'To teach me, you have to know me': Illuminating successful teaching strategies for at-risk Latino students at the secondary level

This study sought to uncover and illuminate the inherent instructional strategies used by exceptional teachers in teaching and working with at-risk Latino learners. Six middle and high school teachers were interviewed in a basic qualitative study. They were asked to identify routines, procedures and struggles encountered along with advice on how to achieve an effective learning environment. Data were coded and major themes involving routine, procedure and accountability were identified. Struggles with administration, high teacher turnover and low parental involvement were also discussed. The data identified weaknesses in current models of training and induction for new teachers and proposed future avenues of study in order to address the growing issue of staffing schools serving this demographic.;Keywords: Latino, at-risk, teacher retention, low performing, minority, cooperative learning.