Leninger Blog Post 2

 "You have been assigned to a school in a neighborhood with a population made up primarily of the children of immigrant parents. Develop a plan to improve communication with parents who do not speak English fluently.  List at least three ideas you will implement and why."

As an Multilanguage Learner teacher, I frequently am in this situation, but I definitely feel like there are areas that I can improve upon. First, I would make sure to establish a good relationship with the parent liaison/ translators in my school. This would ensure that any communication that I am sending home will be understandable to the parents. I do not want to rely solely on the student to act as translators for their parents because 1. That is not fair to the student and 2. The student may withhold important information either intentionally or unintentionally. Furthermore, I will make sure to utilize technology such as TalkingPoints to communicate because these resources have translators built in. Overall, I would like to establish a strong and reliable communication method(s) at the beginning of the year and continue this two-way communication throughout the year. Communication is essential if I want to ensure that the parents are aware of what resources are available to them and their child.

A second point that I would make sure to include, is sharing with the students and their parents what benefits the school can offer to them. For example, this year I had a student whose guardians felt that he had undiagnosed ADHD, but were struggling to find healthcare. I told them that school counselors actually have information on free or inexpensive healthcare for students and their families and asked if they would like me to message the counselor for them. They said yes, so I did, and as a result the student was able to get an official diagnosis and the school is currently working on get him and IEP.  If I hadn't reached out to the guardians, if I hadn't let them know what resources were available to them and their child, that student might have never gotten the support he need. 

Furthermore, having open conversations with parents about the important of their child's mental health. In the article Four Pillars of School Mental Health, it states when " When students and adults start to see mental health in the context of overall health, it helps eliminate the stigma around mental health challenges." I experienced this first hand when I had  student going through a rough time when he boyfriend moved away. She was becoming more reserved, sad, and didn't want to come to school. When she came to school, she slept. I talked to her about it and she said that her mother doesn't believe in mental health, let along getting help for it. Having been in a similar situation, but different because I had the support of my mother, I knew how important it was to ensure she felt validated. I reached out to the counselor and told her the situation, and continued be there for this student. As the year progress, I noticed her mood improved: she was attending class and diligently working on assignments. This is just one example of how supporting a students mental and emotional well-being requires us to ensure the parents are aware and educated about what mental illness is and what supports there are for people who suffer from it.

The final idea that I would bring to fruition it inviting my students parents/guardians to more school functions. Sure, the school has back to school night, and international night, but it would be nice to invite the parents more than just once or twice a year. For example, when it is Hispanic heritage month, I could invite parents to come in a share part of their culture. When it is Ramadan, I could have parents make posters and artwork with the students to show them part of their culture. Honestly, I could simply invite these parents on an day to do  fun activity with their child. So they can feel welcome and present in their child's life. As stated in the article " The Problem We Still Live With"  it states,  "Diversity discussions do not have to alienate. With thoughtful instructional planning and a supportive environment, such discussions can change students’ minds, and perhaps even their hearts." With thoughtful instructional planning cultural events, including different perspectives and cultures, allows for all students to feel validated, included, and therefore feel as if they can succeed.