ESOL lab, days 3 & 4

Friday I finished up my week in Ms. Guthrie's room since the ESOL teachers told me that would be their last day of testing the students. I helped Ms. Guthrie with several things around the class, including making some visuals for a lesson. She also had me facilitate the rest of the class in centers when she was leading a small group. I always feel more at home on the third day in a classroom... it's a shame that I don't get to spend more time in there.

On Monday I was able to jump right into motion with Mrs. Stephens. She had me looking through lesson idea books and since she only had one student coming in that morning (a total fluke) she said I could go to the media center and work on my lessons. I was able to write 4 lessons that morning before 11:00! I was so happy! I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. After lunch she answered a few questions for me and had me assist her with preparations for a lesson she was planning for Tuesday. I wrote on the chart paper for her and cut out a few things, while discussing my requirements. She is a very easy person to get along with and I think I will enjoy my time in her classroom. Wednesday is my first day to teach a lesson with her. She gave me some great pointers and I'm looking forward to it. She gave me the name if a 4th grade girl that I'll be working with individually. I will develop a personalized reading remediation program for her and I to work through in the coming weeks. Now I just need to schedule some observations from my professors!

ESOL lab, day 2

On Wednesday I went to lab and got home at 12:30. I was completely exhausted because Gavin (our 3-month-old son) only slept off and on last night. Thankfully, everyone was tired when i got home and we all took naps simultaneously. 4 hours of sleep in an afternoon nap is unheard of around here, but it happened on Wednesday! Needless to say, I never got around to blogging about my day. So here it is...

I was in Ms. Guthrie's class again (I'll be in there on Friday as well) and was able to help a little more than the other day. I had a better feel for how her classroom flows, and she gave me some responsibilities, which I enjoyed. She asked me to help during small group time, and I facilitated several groups, including a guided reading group. The most encouraging part of my day came when the students were working on an informal assessment on long division. We were both walking around answering questions and helping kids to stay on task. One girl in particular was struggling and had only completed 2 problems in 30 minutes. I sat down with her and did not give her any answers, but was able to help her think through the process. Eventually, she got through all of the 10 math problems. I realized, in my time spent with her, that she doesn't know her multiplication facts... any of them. This is 3rd grade! Wow. So, I wrote her a little note. It said "I come back on Friday. If you can memorize your 8 times tables and recite them to me on Friday, I will give you a sticker on your incentive chart. Can you do that?" Then I listed the facts below. I go back tomorrow, and I really hope she has made some progress... It's so disheartening to see kids not getting help on school work at home.

There was another little boy who I worked with during the guided reading group. He is an ESOL student and probably only on a Kindergarten reading level, at best. He was having trouble with a certain word and I kept working with him on it, every time it would come up. He finally was able to look at the word and read it immediately... that felt like a success, even if it was a small success. I get so much joy from working with kids. They are so young and have so much potential. I hope that I'll get to work with that little boy again when I'm with Ms. Stephens next week.

1st Day Jitters

Today I began my ESOL lab experience at Oak Knoll Elementary with a full day. Almost every time I begin something new, I experience some nervousness, and today was no different. However, Ms. Stephens was very gracious and allowed me about an hour and a half to look over the curriculum for the lessons I'll be planning. This time helped me to gain a better grasp of my responsibilities for the next four weeks. I was all ready to go back into the ESOL classroom, but since they are finishing up some testing (and I'm not authorized to be in there at that time) she sent me to Ms. Guthrie's classroom! I know Nikki from going to school together, so it was a nice experience. I was told to push-in and work in whatever capacity she needed me. The rest of the day was filled mostly with observation and some assistance during group time. She has about 7 EL's in her class so I was afforded plenty of opportunities to work with those students today. The rest of my week will be spent in this class and next week I will be allowed back into Ms. Stephen's room. This week will be a good time for me to plan lessons and do other lab tasks... as long as I stay focused!

WebQuest: An innovative use of the internet in the classroom.

