“Tengo una pregunta más.”
“She has one more question,” said Marta.
I wondered what it could be. Marta had great grades, and did everything I asked her. She was probably my best student. I could only guess why her mother looked so troubled. As the Spanish rolled off her tongue, I regretted not having gone to the extra dialogue sessions my Spanish professor in college had offered.
“My mom wants you to tell me why my last name is different than hers,” said Marta.
I remembered that Marta’s mom and dad were divorced and that Marta had taken her dad’s name.
“Um…,” I said, trying to act naturally. “Marta, tell your mom that our school social worker is very nice and helpful and can explain the situation….”
While Marta translated, her mom shook her head no and pointed at me.
“She wants you to tell me,” said Marta.
“Now?” I asked.
“Yes, now,” answered Marta.
I stumbled through an explanation which was punctuated by numerous ums and pauses. It did not satisfy me. When I finished, I asked Marta if she had any questions. She politely said no. I asked if she was OK, and she nodded yes. Despite my garbled response, Marta’s mother seemed to leave content. While my answer was not sufficient, my repeated attempts to speak Spanish may have helped her feel more comfortable.
Her question made me think of other students’ parents who didn’t speak English and had similar questions or concerns that never surfaced. How many parents were afraid to ask or felt embarrassed, and never received answers to their questions?
Parental and familial involvement at my school and the on-site afterschool program wavered during family math and reading nights, and during quarterly report card pick-ups. Some labeled this laziness or bad parenting, but that explanation does not account for the enormous crowd of families that showed up when flu vaccines were offered. The parents and families cared…they just weren’t always sure where or how to get help.
Language and literacy development involves more than academic best practices and approaches. Supporting our children and young people requires involvement from students’ families and communities. These ideas are not new or especially unique, but they require time, persistence, and relationships that cannot be overlooked. There are lots of individuals like Marta’s mom out there who need help–we must continue to seek out ways to meet their needs and, by doing so, make a better effort at helping their children to succeed in the long term.
