Teaching Hispanic Children Response

Mark Ellner

I have been lucky enough to experience diverse teaching opportunities early in my
teaching career. My first job as PE teacher was in a 98% ESL Dual Language school
in Omaha, NE. The school was located within a large Hispanic community. This part
of the city was full of Hispanic culture and was a very family oriented area. Most of
the stores, restaurants, and community buildings had Spanish or at least Spanish
and English writing on the front and within the buildings. They were many cultural
traditions that took place such as a huge Cinco De Mayo Parade. This was my first
opportunity to not only teach a large multicultural population, but also an
opportunity to immerse myself into the Hispanic culture. My experience at this
school goes right in line with what was most significant about this book to me.
Through my experience and like in this book I found that it was critical to do
everything you can to understand, appreciate, and respect different cultures to
provide the best learning experience possible. This book to me kept referring back
to the idea that its not enough to just acknowledge a difference, but to also have
Cultural Sensitivity. Cultural sensitivity requires that teachers have an idea of what
a culture is generally and what their culture looks like specifically (Jones-Fuller,
2003, p. 84). You must learn about the differences and make those differences a
meaningful part of your curriculum and everyday activities.

The writers of this book are certainly not off base about how to teach children of all
cultures especially Hispanic students. They make a lot of valid points about what a
typical classroom looks like and how that can isolate a student of Hispanic culture. I
would agree that the majority of classrooms in our country are aimed towards the
culture of middle class white students. Mostly I think this is due to who is currently
teaching and administering in schools. I would say though that my experience
within schools is that it is getting better and that teachers regardless of their
backgrounds are looking for ways to bring in all cultures. Unfortunately we do have
a long way to go. Its hard to change a zebras stripes. Like with any change there
are those that resist. That change though is possible through open communication
and a dedication to the student regardless of culture. I think where the book was
completely on point is that its important to understand all the different aspects of
the students culture to create equitable learning experiences for students of all
cultures. There were some generalizations made in the book about white teachers
that I would not agree with. One quote that stuck out at me was when the writers
were discussing Bilingualism in other countries. It did not then, nor does it now,
have the political connotations that it does in American society where becoming
proficient in a language other than English sometimes raises questions of national
loyalty (Jones-Fuller, 2003, p. 54). I have never heard this assumption and have
actually only heard the opposite. This to me along with some other like comments
in the book made unfair assumptions about white and English speaking teachers. I
think when we assume the worst about what is out there; we further separate
people and produce anxiety towards each others cultures.

Like with all our readings this book brings about many questions in regards to the
teaching profession. The main question I think of is How do we support and
encourage teachers to take the extra time necessary to learn about and include all
cultures into the school? This does not only have to do with Hispanic and Anglo
cultures. Most schools teach to a Christian base, when there are many different
religious cultures within school. To really understand all cultures we encounter is
no easy task. This will take time, collaboration, and professional development. Are
administrators and the public willing to put this type of activity into the time and
financial budget of a school year? Its obviously a worthy task and one that should
be given full support, but is it going to be feasible. My next main question is what do
we expect from our teachers as far as teaching different cultures, when they are still
responsible and expected to have students perform at a high level on high stakes
standardized tests? We all know these tests are flawed and aimed at a mainstream
group. Teachers and administrators are fearful of their jobs and how the public
views them. This is a problem that exists for all students outside the mainstream
culture and it even exists for many students considered inside the mainstream.

This book had a lot of interesting information and I had lot of knowledge reinforced
by reading it. The first new thing I learned was the more in depth history of
oppression. While this was not completely new it did give me a brief overall view of
Hispanic history and how we got to where we are today. The next thing I learned
was the different assessment techniques and their effects on students. I agree with
the book that proper and quality assessment is crucial to a students success. I
especially liked the part on informal assessment for classrooms. I felt this took a
bigger picture view and allowed for a teacher to get to know the student and their
culture before giving them placement. Its a better option to me than a one time
standard test that may or may not be accurate. The last thing I enjoyed rethinking
about was the parental involvement aspect. Its true that many times teachers
expect the parents to come forward first. I see this in my own childrens classes, but
we cant always assume that will happen. There are so many factors that go into
parent involvement or the lack of it. Work schedules, language barriers, small
children at home, and past negative educational experiences are just a few parent
involvement inhibitors. It must be a mutual thing, but I do believe like the book that
that teacher must take the first step if that is what will get parents to be a part of the
childs education.

I really thought this book did a nice job of reinforcing what I think many teachers
coming out of school today try to do. They may not be the most effective at it or the
most comfortable with it. For that reason, I feel books like this and classes like this
are important to not only teach Hispanic children, but also teach students of all
cultures.