Welcome to Cultural Connections Lab. I'm your host Dr. Kelly Forbes. We are here to talk with educational professionals around the world to impact and influence the education system as we focus on cultural connections and the education of multilingual, diverse students.
We're excited to have you join us today. We sincerely hope you enjoy the show.
I'm just so excited to be with you. So this is a lot of fun to get to be with for the listeners that don't know. This is a friend of mine, a good colleague in the field of bilingual and multilingual education, coordinator for dual language education currently in Western Heights and just recently nominated and gained the votes to be the Oklahoma Association for Bilingual Education's new president-elect.
For the next three years. This is Mr. Ran Sandoval from Guatemala representing Oklahoma, Oave and Western Heights right now. Thanks for being a guest on Cultural Connections Lab today.
Thank you. Thank you, Kelly. You know, it's been a day for me, you know, full of surprises. You know, I was not expecting to be in the first, you know, to have the presentation for Oave and after that, you know, to have this big event and the honor, you know, to be nominated for be the president and now, you know, to feel like I'm the president now.
I was selected for that and it's just an honor and I think, you know, it's a privilege to be here, you know, and things happen for a reason. Never crossed my mind, you know, to live in Oklahoma before.
You know, I was crossing the state many times that I drove from between Illinois and Texas, you know, and now I'm here and really, you know, it's the place to be.
Well, I'm just really glad that you're here. I'm thankful that you are in Oklahoma and I'm really thankful that you're here at Oave specifically. So we wanted to make sure that Cultural Connections Lab could be used as a space to not only discuss culture and the connections and the role that that plays in our lives, but also just to bring some awareness to the association.
And so it's really exciting for me. I've been part of Oave for so long and I just love this association. But from my historical perspective, this will be the very first time that we have a trilingual person, truly a multilingual, not just bilingual like myself, but a multilingual president-elect right now.
And so I'm excited that I'm listening. What languages do you speak? Well, I speak Spanish, of course, my native language, you know, como decimos nosotros, el lenguaje de mamá.
English, of course, and I speak K'iche, which is one of the native tongues, one of the native languages, you know, we speak in my country, Guatemala. Yeah, that's exciting. What do you think this is going to be like?
I mean, it's just really exciting because you've been, first of all, you can probably, you know, say a little bit about yourself if you wanted to, because you've traveled from what you've told me internationally as a teacher, as a leader, and you've been a principal, you've been the teacher in dual language programs, created dual language programs, 20 plus years of experience in the field of bilingual and multilingual education, and now really taking on a role within the state of Oklahoma that can bring a lot of awareness, allyship, and advocacy.
Yeah, no, I think, you know, I've been, I had the privilege and the honor, you know, to, and the blessing, you know, to be in a, growing up in a family, they really have the love for education, and more than anything, you know, to value, you know, every single person as they are, you know, my dad, you know, coming from the background, you know, being Spaniard, you know, and all the family and all that, you know, and my mom being a native, you know, from Guatemala and have some roots, you know, from
that area of, you know, in the world, and they, you know, we started from knowing, living and growing up in a country where my childhood was, you know, nothing that I can regret, you know, it was a dream, you know, living that childhood with my parents, growing up in a farm, you know, growing up in a coffee plantation because of my dad's job, and having everything, you know, that you can imagine, you know, living in between the months, you know,
getting up early, you know, picking up the eggs, you know, in the morning to make sure the grandma can make the breakfast before we go, you know, to school and things like that, coming back and do some shorts and the house is smelling like coffee every single day, you know, all the time, and, you know, and after that, you know, going to a point where being a teenager and live the war in my country, you know, and growing up in that, living the place that we call home and everything that we know because of the war, you know,
and then turn our wall, the civil war, war that occurred and then being from that peaceful time as a, in a childhood and then moving into a situation where I always told, you know, my students, especially, you know, when I was working at the high school, you guys, you don't know what you have, you know, for me, going to the high school with a group of friends, you know, that we were in the neighborhood, that we were about 27, 28 friends, you know, in the neighborhood, that we walked together to school because, you know, we were poor, we had no money,
we had no money for buses, you know, we had to work and we had to work in between, you know, shortcuts, you know, to avoid, you know, longer time, you know, to get to school.
