Immigrant Students and Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Remembering

by Gerald Campano

This powerful book demonstrates how culturally responsive teaching can make learning come alive. Drawing on his experience as a fifth-grade teacher in a multiethnic school where children spoke over 14 different home languages, the author reveals how he created a language arts curriculum from the students’ own rich cultural resources, narratives, and identities. Illustrating the challenges and possibilities of teaching and learning in a large urban school, this

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Grad School

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 6, 2006

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teacher identity that is interested, relational, and vulnerable. Years later, it saddens me to say that our education system and society is still not set up to allow or foster or encourage this kind of teacher identity that we need in our classrooms.


Twice-curated quotes to highlight:
“I realized that I had been teaching in two classrooms: a first mandated classroom and a second classroom that occurs during the margins and in between periods of the school day… The second classroom...is an alternative pedagogical space. It develops organically by following the students’ leads, interests, desires, forms of cultural expression, and especially stories… it also occurs before school, after school, during recess, during lunch, and occasionally on weekends and extends beyond the immediate classroom walls, into homes and community spaces… The second classroom is an ideological space as well. It is second because it is the work of the students and teachers that remains for the most part, invisible and uncompensated, both in terms of funding and recognition. It includes the relationship that they build and nurture with one another as they share their life stories. The second classroom also has an affective dimension, involving the emotional labor of teachers as they struggle to execute the mandated curriculum while nurturing the individual and cultural integrity of children.” (39-40)

“It is common for schools to say in their mission statements that they are preparing students to become productive global citizens. But many children are already productive global citizens.” (72)

“More than mere sentiment, empathy allowed children to cultivate critical and ethical sensibilities in order to understand and inhabit the perspectives of others.” (83)

“Teaching as a migrant involves self-conscious acts of remembrance, of keeping the past relevant, however difficult this may be. It involves an acknowledgement that the migration is not over, that the trails toward personal and collective empowerment are still being blazed.” (93)


Read for “Latinos & Literacy” course.

["Stars" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel lucky to have the author of this book as my academic advisor. You know how sometimes you read something and think to yourself, "Wow - these are my thoughts...articulated in print!" and all at once feel a sense of camaraderie, like you've been reacquainted with an old friend. That was this book for me.

[Lupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly enjoyed reading Campano’s text for my MA studies. The issues he brings up on classroom pedagogy and issues surrounding our state of education resonate deeply with me and colleagues I work with. Makes me wonder if much has changed.... Great read for anyone looking for ways to highlight student voices in the classroom through meaningful learning experiences.

[AJ Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, but it left a lot of explanation needed to help teachers actually implement what he did to have such success with his students. Otherwise, it reads like one of those typical "we can change the future if we completely revise the curriculum" type of books that promises the world but doesn't give directions to get there.

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

important pedagogy. how do we counter silencing in schools? how do we create community thru narrative? how do we bring students lives and their experiences into the classroom as expertise? because they are experts on their lives, not our rules and remediation

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I chose this book at random from a class list for a book report. I'm really glad that I decided to check this one out. I learned a lot from it and it is going to be extremely helpful in my own research and pedagogical practices.

[Payal]

Written by a good friend from graduate school - can't wait to read it.

[Mills College Library]

371.82691 C1869 2007