A World Apart

Phase 2

The information in this phase will help American teachers understand Mexican students and families by suggesting ways U. S. schools can learn from examples of the educational system in Mexico. This phase demonstrates the expectations of Mexican Parents in the United States, which is crucial to the English speaking teacher who is trying to bridge the cultural gap. Using Robert Miller’s work Helping Mexican and Mexican-American Students in Schools of the East Side Union High School District published in 1999. Miller starts his intensive study making a statement that I have seen in correlation parents and their roles in all cultures, he says “The key to educational success is found in the home “ (p. 3) and I can’t agree more.

Mexican-American parents remember school from Mexico, so obviously their expectations are derived from those experiences. These parents are the role models and responsible to motivate their children’s educational experiences. The purpose is for American teachers’ to see the emphasis is on metal pictures that the Mexican parents have created from their home. What American teachers expect could be totally different in the minds of the Mexican parents’ and they need to keep that in mind.

Miller (1999) points out one of the most important differences which may not seem so important to an Americans is the organization of the Mexican School System. He says “Mexican education is centralized. The SEP [The Secretaria de Educacion Publica or Secretary of Education] controls the curriculum, the textbooks, teacher training and coordinates the system. States are responsible for the upkeep of the schools” (p. 3). When analyzing the differences in Miller’s quote to what I know as the education system, I can see huge disparities. What I mean is that the teachers are controlled, even more so than in the U.S. Teachers in Mexico have less choice or say. So when we are dealing with Mexican parents’ we need to remember that they don’t think we have the power of choice. Bear in mind they are reflecting off their experiences.

Another important fact that I would like to include in this phase of learning and change is made by a group of Mexican teachers’ who were visiting the Denver School District. Their observations have suggested that the American teacher keeps Mexican students at arms length. What they are saying is the bond between student and teacher is too distant. For Mexican students to make the successful cultural transition they need to connect to the school. This is not only important for the students, it is imperative for parents. Other advice from the visitors was more consistency. The U.S. offers too many alternatives, which confuses parents, because the system in Mexico is so structured. The parents know what to expect in Mexico. In the U. S. the options are almost limitless, which can be mind-boggling. The information in this paragraph was taken from the Term Paper: News and Analysis for School Reform from The Piton Foundation Volume III, Number I—May 2004, page 2.

Realizing that I only covered two great tips for American teachers in this phase of learning has motivated my investigation for more tips like these. If anyone has any tips to share please chime in.