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This is my 4th year of teaching. Over the last school years, the hispanic population of incoming freshmen has increased and makeup about 50% of the school student population. Two examples I notice of challenges Latinx students face (at least in my school) are the unstable ESL services and 4-Year College opportunities. I have not addressed them directly. Indirectly addressed these issues by gaining better knowledge by asking veteran teachers and mentors the district and state resources available and the logistics per district and state protocols and procedures. As a growing educator in the field of education, I plan to continue to ask questions; ensure in my classroom provide alternative resources to better serve the Latinx population and their future education; and continue to be culturally conscious by having conversation to understand their perspectives.

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I did my student teaching at Panther creek where I saw first hand the challenges that a student had since English was not her first language. She struggled to understand lessons, was unable to ask questions if she needed help, and mostly got discouraged in the class. What frustrated me was that there was a total lack of support that I was able to give to her since I don't speak Spanish. There needed to be some kind of additional support to help bridge the communication gap. The way I tried to help was by google translating what I wanted to say and having her read it. I also used the support sometimes of another student who spoke both languages. However this was not always an option as it took away from the other student sometimes. In the future my goal is to learn Spanish as there is a large enough population of students that this would be useful for. There is no reason that Americans cannot try to learn another language, as the rest of the world is forced to learn English for us.

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I don’t teach in the US Education system, but while teaching both science and English abroad the issue of language has come up quite often in my classroom, particularly names.  Some students at my school with Chinese or Russian names sometimes choose an anglicized name, though not all do.  Greek names usually have a Greek and English version, and both students and staff might use just one or both. However their choice might get lost when you assume you know what it is they want to be called. In the past I ask students to introduce themselves and their name, emphasize that I want them to correct me if I mispronounce it, and sometimes I have looked up youtube videos to help make sure I get it right (because sometimes they don’t want to correct me).  Still, I think there Is a culture where some students are shy about using their non-anglicized names, which makes me feel they think their teachers and peers will mispronounce it or make fun of it.  I don’t want to pressure students either way about which name they want to use in the classroom; it’s their choice. But by choosing to include and correctly pronounce a more diverse range of names in my material (examples of scientists and other important figures connected to science) that is representative of my students, I could help them feel comfortable about being who they want to be in the classroom, and feeling confident that I will listen to their choice.   Also, even though I taught in Spain, some students were from or at least had some Latin American Heritage.  I teach in a British school system and am constantly finding myself hearing and saying new phrases, as well as using old phrases and words that make sense to me but not my students.  I let my students ask me questions about this, but I never say one word or pronunciation is more acceptable than another, just point out that we naturally have differences between countries and dialects.  There’s something similar going on in Cyprus between Greek language and the Cypriot dialogue, and I think it is respectful to learn and understand both. If I was back in the US classroom, even though I can speak Spanish I would still need to be open to listening to and learning from my Latinx students.

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A couple of years ago I had a student, Maiya, who was in my higher level IB Biology course. She was quiet, but bright. A little over halfway into the school year she started to become chronically absent. I became worried. She was so smart, but hardly showing up for my class and I was worried as a senior she wasn't even going to be able to graduate. I contacted our school social worker and eventually had a meeting with her dad, who was the only parent in her life at the time. In my conversations with Maiya I had built up in my head that Dad wanted Maiya at home to do the cooking and cleaning and take care of her little brother since Mom was out of the picture, but what I ended up finding out from Dad was that Maiya had a new boyfriend and that Dad suspected she was pregnant. That ended up being accurate. Maiya and I ended up meeting and I contacted the school's social worker. (We were lucky to have someone who was full time for our school.) Together we all got Maiya back at school, and she even got to go to Prom. In the future I would have called home sooner and gotten in touch with the social worker sooner, so that she knew she was not alone in her pregnancy.

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In the informal settings I have been in, language has been the largest barrier to education and audience retention. My time in the Naturalist Center, where visitors must go through an orientation, was made better by having the video translated into Spanish. My rudimentary high school Spanish pieced together with natural science vocabulary learned from guests is something that normally makes Spanish-speaking families feel more welcomed. The best is when a toddler comes in and we both try to converse with the same knowledge of the language. Visiting a place like a museum where very little is offered in your native language can be very daunting and make people feel unwelcome so I do what I can on a personal level to make sure all visitors are welcome, even it is just google translate!