And when the war was intensified there, the game between us, you know, it was how many bodies do you jump before you get to school, you know, and get it to a point where, you know, seeing dead people was the normal piece of growing up, you know,
hey, guys, let's go get together and let's go play soccer outside, right? And ball is a hard football, you know, it's what we can do in order to be safe because, you know, it's attacks everywhere and you can be dead.
Right now, you know, if I can, I can count with one hand out of those 28 friends that I have and I grow up, I can count with one hand how many of them are alive at this moment, you know, and we still have communication because many of them disappear,
dead, you know, enlisted in either the rebels or the army, you know, and we don't know anymore anything about them, what is happening with their life.
So growing up in that situation, it makes you really value what you have. And I remember my parents, you know, always told me, you know, education is the only thing that is going to take you out of this situation.
You have to stay in school and focus in school because it was a lot of different distractions, you know, being in the high school and feeling like, you know, you have the ideas, you know, and people trying to push their ideas from, you know, from the left or from the right.
And you have to be part of our group and all this. And my parents keep saying focus in school, focus on education. This is the only one.
And luckily for us, you know, my dad being, you know, a smart guy he was, every once in a while he moved from city to city so he can take us from the places that he considered, you know, there was too much negative influence in us and moving us, you know, to a different place where we can start all over again.
And that's how I ended my years, you know, being a teacher. I started working as a teacher. Later on, you know, I work in the rural area. I was living in the mountains, you know, and it's when I learned K'iche to be able to teach, you know, and to work in the environment.
I was immersed into the language. And I grew up having nannies that speak, you know, some of the language. I grew up in the part of my country, you know, where everybody speak that language.
So it was the exposure, not knowing what bilingual education was in those years.
Wow.
You know, and then, you know, the life, you know, turn around and give me a chance, you know, to come to the United States. I was traveling, you know, in my younger age, trying to get some money, you know, to pay school, you know, coming here with some friends, get some cards, you know, take it down to Guatemala, fix it, sell it, and have some money to pay school.
And at the same time, you need to help my family.
But after that, you know, I graduated, I started working, working multiple, you know, different places. I got out of education, work in the industry, the situation, financial, economical situation, the war, you know, in Guatemala was not the most appropriate, nice opportunities where one opportunity in your lifetime, and it's a million people waiting for the same opportunity.
You know, so I started seeing life from a different perspective, and then I had the chance, you know, to come to the United States. So late 1990s, I immigrated definitely to the United States.
I came here with the goal and with the idea, I'm going to have five years. I'm going to make enough money, I'm going to go back there, I'm going to have a nice car, and then I'm going to start all over my life there, right?
Well, I came here, you know, and the first thing, you know, that my friend that I was living in his house, you know, he says, well, you need to go learn English. I said, no, that's a difficult language.
I tried in Guatemala, and no, I don't want to do that. And he's like, no, no, you live in my house, you're going to learn English. This is the only thing in this country that's going to, you know, give you opportunities.
And I'm like, okay. So he took me to the school, he raised me at the school, he took me every single day for two years to take classes for two hours every single day.
I did not know this.
Until I learned a language. And then I learned a language, and I was fine working as a truck driver. I was working, you know, driving a semi truck.
I knew you had done that. You had mentioned that. Okay.
So and it was it was fun. You know, my dad had some, some, you know, trucks in Guatemala. I learned how to do it. I practiced more here, you know, and then I got my license and was driving and I was single, young, you know, making good money.
Life is good, right. And I was able to help my family.
After that, you know, I met now there is my wife after 25 years in June.
Thank you. So I met her, you know, and we decided to get married.
And we started our life together. And, you know, in between that, to choose, we met this family that she was from Costa Rica.
He was from Mexico. He owns trucking company. She was a teacher.
So we get together for dinner and one time, you know, we're talking and we're talking about trucks because, you know, it's what we did in those days.
And she asked me, but what is your profession? Do you have a profession in your country?
And I said, yeah, I'm a teacher. But, you know, and she like, so what are you doing driving a truck?
