ABOUT HMOOBasics:
HMOOBasics provides authentic, rigorous, and meaningful lessons, teaching tools, and curriculum resources to assist educators and students in the pursuit of revitalizing the Hmong language as well as exploring Hmong history and culture. This website also provides a platform for educators to share their own expertise and resources as we work collaboratively towards building a better Hmong curriculum.
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Backstory:
HMOOBasics grew out of a passion for learning and sharing Hmong language with both Hmong and non-Hmong students and educators in an effort to preserve this precious piece of identity that is being lost all too quickly here in the U.S. This passion is what drove me to start a Hmong Club at the school where I teach, which has grown over the years from 8 students to over 200, both Hmong and non-Hmong students, with all ranges of fluency and literacy. This passion also drove my action research project in graduate school as well as my sabbatical research focused on the benefits of integrating Hmong curriculum into the classroom and connecting educators with the resources they need to share Hmong culture in meaningful ways.The goals of HMOOBasics express the passion and dedication to this cause that is so critical to me as an educator, as a parent of Hmong children, and as a human being concerned about the preservation and revitalization of cultural heritage.
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For the last 12 years, I have taught 3rd-5th grade Art and served as the Hmong Club lead teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Madison, WI. I have taught in the Madison Metropolitan School District for 15 years, exploring Hmong focused resources while developing and facilitating a curriculum focused on Hmong language, culture, and history for both Hmong and non-Hmong students and staff. While refining and improving these curriculum tools in my own classroom, I also lead professional development sessions focused on integrating Hmong curriculum in the classroom for district-wide staff, pre-service teachers, and for staff of the Hmong Language and Culture Enrichment Summer Program. I have also led Hmong language, culture, and history workshops in classrooms at a number of schools in Madison, including the school my two sons currently attend. Although I am not an expert in Hmong culture, I am passionate about exploring and sharing all aspects of culture and as an educator, I also realize that cultural engagement and exploration of self-identity, are some of the most important factors in promoting academic achievement and overall well-being. It is my greatest hope that educators will be able to use the resources and tools offered here, adding new perspectives and sharing more resources, to provide the critical pieces of the academic puzzle that are missing in so many schools today.
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Thank you for taking the time to explore HMOOBasics!
Gwen M. Kong
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