They Are Not Misbehaving, They Are Participating

Case Study: When Ms. Reynolds gathered her kindergarten class on the carpet for story time, she expected the usual five-year-old energy. A few wiggles, whispered side conversations, and wide eyes waiting for the first page to turn. Before she even began, Jimmy, a newcomer student from a country in West Africa, leaned in, pointed at the picture book, and exclaimed, “Look, the bear is hiding.” As she read, he continued predicting events, adding details, and even standing to point out something on the page. To Ms. Reynolds, this felt like constant interruption.

Within a few weeks, concerns were raised that Jimmy might have a learning disability or behavioural issue. Ms. Reynolds found it hard and frustrating managing Jimmy in the classroom. Meetings were held with his family, which left them feeling discouraged and misunderstood. They worried the school saw their child as a problem rather than a learner with strengths. The school was concerned that the parents were not taking their concerns seriously or doing anything to help their child regulate himself in school.

Although identifying details have been changed to protect privacy, this case reflects a real situation that advocates encounter through Early Childhood Development Initiative’s (ECDI) delivery of the Ontario funded Student and Family Advocate (SFA) program. Similar situations arise in schools across Canada, where cultural differences in communication, participation, and learning are often interpreted as defiance, inattention or poor self-regulation. This is critical when working with newcomer students, who may already be navigating racialized assumptions within school systems (Mason et al., 2022; Shizha et al., 2020).

ECDI’s SFA Program supports newcomer Black African families and schools to enhance educational experiences for students. Our experience has shown that the intersecting identities of being Black, African, and newcomer can influence how children and families are perceived and how they experience the education system. A significant part of our advocacy work involves helping families and educators build shared understanding.

While newcomer families are not a homogenous group and experiences vary across communities, the literature reveals that many of the challenges and strengths discussed in this article are shared across diverse cultural and migrant populations. This article focuses specifically on newcomer Black African students and families because the population that our  SFA’s serve, provides the context from which our field experience is drawn. The strategies presented are grounded in our work with newcomer Black African families, while remaining relevant and adaptable to a broad range of cultural and newcomer communities.

Research across Canada shows that Black students frequently report experiences of cultural misunderstanding, lower expectations, and disproportionate discipline (Dei et al., 1997; James & Turner, 2017). In many cases, however, many behaviors that teachers interpret as challenging can be understood differently once cultural context is considered.

This distinction matters as it can influence how teachers respond to students, how schools engage families, and how students and their families experience schooling. In Jimmy’s case, Ms. Reynolds’ openness to learn about and understand his cultural context transformed the student and family’s experience from one of concern, misunderstanding and frustration, to one of partnership and support. One key insight gained was that Jimmy’s style of engagement reflected a form of active participation rooted in oral storytelling traditions in which children are encouraged to engage by contributing ideas, making predictions, using gestures, and co-constructing meaning. Viewed through this lens, behaviours that had initially been perceived as interruptions were better understood as signs of engagement and enthusiasm for learning.

A Different Lens on Behaviour

Classroom expectations are often built around dominant cultural norms. Students may be expected to wait quietly, raise their hands, work independently, maintain eye contact, and participate in specific ways. While these expectations support classroom routines and learning, they are not culturally neutral.

In many African contexts, communication is very interactive. Storytelling may involve interruption, prediction, shared response, movement, gesture, and collective meaning making. Viewed through this lens, a child who speaks during a story may not be disengaged. A student who collaborates on an individual task may not be cheating. Rather, they may be drawing on cultural values and learning practices that emphasize participation, shared success, and collective learning.

The key issue is often not the behaviour itself, but the meaning attributed to it. Research on culturally responsive classroom management indicates that behavioural norms are culturally constructed and must be understood within context (Milner et al., 2010; Vincent et al., 2011).

This is particularly important for newcomer Black students, many of whom already face documented challenges including experiences of racism, discrimination, streaming, exclusion, and disciplinary disparities (Brown & Parekh, 2019; Codjoe, 2001; Dei et al., 1997; James & Turner, 2017). When culturally informed forms of participation are viewed through a deficit lens, children can quickly be labelled as disruptive, oppositional, or unsuitable for academic pathways. A culturally responsive approach asks a different question: “Is this behaviour preventing learning, or is it a different way of engaging?” Asking this question creates space for more accurate understanding, stronger relationships, and more equitable educational practice.