I said, oh, believe me, I try already. First, I don't speak the language. Second, taking the test to pass, you know, to get your certification is difficult.
Unbelievable. No, I did it once. I fell and no more. She said, no, you did it wrong. What do you mean I did it wrong?
She says, you need to go to bilingual education. Excuse me. What is that?
But you already told me you speak two languages. Yeah, but I never see or know what bilingual education was.
So she explained it to me. She told me I hit my car. She was the coordinator of bilingual education for the district.
Invite me to her office. Monday, she showed me all the steps. I started the process.
Two months later, I have my license. I have everything that was required for me to become a teacher.
A month later, I became first grade bilingual teacher. And my career started there.
Wow. So your wife introduced you into bilingual education.
Well, because of this family. She's the one, you know, the lady was working for the Rockford Public Schools.
She's the one that brought me into what the knowledge of and what it is bilingual education. You give me the chance to learn.
And I started there. I get my first job and I started as a bilingual teacher. I have 42 students my first year.
So I started that way. And then, you know, after that, I get another offer. We move into a different city.
And being in the city, you know, I was working as a teacher again. And then, you know, I got an offer in Wisconsin because we were living in the border.
So I got an offer in one of the districts in Wisconsin, Lake Geneva. And I went there, you know, as a kindergarten bilingual kindergarten teacher.
They hire me. Everything is fine. Okay. I'm going to start as a kindergarten. I was kindergarten before.
So I love to do that. That's a fun age. You know, it's probably the best time that I have as a teacher. And it was bilingual. So fine.
So I get to the district. A week before we started school, they told me, no, we have not enough kids. So we're not going to have a kindergarten.
And I'm like, what? So now I have no job? And I left my other job. And they said, no, we need an ESL teacher from one of our elementary
that has the most amount of Latinos in the classrooms. So we want you to be the ESL teacher.
I'm like, what is ESL? And they said, well, you're going to be teaching English as a second language.
My English is not native. Yeah, but you had not enough. By that time, you know, I speak more and more English.
My wife was a beacon in my life for that because she was pushing me, her family, about learning English and practice their language and all that.
So we decided at home we were speaking only English because she wants me to improve, you know, reading with me, you know, give me comments and reading books and things like that.
Watching movies in English so I can improve my language. So I said, okay. So I accepted the job. And I started there as an ESL teacher.
When I was there, they told me, oh, by the way, because it's Wisconsin, you need to have some classes in order to get your license.
And I'm like, okay. So when I take the classes, oh, it's a few universities here that you can go and take the classes.
Okay. So I start talking to my wife and she said, well, if you're going to do this, why don't you just take more classes and get your master's degree?
Okay. Well, I'm not 20 anymore, but you know, I guess I can do it. So, okay. So we started.
And I ended, you know, raised myself at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, with a program in between the Whitewater and Madison.
And I started there my master's degree and three years later I got the master's degree in curriculum instruction, bilingual education, and school leadership.
Wow. And right after I graduated, 2004, I got my first position as an administrator, as assistant principal in one of the biggest dual language school in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
That is so impressive. Yeah, I started there. And then, you know, from there, it's a history because I started as an assistant principal, then I moved to a principal,
then I went to a different district for another dual language school, you know, as a principal. And because at that moment and because I went to school to learn what bilingual education was,
my passion started coming back, you know, because I had the passion for learning languages back in my country.
And then, you know, I started getting, okay, I speak now some English, I speak Spanish, I speak, you know, K'iche.
Now I can go into this. And I started there and I get immersed and I start working, you know, with districts, administrators, teachers, I start learning, going to conferences,
you know, reading books, articles, and all, until I became, you know, a director of language acquisition programs for districts, district-wide.
And then from there, it's like I said, it's history because I move into many different districts, I start doing conference training,
training for principals, training for teachers, you know, because now I'm in the field.
And the year passed by, you know, and I started getting more and more knowledge and experience that helped me to get to this point.
And then I ended up accepting, you know, an offer for international schools and I ended up in Kuwait.
In Kuwait, that's right. I knew you had an internship in Kuwait.