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At the museum one of the largest and most frequent requests we get is to incorporate more content for Spanish speakers since everything we do has been in English. This is a challenge in a lot of places that either are experiencing a large growth of Latinx and have not updated materials and protocols, or simply have not deemed it necessary to support those people by changing their content. It is something that informal education centers must address in order to serve a huge portion of the population. In the past, as an educator I have utilized my (minimal) Spanish skills to incorporate other languages into the presentations and programs that I develop and perform. I also advocate for bilingual options when new exhibits are designed. I plan to address these issues in the future by pushing through my vision for new exhibits that can communicate to a variety of people, not just English speakers but people who communicate in all languages.

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A few years ago I had a student move into the US to live with a father he had never met.  The student had left El Salvador to escape terrible gang violence and civil unrest.  When the student was placed in my classroom, he spoke no english.  Science can be difficult as is, but even more so with a massive language barrier.

I worked diligently with our schools ESL specialist, assistant principal (who spoke spanish) and others to try my best to help this student out by finding alternate materials that he could do.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the student disappeared from school to work to raise move for his family.

We had numerous phone calls and even trips to the father's place of work, and had great conversations, but the student felt so out of place, it was just too tough for him to be at school.

Through this experience, we set up a support network for future students with little to no english proficiency.

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Working at a community college we see many people who are struggling to balance working and going to school. In this setting we often see people later in life with the same challenges that where seen in the activity. We have many students who are first generation students and still struggle with language and cultural barriers in their classes. I tutor students in math and science who often have trouble understanding problems due to challenging wording or references that they do not understand. I have mostly dealt with these issues by being patient and explaining the problem in a different way that they might understand until I get a positive response of understanding from them. I think I could go further though and use theses incidents to highlight the issues with the instructors and help prevent them in the future if the professors is willing to make the effort on behalf of their students.

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My first year teaching in Wake County, I had two students placed into my first period who didn't know any English. They had justed moved from Mexico to the US a week before.  These kids face lack of resources and language barrier. I knew a small amount of Spanish from high school and college but not even close enough to teach them science. These kids were very sweet, respectful, and patient with me while I tried my best to communicate through google translate with them the first week. I was told they were ESL and given their ELP but that was it. No extra resources to help them. They were placed into an ESL class during electives with a teacher who didn't know Spanish. Seriously?? It break my heart. I couldn't imagine going to a new country and being lost.

I went to my AP and told her that I needed support. I was given an assistant for that class ( I also had 2 other kids who didn't speak English from different countries). My assistant and I  made sure to plan notes/work ahead of time and translate everything to Spanish. I encouraged them to look at the English but had it for them to understand. While my class worked on independent work, I would pull them to complete picture definitions and really worked on vocabulary. I would modify quiz and tests and take out unnecessary words so they could just focus on the words they needed. Since the district doesn't provide extra materials, you have to do it on your own.

I will continue to take PD to support my hispanic kids. Any methods I can learn to better them than I will take advantage.

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I teach Biology which has a state mandated end of course test at the end of the semester. This test is work 25% of my students grade and is over the entire semester's content. Well I have had multiple students transfer from Mexico, Central America, and South America. They come into the classroom and don't know much English, if any at all. Even though these students are intelligent and capable, the language barrier proves to be difficult for them. When it comes time to take the EOC, there is no option for them to take it in a language other than English. Even though they know the material, they are disadvantaged because the test is in a language they are not comfortable with. This is heartbreaking because this is a required standardized test that is not showing me how well they understand the content, but is instead showing me how well they understand English. I try to combat this by providing lists of vocabulary each unit with pictures representing the definition and a translation into their native language. To address these problems in the future, there needs to be a system-wide change. It is not enough to simply provide these students with supplemental materials. There needs to be a larger shift in the system. Why are we requiring standardized testing if it isn't to show what students know?????

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My first year teaching I had a student come to my school that only spoke Spanish.  I took Spanish through high school and college so I can get by (I'm no where near fluent).  I was able to say to her "Hola, my llamo es Sr. Crupi.  Buenvidos a la classe de computadora".  Though my pronunciation, grammar, and accent were not correct (and my spelling in this paragraph) she understood what I was saying and I think felt more welcomed by me than by her classroom teacher.  The other students in the class were totally amazed and confused that I was (trying) to speak another language.

