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.
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Welcome to another podcast episode of Cultural Connections Lab with myself, your host, Dr. Kelly Forbes, and I am here with a new friend who I feel like I've known for a little while through her amazing husband, Chris.
But now I get to introduce you all to Heather Graham, and she comes to us from Bethany Broncos, right? The Bethany Broncos. Yes. Bethany Public Schools here in Oklahoma and was just recently featured in an El Nacional news article for some great things that have been happening.
But I want to go ahead and pass this off to you and allow you to introduce yourself and give us some background about who is the amazing Heather Graham personally and or professionally.
And I just want to say thank you so much for being with us today. Yes, absolutely. Thank you for having me. Yes, my name is Heather Graham and I'm currently, well, this coming year I'll be the EL coordinator for Bethany Public Schools.
This past year I was working mainly as a school counselor at the elementary level and then was approached in January to take over the EL coordinator role as well.
So kind of did both at the time and ended up loving it and wanting to move into a leadership position anyway. And so I kind of took that job on.
But yes, I've known some of the EL world through connections with like my husband, Chris, and my dad. And so that was really convenient to have those connections when I started there too.
And so I was excited to kind of figure out what the EL world was all about and how to best help those students. And I got to know those staff members and we are kind of figuring out how to just develop and implement kind of the best things moving forward.
That's exciting. Yeah. So, okay. So what was your professional journey to get to where you are now in the EL world? I always get curious, especially whenever because that's, you know, so I was never going to be in education.
I was going to be a dance and bilingual veterinarian. That was my goal in life. It was nothing. And a lot of people were like, how did this, so it's fun, like this blonde hair, blue eyed guy.
And then you are here. How did you get interested in the EL world or anything? And so my experience was coming through with an amazing high school teacher who spoke Spanish. I love the arts, dance.
And then there was a permanent supposition open and like kind of just one thing led to another to get to where I was. But I'm curious, what was your professional journey to become not just into the EL world, but education overall?
Yeah, sure. So I started off like undergrad. I have a psychology degree. And so I was initially going more the psychology route into therapist or counselor.
This is the perfect time for me to share some stuff, too. So I started that, got that degree. And then I took a pause. I was like, I don't know what I wouldn't do with it.
And so I had always enjoyed education or teaching kids. And so eventually I decided to move and get my master's in school counseling and go that route. And I'm combo of education and psychiatry or psychology. It was great.
And so I got that degree and then I started that job at Bethany as a counselor three years ago. And so I was doing that with the little munchkins. I love the littles pre-K to first graders. They're the best.
And then I essentially it was a whole ordeal. So I had a baby back in October and I came back from maternity leave in January and I was also given this EL job to take on too. And so it was this kind of landed in my lap.
But my principal was the one that kind of suggested that I do that. Our previous coordinator had resigned in December and she knew our principal knew I was looking to move into like a leadership role.
I'm trying to get my master's in educational leadership and move in that direction as well. And so she knew I had great rapport with like the whole district through different roles I've had and just wanting to just advocate for different students as I've done in the counseling position.
And so they offered that to me and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I don't think she knew either. I think she just thought, oh, we got WIDA testing coming up and you're already testing coordinator and we have a report to do and you like reports and data.
And I'm like, sure, I can do that. So I had no idea this whole world that I would just like jump right into and all the things that were involved in helping students and helping teachers as they are like in the classroom like hands on and then parents.
But I like two weeks into that I was like, I think I like this job and I think that I want to do this like as my full time job, not just as a awkward part time full time job.
It was counseling. It was a lot of hats. And so I met with our superintendent and he was worried he was like, are you quitting on me and I was like, I'm not quitting. But I think that I actually would like to move from counselor into this EL role like I am enjoying having this little
staff like under me and being able to lead them. And there were some things that we need to improve upon and I was very like excited to like find like solutions and ways to like solve those and then serve more of our students and a more just like unique and
personalized way that we weren't doing. And so I think then that staff also just saw like my ability to come in and just like quickly kind of take charge and redirect and implement some things and they were excited to have someone else a little bit more
in that I think I'm willing to talk to the right people and make the right changes and I'm just willing to do kind of what they thought was best in their experience. And so they so the school then just they offered me that position to start full time in August and I was very excited
just to well one have less hats to wear, but to be able to focus more of my time and energy and just like knowledge base into the EL world just learning it and then figure out what's best for students.
