My first question was how do you help children and parents of non English speaking families. My first interviewee was T.S., and she stated that along with the para professionals in the classroom they find Internet resources that help the parents to translate English into Spanish as they talk about the child's needs. T.S. also stated that in the classroom they have a system in place where each child has a buddy to help mentor them while in the classroom. The teacher stated that the mentoring process continued as the students exchanged telephone numbers and home information.
The second question was related to the social emotional needs of the children within the classroom. T.S. stated that some of the children in the classroom that do not speak or understand English well often displayed social emotional issues. There was a trend in the classroom says T.S. that whenever the non English speaking children were approached some would be withdrawn and others would act out depending on how they were approached.
I asked the next professional the question regarding non English speaking children in the classroom and she said that they attempt to help the child to feel a part of the classroom community. The teacher stated that they bring in books, magazines,clothing, and once a month they bring in cultural foods as they invite people from the community to come in to speak. The teacher C.G. stated that the children appear to feel more comfortable and that whenever they need help they include the parents in on every conference along with a translator or para professional as needed.
With reference to social emotional issues within the classroom the teacher C.G. stated that they address the issues on an individual basis, as they try to resolve the issues immediately. Social emotional needs are hard to spot because when we see a child that is often quiet we look at that child as being the good child. The teacher stated that some children act out and are labeled as needing a referral instead of us trying to understand why they are acting out. The teacher stated that she believe that some of the related topics to my concerns in the classroom is more individualization.
A I began to talk about the areas that I will research for my blog, I asked the professionals if there were any issues that they have experienced while working in the area of Social Emotional Development, or non English speaking children. The answer that I got from T.S. was that she has issue with the parents of the children because the primary language the family speaks at home is not English. C.G. stated that she was concerned with Social emotional needs as it relates to understanding a new language and getting use to a new culture.
Concerning advocacy and any efforts currently under way within their area, I asked what discussions do they currently have with their colleagues, and C.G. stated that they are concerned about Social Emotional issues and that during home/visits and parent/teacher conferences they discuss these issues with the parents and the families. C.G stated that these are the best times for the teachers and para professionals to address the issues concerning their children that they are advocating for. T.S. stated that their concern is basically with Special needs children and that she and her colleagues often discuss various ways to advocate for them as well as their families. T.S. stated that when referrals are needed they often have to explain to the parent what they have heard or seen as they encounter the child within the classroom. Many parents may not understand what is happening, and before any plan is put into action they have the job of helping the parents to understand what is happening.
- Insights gained from your interviews regarding current advocacy efforts and needs in your area of interest within the field of early childhood
- The insights that I have gained regarding my interviews about my current advocacy efforts and needs in the area of interest within the field of early childhood is that we must help the parents to understand our plan and how we want to use to help their children. I have learned that with an advocacy plan that it is essential to have the parents on our side so that they too can be a voice for the children.
- How these interviews may have influenced your decision about which area of interest and topics to choose for your research paper
- These interviews have influenced my decision about which area and topics of interest to choose for my paper because I can see that parents and family are essential in the advocacy process. As I decide what my plan will be I am able to see that with my plan I must show empathy as i am respecting the child and family. To advocate for the family I must gain the trust of the child, parent, and the family. I have not totally made my decision on which are i will advocate for but these interviews have given me a great start.
- Which area of interest you are thinking of focusing on for your paper as well as the related three specific topics
- I am thinking of focusing on Social Emotional issues as the interest area and Special needs children, and non English speaking children as related areas along with communication within the classroom community.
- Questions you have for your colleagues related to your area of interest and/or three topics
- The questions that I have for my colleagues are:
- How to narrow down the topics?
- How to include my co-teachers and the parents?
- How do I blend the topics together for the advocacy plan?
