Entry 3: Teacher Interview
For this assignment, I interviewed
my sister, Ashley, who teaches 6th grade science. She has been ESL
certified for 5 years and works with ELL students regularly. Ashley provided
several examples of the methods that she commonly uses when working with ELLs
using hands on activities. She explained the process that her students go through
when participating in lab experiments. When students can see events unfold
through authentic activities, they are able to better describe what they see than
if they are merely looking at pictures or hearing about it. As teachers, we
should be encouraging students to express themselves and describe their
observations using vocabulary that they know before we expect them to use advanced
scientific vocabulary. Once they develop an understanding of the content or
concept, use that knowledge to teach them new words build upon what students
have observed. This practice is similar to what Wright highlighted when
explaining the use of Content-Based Instruction. According to Wright teachers
working with ELLs should be helping them “learn the content area while
supporting their English language development” (2015, p.62). This approach parallels
exactly with the methods that my sister uses in her classroom.
Not only did Ashley explain the
importance of providing attainable language expectations for ELLs through your
instruction, she also closed out the interview with a reminder to teachers that
all content areas are important for providing English instruction to students. Wright
continues this argument as well in chapter 10 when he provides specific language
objectives that show how the teaching of language is relevant when learning the
water cycle. This objective requires extensive knowledge of certain vocabulary,
and the science teacher cannot bypass the teaching of “sequencing language” and
the steps and stages (2015, p.265).
Lastly, Ashley presented her fellow
teachers with some important advice regarding the varying needs of all
students. She underlined the fact that no two ELL students will be the same and
that, “there are different ways and different supports that need to be given or
taken away for each student.” Expert teachers know that differentiated
instruction is the most effective approach to teaching. Because no two children
learn the same, our instruction should reflect the diversity of our classroom. Wright
advises us that, “one-size-fits-all instruction is problematic, especially for
the diverse group of students under the ELL label” (2015, p.264). While this is
something that has been reiterated time and time again in nearly all of my education
classes, it was fortifying to receive similar information from a practicing
educator.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory,
Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hello Morgan! I loved reading about your interview with your sister. I definitely will take note of some of the advice she gave for future educators when dealing with ELLs! I found it interesting though when you said how helping ELLs learn best was through hands on. I believe that this is a great strategy and does help learning, I plan on using hands on activities in my future classroom. According to Wright, "The student identifies a problem in his or her life, tells a story about that problem, and explores solutions" (2015, pg. 204). I feel like your sister performs what Wright stated by having the students explain their experience during the lab. The students are telling about the experience, which is increasing their language knowledge.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Not only does is this approach effective when speaking, but also for reading and writing. Wright explains that, "a science experiment can be the basis for first talking then reading and writing about science" (2015, p.205). Once the students become comfortable with verbally using new vocabulary, having them read and write about these new words takes their knowledge to a new dimension of understanding. Teachers are also able to better analyze students thought processes when using a written format.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hello Morgan, I enjoyed listening to your interview with Ashley. I agree with Ashley’s “hands on” approach with activities. I believe this is successful for all students in their learning. During my student teaching last semester, I noticed every time my teacher taught using “hands on” approach with the lesson, students seemed to be more engaged and had a better understanding to the content being taught. I agree that content-based instruction can be beneficial to ELL students. According to Wright (2015), “content area provides meaningful content for authentic communication as learners collaborate to complete carefully designed academic tasks” (p.62). Having content-based instruction can help ELL students in their language development.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory,
Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
That is definitely one of the benefits of observing an actual classroom. We are able to see first hand what methods are the most effective for promoting communicative skills. Wright tells us that, "authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom activities" because this is how ELLs and even native speakers learn to strengthen their ability to express their ideas (2015, p.62). During my observations last semester, the ELA teacher that I was working with always incorporated some aspects of public speaking into her performance assessments. For example, she either had students present their final products, or required them to use a presentation format (i.e. a newscast) as the medium for the project to be viewed.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Morgan! I think it is great that your sister gave us insight on common challenges that she faces in her classroom. It is hard coming from a lower income family and also having to deal with immigration status.It is said that “currently experiencing high rates of immigration.” (Wright, 6) My family has personally faced this challenge so I can understand why it may cause unnecessary stress for students. Learning another language is also an added stress but it is beneficial in the long run. And I completely agree with Ashley when she says that relevance is key. If what the student is learning has no relation to their life and will not help them in the long run it is not in their interest to learn the language. Therefore it is important to teach students things that are relevant to them.
ReplyDeleteWhile we cannot change the circumstances or the home lives for our students, we can however do as much as we can to make their lives at school as safe and enjoyable as possible. Some of the things you mentioned (home-life challenges and relevance) feed into some of the key understandings that Wright has provided us. Beyond simply teaching our students new information, we should be concerned with, "addressing learners' needs and interests" (2015, p.64). One of the best ways to stimulate learning is to show students that you care about them not only as students, but as people as well.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.