So I was there for three years in a bilingual Arabic English school.
And it was a really neat experience because, you know, it really opened my eye how bilingual education is seen, you know, through the world.
One of the experiences that I remember the most is, you know, I was having a staff meeting and I'm talking to the teachers.
And my first year I opened the school from pre-K to fifth grade. Second year I opened middle school.
And the third year I opened high school. So I learned how to be an international teacher for 4K through high school principal.
And then, you know, I was in this staff meeting and we were talking and I had teachers from all over the world.
And we were just discussing, you know, things from the school.
And suddenly the question came about bilingual education.
And they have a different idea, you know, how bilingual education should work.
So we started, you know, talking about it and giving some strategies.
And suddenly everybody started saying, well, you know, I speak three languages. I speak five languages. I speak six languages.
The majority of my teachers, who the majority they have either, you know, master degree or doctor degree, they speak five languages and not.
And then they asked me and I'm like, I only speak three.
I only speak two.
I feel really I feel like, wow, this is the world real, the world out there.
You know, what they consider in learning language and culture is part of the daily life.
Right. And it's because, you know, they are meeting so many people from so many different places.
That's that interaction. And they told me it's not just about the language.
It's about the cultural piece that it make you really be in the shoes of somebody else.
And that's with me, you know, coming back into the U.S., you know, to say bilingual education have to have that shift where we.
And many times, you know, I come to conference like what you know, where I sit in and I feel like guys were preaching to the choir because we know exactly what we have to do.
We need to take this work out to people that are not into this that they can see exactly what they need to be done in order for us to really give the kids what they need so they can become successful.
A thousand percent. That's a lot to unpack and to consider from everything.
One thing I want to say, though, is like what's really fun and to any of the listeners like what's really fun about this is that, you know, you come you come at this from from a very obviously, as you explained, specific and unique background.
And you and I have been able to talk and get to know each other. And the listeners also know that my background was coming from someone who wasn't supposed to be bilingual that had a really amazing teacher.
And so the the journey and the experiences that you had are very different than once I've had. But because I was able to participate in that I was good. I get to meet amazing people like you and you get to meet, you know, other amazing people here within the field.
But to your point, just about how in other countries, often you can be speaking three, four, five different languages and that's very much the norm. And that's very much how their educational system is set up is because they're in an area or they're in a situation where it's going to be a benefit for them to have multiple languages.
Here, that's not always the case. But I believe that it is so important to have that be a through line for all of our education, because that's what helps other people that would have otherwise not had been exposed to any of this to help me grow as a person to help me open up my mind and to help me go and explore the cultures and the lives of other people to hopefully in turn make me better at what I do so I can help serve students better.
But it's so fun though that like sometimes whenever we discuss like in the dual language program, you know, you'll have the, you know, read for example in Spanish and blue and English, but yet I'm the red one and you're the blue one.
And so we cross back and forth. Yeah.
I guess that's interesting.
I think you know the point of this is that, and well thank you, you know, for what you say, you know, you kind words, you know about me but it is reciprocal you know I you're amazing you know and I'm here because of you.
I'm here in Oklahoma, and then in Western high because you know that what you were doing the work that you started there, you know, and I'm just continuing what you just opened the door there for me to walk in you know and continue doing the work you know
that it was already placed in there, the seat was put in there now it's my job to take care of that you know to let it grow into the tree that it's supposed to be. I'm really thankful. Oh, and I don't even want to get emotional.
I'm in the field of bilingual education in the field of education period. But I'm glad that I had that opportunity to to start to have conversations and work with leadership to be able to have the larger conversation, but I also know that like in the field of
education. I come at it from a limited point of view, when it comes to the understanding of maybe some of the other experiences that a language learner coming from a diverse background of a family here within the United States or beyond the borders from a different
country coming here, and you, you know, in the beginning had explained some of the things that you had to experience like walking over dead bodies and how that became a norm of a game, but all the way up to where you are today and how all of your experiences
have now put you into leadership positions as an assistant principal principal doing professional development here at a wall bay, taking on a role on the board but also now being in charge, yet again, of dual language programs in a district, you bring something
special to it and I'm glad I get to be a part of it and I'm truly I mean I'm so thankful I get to like share this with you. I know, but, but you bring something that I can't bring. And that's very, very important for other leaders to sit and listen to these
stories and to understand that it's not just about those gains that we're making on the, on the academics or the gains that we're making in language acquisition, it's that cultural piece that is going to help connect, you know, all of that.
