Blog Entry 3: ELL Teacher Interview
Hello everyone! This is my video for blog entry 3. I interviewed Mrs. DiAngelo a 1st grade ELL teacher in Birkes Elementary School at Cy-Fair ISD. Hope you enjoy our interview!
Blog Reflection 3
Blog Reflection 3
Hey Kohleen!
ReplyDeleteLoved the blog! It was cool to hear from a teacher who has so much experience! You could tell that Mrs. DiAngelo is so passionate about ELLs! The first thing I really grasped was the idea of differentiated learning. "According to Wright(2015), "Teachers need to tailor instruction to the unique language and academic needs of each student, that is, they need to provide differentiated instruction."(p.265). Being able to provide different learning for the different kinds of students in the classroom is a hard thing to do but it is something that will help the students greatly. Another thing I found interesting was her view on high stakes testing, she talked about how it helped keep make the teachers accountable for the learning of the ELL students. Although I agree with her, it is also important to mention that there is a need for multiple measures. Wright(2015) states, "Thus, along with providing strong evidence of the student's knowledge and skills, multiple measures enable teachers to track the student's progress and growth during the school year"(p.144). Thank you for sharing Kohleen! It was very informative!
Wright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Publishing. Second Edition.
Hey Ana!
DeleteThanks for taking the time to view my interview with Mrs. DiAngelo! I'm glad that you were able to take away things from what she said about differentiating instruction. It is very important for teachers to know that each child learns and feels differently. Not one is alike, and as teachers we must cater to each of our students individually. She stresses that a lot in her classroom, and being able to observe her I see that being implemented very well. All her students love coming to her class to learn, because she knows each of her students as their own person.
Hi Kohleen. After reading your reply to Ana, I agree with several of your statements. One that really stood out to me is that every child is different and we need to cater to them individually. As a future educator, I need to remind myself of this idea often. No two students learn the same way nor do they acquire a new language the same way. We should be respectful of the learning process and help or future students grow as individuals.
DeleteHey there, Kohleen! Thank you for sharing your informative, wonderful interview with Ms. DiAngelo. She had a lot of interesting information to share! She mentioned that it can be a challenge for students who have parents who do not speak English. According to Wright (2015), ELL’s who have parents who do not speak English can face additional difficulties when it comes to schooling (pg. ). I love that she uses so many different strategies to help her students and is such a big advocate of differentiation in the classroom. Differentiation is truly one of the best things you can do to reach individual students to help them learn!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa!
DeleteThank you for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed our interview. She did have a lot to share, and I was very grateful for that because I was able to really understand the expectations and the highs and lows of being in a ESL classroom. So now going into what you said earlier about the challenges Mrs. DiAngelo faces in her classroom, specifically talking to non-English speaking parents, I think if I were put myself in her shoes I would really need to try my best to understand what I can or even go as far trying to learn the language itself. Although that may not be completely ideal, especially with the million of other things teachers are facing everyday, I think just doing research about your student's culture and putting out genuine effort to reach out to their parents could really help open doors for both the student and the parents. Teachers need parents to be involved in their child's life, especially their education, in order for them to succeed.
I remember reading an article about a teacher that learned to greet all of her students in all of their home languages. She ended up learning about 35 different greetings! I think just showing your students that you are invested in them and willing to do anything to help them learn. It would definitely open doors for students and parents! I think bringing that sense of comfort into your classroom really is the first step to helping ELL's with their language goals.
DeleteHello Kohleen!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such an interesting interview with us. I thought it was very intriguing and Mrs. DiAngelo made some valid points on information she knows about her ELL students. It was also nice learning from a first-grade teacher’s perspective instead of a third or fourth-grade teacher. I like how Mrs. DiAngelo mentioned differentiation is the key to effective instruction for all students. I also agree with her statement because not everyone will be on the same page as another student and we need to ensure that they are able to grasp everything they are learning no matter their ELP level. Also, Mrs. DiAngelo stated that one thing that is effective for students to learn English is by using short, simple sentence structure. According to Wright (2015), we should “use simple sentence structure with beginning-level ELLs and avoid using long, complex sentences with embedded clauses” (p. 157). It will leave students confused if using long sentences, especially when giving directions for an assignment. In my own classroom, I make sure my directions are simple and clear enough so all my ELL’s will be able to understand what they need to do at that point of the lesson.
Hello Jessica!
DeleteThank you for taking the time to watch our interview! I'm glad you were able to take some important information from Mrs. DiAngelo. With that being said, I like how you noted about teaching skills. It is true for most ELLs starting off, using short, simple sentence structures help them understand things properly. Being a previous ELL myself, I remember my teachers giving small sentence structures in the beginning and as I progress to become more proficient in English then that's when longer and more complex sentences appeared. Even seeing it in Mrs. DiAngelo's classroom, she uses short sentence directions and activities in her morning warm ups, as well as the books she reads aloud to kids are simple to comprehend. Also the way she directs and instructs her students they're she sets simple but precise expectations that are said loud and clear.
Hi Kohleen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this interview! I'm so glad you learned so much from Ms. DiAngelo. Being able to observe amazing teachers can only make us even better new teachers! I must agree that the relationships we create with our students truly affect the entire learning environment for the rest of the school year. I see evidence of that in my own student teaching experience. Her stance on differentiation in the classroom to help support her English Language Learners, is a great way to attend to their needs. Each student is on a different page and being aware of each of their strengths and needs will help us adhere to their academic growth. Hearing how much she does every day to help her English Language Learners is truly inspiring.