STNEDUTS

EEGUFER
IQARI
GNITROPPUS
SUPPORTING
IRAQI REFUGEE
STUDENTS
BY: ALEXIS KHOSHABA

KHOSHABA
ALEXIS
 STNEDUTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS

EEGUFER
3. INTRODUCTION

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4. EXPECTATIONS

5-6. ABOUT THE CULTURE

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7. HISTORY

8. LEARNING HINDERANCES

9. VIDEO - REFUGEE LIFE THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES

10-11. TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE

12-15. WAYS TO SUPPORT

16. CONCLUSION

17. RESOURCES

18. REMEMBER

19. REFLECTION

20. REFERENCES

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 LOOHCS
YRADNOCES
INTRODUCTION

DAEMDLO
Refugees are those who have been forced to flee their
country based on persecution, war or violence. Race,
nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular
social group are of the many reasons why refugees fear
persecution and cannot or are afraid to return home.

Refugees have had to overcome a variety of challenges and

adversity. It is imperative that we understand the refugee
experience, have cultural awareness and are prepared to
provide adequate support upon their arrival.

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EEGUFER
EXPECTATIONS
AND OUTCOMES

IQARI
GNITROPPUS
01
Highlight and help better understand the cultural
characteristics, social norms and expectations of Iraqi
refugees.

02
Understand the effects of the refugee experience on
education, as well as the best strategies and methods for
support.

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ABOUT

EEGUFER
IQARI
The national official languages are Arabic and Kurdish.

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LANGUAGES
Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic)
are official languages in areas where they are spoken by a
majority of the population. Armenian is also spoken.

ETHNIC GROUPS The majority ethnic group is Arab (75% to 80%), followed
by Kurdish (15% to 20%), and Turkoman, Assyrian,
Chaldean, Armenian, Yazidi, and Jewish. (5%).

The religion of the majority of Iraqis is Islam (97%). The

RELIGION remaining 3% of the population includes Christians and

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others.

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 ABOUT

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Depending on the area, cultural group, and religion, cultural norms and

EEGUFER
behaviours vary. These are general norms about the culture as a whole:

IQARI
The Iraqi culture is one which prioritizes group and

GNITROPPUS
COLLECTIVIST community before individuals. Family and the Iraqi
community is very important to their cultural identity.

Iraqi people value tradition and are used to following the

TRADITIONAL cultural expectations present within their society. There
is discipline for behaviour and thus their behaviour tends
to be conservative.

Traditionally speaking there are societal, gender and

HIERARCHICAL

KHOSHABA
familial roles which typically tend to be upheld.

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HISTORY

EEGUFER
IQARI
GNITROPPUS
Iraq–Iran War between 1980 and United Nations When the civil war
1988, the first Gulf War from estimate that 2.2 million Iraqis intensified in Syria in 2012, a
1990 to 1991 and Iraq War of fled their country as a result of majority of the million Iraqi
When Saddam Hussein became
2003. 2003 Iraq war and subsequent refugees in the country had to
President of Iraq in 1979, the
conflicts. Another two million flee from violence once again.
political and economic situation
were internally displaced. Most Many returned to Iraq at that
changed, Iraqi civilians were
ending up in Jordan and Syria. time, others crossed the Turkey
constantly under threat.

KHOSHABA
or Lebananon

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 Low L1

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Gaps in education or no prior education

EEGUFER
Loss of cultural identity
Large/extended families, blended families

IQARI
(sometimes due to a loss of parents), or children

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without parents/adult supports
New/different cultural norms (culture shock)
LEARNING Trauma
HINDERANCES Anxiety/uncertainty
Physical/mental health concerns
Learning disabilities
Poverty, no financial security
Different living situations. (Type of home, urban
vs rural)
Cultural biases

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Different teaching/learning styles

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 NERDLIHC
WATCH THIS VIDEO

EEGUFER
A short look into what some students may have gone through.

IQARI
GNITROPPUS
KHOSHABA
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 NERDLIHC
TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE

EEGUFER
Considering the experiences refugee children have endured, trauma is almost always

IQARI
present in some form. Some common behaviours that are a result of trauma are:

GNITROPPUS
Struggle to pay attention and complete tasks
Tired
Avoidance of certain activities and situations
Physical symptoms (headaches, stomach aches)
Irritable/angry
Impaired memory
Easily startled
Anxious

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Distress during times of separation
Withdrawal

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Silence
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TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE

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POSSIBLE TRAUMA TRIGGERS:

IQARI
A presence of law enforcement or authority figures

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Bells/alarms
Loud or harsh communication
Emergency procedures/drills
Staring or negatively received body language
Dark rooms/hallways
Feeling confined
Not knowing what to expect
Airplanes flying by
Not being able to understand
Unfamiliar gatherings/celebrations
Detention

KHOSHABA
Show and Tell

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

EEGUFER
SCHOOL
Providing a welcome package

IQARI
map, times, routines, expectations

GNITROPPUS
supplies
available resources
School tour to familiarize with various rooms and drop off/pick
up areas
Introduction to classroom teacher and all support staff
Ensuring that district support like translators are available if
necessary
Familiarizing children with the neighbourhood sounds
Trying to limit the amount of movement from one class to

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another (initially)
Assign a quiet area in the school incase there is a need for a