And you having been in that currently and in the leadership roles, like what is that. How does that impact you now from a different way from what you see of other types of leadership that may not have those experiences and how that impacts kids, you know I, I was just a few
weeks ago I was invited you know to be the main speaker for the what am I lands association you know the what am I lands in what am I land Oklahoma association. Yes, so the all the people that live here you know from what am I la, they started getting
together and started forming this association in order to embrace what many what am I lands, it's people here that came you know in 1950, 1960. Yes, a long time ago. Yeah, you know and there are entrepreneurs now and they have you know their own business and they have, you know, other things
that, and when I was doing my, my speech at there, you know, I mentioned you know that a lot of these people are the heroes that we don't read in a, in a comic book. We don't want to see a movie from them.
Yeah. But they are the ones you know that set it up the stage you know for the young generations, and how become you know, and make the change in our society. And one of the things you know that I was mentioning to them and I think you know this is the important
thing is that how I see the leadership you know in in other areas, not just for bilingual education, but I think you know my friend told me, learning the English is the only thing you know it's going to help you to get better opportunities, but through the
leaders I think you know he was for the, the majority right, but he misses one point. There also you need to meet the right people to have those connections, they help you know to open those doors for you to do this.
And that's what I was telling you know this in this gala dinner you know that we have that the people that come here. It had to have the right connections in order you know to get in a position where they can do hard work and show and be a role model
you know for others that are coming behind because I could have stayed in Chicago, but something was telling me you know to come this way, you know, and I came to Tulsa, you know, and then I ended up here you know Oklahoma City.
And in between the period of time you know between Tulsa and coming to Oklahoma City and meeting you you know talking over the phone and have all those conversations and never had the chance you know to really see you in person but hey I know Kelly right and we're going to talk and we're going to discuss all the things.
But having that opportunity that it becomes you know the link for me to be in this situation. Now I feel like okay, now it's my chance for me to help others you know to come and be in the same situation that I was, and have the opportunity you know to develop.
Leadership is not just about you know to show people how to do stuff. Leadership is to work with them. You know, and one thing that I learned through my years is you know, you need to really sell the idea to people to the point that they believe is their idea, and they work for it.
You know, and then they're going to do it with more passion because it's, that's ownership right they own it so that's the point you know where in this different style of leadership definitely, you know it's multiple different ways that you can do it.
You know the having my experience, being in situations where I was discriminated because I didn't speak English, you know, and they told me you know, go back to your country, you know you don't even speak my language, things like that you know to to now feel like,
wait a minute, you know, I speak three languages. You know, it's amazing I went to school in my second language, you know, yeah, exactly. So those things, I think you know are the ones that you have to take it to give it to others to show them and I always told,
when I'm in school I was told, look, if I was able to make it, and I came here, you know, not as younger as you are, you can do it much better.
Definitely, you can do it much better. You speak in the language with no accent. I still have accent. And sometimes you know people look at me because of my accent, you know, which, for me it's like I consider something that is fun.
Yeah, I know. So, something sexy, you know, you got the accent, right? So, sign of awesomeness.
So, it's part of your personality, it's part of your identity. Yeah. But then you know I told the kids, look, you have all this world of opportunities in this country.
You came here and they opened their arms to receive you here and to give you all these opportunities that are for anybody that wants to take it. But how much work do you want to put in in order to take that opportunity?
This is the land of opportunities. Many parents I told them. You know, but at the same time though, I'm going to have to say that like, I think we as educators on our side,
have to also take the same opportunity to make sure that we are learning about the people that are around us as well and not being resistant to that. Correct.
Because there is going to get to that point though that if we, I mean, if I keep having you just do everything this way because this is the way we just do it, I don't have any input from you, well then that means you're not as valued.