Newcomer Black Families Bring Strengths

Newcomer Black families in Canada come from diverse countries, languages, faith traditions, and migration experiences. While there is no single shared experience, many families place a strong value on education, respect for teachers and their authority in the classroom, and collective responsibility for children’s success. Studies of African migrant children in Canada highlight high educational aspirations and strong family support systems (Mason et al., 2022).

Schools do not always recognize these strengths. In our work, we find that many time families are perceived as uninvolved when they are simply unfamiliar with Canadian school systems. In other situations, families are viewed as distant or disengaged whereas they are demonstrating respect for teacher authority and professional expertise. Most families access our supports after experiencing repeated misunderstandings or challenges within the school system. Research on Black parent engagement in the Greater Toronto Area similarly suggests that schools often misinterpret engagement patterns, leading to inaccurate assumptions about parents’ interest in their children’s education (Sylvestre, 2018). When differences are interpreted as deficits, trust can erode and opportunities for meaningful partnership may be lost. Creating a culturally responsive and welcoming school climate is therefore essential to building strong relationships between schools and families.

What Teachers Can Do First

Teachers do not need to become experts in every culture represented in their classrooms. They do, however, need to be thoughtful about how culture can shape participation, communication, and family engagement. Although the examples in this article are drawn from our work with newcomer Black African families, the principles and practices presented are relevant across diverse cultural communities. The goal is to create learning environments where every child feels a sense of belonging, and has equitable opportunity to learn, participate and thrive.

1. Meaningful cultural responsiveness begins with critical self-reflection. By examining how their own experiences, beliefs, and assumptions shape interpretations of behaviour and engagement, teachers can strengthen their practice and build more equitable and inclusive learning environments for all students. For example, Mr. Atwell’s concern about David’s physical capability led him to closely monitor, restrict, and frequently intervene in David’s Joshua’s active outdoor play. Through reflection, Mr. Atwell recognized that he had been operating from an assumption that David was more likely than other children to unintentionally harm his peers. This awareness allowed him to reconsider his approach, respond more equitably to David’s participation in play, and create opportunities for leadership and cooperation during play.
2. Learning about the communities represented in the school can help reduce misunderstanding and misinterpretation. This elevates far above stereotyping, with the teacher developing sufficient awareness to interpret behaviour more accurately, communicate more effectively, and build stronger relationships with students and families. Parents themselves can be valuable partners in this learning process.
3. Most importantly, teachers can approach families with humility and openness. Families are experts on their children and bring valuable knowledge about their strengths, experiences, interests, and ways of learning. Collaborative partnerships support culturally sustaining teaching and are associated with improved student outcomes (Hong et al., 2022).

Practical Classroom Strategies

Teachers can make immediate changes that support newcomer Black students (and all students from multicultural backgrounds) and strengthen family partnerships. Successful proven classroom strategies drawn from our experiences and the literature include:

• Pause before interpreting behaviour as defiance to consider cultural participation styles.
• Ask families how children typically participate at home.
• Teach classroom routines explicitly rather than assuming shared norms. This will help bridge both worlds that the student occupies.
• Allow multiple forms of participation, including oral and collaborative engagement.
• Make room for storytelling, prediction, and verbal problem-solving.
• Use collaborative learning structures when appropriate.
• Review behaviour expectations for cultural bias.
• Use restorative conversations rather than immediate correction.
• Communicate strengths to families early.
• Include curriculum that reflects Black Canadian and diaspora experiences.

These practices align with culturally responsive behaviour support frameworks shown to improve student engagement and reduce disciplinary disparities (Vincent et al., 2011; Solas et al., 2022).

Building Stronger Relationships with Families

For many newcomer families, first contact with school occurs when concerns arise. Early positive communication takes time, however, it is valuable to help build trust. Research shows that reciprocal family-school partnerships improve engagement and student success (Collins et al., 2024). To promote positive family engagement, teachers can:

• Make early positive phone calls
• Share student strengths first
• Invite family knowledge into the classroom
• Explain expectations clearly
• Offer flexible meeting options
• Use interpreters when needed

Bringing Culture into the Learning Space

Students engage more deeply when their identities are reflected in learning. Canadian research shows that culturally responsive teaching improves Black student engagement and achievement (Power, 2017; Solas et al., 2022). To position culture as a strength rather than a barrier, teachers can:

• Include literature by Black Canadian, African, and Caribbean authors among multicultural authors
• Incorporate Black Canadian history alongside other cultural histories in Canada
• Support multilingual expression
• Invite family storytelling
• Use collaborative and oral learning structures

Rethinking Behaviour Support

Black students in Canada have been disproportionately affected by punitive discipline and referral practices (James & Turner, 2017). Viewing behaviour through a cultural lens helps teachers respond more effectively and equitably, with a focus on understanding before correcting.

