Can International Schools Feel like "Home" for Third Culture Kids?
As part of a TESOL class, I explored the concept of Third Culture Kids and their impact on an connection to the culture of international schools. Not officially fitting into this definition personally as I did not move overseas until just after college, I could still relate to many of the typical characteristics- particularly the feeling of being "home" in many different places. TCKs often feel very conflicted or confused when asked where "home" is and I began to wonder as an educational leader if there were things we could do in international schools to help students acclimate and feel "at home" when in our schools- perhaps far from their country of birth or longest residence or where their extended family lives. My results showed that there are indeed ways the school can be more inclusive in welcoming in families and promoting the diversity and many cultures present within the school. While many of these students identified specific solutions for feeling more at home such as having teachers from their home country or speaking their native language during hte day, many were universal factors relating back to what would make anyone feel comfortable and at home such as the food, physical environment and relationships with the people around them. The results are very telling for educational leaders and their role in fostering a unified community and school culture. Ultimately, if educational leaders can establish a supportive, trusting and caring community environment within the school that mirrors close friendships or familial relationships, there is a good chance our students will feel "at home" when they are at school, even if they do not feel "at home" in that particular city or country.