I'll admit, one of the things I was most nervous about coming into the mentoring position was working with several bilingual teachers. These teachers' students are only Spanish speakers. I was worried that I would not be able to support the new teachers in ways that made a true difference. I do not have a bilingual background. Though my professional goal is to become fluent in Spanish, I have definitely not achieved that goal yet. So, being put into a position in which I was expected to support these novice bilingual teachers seemed, quite honestly, daunting.
And then the first day of school arrived. And I realized something that had been told to me and that I was telling myself all along: kids are kids. It doesn't matter what language they speak, where they come from, or how old they are. Students in bilingual classes use the same curriculum. And the same great instructional practices that I love work for every kid! Every kid in Leander, Austin, Houston, LA, or anywhere.
Wow! This makes me feel so much better!
