My guiding question: What are ways to involve minority students and their families in school life? How schools can attract parents who do not speak the language of the school to be involved? My focus is on immigrant students and their families who are still learning English (French?). Reflection: I will admit that before I left for Canada, I was - well - miffed. I did not want to go to Canada with Fulbright! I had been to Canada twice and besides, Canada was practically the continuation of the US, right? Why would I go there with my Fulbright scholarship? I wanted to go to a country where I could show how to teach and where local teachers could learn from me. It did not even occur to me that I I was the one who should have learned. Until Canada. I am humbled by the experience that I have gained during this trip to Canada. I returned from Canada with ideas that I wish to implement in my school. Inclusion and diversity were o omnipresent in a scale that I had never experienced before. Teachers were appreciated not only by the community at large but financially as well. "Today, nearly 90% of Canadians between the ages of 20 and 24 have a high school diploma." (https://uwaterloo.ca/) In the US, only 8 states show similar statistics (https://nces.ed.gov/). Thus, while my guiding question not necessarily has been answered, I have gained so many other answers. Toronto/Ontario: The curriculum in Ontario embraced and acknowledged the indigenous people whose land have been used by settlers for centuries. As for English language learners, "every public school board [in Ontario] does offer optional learning opportunities for students to learn and develop their home language through the provincially-funded International Languages Program" (https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/english-language-learners-policy-and-school-support-ontario-canada). English learners spend a school year focusing on English learning before they start taking academic classes. The school we visited had multiple languages on campus and - talking with students - all were welcomed. Saskatoon/Saskatchewan: Although I did not meet English learners in Saskatoon, I did with minority students. Visiting St. Frances proved how one community - along with the willingness of the officials - could make a difference in many minority families. All in all, I am extremely happy and satisfied with my Fulbright trip to Canada. Despite my own (wrong) assumptions, Canada does have many ideas to offer in education. When it comes to educating minority students and involving their parents, we in the US have much to learn from Canada.
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