1. Include Positive Latino Images in Classroom and Building Decoration
1.1. Who:
1.1.1. Teachers
1.1.2. Administrators
1.2. When:
1.2.1. Through the Year
1.3. Where:
1.3.1. Classroms
1.3.2. Hallways
1.3.3. Meeting Halls
1.4. Why:
1.4.1. Latino students are the victims of discrimination and racism. These images will show them that the school, teachers, administrators and students celebrate their culture as something positive and unique as well as its contributions to society.
1.5. How:
1.5.1. Images of leaders: Dolores Huerta, civil rights and farm worker leader
1.5.2. Images of scientists: Ellen Ochoa, NASA astronaut
1.5.3. Images of writers: Mario Bencastro, Salvadoran novelist and visual artist
1.5.4. Images of scholars: Gloria Anzaldúa, poet and literary critic
1.5.5. Images of musicians: Mario Bauzá, Latin jazz composer
1.5.6. Images of athletes: Roberto Clemente, major league baseball player
1.5.7. Images of Latino college graduates
1.5.8. Images of Latinos in civil rights struggles: César Chávez, civil rights leader
2. Integrate Latino Culture in the Curriculum Through the Year Not Only During Hispanic Heritage Month
2.1. Who:
2.1.1. Teachers
2.1.2. Administrators
2.2. When:
2.2.1. Through the year
2.3. Where
2.3.1. Curriculum
2.3.2. Assignments
2.4. Why:
2.4.1. Students will see that teachers care about their culture, while they deepen their understanding about themselves and their history
2.5. How:
2.5.1. Use books with Latino themes by Latino authors
2.5.2. Use material that shows the contributions of Latinos in the subject area
3. Develop a Relationship with Parents
3.1. Who:
3.1.1. Teachers
3.1.2. Administrators
3.2. When
3.2.1. First few weeks of the school year. Prioritize visits and make schedule
3.2.2. Through the school year
3.3. Where:
3.3.1. Parents' home
3.3.2. School
3.4. Why:
3.4.1. Building a relationship with the parents encourages a higher degree of student academic interest and success. Studies have shown that home visits, for instance, are directly linked with a lower rate of truancy and improved reading. See Washington Post article in the link for this box.
3.5. How:
3.5.1. Home visits
3.5.2. Phone
3.5.3. Text
3.5.4. Text images of students in school to parents
3.5.5. Using family engagement resources, such as the Flamboyan Foundation
3.5.6. Communicate with the parents in their native language or use the school system's translation services
3.5.7. Classroom newsletter through password protected blog
3.6. Invite parents to speak to the classroom about their trades or professional expertise
4. Invite Latino Speakers, Including Parents, to Talk to Students
4.1. Who:
4.1.1. Teachers
4.1.2. Administrators
4.1.3. Community members and leaders
4.2. When:
4.2.1. Twice every semester
4.3. Where:
4.3.1. Classroom
4.3.2. School auditorium
4.4. Why:
4.4.1. Latino students will develop realistic and successful role models from the community to emulate.
4.5. How:
4.5.1. Invite directors of local non-profits
4.5.2. Invite community leaders
4.5.3. Invite representatives of government agencies
4.5.4. Invite ocal team athletes
4.5.5. Invite parents to talk and demonstrate their expertise in their trades and professions
4.5.6. Invite local writers, poets
4.5.7. Invite local musicians
5. Use Spanish or Splanglish During Individual Instruction
5.1. Who:
5.1.1. Teachers
5.2. When:
5.2.1. Through the year
5.3. Where:
5.3.1. Classroom
5.4. Why:
5.4.1. ELL students may understand material better in their own language
5.4.2. ELL students will see that their teacher is invested in their learning
5.5. How:
5.5.1. If teacher speaks Spanish, use it when necessary to help the student individual and in small groups
5.5.2. If teacher is not bilingual, he can use online translation programs such as Google Translate
5.5.3. Enlist the help of other students who speak both English and Spanish to work with the student, if possible
5.5.4. Place ELL Latino students with teachers who speak Spanish
5.5.5. It's okay to speak Spanglish when necessary. Young people and children are more likely to understand sentences like "Me gustan los bagles con jugo de cranberry," as opposed to fully "correct" Spanish like "Me gustan las roscas judías con jugo de arándanos." (I like bagles with cranberry juice.") See "The Spanglish Classroom" in the link included here.
5.5.6. Encourage literacy in the child's native language at the same time that they learn English. The fact that the child needs to develop English fluency should not be overlooked.