Running head: SUPPORT RESOURCES

Exploring Support Resources in the School and Community

Jamie Harbison
Walden University

Teaching Culturally Diverse Students

Christina Vega
October 1, 2015

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Exploring support resources in the school and community

Within the district in which I teach, students come from low-income houses and
as a community of professionals, we find ways to support and find assistance for families.
As educators we work hard to give students what they need while in school and we look
for other sources of support for students families outside of school. Student achievement
is related directly to the conditions and contexts in which students learn (Nieto, S., &
Bode, P., 2008, p. 11). There are many programs we provide as educators in order for
students to be academically successful, but there are other areas in need of assistance for
our students outside of the academic setting. If a student is not having their basic needs
met and living in poor conditions, they are unable to learn. Therefore, as a school
community we work together to figure out what students and/or their families need in
order to be successful.
Within the school setting, teachers work hard to find ways to utilize response to
intervention strategies in all three tiers. When tier one interventions are being exceeded,
teachers collaborate with grade level teaching partners and support staff in order create
small group intervention times in order to meet students needs with mathematics and
English language arts. Teachers also provide time after school for students to work on
their math and reading skills in the computer lab. We have a bilingual tutor that works in
our building twice a week with students on a one-on-one basis. Our educators work
together to provide instructional nights to provide parents with information, strategies and
activities to work with their children and assist with their academics at home. There is a
literacy night, math night, science night and social studies night.
In addition to providing students with free breakfast and lunch on a daily basis,

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our district has a variety of programs offered and there is a Department of Human
Services within each of our buildings in the district. Within the elementary building I
teach in, the schools social worker has a partnership with Gleaners food bank and there
is a monthly food distribution that families can sign up for. With this food donation,
families receive canned goods, potatoes, meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. When families
collect these items, free of charge, they are receiving nutritious meals that have items
foods that fall within all areas of the food pyramid. In addition to Gleaners, there is a
partnership with a backpack program that provides students in need with school items
inside of a backpack. There is also a coat program that parents can sign up for prior to
the winter months arrival. Our school has a partnership with Joann Fabrics and there are
monthly donations with home items and craft items that we are able to utilize for gift
baskets for our parents as prizes during parent teacher conferences and other school
events. Teachers are also able to utilize these items within their classrooms for students
to make crafts as presents for family members. We have partnerships for families at the
time of holidays and those that have been identified as high needs, receive food baskets
from local churches. Our district is fortunate enough to have a Department of Human
Services office within each individual building as well and provides information, support
and services that we may not be aware of. I have witnessed our DHS workers provide
bus passes to families, winter clothing items and assistance finding housing for families.
The DHS workers have also provided incentives to students and families to increase
attendance in school. Some incentives include raffles, ice cream socials and movie
viewing parties. When the DHS office is aware of needs of families, the workers create a
working file for the family and work together to get those needs met with other outside

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services. By having the office in the building, parents do not have to find transportation
to the office; they are able to walk to the building office because our district is a walking
distance district.
The Department of Human Services, our district, our school
building and the staff within the building work extremely hard to
connect families to a variety of services and provide resources for families
to utilize at home. Many of the resources and activities provided by staff are provided in
order to develop students literacy skills. Staff members provide reading activities
throughout the year for parents to actively engage in with their families. A school-wide
literacy activity is the strong focus on literacy during the month of March, when our
reading committee provides an assortment of activities for teachers and families to be
involved with. All activities revolve around enriching the students and families with more
reading opportunities. In addition to activities sent home with students, a literacy night
will be set up in order to help show parents ways and strategies that will assist in
students literacy development.
As an educator in a diverse community with even more diverse needs, it is
important to be aware of students various needs, lifestyles, cultures and races. Being
more conscious of race and ethnicity is not discriminatory; its realistic
(Hawley & Nieto, 2010). Within the classroom and school system,
there are best practices that teachers and school systems should focus
on in order to reach culturally and linguistically diverse students. It is
critical to have a supportive system with a shared belief by teachers,
administrators, and school staff that they have both the ability and the

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responsibility to significantly influence student learning, regardless of
students backgrounds (Hawley & Nieto, 2010). Having a common
vision and being culturally aware and responsive will create a climate
of social development for students and families. School practices that
reflect best practices in diverse communities include targeted and
flexible grouping for instruction; access to and support for learning
high-level content (such as advanced placement courses); inclusive
and affirming curriculums; and fair disciplinary rules and processes
(Hawley & Nieto, 2010). An inclusive and differentiated classroom
environment amongst a school environment that supports diverse
individuals will benefit all families within the community.