There are so many resources for teachers out there on the internet! I've found many of them to be helpful, (when I choose to use them). The problem in many classrooms is that there is not adequate access to the internet. Some schools have a computer lab available to students, and some have computer access in the classroom which enables teachers to use that resource more often. Whatever your options, there is a high necessity for incorporating technology into the classroom, so make the time to do it. One valuable resource that I've been introduced to in the past year is WebQuest. WebQuests are wonderful tools to add to any unit you're teaching if you are diligent enough to search for the right one to fit your needs. Or, if you don't find one that suits your fancy, you can create a user account and then write your own WebQuest for your class! There are several websites that offer this kind of teaching aide, and they are usually free! I created a WebQuest for a class I took and found that it is not as difficult as it looks. Click here to see my WebQuest. You simply pick a theme, write your lesson, break it down into the parts they ask for, insert a few pictures, and voila: you have created a personalized internet adventure for your students! I hope you will take the time to at least look at the websites and what they offer... it's never a bad time to get creative with your teaching techniques!

Predictable Routines and Signals for the ESOL classroom

Click on the graphic to see an enlarged version...

Alternative Assessment Strategies for ESOL

Article Review: http://www.doe.in.gov/lmmp/docs/article-alternativeassmnt.pdf

This article was written to offer some options for assessment in the ESOL classroom. There are a variety of methods presented in a way that makes it easy to visualize implementing them on a regular basis. The author explains that alternative assessment is needed in the ESOL classroom because the traditional strategies for fluent English speakers are much too strenuous for the Non-English Speaker or to students who are in the beginning stages of learning our language.

The article offers suggestions on five categories of assessment. The first one is nonverbal. This strategy allows the student to be assessed by showing what they know without the need for talking. The other option is for the student to draw or to use pictures to illustrate what they know. The second category is a K-W-L chart where the student can write in their native tongue the information that they already know and what they want to know and can put onto paper. The teacher can help with this. Then, as they learn in class, they will add to the “know” column and the teacher will be able to measure the learning. The third group was the oral performance or presentation option. In this situation, the student can act out their learning as well as answering questions asked by the teacher. This frees them from having to write in English and therefore might ease the burden they feel. The fourth category presented in this article is for the student to create oral and written demonstrations of what they have learned. Among these were the content area logs, reading response logs, dialogue journals, and audio or video recordings. This category, the author claims, is easier for students than a free write because it offers structure and a direction for the student to focus on. Finally, the fifth category mentioned was portfolios. As in the regular classroom, portfolios offer a variety of assessment tools and a wider range of learning over time.

I appreciated this article for its suggestions in alternative assessment. Due to my inexperience at this point I feel that these options give me a better understanding of how to help students showcase their knowledge at any level of English speaking. I especially like the idea that it seems to be a team effort between the child and the teacher so that there never has to be a time when the student feels inadequate or unable to complete the task set before them. The important thing to understand is that each child will progress at their own rate and that a true assessment will measure the child against themselves and not comparing them to their classmates. Hopefully, with determination on the part of both the teacher and the student, each child will show growth over time. 

So, what does it all mean?

In a video that I watched for one of my classes, I learned, basically, that technology is changing so quickly that what I think is advanced today will be outdated within 4 years. That's insane! Thinking about that from a teacher perspective, that makes me wonder about the future adult lives of my students. What will life be like for them? What kinds of jobs will be available to them? Will the world be completely different? And most importantly, how in the world do I prepare them for that future???

The way I see it, I can only do the best I can with the resources I have available to me. I can teach them to be problem-solvers, critical thinkers, and instill in them the idea that there is so much potential waiting to be reached, if they will just reach out and grab it! I will need to do everything in my power to expose them to opportunities that will enable them to soak up as much knowledge as possible, and make that process a fun one.

That's a challenge for you! You don't know what they need to learn for the future, but you hope that what you teach them will prepare them for future learning. An idea like that might intimidate you... but I'm not intimidated. Instead, I'm pumped! I'm excited! How cool is it that my students will be able to look back at the time they spent in my classroom and think "Wow, she taught me the skills that are helping me to succeed!"

That's pretty cool.