Located in the nation's capital, my school serves the needs of a diverse community of students and families, particularly English language learners. In my current classroom, my students speak at least six different languages, each of them equally beautiful and sophisticated.
At the beginning of the year, it is difficult for my students to speak with one another because of the language barriers but as a family, we develop a sense of vulnerability and safety, and together we learn to make mistakes and trust one another.
Through this process, I see my students begin to develop friendships, despite their inability to adequately communicate through words. This experience is both humbling and profound and is something I cannot sufficiently describe.
I am proud to serve my students and will continue to work with my families to improve the well being of all people in fair, respectful ways.
My Project
I teach at a dual language school where students learn in English and Spanish. The students I serve come from all over the world, with a substantial majority hailing from countries in Latin America. Many students come into my classroom not being able to speak English, so I use a variety of strategies to support this transition. I modify content, use visual cues, and I communicate with my students in Spanish to help their language development. However, my current language level is not as advanced as it could be to best support the needs of the children in my class.
By improving my Spanish language ability, I want to show my students and their families that I value their experience and heritage.
I am requesting funding to help cover the expense of staying with a host family during my immersion program. By staying with native Spanish speakers, this ensures that I will be utterly reliant upon Spanish during my time in Ecuador. This experience will also give me a better understanding of the ways in which my language learners navigate their daily lives as they are continually speaking in their non-native language.
I want the students and families to know that I take their language needs seriously. If families can come to the United States to support their children, the least I can do is improve my communication with them. All languages are essential and that I will do my best to help them in any way I can.
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