So I'm excited. Do you have it do you have any background in EL at all or was so it was just kind of the idea because this happens often I think most most of the time, especially in districts that don't necessarily have a huge multilingual population, but there's
like what do we do with it and so we find somebody who can kind of, I think what you alluded to, who can take care of the compliance pieces, like who's going to do WIDA who's going to do this. Now that you've gotten into it more.
What are the real reasons why they need an EL district coordinator? Yes, I think.
I think just some of like our like areas of improvement are just being able to like see the needs of those students and then figure out how to meet them where I think previously there's just been this, oh you're an EL student you are going to get
exempt and receive these services where I'm like that's not what they need. And so I think I've discovered like I don't get super like passionate or upset about too many things, but I discovered this last semester that when you're not willing to use a translation
device for a student that doesn't speak English it upsets me. So I was like huh, maybe I'm passionate about this. Look at that advocacy coming alive. Yes. Please help our students they don't understand.
And so I think like I do have this kind of, that I wasn't aware of like this passion of like more just trying to provide that equity or that just like service where it's needed.
And I don't think a lot of our staff are aware of the needs or even they don't know how to provide those services. And so I think that coming in like I can be a real asset and like know like, I want to help you provide services for our students and I see what they're
needing and like where we can go. And so I think that that's going to be exciting. My only background is that my husband speaks Spanish. And so that's the only I actually didn't know that he's done. Yes. So now that I know that I know you can have conversations with him.
So he, yes, that's my only like connection to that to just anything Spanish as he speaks it and does randomly I can understand like a wee bit. I'm sure that will change as we keep going in this job. But so yeah, I'm excited. Yes.
So I'm assuming that maybe the majority of the multilingual students or your English learners are Spanish speaking predominantly. Yes. And then what other nationalities or languages are also represented.
So we yes primarily it is Spanish is the main other language that we have. We have represented among the district we have like one Vietnamese, we have Haitian Creole a couple Russian, a couple just other minor ones I can't think of my head.
The primary we one that we do get is Spanish and we this this past year we've had a lot immigrants that come have come from other countries and moving into our district. And so brand new to the country.
And I like also like moving from like a counselor role like into this I'm like I want to provide that wraparound service for students like you're coming from a different country into a brand new world. And not only do you have like language barriers. It's also the social part and there's if you've had any sort of just troubles or like you're moving you have to make new friends you have to you're moving away from your family so be able to provide also just kind of like emotional social emotional support.
Like through counseling as well. I think that like I'll be able to provide that for our students to just from that background that I've had.
Do you feel like and I'm assuming so in your background in psychology. Like what role has that been able to play in in what you're doing well okay so also as a counselor, did you get to counsel a lot or was it like a lot of master schedules.
I did counsel a lot of elementary level it is more counseling okay because that's what you were element. Yes. So it's definitely different than a secondary absolutely. Yes. Yes. So lots more individual and small group a lot more sometimes than kids. Yes. Yes. That does happen you get up secondary level.
So it's okay. So that's so the counseling piece actually getting to counsel which is fantastic. Yay for that. And then but so that background but along with your psychology background. Have you noticed anything of in the means of what's what these students need beyond academics or maybe what families need whenever we consider parental engagement what that looks like.
And again for the listeners I mean the background is how large is the population of the district.
We have about.
I want to. That's a great question.
1700 Okay, 1700 2000 students. Yes. Yeah. And then about 150 multilingual learners represented as well so obviously very much not the majority.
And so, you know, thinking about newcomers that are here, other students that are born here and, you know, speak more than one language at home and receive these services. Has there been anything that you've connected from your counseling passion your, your psychology past and then
kind of beyond again like academic needs but there are certain needs that need to be met for these families and for these students that are distinct separate and apart from what we would do for an overall wash for all students. Yeah, I think just the main one is that there's just so social skills, because I think when you come from a different country like obviously I did not but what I imagine is you come from a different country and you're coming to a whole different area, like you have different people different neighbors different teachers.
Different students that don't one don't know you but to don't also speak your language so there's this big barrier and this gap of like I'm coming in, not knowing anybody. And so it's this need to like, make those attachments and relationships, and just to plug those students in.