Responsive approaches include:

• Building strong teacher-student relationships
• Partnering with families
• Distinguishing non-negotiables from preferences
• Teaching expectations explicitly
• Using restorative problem-solving

A Shift Worth Making

Reframing behaviour from misbehaviour to participation is about understanding students well enough to teach them effectively. Students bring different cultural approaches to communication and engagement, and these differences are often strengths. In Jimmy’s case, when his teacher better understood his style of participation, the question shifted from “How do I stop him?” to “How do I build on this strength while helping him learn classroom expectations? This shift from correction to connection can transform how students, families, and educators experience school.

Teachers across Canada are already doing important work to build inclusive classrooms and meaningful partnerships with families. Reframing behaviour through culturally informed lens builds on these efforts and helps ensure that all students, and particularly newcomer Black students, are recognized for the strengths they bring. Small shifts in perspective can lead to stronger relationships, greater belonging, and more equitable learning environments.

Reflection questions

1. Which behaviours do I automatically interpret as disrespectful or disruptive?
2. Which expectations are essential for learning, and which reflect my own cultural preferences?
3. What is one thing I can do differently to better understand and support students whose ways of participating may differ from my expectations?

References

Brown, R. S., & Parekh, G. (2019). The intersection of disability, achievement, and equity: A system review of special education in the TDSB. Toronto District School Board.

Codjoe, H. M. (2001). Fighting a “public enemy” of Black academic achievement: The persistence of racism and the schooling experiences of Black students in Canada. Race Ethnicity and Education, 4(4), 343–375.

Collins, T. A., Dancy, K. M., & Dixson, A. M. (2024). Reframing family-school partnerships to disrupt disenfranchisement of Black families and promote reciprocity in collaboration. Journal of School Psychology, 104, 101290.

Dei, G. J. S., Mazzuca, J., McIsaac, E., & Zine, J. (1997). Reconstructing “drop-out”: A critical ethnography of the dynamics of Black students’ disengagement from school. University of Toronto Press.

James, C. E., & Turner, T. (2017). Towards race equity in education: The schooling of Black students in the Greater Toronto Area. York University.

Milner, H. R., Murray, N. J., Farinde, M. B., & Delale-O’Connor, M. (2010). Classroom management in diverse classrooms. Urban Education, 45(5), 560–603.

Mason, E., Magnan, P., & Guèvremont, S. (2022). Aspirations, schooling experiences, and educational outcomes of African migrant children in Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 54(2), 1–24.

Power, K. (2017). Black teachers using culturally responsive pedagogy to support Black students in Toronto.

Solas, J., Oloo, M., & Ambtman-Smith, S. (2022). Culturally relevant pedagogies and Black success stories in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 22, 341–357.

Sylvestre, P. C. (2018). Parent engagement and schooling: Examining Black parents’ experiences in the Greater Toronto Area.

Vincent, C. G., Randall, J. R., Cartledge, M. I., Tobin, T. J., & Swain-Bradway, J. (2011). Toward a conceptual integration of cultural responsiveness and schoolwide positive behavior support. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 13(4), 219–229.

Meet the Expert(s)

Patricia E Falope

CEO, Early Childhood Development Initiative

Patricia Falope is the founder and CEO of Early Childhood Development Initiative (ECDI). She is an educator, researcher, curriculum developer, policy advisor, and PhD candidate in Urban Health at Toronto Metropolitan University whose work focuses on culturally grounded learning, equity, and inclusion for young children and families. Her curriculum development work has supported early learning programs in Canada, including Indigenous communities, as well as across Africa. She has led community-based research and programs focused on education systems change and collaborates with partners to develop culturally safe and responsive approaches that promote wellbeing and belonging for Black students and families. Patricia serves as an international consultant to UNICEF and the World Bank.

Read More

Akachi Victory Igwenagu

Student Family Advocate, Early Childhood Development Initiative

Victory Igwenagu is an accomplished educator with experience working with young children of diverse backgrounds. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Sociology, she supported the CrossCultural Play-Based Learning Research Project with Toronto Metropolitan University and Early Childhood Development Initiative (ECDI) in exploring the impact of culturally adapted play based learning in a Nigerian urban and local school setting. She continued her work with ECDI as a Student Family Advocate supporting newcomer Black African families navigating the Ontario Public Education System. Using an equity framework, she is focused on working with children and families to better understand how to support their changing diverse needs.

Read More