Megan Connor

EDUC 359
Professor Reilly
Mini Lesson Reflection
As a teacher giving a lesson to a large group of students in a foreign language that
Ive never spoken before provided a few challenges. There was the obvious language
barrier, the pronunciation the words, and providing an appropriate activity to ensure the
students understood the content I was teaching. To overcome the language barrier
challenge, I heavily relied on the body language of my students. Their body language
especially facial expression helped me see if they understood what I was saying. To
correctly say the pronunciation of the words I tried my best to say it slow and go step by
step with a physical props so the students can visually see the steps of folding a T-shirt if
they had no idea the words I was speaking. For the assessment activity we brought in
enough t-shirts so the groups of tables can practice folding a t shirt on their own. My co
teachers and I walked around to see if students could do in front of us.

This activity simulated trying to instruct one or more ELL students in a

classroom. It showed how easy it is for these students to get lost or disinterested in
schoolwork if they dont speak the teachers language. It is important for the teacher to
include all students when teaching content and that includes trying to speak in all the
languages of your students. Using different techniques of demonstrations, writing
objectives on the board, and multi-media is very helpful. The language we used became
more visual and not so much spoken words. There wasnt really a need for words to
spoken because it became jumbled so written words or body movements are key.

As a student listening to other students present their mini- lessons in other

languages it helped me feel what its like for an ELL student to sit in an English speaking
classroom. Its not easy to be surrounded by a foreign speaking teacher and peers and not
have much ability to communicate. It was easy for me to get lost in what the other
teachers were saying. For example the mini lesson on pizza there was a activity to go
along with the lesson which allowed me to learn vocabulary and follow along. I learned
that if I was an ELL in an English-speaking classroom and the content was only spoken
and there werent any not with a visual/hands on activities it would be difficult for me
learn and improved my language. Overall I think the purpose of this activity was for to
understand how difficult it is for ELL students to sit in a classroom and for the most part
have no idea what the teacher is saying and the importance in our job of including them
as much as possible.