And so I think, like something that teachers and staff can also just be aware of is like if you do have a newcomer coming in like connect them with someone, or be more intentional about asking them, not just academic things asking them how like how was your house today what did you eat today what friends
did you have what did you play today, and just so that they can make those connections that I'm not just here like for academics in an area that I don't know the language. Like these people are trying to care about me and connect with me and make friends with me and I think that that
that aspect sometimes I think is lost coming into a school where I think people look at it like, oh I need to teach you English, I need to teach you math, I need to teach you history. I'm like no they can't learn academics if they're not first feeling safe if they're not first feeling
cared for and love, and that's all kids hierarchy of absolutely yes. And so I think just having to meet those needs that could be a little more tricky understanding what they are figure out what the needs are and how to best help them.
Um, but I think that's kind of where I think we need to start moving to, and an art district to is understanding, they have more than just academic needs that we need to focus on like yes let me grab them and like, talk with them and connect with them first.
And also they bring so many assets. Yes, already. You know what.
And then plus with culture. And so I mean you know one big way of supporting that is through cultural practices and like making these connections and figuring out what role does that culture play and how are they celebrated and how do we build upon these assets have
there been any conversations for anyone out there listening, that is maybe in a position like you where this is new. I, again it's how I started to like that wasn't necessarily my background but I was able to listen and to learn and to try to do some research and
understand some cultural perspectives from the seven countries and eight languages that were represented in my classroom, versus being a principal and considering all of the other cultures represented in the entire school, and then working at a district level position
and then understanding what that looks like district wide. What are some ways that you all have had conversations are considered the assets and the culture that students bring to have that be vibrant within the district, although it may not be the majority of the
students you have that dominant culture and then you have the less dominant culture. Right.
Have there been anything like that or any ideas or any practical strategies that you could share with anyone out there who might be wondering and questioning some of those same things. How do we build upon assets and include culture, and what we do to help with
those institutional needs to help with that sense of belonging and community. Yeah, I think that's something that I'm still kind of learning on of what, what those different aspects are I know that our staff works hard to like bring culture into like
small groups or things that they do just to discuss it or to like acknowledge different like holidays or days that like are celebrated elsewhere just to make them still feel like special.
I know that we're trying to push hard to look more at celebrating like bilingualism, because I think that's a super power. Yes, absolutely, because I don't think that's something that even like the students understand that is really fantastic about what they have.
Yeah, like you are able to speak more than one language and that's something that's fantastic that's an awesome thing it is a superpower and something that I think other just individuals maybe don't see or it's more considered something that is like a hindrance or a
challenge or a barrier instead of something that should be built upon and celebrated. Yeah, which is mean especially I think I think whenever we're able to stop and you know spread the message and the research, because it feels counter intuitive to some monolingual
people that being bilingual or multilingual might possibly be a deficit but I always remind people I've never gone to a job interview and they're like, you know, we'd love to hire you but you're bilingual.
Right, like that's never ever happened at all. Yeah, and then I tell teachers, you know, whenever I'm providing professional development. It didn't hurt me. Yeah, I mean I'm here now with the doctorate degree, doing all this and so really the benefits of bilingualism
apart from some of the health benefits of preventing the onsets of dementia, Alzheimer's, and then these students that are also able to have this higher level of cognitive agility, and what they're doing in their processing skills and they can think more rationally and more logically
and, and they like again this agility going back and forth and building upon their native language to understand more of English which I give this comparison all the time to educators, which you can say like raincoat many different ways in Spanish,
according to whatever different country, but one common word is impermeable and impermeable. Whenever we're saying raincoat, they're saying impermeable, like I'm like, that's where you build upon that academic language proficient word right there, like what does impermeable mean
and so we start, you know, to have these conversations around how the truth of it is that me learning Spanish helped me better my English. Yeah, but it never, it never like set me back in any way so I think you know continuing to have those conversations centered around the benefits of bilingualism, the, the superpower that it is, looking at people across the world who are, you know, multilingual.
Plus, you look at any other country.
You speak only two languages that's weird you're like only two and I'm like, I feel pretty good about it.
Where I'm from, two is a lot.
But you know, I want to learn more I would love to be a polyglot and just to keep on learning so many more other languages but hopefully us right now having that conversation and wherever we work in our districts for everyone out there listening, you know continuing to have that conversation
and promoting that I think really helps with, you know that community sense of belonging but also the understanding of how can I use these assets in my classroom to really help the students, not just feel belonging but build upon their assets to help them with language learning language acquisition
but also the content, all at the same time.
I think it's so fun. Yeah, so tell me more about this article that came out in a national. This is my first. So this is how I first got to become aware of you and learn a little bit more.
