When I first came to California and taught high school Spanish, I was asked to teach Limited English, as well. In the first few months, no curriculum existed and only a few immigrant children were matriculated.

As the years went by, the school became highly impacted. Not only did these young people undergo dire conditions in their homeland, but their escape and subsequent arrival was not met with support from the community.

Remarkably though, when a war torn child is shown just a trace of interest or aid, they open up, appreciate and cooperate. 

The dislocated, immigrant and refugee students I taught, less in need of language lessons than the warmth of empathy, became the finest, most willing and hardest working students on campus, especially given their circumstances.