When she came to my school, the art teacher and I started to brush up on our Spanish and unfortunately we have stopped. It is something that I keep saying I'll go back to and it is something that I know I need to do.

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As a high school science teacher in rural WNC, our Latinx community has grown over the last few years. One challenge the particular population that I teach faces is the lack of useful resources within the county school system. We have an ESL program, however, it is 1 teacher who is not full time at our school. I have many students, especially female, who have very limited english speaking skills, making a biology classroom an extremely difficult learning environment for these students. I wish we had more support staff to be in the classroom with these students on a daily basis.

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As a middle school teacher, also Latina and immigrant, I have shared some of my Hispanic students' struggles and related to them. One of the problems I perceive in the education system is the lack of role models and representation for Latinx students. In the US, Hispanic teachers represent only 7.8 percent of the
field. In some states and districts, the disparity is even less than that. Several of the states with the largest Hispanic
student populations have the most prominent Hispanic student-teacher gap. (Source) Our Hispanic students need to see more representation in successful fields and more people who look like them having successful careers. I always share my story with students about being born somewhere else, speaking another language, and finding a way to finish my job. I speak in Spanish to all my Hispanic students, and I try to teach them to be proud of their language and culture. I plan to share my stories of both struggle and success and move on to hopefully teach at High School to mentor Hispanic students in their desire to access higher education.

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During my first year of teaching, I taught Earth and Environmental science. There were two students in my class who missed school at least a few times a week. After a few weeks, I asked the guidance counselors about the frequent absentees. The guidance counselor casually replied, "Oh one is 8 months pregnant and the other is 6 months along." At the time I was not aware how pregnancy is different in teenagers compared to adults. I supported these students by offering alternative assignments and ways for them to pass the class at home. Many of the other teachers seemed unsupportive and critical of the situation of the students. These girls needed support from teachers, not judgement and blame. I hope to better support these students by working with a team of teachers, caregivers, guidance counselors, etc. to provide a plan that would support the students finishing school during pregnancy.

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I don't have any formal teaching experience, sadly. But, as a student who was from a rural school, I saw their struggles. As a parent, I became more aware. I noticed, that LatinX young ladies where pulled into the office more than any other ethnic group for inappropriate school clothing. Leggings and spaghetti straps. They would pull them off the bus, one by one. What bothers me the most is the way they were talked to and treated. Body shaming them for an outfit that I thought was just fine. I volunteered a lot at every school my son attended, so I was well know. After one incident I literally blasted the secretary for her behavior and mistreatment. There is no reason to be disrespectful. I told her if I heard it again that I would contact the superintendent. In my University position I am on three different diversity teams, and one pipeline group. I want to make sure that we reach all minority children, treat them equally, give them a dream and future plans.

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I don't have the opportunity to meet students on a personal level, so I'm answering based on the presentation. I can imagine that if a teacher won't pronounce my name correctly I'm not really feeling part of the classroom community. If I were to have a baby, my family would support me and help with childcare. I could have a loving relationship with my child. If I am already failing at school because I'm not getting the support I need and I'm not a native English speaker, then I can transfer that hope of success to my child and make my life about getting that child to succeed instead of me. My vision of a successful life could be raising a family instead of education and a career.

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Back in the day when I began teaching, my first school was smack dab in gang violence territory. I had one kid show up to class pistol-whipped in a gang struggle over the weekend. But he was there. I had a couple of kids who lived on sofas of distant family members or friends...changed weekly. But they were there.... Some immigrants, some not, some Caucasian, some not. What I heard over and over again from the kids I taught were :thank you for being here with energy, enthusiasm, kindness, yet consistency. You actually tried to teach us (it was marine science - not my forte) instead of just babysitting. Being present, engaged, mindful of extraordinary circumstances and able to point them in the direction of a source that can help them more than I can 50 minutes a day, giving them opportunities to work with those they feel safe with and communicate in the language they are comfortable, but still providing expectations and boundaries that are reachable, logical, and consistent. Treat them the way you might want/need to be treated....the golden rule applies big time here.