But something I really want to celebrate with you so if you don't mind will you brag a little bit about this article and give us a little description about what was about.
Sure, so we put on our first annual bilingual celebration. So the idea started very tiny and quickly grew to be this big thing. Yeah.
And so I was like let's do it. We'll figure it out. And so, like the heart behind it started off being more, how can we encourage and motivate our middle school students to have a desire to, to do their work and to graduate and understand, you know the
importance of that. And then it quickly turned into, well, can we also celebrate our seniors who have exited our program and have gotten good grades also as a way to encourage.
And so, one of our staff members like had a connection to Hilda DeLeon Xavier crew.
I know her very well. Yes. Yeah, we used to dance together. Okay. Yes. So she had a connection with Hilda who knows all the people. All the people.
So we decided to invite speakers to come in and to speak and with the intention to do it.
To speak bilingual, but they ended up more Spanish, which is totally fine because that worked out well. So they were coming in to kind of share their story give encouragement and talk about like the, like the need for individuals to be bilingual and how that's not common.
Different areas. And so they came in, and we invited all of our middle school and high school former and current EL students, it was open to anybody that was the, that was our target audience.
And then for our seniors, we sent out kind of just more formal invitations like you're invited to get recognized and year we sent them to parents and students like your students going to be recognized for their, their accomplishments and achievements.
And then we had a state representative there as well, and who is, I think he said the only bilingual one that is in our state, which I think was a cool came our true.
And citations of celebration for our students for our seniors and so we called them up and recognize them for their achievements. And, and so it was really cool to see just that community coming together to like they were so willing just to give their time and share their
stories and encourage these young kids who may not feel encouraged or celebrated or like they, their abilities matter. And so I think it was a really important thing for us to start doing for those students.
And so we hope to grow and in the coming years, like we hope to include a track to receive like you steal a file literacy, and to, and to recognize those students at that time as well and so we want to continue to grow the celebration, where it is becoming
like something that we look forward to and maybe like our district wants to attend and not just our EL students and something that we look forward to coming to, and to encourage each other and to motivate our students and just to recognize them for their wonderful
accomplishments of being proficient in two languages amazing. Yes, it is amazing.
And we will be right back.
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And now back to the show.
So yeah, I mean, because again, I was 15 years old whenever I began to learn Spanish.
It was the teacher in high school, Senora Adkins.
And, you know, I wasn't really, I wasn't born into a family, into a culture to be able to have access to all of this.
And I'm just so thankful that I had an educator who believed in this so much and encouraged me.
And of course, it was in high school.
So you can imagine many of the students just didn't care.
It was just, you got to pass Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 and then move on.
And then, but I was able to go to Spain.
I was fortunate for that after my freshman year and then come back and skip Spanish 2 and go to Spanish 3 and then 4 and then 8P and all this stuff.
And so I always look back and I'm truly just so thankful that I get to share and participate in a culture where I have been, you know, adoptado.
Like they say, like you're adopted into this and we want you here and I get to enjoy that.
And it feels like another person inside of me.
You know what I mean? Like, it's not like, I'm like, you know, I don't know.
It's just like another soul that's added to you to get to share and participate in all this.
It's so wonderful and great.
And so I'm curious, through these conversations, have there been other students that are monolingual only in English and have thought, I kind of want to be, I want to participate in that too.
Like, I want to be bilingual or multilingual or are there other educators that have had like eyes open and thinking like, wow, like this is really so incredible.
I didn't really consider this being such a great celebration before.
But the things that you all have done and what you've been talking about has, you know, exposed them to this and therefore opened up their eyes where now they want to celebrate it more too.
Have there been any fun stories or anything like that, especially after the article had come out?
Yeah, I, a couple of things that came to mind.
So we have, there's a student, he's a freshman and he just exited the program like just now.
He stayed after to talk to some of our speakers and he was just like, he's typically more has like a calm or down demeanor, but he was like excited.
Like he was like, I'm excited to meet you and this is really cool.
Like I can do things. And I was like, yes, that's what we want to like to show you.
Like you're not just another student that happens to speak Spanish.
Like that's important and that's wonderful.
So I think he does have this like renewed sense of like just self esteem and confidence and like who he is and like what he is able to do.
We have another student that they they come from a family where a parent speaks Spanish, but they don't.
But they're wanting to now start taking Spanish to receive that sealed by literacy because they saw the opportunity that was there.
