ABSTRACT
This chapter narrates stories of two Latina bilingual women, Erika and Raquel, who are Americans of Mexican descent. It covers a period of time when Erika and Raquel were more up-beat, having clearly established themselves as competent professionals. The chapter provides a detailed account of how their cultural knowledge, Spanish language skills, and understanding of effective methods of teacher-student bonding and discipline positively affected their Latina/o students' academic success and engagement in school. While cultivating a family-like relationship with the students and extending a trusting network with parents, both women had one goal in mind: students' academic engagement and achievement. The two women were strongly motivated to provide their Latina/o students with quality instruction and have the latter experience academic success because they both believed in their student's academic ability. The ways their students were engaged in the classroom and at school indicated that both women, in addition to being teachers with backgrounds similar to their students, were gifted teachers.
