Kindness is a Universal Language

Photos by Darrin Phegley

An English Language Instructor in Henderson, Emilee Coursey, embarked on a transformative journey with her non-English speaking students, resulting in the creation and publication of ‘Kindness is a Universal Language.” The book, which was the brainchild of Mrs. Coursey and her coworker Taylor Knight, recognizes the power of art and language as universal tools of expression, “It encourages them (the students) creatively and also celebrates their individualism,” Mrs. Coursey says of the book. She encouraged her students to share their thoughts on kindness through drawings and written reflections. What made this project truly special was the inclusion of the student’s native languages alongside English, honoring their cultural heritage and promoting bilingualism. The hardcover book’s cover, illustrated by Morgan Sutton, displays children of all ethnicities standing shoulder to shoulder with smiles that match the smiles Mrs. Coursey and Ms. Knight see on their students’ faces. 

Emilee services students who have any language in their homes other than English. “Some of them come to me speaking a little English, but some come not speaking any English at all,” she explains. By using a translator app on her phone, she can not only translate English into their first language, “Mostly Spanish, but we do have other languages I work with. We have a family that speaks Arabic, for example,” but she can also communicate with their families using the app. The need for English Language Instructors in this district is growing as “we started with only one, then two,” she continues, “and now we have three elementary teachers, one for middle school, and two at the high school.” 

It takes patience and compassion to be successful in helping her students become English speakers with the goal established for them, which is six years. “For example, if a student comes to me as a non-English speaker in kindergarten, my goal is to have them proficient by middle school,” the teacher explained. The areas of focus for growth for every student are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. 

Mrs. Coursey reflects on one student who holds a special place in her heart, a little girl in 3rd grade at South Heights. “She has a page in the book,” boasts the proud instructor. “I remember pulling her for the first time when she was in 1st grade, not knowing too much about elementary in general,” the former high school teacher recalls. “I told her, “We are going to work on reading.” She looked at me and said, “Mrs. Coursey, I can’t read!” Mrs. Coursey knew at that moment this would be a challenge for both her and her student, explaining that her reading delay was partly due to COVID-19 which was “especially hard on non-English speaking students.” She continues, “She couldn’t read in English or Spanish, but now she is the top reader in her class. She will probably test out of my service as a 3rd grader this year, which is a huge deal.” The little girl has taken her newly developed language skills and is even teaching her Spanish-speaking mother how to speak in English. “She is Miss Independent. I think of her a lot,” a smiling Mrs. Coursey relishes.

The book reveal was no small event for the students. Mrs. Coursey planned a donut party for the book reveal the day before the students went on break. To add to the excitement, each student invited their family to attend to help celebrate with them. Thanks to the support of Principal Anthony Black and a couple of small fundraisers, Mrs. Coursey gave each child their very own copy of the new book, gift-wrapped in Christmas paper. “We had News14 come, and the kids were excited to be on TV,” the teacher’s voice elevates with excitement as she explains how they all opened the book simultaneously to see the fruits of their labor. “One student wrote about taking care of his little brother. His little brother was there and got to see the page his brother made. Another student wrote about her mom. Her mother was there and didn’t know she was what her child’s page was about. Everyone was just so excited.”  She described a beautiful scene of a group of diverse families coming together to share in a common love: their children. 

The experience of being an English Language Instructor has given the teacher a new perspective on people from different backgrounds. “Almost daily, I work with people who speak other languages. I view the differences as an enrichment to our community. I want society to embrace it. Our students come from cultures rich with their religion, holidays, foods, and celebrations. I want my two little boys to be raised in a diverse town.” Mrs. Coursey, the mother of 2, looks for places for her family to engage with people different from them. She and her mother-in-law took her sons to a multicultural event another local non-profit, Audubon Kids Zone (AKZ), hosted recently. Her young sons were delighted by the food smells and the sounds of people different from them, enjoying the evening.

“Language barriers are huge to overcome no matter where you live. People often shy away from talking if they think the person won’t understand. It makes them scared to try, but our community is growing and becoming more and more diverse. It’s important to find a way to include everyone.”

To make a donation to future projects that Mrs. Coursey and Ms. Knight have for their students or to purchase a copy of ‘Kindness is a Universal Language’ at the cost of $25, please email Mrs. Coursey at [email protected].