Voices of Immigrant Families and the Teachers of

their Children

This short video project introduces the experiences

of immigrant families and the teachers of their

children, in their own words.

SHOT0040

Description 

To gain insight into the communication barriers that exist between       educators and immigrant and refugee families, a team of researchers conducted a series of focus group interviews. The purpose of these interviews was to examine the relationships between immigrant and refugee parents and the teachers, principals, and settlement workers who work with these communities.

The DVD video clips describe the experiences of parents from selected immigrant and refugee communities. The links to the parent and educator pages leads to useful resources based on the video. The entire resource booklet is available below; and the page numbers beside the individual links refer to their place within that resource book.

Slides and Resource Booklets

View Powerpoint slides describing findings about how immigrant parents and educators can work together for equitable family-school relations here.

View Growing New Roots Information Pamphlet  

View Resource Book for Educators and Immigrant Families  

In this resource booklet, we hope to provide useful information to help schools and communities work together to remove the barriers that hinder communication. In doing so, we hope to promote inclusive practices that encourage families to become involved in the education of their children.

Read more about topics discussed

– The nature of family involvement and its importance for the school and the family
– Language barriers that impede communication between immigrant families and their
children‘s teachers
– Creating a school environment that promotes cultural understanding
– The importance of communication between educators and parents
– The significance of effective parent-teacher relationships
– The role of the teacher in different cultures
– Empowering newcomer families by providing them with information

Videos

Full Versions

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Short Versions

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Supporting Documents

Introduction:

Background Information p. 20-30      Transcript: Short Version| Full Version

Language:

Background Information p. 34-39      Educator Information p. 40-51           Parent Information p. 52-54      

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript           

Relationship Building:

Background Information p. 82-86      Educator Information p. 87-92         Parent Information p. 93-95     

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript           

Cultural Understanding:

Background Information p. 82-86      Educator Information p. 87-92         Parent Information p. 93-95     

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript        

Relationship Building:

Background Information p. 99-105      Educator Information p. 106-113       Parent Information p. 114-116     

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript        

Roles:

Background Information p. 120-125      Educator Information p. 126-134       Parent Information p. 135-137    

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript        

For Families:

Background Information p. 141-148      Educator Information p. 156-158        Parent Information p. 149-155

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript 

Conclusion:

Background Information p. 162-163

Full Version                   Transcript

Short Version                Transcript