Socioculturally Mediated Academic Advising: A GYO Approach for Supporting Bilingual/Bicultural Paraprofessionals

Abstract

This case study examined how the academic advising (hence, advising) component of a Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher program can be tailored to honor bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals’ (hence, BL/BC paras) assets and differential needs. Data collection strategies included participant observation, interviews, a focus group, field notes, and documentation. Thematic data analysis suggested that socioculturally mediated advising involves some aspects of mentoring and includes (a) taking the time to know and value paraprofessionals’ biographies, (b) personalizing and attending to paraprofessionals’ psychosocial needs, (c) building supportive relationships through the GYO seminar, and (d) advocating for institutional accommodations. Implications for future research consider how socioculturally mediated advising including aspects of mentoring needs to be better understood in BL/BC paras teacher pipeline programs and the field of teacher development.