Ana is one of your ELL students whose parents speak only Spanish and is from a low socioeconomic background. Ana helps to take care of her three younger siblings, daily cooks and cleans for her family in the home, and regularly looks tired in school. She is quiet, well-behaved, and is known to be kind and respectful to teachers and other students. A colleague of yours who also works with Ana in a content area in English has repeatedly told you that she feels so sorry for her. One day, your colleague confesses to you that she wants Ana to “just be a kid” and that she rarely requires any grade-level academic work from her. She admits that she does not want to trouble the parents about Ana’s academics since they work multiple jobs and would not likely be able to help her with schoolwork anyway.
How can you encourage your colleague and serve as a resource in providing appropriate instructional support for Ana?