Sure. And that's not, you know, that's not going to necessarily help with that effective filter, with your sense of belonging, with anything of you wanting to be able to participate.
And so I think that it does, I think it is a two-way street. I think that if you're here, you know, if you're here in a situation where you get to receive an education, regardless of where you're from, you have a responsibility to take advantage of that.
Like 100% because some people don't have a free public education. But at the same time though, if I am choosing to work in a multicultural environment, then I need to be a multicultural individual to the best of my ability at the same time.
You know, you are right. And it's two ways. And you know, it's a movie called Walk on the Clouds. Something like that, you know. Yeah. Caminando en las nubes.
And it's a part, you know, when this gentleman who is, you know, an immigrant is talking, you know, to a soldier, you know, that is talking about his daughter, the farmer, you know, the immigrant.
And he says something, you know, that is stuck with me for years that he says, you know, and don't think just because I speak with an accent, I think with an accent.
So good. So it made me think, you know, to a point where people come in different shapes and different ideologies and different ways, you know, to live life.
But I think no matter where you're from as an educator, you choose to be an educator for a reason. And the reason was to be an influence in the life of somebody that can change the world. Right? Yeah.
Even if it's only one. Yes. That was the whole reason why you became. That's why we do what we do. Exactly. I mean, 99 percent of the educators out there have a heart that is so big and a passion for kids.
Why to be, why to be some close mind thinking, you know, that education is, you know, changing and is revolving now around a global community.
OK, this is the way that I was teaching, you know, 20 years ago. Yeah, sure. But now we don't have the population that we had 20 years ago.
So we need to change and we need to adapt as a human. We learn how to adapt. You know, I was living in Wisconsin with temperatures, you know, 40 below.
And then I went to Kuwait with temperatures, you know, one hundred twenty six. You are able to adapt. You have to adapt.
I was in Bangkok, Thailand, and it's hot and hotter. That's the two climates. Hot and hotter. And you get used to it. You do adapt.
So as educators, I think, you know, that we have to be open minded and really find the purpose why we became an educator.
And the idea was, you know, that I can be the tools to influence, to change, to make a difference in somebody else's life.
That that person probably is the one that is going to change the world. I'm not. Yeah. But that person will be.
So from that perspective, when we are in our classroom, we're multilingual learners, we need to understand.
And that's the beauty of dual language education, that we need to understand, you know, the three pillars of dual language.
That we need to understand that is the first, the part, you know, and I put it reverse, the cultural piece, this, you know, cross cultural environment.
And for the listeners, the three pillars are bilingualism by literacy, academic achievement on grade level or higher.
And then that third, which, you know, which was why you're starting with the third one, I think it's the most important one, is the socio-cultural competence.
So when we reverse those and start from that perspective to understand, I'm in a classroom and I don't know this kid coming from, you know,
war, this other kid just coming from, you know, abusive house, this kid is, I don't know their backgrounds.
But how am I going to create the environment in my classroom where they feel like they belong?
And they don't want to stay home because they want to be in the classroom because they feel safe and because they know that they're going to learn something there that is going to change their life.
No matter their background, no matter, but then be open to that cross cultural environment that if this person says this way because that's the way, you know,
that they are saying in their culture, welcome, that's really good, let's go learn about it.
And then you go to the second part and the second part will be the youth job is to make these kids to become, not to lose what they already bring to the classroom.
It's to enhance and to make them, you know, be bilingual and biliterate.
And then the academic achievement is going to come in place because you have those three, those two first, the third one comes as an addition.
Because if the kid is motivated, they're going to do the work and they're going to do it really well.
Yeah. Yeah. It's a different mentality for students that are coming.
For example, when I was a newcomer teacher, the motivation, the intrinsic motivation that the students had to be in school and what in my motivation as well,
it was just very different from a student that is born here and doesn't just automatically has access to it.
And so even as the educator, I could see the difference in how the students were trying to achieve certain goals that they had.
But and then also other people that would kind of just be lazy and not necessarily try because, you know, it was just already had this.
It's nothing really special.