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Back in the day when I began teaching, my first school was smack dab in gang violence territory. I had one kid show up to class pistol-whipped in a gang struggle over the weekend. But he was there. I had a couple of kids who lived on sofas of distant family members or friends...changed weekly. But they were there.... Some immigrants, some not, some Caucasian, some not. What I heard over and over again from the kids I taught were :thank you for being here with energy, enthusiasm, kindness, yet consistency. You actually tried to teach us (it was marine science - not my forte) instead of just babysitting. Being present, engaged, mindful of extraordinary circumstances and able to point them in the direction of a source that can help them more than I can 50 minutes a day, giving them opportunities to work with those they feel safe with and communicate in the language they are comfortable, but still providing expectations and boundaries that are reachable, logical, and consistent. Treat them the way you might want/need to be treated....the golden rule applies big time here.

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From the presentation in class, I can agree that students only feel invested in school if they feel as though the teacher cares about and invests in them as people FIRST. Many Latino students struggle with school engagement because they feel the teacher doesn't care about them or their culture. The teacher has to prove to the students first that they care about them personally prior to students caring about school. I experienced this often in my physical science classes with my Latino students. The content I taught didn't really matter if the students didn't think I cared about them.

To show specifically Latino students that I care about them I simply ask them about their lives outside of school. I ask them about their work if they have a job or about their sports teams or anything they  like to do outside of school. I make an effort to attend school events (like sports games or drama events) that I know my students will be participating in to show them that I care about their lives beyond the 45 min I have them in the classroom. Sometimes I even practice my Spanish-speaking skills with them because I always need more practice. This shows I value their language and culture. I ask them to teach me new words and phrases. Another way is by contacting home and speaking to their parents in Spanish as well. I also see some of my Latino students at my church and I attend their confirmation ceremonies as often as possible.
Putting forth these intentional efforts helps my Latino students feel cared for helps them remain invested in school and keeps them on the path to graduation.

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Struggling family with unwanted teen pregnancy

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Struggling family with unwanted teen pregnancy

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This is not a personal example because I do not work with many Latinx students but a hypothetical example could be if a Latina teen became pregnant and got kicked out by their family as a result. I know some parents would be very upset to have a pregnant teenage daughter and there are certainly instances where the teen gets kicked out of their home and has to fend for themselves and their soon-to-be baby. In this situation, as an educator, I would make sure to help as much as I can by providing a caring educational environment, refer the student to counselors, and point them in the right direction of helpful resources. To prevent things like this in the future, schools can thoroughly educate about teenage pregnancy and financial responsibility.

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I started my teaching career 19 years ago when I moved from Pittsburgh to NC. I had no idea I would be teaching students whose primary language was Spanish. I had two undocumented students in my class of 18 who were new to the country and didn't speak ANY English. One of the challenges the Spanish speaking students faced was not being able to speak Spanish with their peers during the day-not even during lunch. I remember my mentor yelling at one of my Spanish speaking students during lunch because my student was speaking Spanish. (And then my mentor scolded me for not being more observant and not catching it sooner.) My student was told she could only speak English at school. Being a first year teacher, I didn't dare question my mentor. The explanation I was given at the time was by prohibiting students from speaking Spanish during school hours, they would learn English faster. I'm older and wiser now and if I had it to do over, I would be an advocate for my Spanish speaking students. It's important for students of all backgrounds to feel cared for in the classroom. Being able to speak two languages should be celebrated. I also love what Mariah said in the presentation about being intentional about including names besides Sally and John in questions and lessons. She reminded me to edit my pre-made classroom materials to give representation to all students in the classroom.

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Although I don't have an example as an educator, I did have a friend in college who faced many challenges as a Latina student. She immigrated to the US because of violence in her home country. She was admitted to the school and given a scholarship to attend, however her visa was revoked halfway through her sophomore year. She had to work with professors in order to finish up the semester early and had to work with our registrar to find universities that will accept her transfer credits. It was eyeopening to see the professors work with her so closely on this problem. I hope that students would feel comfortable approaching me too.

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1. Make sure you are signed in to your Gmail or put your name in the title to make sure you earn credit.

2. Answer the following questions:
Provide a real-life example (can use one from the videos shown in class if you don't have a personal example) of the challenges Latinx students face in the US education system. How have you as an educator addressed these problems in the past? How do you plan to address these problems in the future?

3. Then use the connect tool (found by clicking on the three dots while hovering over your post) to connect your example/response to at least two items. This can be any of the four themes provided or a peers' post.

4. Make sure you have written one paragraph minimum.