Module 3 Discussion: Moving Students Into a New Culture

This is not so much about experiecing culture shock,but an eye opening experience that helped me to understand the ELL student who comes to America for the first time.  I took a three hour journey on horseback into the mountains of Mexico. We rode through a small town. The houses were made of mud, holes in the houses for windows, and dirt floors and roads. The people and children walked around with no shoes. As we approached the edge of the town, there was a teacher sitting in the dirt road with her little chalkboard and approximately 12 students sitting around her. This was the extent of their education. I look back at that and wonder how these children could ever acclimate to the shift into American education. The culture shock must be immense in every aspect! I  could easily see how these ELL students would have such difficulty transitioning into the modern world. I truly have empathy for them.