But for people to have to to really uproot, change their entire lives, come to a brand new culture and then seeing them want to achieve dreams so badly,
coming from backgrounds that I didn't even necessarily understand as a brand new teacher.
I just really found it to be important to take the time as much as possible to learn from my students,
not just about who they are, but from where they come and why that was important to incorporate all of that.
Because, again, it's that sense of belonging.
And so the students that I would have the privilege and honor of learning with and teaching were refugee students or students that came on their own.
And there was so there was an everything in between.
You've had similar experiences that have been, as you described before, some great and some not so great.
But I just really felt like it was an important responsibility on my part as an educator to help create that sense of belonging more than anything,
because it would help them meet those goals and create an area where they could succeed.
And you are completely right with that one. And I think that's the part of a good leader to transfer that,
what you were just saying that we are doing there for our students, to the staff.
We have teachers that they never leave the place that they were born, raised, and probably they're going to die there.
I've met people who have never left the state.
But they have the chance to be with other people that have all these kind of experiences that they can embrace this new environment where we're working.
Because it's no longer, even though we still have borders, but it's no longer just our society.
Now we're living in a global society.
Right here in Oklahoma only.
I can right now get online and talk to my family in Guatemala.
And then at the same time, I can connect with my friends in Kuwait and other parts of the world.
So we live in that global society where we learn from everybody.
A hundred percent.
And I think that's the part of a leader to guide and to pass that feeling to the people that we work with.
That they have to understand that living in that global society is an advantage for our students, but also it's an advantage for us.
A thousand percent.
I always recommend people to travel if you can, just because I feel like there's something really special going somewhere, even if it's not for language, just to go and experience life somewhere else.
But you don't have to travel necessarily to experience culture.
You can do it literally in your backyard, no matter where you are.
Because there's so much diversity within cultures, period.
But specifically to Oklahoma, where we are in Oklahoma City, there are just multiple languages and backgrounds and just so much diversity overall.
So I encourage anybody who's listening to make sure that you go into your own community.
You don't have to buy a plane ticket and spend a thousand dollars and go somewhere.
But at the same time, if you can, take that opportunity and don't go to the all-inclusive resort.
Go to a real part of the town.
But then bring that back, because I think it's very important to just remember that we are global citizens.
We all live on this planet.
And the more that we learn about and from one another, the better that we are, which is why we believe bringing in teachers from different backgrounds in the field of dual language education specifically really helps with that third pillar of sociocultural competence.
Definitely. And I live in a small town in Wisconsin where we have one store that you can find some Latino products.
And here in Oklahoma City, you know.
I went to the supermarket this morning, Morelos. I think it's in Pandora's Bay.
You can go anywhere you need.
And buy whatever I want, because they have it there.
And they have a great Vietnamese supermarket I've been to. You can go anywhere. There's just so much.
It is. And I think, you know, as an educator, I feel like you need to really enjoy those moments, those experiences, because those are the ones that are going to make your experience in the classroom completely different and more successful.
Because now you start understanding why for many of us that are here, we don't take it for granted, the things that are happening here.
Because even just to have one clean shower in the morning, I don't take it for granted, because I can do it here. I just open the faucet and you know the water is there.
We don't even think about it, do we?
Exactly. But other people, they don't have that chance.
So having it here, I think, you know, enjoy and embrace and sharing those things are the ones that are going to change it.
And you said it, dual language education really is making the difference in our educational system to put things in place, you know, that are helping not just students, but also teachers, families, parents, communities, you know, administrators, everybody to understand why we are really in this field.
Yeah.
Why is it that we do this?
And I think whenever we get out more into the communities, apart, I know I had mentioned food, but I think it's because I'm a little hungry.
But apart from even the food aspect, just like real celebrations.
I mean, even if we don't speak the same language, I can still sit at the table and eat with you.
Even though I may not participate in that certain religion, I can still go and learn about that religious experience that you're having.
And all of that just informs me more about the greater community at large as a global citizen.
And through that, I would also encourage people to go volunteer places that are outside of what you know to be your own local community, because through those processes, I've even met in volunteering, I was interpreting, but helping a parent who was from Guatemala for interpretation and come to find out through our conversation because we were able to, one, we took the time, but two, I was able to have that conversation with a professional educator in Guatemala, which changed.
