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.
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
Short Versions
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