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WAYS TO SUPPORT
CLASSROOM

EEGUFER
Make sure that culture is represented in the classroom

IQARI
Introduction to their classmates. Assign a buddy to help with routines and

GNITROPPUS
behaviour expectations
Have a clear shape of the day so that the student knows what to expect
Connect visual and verbal cues
Use visuals on all material and class resources. (Can have translated
words in L1 connected to the visuals)
Foster an environment built upon respect and kindness to one another
Provide opportunity for social communication and interaction between
peers

KHOSHABA
Have technology and resources present in L1 or that can translate

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

EEGUFER
INSTRUCTION
Use visuals in instruction

IQARI
Include/encourage culture and identity

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Speaking slowly, clearly and at a reasonable volume
Frequent checks for understanding
Allow time and be patient
Help students understand and manage big feelings and challenging
behaviours
Listen and show interest in them
Be calm, reliable and consistent
Be flexible and willing to adjust if necessary

KHOSHABA
Provide constant reassurance and positive feedback
Scaffold

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

EEGUFER
OTHER
Include and check in with families

IQARI
Collaborate with other professionals to provide support

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Learn about their culture
Be conscious of your own biases, and prejudices
Don't jump to snap assumptions about the students, their culture or their
progress
Assess and check in regularly
Celebrate all progress
Be an advocate for their needs
Be aware of relationships between peers, and aid in conflict resolution

KHOSHABA
Think of ways other ways for students to connect to one another. (Games,
sports)

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CONCLUSION

EEGUFER
IQARI
GNITROPPUS
UNDERSTAND BE TRAUMA
THE CULTURE INFORMED
It is important to have an understanding of All refugees are going to be dealing with some
the culture of the refugee student. Do your form of trauma. It is imperative that we
own research, get to know the families and understand how trauma affects our students
students. Don't make assumptions! and their learning.

CREATE A
SAFE SPACE
No learning will be done if students
don't feel safe and welcome within
the school and classroom. This is
especially important for refugees
CELEBRATE
PROGRESS
There are many ways to support students
but showing them that you believe them
and are proud of their success can be just
the motivating factor they need to

KHOSHABA
who have been there tremendous progress further.
adversity and challenges.

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 LOOHCS
RESOURCES

YRADNOCES
Refugee Guidebooks Websites

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov
/education/administration/kinderga
rten-to-grade-12/diverse-student-
needs/students-from-refugee-
backgrounds-guide.pdf
DAEMDLO
https://bcrefugeehub.ca/
thebigpicture/
https://issbc.org/resource-
types/refugee-resources

https://cmascanada.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2018/02/resi https://bctf.ca/SocialJustic
lienceguide.pdf e.aspx?id=38968

CLASS
https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k
12/docs/support/law/full_do https://www.mosaicbc.org/

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c.pdf
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REMEMBER

IQARI
Refugees have overcome a lot of adversity and

GNITROPPUS
they bring life experience, strengths, abilities
and qualities that can help enrich those
around them. We must give them time to
adjust provide them with grace as they
become accustomed to a new life/culture.

Hopefully this can be a resource that helps as

you navigate teaching refugee students.

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REFLECTION

EEGUFER
I have participated in a few professional development seminars regarding the refugee experience, and trauma
informed practice, so this is something that I do have some knowledge about it. I chose to do Iraqi refugees as

IQARI
my family is from Iraq and some of them did have to flee, so I was able to talk and have them share their
experiences. It was honestly eye opening to hear some of it because it all happened before I was born and

GNITROPPUS
wasn't something I was fully aware of.

I think that this an extremely important topic for teachers to learn about, especially teaching in a country like
Canada where the number of refugees is quite high. Although I really enjoyed learning more about the refugee
experience and the best strategies for supporting them in school, I also found it to be heartbreaking. The fact
that children have to endure such challenges for things that are beyond their control and may not fully
understand is sad. I can only imagine how hard it is to leave the country and life you know, but I truly admire
the strength and resilience that refugees have to flee in search of a better, safer life.

I hope this is something that schools provide professional development on because it is clearly a topic that
needs to be understood by all employees within the school. I am very interested to do more research about the

KHOSHABA
refugee experience, and begin my work in English language learning where I am certain I will have the
opportunity to put this research into action.

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REFERENCES

EEGUFER
BC Refugee Hub. (2018). Refugees-The Big Picture. Retrieved from https://bcrefugeehub.ca/thebigpicture/

IQARI
CMAS. (2018). Strategies for Responding to Trauma in Refugee Children. Retrieved from https://cmascanada.ca/wp-

GNITROPPUS
content/uploads/2018/02/resilienceguide.pdf

Government of Canada. (2015). People of Iraqi ethnic origin in Canada. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-
refugees-citizenship/corporate/reports-statistics/research/people-iraqi-ethnic-origin-canada.html

ISSofBC. (2014, May). Refugee Newcomers in Metro Vancouver. Retrieved from http://issbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/10_-_iss-
2014-gar-metro-v4.7-web.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2015). Students from Refugee Backgrounds A Guide for Teachers and Schools. Retrieved from
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/diverse-student-needs/students-from-refugee-
backgrounds-guide.pdfAdd a little bit of body text

Woods, J. (2021, January). Iraq. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Iraq

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