant children, adolescents and young adults?
Warm up
“A considerable number of recently arrived young migrant/refugee adolescents in Norway do not complete upper secondary education. Particularly adolescents arriving at late school age, especially after turning 15, have high dropout rates (ca. 50 %)” (Pastoor 2022)
This problematic situation is not specific to Norway. What do you think are the factors causing it?
Brainstorm about this question with your buddy and list the points which come to your mind.
Learn
Newcomer migrant and refugee students’ school functioning and educational outcomes may be affected by psychosocial challenges (e.g. due to living in a new and unfamiliar country; living in exile) and mental health problems (due to the ‘refugee experience’)
Read the two slides and share with your buddy your thoughts on it.
Dive in 1
Read these reflections: Click here
Think of the way you usually work: how would you describe your style and your activities in relation to language, form and content? What could you change in order to make it more accessible and foster real participation?
Exchange with your buddy.
Dive in 2
Read these notes, taken right after an interview with a newly resettled unaccompanied refugee minor from Afghanistan: Click here
Think of the young people you work with. Did you notice similar difficulties in concentrating? Were you conscious about the fact that it might be a consequence of a traumatic experience? How did you or would you react in a situation in which one or more members of your group show an attention deficit?
Share with your buddy.
Done?
Then read the reflections of a teacher on her own reaction: Click here
Have you had similar fears? How did you or could you cope with them?
Transfer 1
Here are three ideas which we suggest you include in your activities:
1. Start with a check-in: “How are you doing?”, you start with your answer, the others follow. Nobody is forced to answer. At the end of your session conclude with a “check-out” so that everyone can share how they leave the session (maybe they are doing better than before, maybe they are now angry for something that happened, maybe they are excited for something they have learned….).
If there is not a good mood in the group, start instead with a fun “would you rather” question and end with a domino game (everyone gets a rectangular leaflet, divided in two parts with a marker and writes down 2 learning goals – one on the left, one the right side). The first person presents their two key-words and puts its tile on the floor/pinwall. The one who has a keyword which is the same or similar to one of the two, continues and adds its domino-tile.).
2. Before starting your activity and during breaks, let them play a concentration game of their choice, such as jigsaw puzzles, rebus puzzles, mikado, cross-words, chess, sudoku, memory, brain teasers or brain yoga (Hold hands as a fist. Extend the thumb on one hand, the pinkie on the other hand; alternate several times).
3. Every week ask one person: what is your favourite quote / mantra? Design a poster (you and/or the person) and put it up on the wall for a whole week. If you work with a group, invite the person to first share the reasons why they like this quote/mantra. On the last day, foster an exchange in the whole group about it.
Reflect
Read this story and discuss them with your buddy: Click here
Together develop ideas how you could facilitate contact with peers inside and outside your organisation(s). Try to be concrete and to consider how these ideas can be realised.
When you are done, reflect on the challenges you see in order to create real inclusive settings: what do you need for coping with them in your daily work?