Pedagogy that is sensitive to students’ cultural backgrounds and needs and demonstrates respect for their cultural heritages is necessary for enhancing their cognitive and behavioral engagement, yet having experienced the difficult process of transition- including the need to learn a new language and new systems of interaction- perhaps the things immigrants students long for the most are basic respect, warmth, and a genuine interest in them as people. (Suárez-Orozco, Qin & Amthor, 2008, p. 64)

During my first day of student teaching this semester, while my students in my Spanish for Spanish speakers class and I were introducing and sharing a little about ourselves, I realized that we had many things in common. Just like them, I was once a student in their high school and had taken the same class they are in now. I had also moved to this country as a child from South America and the experiences they are going through right now are very similar to what I experienced as an adolescent. For the past two months, I have done my best to show them my sympathy toward their backgrounds and we have been able to maintain a meaningful connection both academically and personally. Just like the book indicates and I know from experience, these immigrant students have a strong desire to achieve academic success and they rely on their Spanish speaking teachers for support. I have noticed that they see my CT, who is also a Latin American immigrant, and I as guides, they often ask us for academic and personal advice and want to have lunch with us in our office, which we take as compliments. Although some have greater challenges than others, such as a limited education even in their native language or having to work part time jobs to help out their parents, all of them demonstrate a great interest in their education during and beyond high school. As their teacher, I am very grateful I am able to work with this group because not only are they respectful and committed to their education, but working with them gives me the opportunity to give back to my own community that provided me with so much support when I needed it the most.