And I know I'll have many conversations with staff members like starting in August and September like about our program.
And so I'm excited to see kind of like what they have been able to see in that and their thoughts on like kind of what we're trying to move towards and celebrating and recognizing our students.
So I'm excited to see where it goes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, me too. I think I think it's really fantastic.
You know, you mentioned earlier about how you had Ilna, Arturo, some other people within the community that came.
And you said that's so special that they stopped to take the time for that.
Can you can you expound upon like why to you that you think that is so special because it is obviously.
But I think it probably means a great deal to a state representative to pause probably a very hectic, busy schedule.
Especially right now to stop to come and to have this talk. Why is that so important?
And why can other like other districts want to do this too?
Like, like, why does that matter? Why is that so? Why was it by is it special?
Yes, I think like I think one thing is it just shows that like people want to be involved and they want to help.
Like we there are so many great, amazing people that are willing to just help students and come in and share and volunteer their time.
That I think that's not lost. I think there's a lot of times that we think like, oh, like we live in such a like our struggling world and people are not willing to help.
But like there's people out there that like you just ask, like they're willing to come in and give their time.
I think we had we had the owner of Cafe Cacao come. Oh, yeah. And I'm like, you own a business and you paused your day.
You didn't work that day and you came and volunteered to share your story in order to hopefully encourage students and to remind them of how important they are and motivate them to like what they could potentially become.
And we had a retired firefighter. I think he was the first Hispanic firefighter in Oklahoma City and one of like, you know, a handful that are bilingual, like that are working, come out and just say this is also another track.
Like it wasn't just it wasn't just people from like one or two different like job areas. It was like this big like array like we had business owners, firefighters, state representatives.
You had people that like work on foundation. So it was this showing students like just because you're bilingual doesn't mean you're only going to be able to go and work in these one or two different job fields.
Like your options are open, like you have so many possibilities that are needed. Like there's ones that represented that is bilingual. Like that's a need. Like you need more. There was like four or so like firefighters that are bilingual out of the whole Oklahoma City department.
Like that's a need and something that like they should be, you know, striving towards not just this little goal of like graduating, finishing. Let me set my dreams, my goals higher in order to meet something.
And so I think just seeing like the community's like excitement and willingness to come out and just to stop what they were doing and find importance in our students. I think that was like amazing for me just to see.
Like you think this is such an important aspect and like job that you have to come and talk to our students that you just stopped your day and you just dropped everything and you just came for the day.
I think it's so important because then we recognize, I mean, we have bilingual, multilingual, multicultural people coming from the government all the way to a restaurant owner and firefighters and how important that is whenever there is a fire and the family speaks another language and that person can speak to them and save their life.
That's a really big deal. But I think it's so interesting because I go to all these different school districts and there's always a mix of people everywhere. You have some people that are just like, yes, multilingualism. Yes, that's wonderful.
And then you have other teachers who I think with the best intentions, sometimes there's always an outlier everywhere. But you know, whenever it's like, well, English only, just want you to learn English because they want to help.
And that's how I started. Right. I was very destructive in that way, not thinking about it because I had learned that I grew and I learned more. And like I said, I'm matured and I'm fortunate that I didn't necessarily like hurt any of them as some had gone to Harvard.
So it wasn't like the worst thing I ever did. But you look back and I think, man, I just I should have built more upon their languages, which now you fast forward and that totally, like I said, changed practices and I understand.
And but my intention, though, in the beginning was good. It was just wrong in my process of getting there. Right. And I'm OK to reflect on that and own it and admit that.
But we still have some educators today who do think that. But whenever we consider what that pedagogical practice looks like in the classroom, implementing language standards at the same time, academic standards and building upon their assets.
You would think it would be easier to recognize how we do need to be doing that because what ends up happening is that they are state representatives.
They are the bone medals. They are the firefighters that are saving your lives.
But yet sometimes we put that kid in the corner and they do I Excel pre-K work until they get to a certain level. Whenever really we should be building upon their assets, knowing and recognizing that they're going to be state representatives.
How do you bridge that in your role in what you do?
Yeah, I think that's such that's such a hard thing. And I think it's something that all of my staff, I think they're wanting to work towards is being able to like explain to teachers like the importance of it, because I think that I think we just had in the past such a tiny
population of EL students that maybe it just wasn't recognized or we just the TRT just weren't educated in it. And I think we're growing and we're to a point where I'm like, we need to help our teachers understand too.
