To Dream the Possible Dream

In a bilingual Russian classroom, literacy lessons reach out to the Woodburn community.

By Joyce Riha Linik

The question—What do you want to be when you grow up?—is a common one for young children. But, Heritage Elementary teacher Mavjuda Rabimova was troubled when her second–graders gave answers like “housekeeper” or “construction worker.” It wasn’t that these were poor choices, but simply that her native Russian students were limited by their lack of exposure to other options.

This realization launched Rabimova on a literacy project designed to broaden her students’ worldview. At Heritage, 16 percent of the 768 students are Russian, 36 percent are “Englishonly,” and 48 percent are Hispanic. The Russian speakers are taught in their native language and sheltered English in a “late-exit” model: As students progress through the grade levels, more of their day is devoted to English instruction. Rabimova’s second–graders receive 70 percent of their lessons in Russian and 30 percent in English.

To kick off the literacy project, Rabimova introduced her class to the concepts of biography and autobiography, examining what facts and experiences would be interesting to learn about a person if you were writing about his or her life. Armed with a list of questions, they went home to interview family members. This information later found its way into written family histories. Students practiced the art of autobiography when Rabimova asked them to recall and write about a “bright memory” of their own.

After helping the youngsters understand where they and their families had come from, Rabimova expanded the project to the outside community. She invited parents and other Russian–speaking community members into the classroom to share their interesting talents and jobs. Students developed interview questions for their guests, concentrating on such topics as childhood, occupation, and hobbies. The first visitor was both a poet and a parent of one of the students. She gave a harrowing account of her emigration from Russia to the United States. Subsequent visitors included a policeman who had learned to speak Russian to better serve the community. The children were thrilled when he let them explore his squad car. An electrician talked about the benefits of his job and even popped off a light switch in the classroom for an impromptu lesson on electricity. A local artist not only talked about his life, but led a two–hour art lesson.

After each visit, students discussed the interview and their notes. They were surprised to learn that they each had recorded different things than their peers. Students turned the visits into written biographies, moving from rough drafts through peer and teacher reviews to a final composition.

At the end of the year, Rabimova helped students compile the essays and photos of their visitors into a book to be displayed in the classroom. The class also made a list of occupations to which they might aspire. “Oh my God, that was a big list!” exclaims Rabimova.

“And then finally we said, now we can dream about these and it’s possible. I want them to know from the beginning that it is possible in America. Everything is possible with education.”

This is an excerpt from a recent NWREL resource guide, Tapestry of Tales: Stories of Self, Family, and Community Provide Rich Fabric for Learning. The book provides examples of how teachers can use personal and community stories to motivate students to write and to reinforce reading, speaking, and listening skills. It can be purchased at www.nwrel.org/comm/catalog/ and is available in PDF format at www.nwrel.org/tapestry/.

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