I finished reading Words Were All We Had by María de la Luz Reyes. The narratives by eleven different Latinos touched my heart as they told how they were able to become biliterate against the odds.
Not only did the stories touch the heart but they also taught some important lessons for us as Esperanza educators and stakeholders. One lesson had to do specificially with the kind of educators our scholars need. It became apparent that a Spanish speaking teacher--even if she/he is Hispanic-- is no guarantee that that teacher will create a child-centered learning environment that is respectful and caring. Even they can exhibit deficit views.
Not only is "authentic caring" crucial for educators, but educators must also be able to challenge these young bilinguals to reach their potential. These are two characteristics an educator cannot fake. Even very young children can "read" a teacher.
The lessons learned from these narratives reinforce Dr. Haberman's STAR educator principles. This is why it is so important we have Esperanza educators who are predisposed to work well with this population whether they are Hispanic/Latino or not.
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