How does the Philosolphy of Education Impacts diverse students?

Jean Jacque Rousseau’s once said “We are born capable of learning.” In a very simple sense, this is my core philosophy of education. In today’s culturally diverse society the role of bilingual education is to utilize the student’s primary language to create affirming and academic challenging environments that give second language learners multiple opportunities to experience academic success, master the English language and gain useful skills for everyday life.

The increased diversity amongst bilingual students in the 21st century poses new challenges in the urban classroom. In Houston, Texas students come to Latin America, Asia, Africa, Middle East, other parts of the world and bring with them a different culture, their own unique language, customs and values. Closing the academic/language acquisition gap between bilingual students and their dominant English speaking counterparts is critical to improving student achievement and enhancing the life chances of bilingual students.

As a bilingual teacher, I use the student’s primary language to scaffold the learning process and guide my students to develop competencies in speaking, reading, writing and comprehending in both Spanish and English. Not all students learn the same way or are the same level academically, and bilingual students are no exception. I plan and prepare creative lessons that engage students in group activities, audio visual stimulation, drawing, writing and movement that recognize the student’s strengths and abilities.

Meeting students where they are at academically and connecting lessons to their lives helps raise interest and my children learn to make meaning of what they are learning. In the classroom, I serve as a role model, share my personal travel experiences in order to encourage and instill a “can do '' attitude and a belief that everything is possible if you study and work hard.