But also we as the EL staff also need to learn how to best do that in our district, because I think every district is different and the staff is different and students and I think that we still have to learn
like the best way to encourage our staff and what works best for our district, because just based on resources or staff that we have and materials, the best way but I think it's just going into it with the intention of I'm going to talk about our students and I'm going to make teachers
aware, and I'm going to, I'm going to talk about it so much they're going to get tired of me and I'm going to ask is that translated.
Because I think because one thing that we're struggling with is like a lot of our forms are not translated into Spanish. Okay, and it blows my mind that I'm like these families have been here for more than one year, like you've had families for multiple years, but it's just if you
don't have that thought process of, oh, I have this family that speaks Spanish that needs a form, you don't think about it. Right. And so I think one of like our intentions is to like just make our teachers aware and just set that practice kind of.
So it's just kind of this automatic like, oh, I'm making a form and you didn't Spanish. Yes. And so I think just keep continuing to ask them and question them on like little things like that will slowly grow where they're going to start automatically thinking of our EL students and families in that way as well.
Because it's just not a practice that they've been like accustomed to. And so it's hard you can't just flip a switch and automatically, bam, I'm going to think about all the things EL and I'm going to have all the resources available.
It's so difficult, right? Slowly. And it's with any change, like anything you try to do in education or elsewhere, we're trying to change a culture or perspective or just a way of thinking. It's a slow kind of like turn you have to make.
And I think just slowly just focusing on something where it's where there's translation forms or just like that communication aspect between teachers and ourselves. So I think it'll be it'll take it'll take some time.
Yeah, my mom will laugh whenever I say it, but like I was always like, God, give me patience and give it to me now. I always want it like right now. But that's how I feel with this. And you know, and I think this is a common through line in a whole lot of places, especially smaller school districts.
I've worked in other districts before where it was a similar story where you had so many other languages other than English, but yet everything was only in English. And so maybe there's some insight truly on the psychological side of this.
But where where I get confused with it is that you're you're I mean, it's there's like there's like policy, there's law, like civil rights, Department of Justice.
But yet, it's like somewhere and that was just we were recording another podcast episode yesterday, and it was we were discussing policy, it was Alejandra Vasquez Bauer, and we were discussing policy that they work on for immigrant students, migrant students, newcomer students, etc.
I guess the question is, what do you feel like that obstacle is? Is it is it an obstacle because it's a lack of awareness? Is it being resistant to change? Or what is that situation whenever we know for a fact that we have families who need support because the home language survey asks, do you need interpretation or translation?
They say yes. So then therefore we look at our documents and they're only in English. And then we also know that we have civil rights and Department of Justice guidance and policy for this.
But yet in so many places across the nation, it doesn't always happen. Do you feel like this? And maybe there isn't just like an answer. I don't know.
But do you feel like there's a psychological component to that? We're like, surely someone with a master's degree who got into the highest position ran across this information at some point, or at least just consider the fact like, hey, even if it's not a policy, maybe it's just the right thing to do.
Maybe I just need to. What is that that barrier? Yeah, you feel like potentially based on, you know, not just your experience necessarily, but just your thought process and your background of psychological matters.
This is a question I really do have a lot. I think like for our district, it's kind of a combination of lack of awareness and kind of a lack of like leadership to take charge and people just assuming other people will do something.
OK, and so I think it's this combination of like, some people are just not aware, like we're not aware that there's not forms in Spanish or we're not aware that there are families that need translation. And I think there's this part where it's like not necessarily just like superintendent leadership, but coming down.
Either it's the coordinator again, our past, not like just taking charge to say, nope, this needs to be changed. We're changing it or this assumption from staff like, oh, that's our staff's job is to kind of get siloed out.
Yes. Yeah. And so like, I'm going to focus on teaching. They're going to focus on translation. So I think it's this maybe just thought process that like more of like, I just worry about my my little bubble got my blinders on and not worrying about like the big picture.
And I think to an extent, like. Like teachers like, no, like they maybe shouldn't be completely worried about the whole district and what's happening, you know, through the whole district, like the enrollment office or and things like that.
Having form, you know, like, like, like, and so I think it's I think it's been a combination of things between just awareness and just leadership needs to like just to take place.
So that there is that awareness that grows. And so like, I think just coming in, there's been just a few small changes that like we've made of like, yes, we're going to serve our pre case students or yes, we're going to translate and I'm going to keep asking you about it.
