dr. ronald e. mcnair acknowledgements - University of St. Thomas

Mai-Eng Lee
Social Work Teachers’ Perception towards Hmong Students
also have contributed to how well Hmong students are able
to perform on their tests and homework. All six teachers
suggested for Hmong students to improve on their
reading, writing, and verbal communication skills by
asking for more teacher assistance or seeking after-school
tutorial. The results illustrated that Hmong students need
more engaging learning activities to help them improve
on their reading, writing, and communication skills.
CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
In order for Hmong students to excel academically, all
six teachers from the interviews suggested parent-teacher
communication was crucial. From the interactions between
teachers and Hmong parents, the majority of the parentteacher
communications have been made through the use
of a Hmong interpreter, and the teachers agreed that a
translator was helpful. All teachers perceived a need for
improved staff representation among the Hmong
community along with expanding translation services
available for Hmong families. As seen in one of the
interviews, respondent six, a female teacher, mentions:
It is definitely effective to have someone, an adult that
is established in the Hmong community to work at
your school. I think the students see that as another
bridge or piece of communication that the family can
rely on. I just wish that we have better representations
of Hmong staff along with translators who are readily
available in our school. We never had a person here
specifically to do the translating for Hmong families,
but we did have a math teacher who is now retired
and you can always rely on him. Now it is a challenge
because if I need to get a document translated then it
might take longer than I anticipated so I have to plan
ahead.
Four teachers felt that the schools should provide a
Hmong language and cultural class geared toward Hmong
students. The course would be beneficial for Hmong
students and parents to maintain their culture and
language at school. Such a course would connect students
to their own culture and language within the school
community and this would allow educators to better
collaborate with Hmong parents. According to respondent
two, a male teacher:
Our school is very family-like. I think it works well
with the Hmong culture of having the support from
your family. We do have a Hmong language class. I
think it’s nice for Hmong kids that struggled in
regular class because they often do well in the Hmong
class and it is good for them to have that success. The
class is also helpful for the growing number of kids
who do not speak Hmong or do not speak Hmong
well because they are getting disconnected from their
culture as time goes on. I think it’s definitely good to
have that component to help these students succeed.
SUPPORTIVE HOME ENVIRONMENT
The current study established an agreement among the
teachers about the need for an improved home environment
in the Hmong community. All six teachers mentioned the
lack of structure, a quiet space, and opportunities at home
to help Hmong students fully engage with their education.
The teachers seemed to understand that a lot of Hmong
parents are in a situation where they cannot provide their
children with adequate financial and academic support;
however, they urged parents to continue to motivate
students academically. Therefore, teachers have suggested
for Hmong parents to continue to interact with their
children either in their native language or simply check for
completion on students’ assignments. Teachers perceived
this as a useful way for Hmong parents to connect with
their students and assist them to seek additional academic
assistance if needed. As mentioned by respondent one, a
male teacher, stated:
The ideal best home environment is a place that provides
quiet time, structure, and a quiet space where these
students can do some work. I think having some resources
where they can go and ask for help would also be beneficial.
If the parents are really kind of out of touch with their
children’s learning or if this is the first child that is going
through it then I can see why this is really a difficult
situation. When there is no quiet space in doing their work
and no expectations on the part of the parents to get the
work done then this can become a struggle. In my class, I
see that it’s a challenge because some Hmong students tend
to do their homework in school and so if they don’t find
time to do it at home it’s not going to get done.
PARENTS’ INTIMIDATION FACTORS
Hmong parents may not necessarily understand the
Western academic system, but it is clear to the teachers
they understand the value of education. Four of the teachers
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