Observe and Learn

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.

When students feel safe they relax and are much more likely to be academically successful.

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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