So maybe those little things haven't happened to start building that culture of awareness in our district. And so I think I'm going to guess a lot maybe comes down to just assumption that someone else is going to fix our problem or someone else is going to solve it because I don't speak
Spanish and that's not my department. Yeah. And then maybe just lack of leadership within the EL department, you know, to actually make those changes and not just like put out the fires, like be proactive for future things.
I love I love this conversation because it feeds right into what I studied for the doctor, the doctoral program and looking at the role of cultural proficiency and what it like what role does cultural proficiency play in schools and the success for all students, but I, but you know, whenever you're considering
cultural proficiency, you have barriers and you have guiding principles, unhealthy to healthy practices and then you have some key elements of like your goals to want to implement in the school one being institutionalizing cultural knowledge.
And so it's, it's interesting because I think I think what you're saying is true and accurate. I think a lot of people can probably relate to this hopefully the ones who are listening can can relate anyone out there that has fantastic practices and really great answers that can share this like
connect with us like let us know I of course have my ideas and my thoughts and do this all the time. And, but I think though it's that one of the one of the aspects of the barrier is being unaware and or maybe assumptions like that and so I just think it's so important to start having
these conversations throughout. I think that homogeneity, oftentimes can become a big barrier so if the most of us are doing one thing one way, then I just think that everyone else is going to be doing it that way too.
Or I think if I communicate one way and the majority of people respond well then I've done my due diligence, not recognizing about who's not at the table, who's not there, who's not present, who isn't able to participate in the same way with the same level of integrity as someone else who might be
of the dominant culture right. And so I think whenever we can move like you said that we have this little bubble right. And I'm sure that you've seen it in the textbook that this little bubble at the bottom of the page as well like, here's what you do for your students.
And then a little bubble if you have an EL student then do this, and I want to have that conversation was that we put the bubble at the top, open up that bubble and then filter all the way through.
Because people like us that blonde hair blue eyed and maybe don't come from a multicultural background in our homes. I get to participate in that now and it's only opened up so many doors for me.
It's opened up so many experiences for me so many feelings and emotions and just traveling is so different I mean my whole life is better and it's been enriched because I was able to be exposed to the diversity of other people and I love that so much.
And so, I'm hopeful that one day we get into the conversations where even if it's the majority the minority whatever it is that it's ever present and represented even if you have one student who might be from one kind one specific country and in the US that we still celebrate that just as much, because what an awesome gift to be able to be right next to somebody who shares that who represents that who brings a different culture that I can, I can relate more to I can understand more because then that's when we start to see that there's so much unity.
In our diversity, we have so much in common so many great things to celebrate but I think it just hopefully makes us better as humans walking around whenever we get to learn more about others.
Yeah, making those students feel valued as something that's so important.
Yeah, I think you know we wanted as as adults as teachers as educators as leaders. And so I think it's important to share that we trickle that down to all of our students as well as really really celebrate them so much.
I can't imagine separating language from from culture right and so whenever you get to bring all that together. I think it just really allows great spaces for us to have amazing amazing conversations, apart from the the styled ones that I feel like we get accustomed to
kind of too easily sometimes.
Yeah, I agree.
Maybe maybe one day we'll start some dual language education and things like that. Yeah, see, and get back to the elementary roots are bringing all the way.
There's lots of possibilities.
We'll see where we grow.
Is there anything though that you have found that's just kind of changed changed you in your thought process from whenever you first got into the EO world, taking care of compliance to where you are now.
I mean that's kind of motivated you or changed you professionally, for the better from these experiences and having conversations with students and their families.
Um, I think, I think it's just helped me just become more like assertive or confidence, like in myself like as I'm going into this leadership role like I am now like the leader like of this department and the face of it. And so like, my role is to then advocate for these students.
And so learning kind of, you know, learning about them and kind of where they're needing and then being able to communicate that to teachers and staffs and even all the way up to superintendent of like this is what we're lacking what we're needing.
And so I think just as I'm growing in like my knowledge of that and also growing and how I can advocate, and just the confidence that I have like from that experience and being able to then, and like use that to better our students I think is something that has grown so far and so I can only imagine
in the next, you know, years as I continue to gain knowledge and experience, and how I can use that then to advocate for that population and help our students and well, I think it's, I think it's so exciting and I just really want to do a big shout out to you for all of the advocacy work
and the allyship that you show. Also, you know, do your superintendent for wanting to have these conversations I think that that is something that needs to be highly celebrated, and hopefully more and more superintendents across the nation.
