Conduits of Hope in a Linguistically Diverse Early Childhood Classroom: A Case Study

• In Event: Voices and Diverse Experiences of Early Childhood Educators

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report on a case study that explores hope through the pedagogy and personal/professional history of Mariana (pseudonym), an early childhood educator in the United States. A native Speaker of Spanish, Mariana possessed a shared linguistic background and immigration experience similar to many of her students. Given the numerous social, cultural, economic, and political challenges experienced by many linguistically diverse immigrant students, it is critical to ascertain how their educators can incorporate hope as part of their professional practice. Findings suggest that conduits, or pathways of hope, emerged from Mariana’s prior experiences as a linguistic outsider, a value for students' voices and agency, and through human and material resources accessible in her school.

Authors

• Adrian D. Martin, New Jersey City University

• Lourdes Sutton, New Jersey City University