Cultivating Community Partnerships as an ELL Teacher

Abstract

Let’s face it.  Being a teacher can be daunting for a variety of reasons.  We are pulled in a million different directions every minute of the day.  (Even during our preps and lunch breaks!) We are not just teachers.  We adopt so many different roles in order to meet the needs of our students. 

            In my quest to learn about effective family engagement practices I felt overwhelmed to add yet another role to my repertoire.   I quickly realized that, in order to engage families in a meaningful and collaborative way, I needed help.  In my quest, I was fortunate to experience multiple community partnerships that made engaging families feel more like creating lasting friendships and building bridges that crossed language and cultural barriers.