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My Days As A High School Language Teacher
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Observe and Learn

4/1/2018

1 Comment

 
First: Let me define a few terms I will use in this post:
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Mainstream teachers are those teachers in content-area classrooms: math, social studies, fine arts, sciences, etc.
Sheltered classes are those classes in which I teach ELL’s a content area at a level conducive to their language acquisition.
A safe learning environment is a setting in which a student feels emotional relaxed, socially secure and academically engaged.
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When students feel safe they relax and are much more likely to be academically successful.
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Part of my job is to provide training and coaching to our mainstream teachers as they develop lesson plans that include ELLs.  
  • I hold meetings with a specific department,
  • I observe a mainstream class in action, and
  • I schedule teacher-visits to my classroom.

In this post I want to focus on the Iast one.  I encourage our mainstream teachers to spend some time in my sheltered classes.  I want them to, at the very least, observe the students learning in a safe/comfortable environment.  At best, I want our mainstream teachers to interact with a lesson in a personal way with our ELL’s.

The benefits of a teacher seeing a normally quiet, socially reclusive, or awkward student in a “safe” environment are many, but here are 3:  

1.) Such an experience immediately changes the teacher’s understanding of a student’s language proficiency level.  
2.)
Watching me interact with the full confidence of the student’s academic ability increases the mainstream teacher’s awareness of scholastic capabilities.  
3.) Finally, observing conversations in which I don’t understand a student linguistically (or they don’t understand me) allows another teacher to pick up comprehension techniques and maneuvers as I work with a student to achieve clear communication.


Teachers observing other teachers is a cheap and easy way to accomplish professional development/training.  Mainstream teachers observing a sheltered class may note:
  • What techniques do I use to promote learning?
  • What they see in my classroom that supports comprehension? 
  • What supports can they incorporate into their lessons and resources that will boost understanding?  

Seeing an ELL in action within a safe environment can build confidence in the teacher as get to know the student and see techniques useful for ELLs.  It also allows the student to achieve a new comfort level with another teacher.

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1 Comment
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10/12/2018 09:50:28 am

I am a teacher and I have been teaching for almost six years. I am a mainstream teacher and I want to learn how to develop lesson plans that include ELLs. I want to attend on one of your trainings and be knowledgeable on what to do and expect. I also want to experience visiting one of your sheltered classes and observe how the students interact in the classroom. I want to witness the techniques of teaching the students and how I can make them feel relaxed and comfortable once they entered my class.

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    Mary Kate Newberry
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    Teaching ELLs, Spanish Learners and Spanish for Heritage Learners



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