Developing
Relationships with Families
UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Adjusting to Differences
Making Adjustments
Guidelines
Making Adjustments
Realize that many LEP students come from poverty conditions and make allowances
when appropriate. Though not unique to LEP students, the situation of new immigrants,
many of whom are LEP, often involves living on the economic fringes of society
(Rumberger, 1983; U.S. Department of Education, 1993). Recognizing this situation
may require certain adjustments on our part. We must, of course, avoid assuming
that all LEP students live in poverty which could be as damaging as failing
to recognize that some do. Making adjustments in our expectations does not mean
lowering our expectations of their ability to perform academic work but rather
in the facility they may have for doing so.
Guidelines
The following guidelines are offered:
- Don't expect these students to have access to magazines, reference materials,
and other resources at home. Likewise, the family may not be able to provide
transportation to the library.
- Don't assume that the student can study at home. This is perhaps a shocking
and alien concept for those unfamiliar with poverty conditions. "The
dog ate my homework" may be quite tame compared to what really may have
occurred. Often in the crowded conditions associated with poverty, the child
does not have a satisfactory place to study, or being able to do so may depend
upon the actions of others in the household. If there is space, there may
be considerable noise and distraction, parents or siblings coming and going,
loud music, or a television nearby. The very neighborhood may be full of noise
and distraction. Drunkenness, loud arguments, threats of violence, drugs,
and abuse, though not unique to poverty conditions, often are associated with
them. Students may be required to care for younger children or do numerous
household chores in the evening.
- Don't expect material contributions to fund drives or other activities.
Even bringing a dish for a potluck luncheon may be beyond the family's resources.
Pressure from teachers or staff can be as damaging as ridicule from one's
peers to the student who cannot contribute. Participation in such activities
should be limited to functions that don't require material outlay.
- Be a little tolerant of irregular attendance. Poor attendance should not
be ignored. However, there may be times when understanding and forbearance
are indicated. Disorganization, unreliable transportation, financial crises,
disruptions in normal family relations, and other circumstances not unique
to but often encountered in poverty settings, can contribute to absences from
school which are well beyond the student's control.
For further information, please click on the link below:
Charles Cornell