And so therefore, the entire conversation with that teacher, and that wasn't teacher to mom, it was teacher to teacher that is a mom also.
And so it was just, there's just so much power, the more that we expose ourselves to these experiences.
I think you know that the world that we're living in, talking about bilingualism, is a world you know that is for everybody.
I have somebody in my office yesterday, we were talking about the books donation that I mentioned to you, and we were discussing about this situation and everything, and then we were saying, oh, but why exactly is it the way you want to do with this book?
So it was part of the question because they want to justify it, right?
And I said, well, we have this, and the point is, our kids need to read, and the only way to read is to have a book in their hands.
I don't want them in the tablet, yeah, of course that's a great tool, but I want them to be able to pick up a book and read for pleasure.
And read because you know, they want to read, not because it's imposed.
So then later on, you know, I have another meeting and I had somebody else there, and one of the things, you know, she was reading my board, you know, the writing that I have on the board, and she says, oh, I like the way you know that you call it unilinguals instead of monolinguals.
And I said, because that's the thing, you know, we need to be respectful, but at the same time we need to embrace what they have, you know, because that's what our identity is.
And we can no longer, you know, work in thinking that we're going to take the identity away from somebody, especially from a kid.
We need to embrace what they bring to make it better, because in the long run, our great nation, it was built by immigrants.
Totalmente.
And the melting pot is here, you know, and it doesn't make it any less than what it is.
Actually, you know, I'm proud to call myself an American, and it took me to travel all the way across the globe for they to call me an American.
That is so interesting.
In Kuwait, you know.
And you've always been from the Americas.
And say, you know, oh, you're an American. I'm like, yes, I am.
It's just so important to really, you know, let that sink in for a minute, what that meant.
And then again, you know, just great Native American culture that we have here, indigenous cultures as well, and keeping all of that relevant in our mind.
I want to do another podcast episode with you.
This is so much to talk about.
What are any final words that you might have that you want to share? Anything that take away from the conference as we're celebrating Alabe?
Anything to your presentation? What do you want to tell anyone that might be out there listening who just says, hey.
I just feel like, you know, being in this conference, it has been a blessing.
I feel like a little bit overwhelmed knowing all the work that is coming up for me in the next three years.
I'm getting off, and he's going to be getting right on. That's perfect.
It's going to be a lot of work. But I think, you know, it's got to work.
It just went on. Dr. Colbert announced it, you know, and then we have a new president.
I'm like, what? For a moment, you know, humbled myself, you know, to think his words from the point that this is an opportunity for me to work with many different people
and to work, you know, to make this a better way for people to understand that bilingual education is important.
Not just because, you know, we had to teach it because we had the kids, you know, they don't speak English yet.
It's because we're embracing them and their identity to become, you know, what they really want to be.
And allow them there, them, you know, to use their language, their cultural experience, their traditions.
It just makes our nation better. So I know it's going to be a lot of work.
I know it's going to be ways, you know, that I'm going to be a lot of more important people, you know, a lot more because, you know, I've been meeting a lot, you know, here in Oklahoma.
But, you know, my I can tell you that right now my feelings are, you know, that I will be after three years standing up there, you know, seeing the new president coming in place.
And I want to have the feeling that I did something to make a difference in somebody because that person probably is the one that is going to go and change the world.
So I know that people have impacted me through this process and these conferences and it is exciting to be off just because it's a lot.
And then, but like I said, not so much because of leaving, but just to see new people come in with new new points of view and experiences.
And so I'm excited for your journey. And I am a little sad for mine to be ended in this way.
But it's great. I'm going to be here.
You're the new president elect. We'll have Savannah Payne as the president and then Dr. Culver as past president.
And it's going to be fun to get to have this experience with you.
We'll do this again next year at the conference and the year after that.
So we'll have to come back and compare notes in three years and see how it's been.
Of course.
Felicidades as the new president elect for the Oklahoma Association for Bilingual Education.
Un placer. Un placer.
Have fun.
All right.
Thank you.