Marvel Movies are something I share with my son. It is our thing, and I have learned superhero lessons along the way.
Superheroes have a special talent.
Superheroes need practice - lots of practice.
Superheroes don’t always get it right.
Superheroes help people.
Superheroes need help.
Captain America? He was so enthusiastic to help others that he waded into battle before he had any powers. Iron Man? He experienced disaster after disaster before he perfected his suit. The Hulk? He did not want anything to do with his power.
At HBR, we have classrooms filled with superheroes who are working on their talents. We have musicians and artists. We have athletes and a chess team. We have writers and heart heroes. We have leaders and cheerleaders. Our dedicated teachers work with a colorful population of students who are discovering and honing their talents.
MY SUPERHEROES
I personally work with superheroes whose talent is having another language - Multilingual Learners. Speaking or just understanding another language is truly amazing. It increases brain function, career opportunities, and cultural experiences. Did you know that speaking another language delays cognitive decline later in life? (That fact had me running to learn a new language myself!)
But, like anything worthwhile, it is really hard work. Vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and sentence structure are swirling around in the young brain. Language models (parents) are very important. The more a child hears and experiences language - ANY language - increases the child’s brain readiness for reading, problem solving, logic, and adaptability.
THE NUMBERS
Here are our Multilingual Superhero numbers:
4 = years HBR has offered a Multilingual program
6 = our graduates who have become First Generation college students
5 = students have earned their Seal of Biliteracy
90 = students in our program in the past 4 years (K-12)
8 = number of languages represented by HBR students (English, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Bisaya, Spanish, Gujarati, and Arabic).
7 = staff members who are bilingual.
LESSON #5
So let me go back to #5 of my superhero lessons. Superheroes need help. They need a community who believes their talent is worthy. They need a community to be excited and cheer their successes. They also need a community to pick them up and dust them off on hard days.
Each of us is influential. Small moments, words, and expressions matter. Are you bilingual? Share that loud and proud with the people around you so our kids can see the benefits. Are you (like me) with just one language? Take time to celebrate languages by smiling when you hear another language or learn a few words yourself. “Superhero” would be a great word to start with!
Superhéroe
超級英雄
بطل خارق
અહંકારી
Superhjälte
슈퍼 히어로
Superheld
Super-héros
Supereroe
