Blog #8 on Richard Rodriguez on being bilingual

For this week's blog post we had to read the quick reading on Richard Rodriguez.  In this reading Richard is talking about what it was like growing up speaking Spanish and having to learn English at such a young age and how it impacted his life.  As I was reading this it did make me think about the school that I am currently placed in to help students with math.  Although I have only picked up on one student being bilingual due to hearing them speak, I have been told from the other teacher in the room that some of the students do have a second language.  The class is also very diverse so this would not come as a shock.  Whether this is true or not,  I would never be able to tell since the kids within this first grade class all speak English really well.  Richard Rodriguez story has me thinking about all the students that are bilingual in my room, school and about kids growing up in general.  This really makes you realize that everyone has different experiences and different stories.  It makes me wonder if a lot of bilingual students do end up dropping their first language at home when learning a different language.  It also makes me question if all families have this same experience as far as losing family connections.  Although I am not bilingual, I did remember having to take Spanish class in high school.  Although I found it sometimes easy, it took a lot of studying.  Many things I found hard and now that I haven't practiced or thought about it in so long I don't remember it.  Although my experience is different, I have sympathy for those that are trying to learn English at any age.  When I am a teacher I want to do my best to make my students feel as comfortable as possibly when they are in my room.  Richard Rodriguez mentions it in his reading but prior to this reading I have always thought about how if I get students that are bilingual how I would want to learn a few words from their language in order to show to them that I am trying to learn from them, they do not have to completely give up their language, and that I am trying my best to make them feel comfortable in my room.