Context

Context of the project

I graduated from MSU in 2020 with a degree in Elementary Education. During my time in college, I spent three months teaching English as a second language to students aged 7-35 in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Upon graduating MSU, I started teaching 2nd grade at Meadowlark Elementary School in Bozeman, Montana. In my second year, I was hired at Hyalite Elementary School as a 4th and 5th-grade ELA teacher. Last year I was able to join the 2nd grade team at Hyalite with my Certified Teacher from student teaching. This year, I am teaching 2nd grade at Hyalite Elementary again with a great team!

Hyalite Elementary serves about 550 students in the Bozeman area. We are a Title I school, and about 25 % of students are of minority ethnicities including American native/Alaskan Native, Hispanic, and Arab. About 45% of our students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. This number is continuously growing due to the rising cost of living in Bozeman. We have many programs in our school to help support the needs of our students and their families. This includes Thrive, a community program that offers support and resources to families to help raise successful and healthy children, Intermountain's CSCT, Comprehensive School Community Treatment provides therapeutic support for students and their families, and our Multicultural Language Academy, a class where students can learn English to help them be successful in education and their future careers. 

District wide, we started the year with 208 English Language Learners K-12 in the district and ended  the year with 485 English Language Learners K-12. We have a huge need for Spanish-speaking employees to connect and communicate with these students and their families. 

"8/10 families enrolling [in the district] right now, don't speak English" Casey Bertram, Bozeman School District 7 Superintendent - January 15, 2024

"As of today we have 93 ELL students who speak Spanish in Hyalite, that is 1/5 of our population." Vicki Collins, Head Secretary of Hyalite Elementary School - February 21, 2024

How does awareness of your own biases, experiences of privilege, and personal values inform your chosen Capstone Project?

Becoming aware of my own biases has been interesting for me. This was discussed quite a bit in my undergraduate program and I assumed that knowing my biases then had helped me to get rid of them. Unfortunately that was not the case. I still have many biases based on age, race, and gender. Having this awareness, I will need to put myself in check when I see them arise in my Capstone Project.  

My experience with teaching English as a Second Language has created a passion for ELLs.  This is what drove me to focus on the inequities this population is facing. They are an underrepresented population in our school district and often are not met with what they need to learn alongside their English-speaking peers. This inequality has stood out to me for years and has been openly talked about among the educators in our district. There have also been many frustrations voiced among educators, students, and student families about the lack of easy communication between the schools, home, and Spanish-speakers. I firmly believe that each student should be able to learn in an environment where they feel safe, loved, and welcomed. One way I see to create that environment, is for educators to learn some Spanish. This will help educators connect with and understand their students in more meaningful ways. It will also help their families to know we are there to help and have what is best for their child, in our hearts. I understand that most educators and district employees will not become fluent, and that is not the goal. I am hoping for many people to learn a little Spanish to show we are making an effort to understand where these students are coming from, their cultures, and their experiences.

At the beginning of the TLI program, at which level (emerging, developing, performing, or transforming) in the progressions did you place yourself for each of your four chosen competencies?  Provide a rationale for each claim.

At the beginning of the TLI program, I chose four competencies to focus on. These competencies helped me narrow down what I wanted to focus on for our community. 

Overarching Competency #1 Continuing Learning and Education: Developing 

I actively pursued professional development, and I shared what I learned with my teaching team. I conducted research for best practices, and I participated in conferences and conventions regarding education. 

Overarching Competency #2 Adult Learning: Emerging

I had researched ways adult learning impacts student learning. I was learning to meet the needs of adult learners, and learned how adult learners are different from child learners. I worked on respecting adult learners' expertise and valuing the direct impact they have on student experience. 

Foundational Competency Explore and Challenge Inequity:  Emerging 

I could identify what cultures are dominant and privileged at Hyalite and in the district. I applied this knowledge to implement practices to address inequalities. I worked to understand forms of oppression and racism and see that they are real and need to be addressed. I am engaging in ongoing self-education to learn about other cultures. 

Specific Leadership Pathway Competency Instructional-Community Awareness, Engagement, and Advocacy: Developing

I had an understanding of cultural, educational, and student needs. I developed a strategic plan to connect schools, families, and communities. I was working on developing and using a deep understanding of cultural, educational, and political concerns and issues to address student needs. 

Describe your work with diverse stakeholders, shared learning experiences, and how you anticipate your leadership pathway mindset might evolve during the TLI process. 

I worked with thirty-two district employees through surveys to gather their thoughts on Spanish Classes for Employees. There was an overwhelming ninety percent yes for interest in Spanish Classes!  I also had conversations with co-workers about their frustrations about the lack of easy, quality communication with Spanish-speaking families. 

Then I researched how to make these classes a success. I searched for a scope and sequence, I asked co-workers what they wanted to learn most. I talked with Spanish instructors and asked for guidance on how to make these classes work best for adult learners. I talked with Admin and gained their support for the classes. 

Describe how your awareness of those from different cultures, experiences, and backgrounds informs your chosen project.

I have a deeper understanding than most educators in the Bozeman area of South American cultures. Having spent time in Bolivia, I have a small understanding of culture shock and not being able to communicate with others. This was hard for me. When I first landed in Cochabamba, I wanted to go home; I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and confused by much of what was going on. I want to do everything in my power to help ease those feelings in my students. Even if all I can do is speak to them in their native language and be able to listen and understand them.