LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Teachers from across the Clark County School District are receiving specialized training at UNLV to better support local students who speak English as a second language through a program designed to help both students and teachers succeed.
When you step inside Mr. Sarco's chemistry class, the love for science and learning is clear. From the decor on the walls to the care he shows students like senior Oscar Castro, the classroom environment reflects his dedication to education.
Castro came to Las Vegas from El Salvador nearly four years ago, and his initial experience was challenging.
"When I first came, it was scary," Castro said.
The fear stemmed from not knowing the English language and wondering how he would make it through school.
"I'm not pretty sure if I don't have a teacher that speaks the same language that I speak," Castro said.
WATCH | Jhovani Carrillo learned more about a program at UNLV that ultimately helps students like Castro:
He's not alone in Clark County. More than 15% of students are learning English, and for students like Castro, having a teacher like Etiel Sarco, who could speak both English and Spanish when teaching, made all the difference in helping him pick up the language, keep up with science and feel confident.
"I remember growing up, we were talking about that, my teachers didn't allow me to speak English. It was a big no-no no, like it's English only. But now, looking at the literature, what it tells us is how our students are transitioning from one point to another, and so why not use their home language?" Sarco said. "Why not incorporate that in a way in the classroom? I think that makes things a lot easier, especially in a science classroom."
Sarco has been teaching for eight years at Western High School and has helped dozens of students with what he's learned from Project Pueblo. It's an accelerated master's degree program in English language development.
The program trains teachers with project-based strategies versus traditional teaching instructions, giving students more ways to engage, connect and ultimately succeed.
"It focuses on like a growth mindset, kind of focusing on what the students will be able to do, and I think that's really powerful and, of course, creating culturally inclusive classrooms and bringing in what students know from their home and incorporating that into our curriculum has also been really powerful," Sarco said.
The program challenges common misconceptions about language learning.
"There's a need to move kids to rapidly learn English, right, and that we should move them away from learning their home language," said UNLV professor Laim Bongochea. "Well, that's a major misconception. It's actually it, it that creates deleterious effects for later learning."
Bengochea leads Project Pueblo and says over 400 teachers have graduated from this program, and a large majority are still teaching in the district. Still, he says more local teachers need this kind of training to truly meet the needs of all students in the community.
"It helps teachers gain an understanding and the value of multilingualism and using a multilingual lens when teaching content, and an awareness of how language develops for kids that speak different," Bengochea said.
For teachers, Project Pueblo is about equity in education. For students, it's about being seen and heard in every language they speak.
Castro says he's grateful for the support.
"I feel like I can do more things now than before I speak English," Castro said.
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