Those who are already doing the work, thank you. Those who aren't doing the work because you weren't aware of it now you feel like maybe you are awesome excited to be part of that journey with you and I think that that ensuring that
that our leaders can can be involved and engaged in these conversations, recognizing how busy they are as well. But we also know that state representatives are busy.
And we know that our superintendents and our other building leaders are busy, but whenever we can stop and bring this conversation to the forefront, I think what it does is not necessarily help within a school district which it definitely does but I think it helps within a community.
I think that you were able to see that and to share that with people like Ida, De Leon Xavier, Arturo, our state representative, the firefighters, the other people in the community, that it's a community at large, you know, and so just because we might be one district here.
Other states are different and they're set up but we have, you know, 400 up to 500 plus districts here in Oklahoma. And so many of us are just side by side and so even though this district is right here and then across the streets the other district, we're still one community.
And so I think it's so important to elevate these conversations and to really give a shout out to school and district leaders who want to engage in these conversations because they also see the importance of it, not just for the quote unquote EL population, but for the population of a district, because it's not all of these students are part of the district and then we have those students over there.
It's we all are part of that district. So big shout out to you and to your superintendent for having these conversations and making things like this happen. I think it's really really fantastic. It's so exciting. Yeah, for sure.
Is there anything that you want to leave our listeners with? Any any final thoughts or something that might be of encouragement to them or to any student out there who even might be listening?
Because surely maybe someone want to listen to your to your podcast episode. Maybe so. I would just say just from not only like my role like they've been previous years like there are people that want to help and want to volunteer their time to like serve in many different ways.
And so I think if like you have ideas or if you have students who are struggling or if you have something you want to do, like, don't be afraid to like reach out to a community and see who's willing to who has ideas, who's willing to come in and help.
Because I think that it does take a community and a village to like to fully like benefit our students and to provide supports at times and to help them to feel valued. And so I think just like don't be afraid to ask for the help or assistance or just volunteers to do something and just be confident in that.
Because I think providing opportunities for our students to feel welcomed and valued and important like that's like that's priceless. That's incredible. And so I think just if you have an idea and if you're wanting to do it, like go for it.
I think it's important. I think that you kind of you had experience in counseling and elementary school and then you were a newcomer, for lack of a better term, you were a newcomer to the EL world and you brought all of your strengths and all of your assets.
And I think that you are in the just the perfect position for you with your with your background in education, your background in psychology, your background as a counselor, socially emotional needs are so important and that that cultural relevance, you know, is going to be so so important as well.
And I think that you were able to build upon your assets. So I just want to, you know, share that our newcomer students are the same way. They're coming with so many experiences, great deals of the details and their own background.
And I think they build upon that in the same way that that we do in our professions and how I did. I had no background in this and we all build upon it. So I just want to celebrate you again, the assets that we all bring, our students included. And I agree with you. I think it's really good to celebrate this as much as we can.
I can't thank you enough for being here. I'm excited for you and I'm excited to get to, you know, sit back in my own backyard here in Oklahoma and see great things happen in our overall at large community. So thank you for being a leader in that.
And thank you for all of the wisdom that you shared with us. I really do appreciate it.
Yes, thank you for having me. I'm excited to see where it goes.
Well, hey, we'll have to come back and maybe have a conversation and see about what happens next year whenever we start to implement the syllabi literacy. Yeah, we'll do a part two. Yeah. So listeners, hopefully in about a year, let's get back together, if not before.
But, but definitely I would love to circle back around and see how much this has grown and see how, see what new things you have to tell us and the role that you're in. Yes. It's exciting.
Well, hey, thank you all so much for joining us today listeners truly. It's been fun getting to learn more from you, Heather, and get to celebrate with you. And again, congratulations on all the work that you have done in that Bethany Public Schools has done here in Oklahoma.
And shout out to their superintendent as well. Thank you to Dr. Taylor Tribble and Edgy Skills, the sponsor for this podcast of Cultural Connections Lab. And then to our amazing editor, our producer, right here, Mike Overholt.
I really appreciate you too. And I'm just excited for all the things to come. So gracias por todo. Thank you so much and listeners, we'll catch you next time. Adios.
Thank you for joining us today. Don't forget to like, follow and subscribe. Adios.
Thank you.