“Me Gustaría que los Papás Supieran que Estoy Ahí”: Bilingual Teacher Preparation Repairing Parent-Teacher Relationships

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 10:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Building Bridges: Enhancing Bi-/Multilingual Teacher Preparation and Family Engagement (Table 2)

Abstract

The increase in refugee families from Latin America to the U.S., has made schools important sites for supporting Latine immigrant parents (LIPs) navigating new educational settings. This paper examines how Latina bilingual teacher candidates (BTCs) from two Hispanic Serving Institutions navigate their understanding of relationship building with LIPs as they reflect upon a class assignment requiring them to interview a parent. We explore BTCs’ reflections on the experience, their view of the teacher’s role in parent-teacher dynamics, and the communication skills they used and/or needed for the interview. We argue that teacher preparation programs must offer practical and authentic learning opportunities that develop BTCs’ confidence and communication skills to engage with families as part of their professional development.

Authors

• Christian E. Zuniga, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley

• Kiyomi Sanchez-Suzuki Colegrove, Texas State University