Chesney 1 Amber Chesney EDSE 460 Dr.

Sheryl Muir 5 December 2013

Final Reflection

The module assignments were a good introduction to learning about students with culturally and linguistically different backgrounds. The first module helped me to have a better understanding about the parents of these students and what it is like for them to have their child in a school where the language is different than the one they speak. This is a very important thing for a teacher with ELL students to understand in order to be able to support the student and the family effectively. I learned that these parents are often uncomfortable getting involved with the school and that it is important to realize that and to be sure to extend additional invitations and ways for them to be a part of the school community. I think having the parents come into the classroom to tell the class about their culture would be a great way to introduce the family and the culture to the other students. Keeping the lines of communication open in a manner that works for the parents of ELL students is also very important. Doing this in their native language as often as possible, will let them know that I respect them and their culture by taking the time to do so. If an interpreter is necessary for an iep meeting, then all members of the team will need to understand how to work with an interpreter and that there will be a change in the pace of the meeting in order to allow time for interpreting. Working with an interpreter can be hard to get

Chesney 2 used to because individuals tend to speak to the interpreter because she is interpreting, instead of maintaining their focus on the parents. I have not had the opportunity to observe this in an iep meeting, but have seen it happen with people who are speaking with deaf individuals who have a sign language interpreter. It is a very uncomfortable situation and is disrespectful to the individual being interpreted for. The second module was helpful in understanding that there are two types of language proficiency for English Language Learners, the basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS), and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALPS). It is important for teachers to understand that students may be fairly proficient at conversational English, but that does not mean that they will also be proficient in academic language. This was something I had never considered before or was aware of. The sheltered instruction piece was very interesting. Being able to be put in the position of being a student in a classroom where the teacher was speaking a different language, was very helpful and interesting. It helped me to get a first-hand experience of what it is like to be in that situation. I have a better understanding about how confusing and frustrating it would be to be in a classroom in that situation, and it will help me plan better when I have ELL students in my classroom. The items on sheltered instruction helped me to understand ways in which I can help my ELL students have access to what I am teaching by using literature in their language, using gestures, labeling things in English and the students language, and by using realia. I think I would implement all of these strategies in my classroom because I think that the more that can be done to help support ELL students, the better they are going to be able to access and understand the content of the lessons.

Chesney 3 My general education observations were my first experience with seeing ELL students in a general education environment. All of the students I was able to observe were fluent in conversational English and did not have great difficulty in accessing the academics that were being covered. Therefore, I was not able to observe any major issues with language barriers and communication. I learned how the teachers interacted with the students when dealing with them on a one to one level and within the context of the classroom. Both teachers used things they observed the ELL students needing assistance with and used this as an opportunity to check in with the entire class. I think this is a good idea because the ELL students would not feel like they were being singled out on things they have done wrong and it helps them to understand that there are probably other students in the class who are having the same issues or difficulties. This will help them with their confidence level and to understand that everyone makes mistakes or misunderstands things sometimes. During conversations with ELL students, the teachers used fairly quiet voices and so I had a difficult time hearing what they were talking about. I think they were trying to keep their conversations on the quiet side so that the students did not feel selfconscious about anyone around them hearing the conversation. I think anything that can be done to help ELL students be more comfortable in their classroom environment is important in order for them to be successful and will be very aware about what is going on around me when I have conversations with my ELL students.

The observation I did with the ELL teacher was interesting. I enjoyed seeing how she kept the students always working in her classroom and transitioning from one thing to another so well. Her students were always busy and learning. I liked how she took every opportunity she could during her entire class period to interject non-academic learning into her lesson such as

Chesney 4 problem solving ideas and thinking processes. It is important to take every opportunity that comes up where things like this can be discussed with ELL students. They need to learn about things like problem solving skills as they are experiencing things because it will be more meaningful for them and they are more likely to remember and use the skill when they can see it working. I think her strategy to have the students highlight their page of notes on the different types of questions was a great idea to help students have an easier time using this tool. Also, using a piece of literature as the basis for this ongoing question lesson is a great way to incorporate reading for these students. It also provides a means of something they can all discuss to not only expand their understanding of the English language in text form, but to also give them something to talk about so they can also work on improving their conversational English as well. Getting to see how she supports the students in their work in another class was also helpful. She helped them understand the importance of the expectations of that other class and held them accountable for it. This was important because she needs to be sure that the students are understanding all of the aspects of the homework and classroom expectations in their general education classrooms. I think that some ELL students may have a lower level of comfort with asking questions in their general education classrooms because of the size of the population and if there is a lack of understanding with the classroom teacher about their needs. This is something I will keep in mind in my classroom, and applies to special needs students as well. Students have to know and understand what is expected of them in order to be comfortable in their classrooms and with the teachers who are teaching them. I was also able to observe how she handled a situation with a student who was misbehaving in his general education classroom. She did not get upset with the student, although it was clear she was not happy. She asked the student questions about his behavior, what he did wrong, and how the teacher felt. This is a

Chesney 5 great way to handle this situation and I will use the same strategy with all of my students. Instead of telling them they did something wrong and how they need to remedy it, it allows them to think about what happened and how that effected those around them. By doing this, it allows the student to self-reflect on what happened and therefore, they will learn more from their mistakes and how to remedy them. They will be able to take these skill into other situations and eventually remedy their mistakes on their own. This is a very important skill for all students and can be particularly difficult for ELL and special needs students.

From my interview with the general education teacher, I learned that she had not received any type of training in working with ELL students. Anita, the ELL specialist, works closely with all of the teachers in supporting their teaching of ELL students. There is not a very large population of ELL students at Mountain Ridge Middle School, and so she only has two ELL students that she works with. She is careful to take into consideration the needs of the students as she begins new units by reviewing the vocabulary and determining which words may be difficult for her students to understand or may be unfamiliar to them. She is very open to using any types of adaptations that may be necessary in order to allow the students access to and understanding of the material she is teaching.

The ELL teacher at Mountain Ridge Middle School was very helpful and eager to talk with me. She has had a great deal of education and is very knowledgeable. I learned about how students are eligible to receive services through the Home Language Survey that parents fill out upon registration and that parent permission is not necessary for testing to take place. I also was not aware that there was a team involved in making sure the needs of the student is met. I

Chesney 6 thought that all fell to the ELL teacher. I was unaware that there is an English Language Learner Plan written for the student that operates similarly to an iep. It makes sense that there should be such a thing otherwise, how do you plan for that student and determine what goals need to be written, followed, and met. It is an important tool in the education of ELL students and as a reference for staff to review. I had no idea that parents would ever consider refusing services for their students. It makes sense that they should have the right to do that, I just think that refusing would make it very difficult for their child to be successful in school and would make the teachers jobs more difficult as well. I was very surprised to hear about the special education policy when it comes to ELL students. I understand that there tends to be a large number of ELL students who get placed into special education and that is why the district requires three years of previous language instruction before considering a special education placement. I think there clearly are some disabilities that have nothing to do with their language that should be exceptions to the rule in order to get kids the services they need as soon as possible. She used the SIOP model of instruction, and has for many years. While she has instructed teachers in the use of the model, she does not see it being implemented in the classroom. This is unfortunate because I think teachers would have more success with their students if they were implementing it and then they may not have to rely on the ELL teacher for as much support. This way, students would be getting the support they need as lessons are being taught instead of having things implemented on the fly or as an afterthought.