Program Reflections

It is hard to believe that I am finally wrapping up my program after two years of hard work! I have truly enjoyed the courses I have taken, particularly those in the ESL concentration. I believe they have made me a better teacher and helped me to develop a real understanding the second language acquisition process, literacy and linguistics. The courses I took in second language acquisition, ESL methods, linguistics, and grammar not only prepared me to teach English language learners in the future, but also have made me a stronger more confident foreign language teacher in my Spanish classroom. In the Curriculum and Instruction portion of the program one of my favorite, although most challenging, courses was my Multicultural Education course. It really forced me to examine the issues of privilege and power in my classroom and society. I also learned a great deal in classes on curriculum, leadership, educational foundations and research. I found the Action Research course to be especially applicable in to my current teaching practice. Although it was a challenging project, completing research in my classroom truly led to changes in the way I approach teaching and learning.

I found all of the coursework, exams and other university requirements for licensure to be reasonable and appropriate for anyone seeking certification to teach English as a Second Language in Tennessee. I plan to graduate in December, but I am going to take my Praxis examinations in the spring due to BIG changes in my personal life. I am expecting my first baby in a matter of weeks, and, since I do not need certification in ESL to continue in my current position, I plan to enjoy my maternity leave before completing my certification requirements.

One of the most enjoyable and informative aspects of this program was the fieldwork requirement allowing me to work with English language learners. I was so fortunate to be able to work with several ESL professionals this semester who teach ELLs of various ages and backgrounds. I was able to observe, interview and work with students in grades Kindergarten to twelfth grade from countries all over the world. Some students were still working through the silent period while others had acquired advanced fluency. Some students were immigrants and refugees while others were born in the US to limited English proficient families. I am so glad that I was able to work with a variety of ELLs and see an overview of the scenarios I might be expected to work in as an ESL professional. I also especially enjoyed the ethnographic narrative assignment in my fieldwork class this semester. I was able to get to know an amazing student on a more personal level and better meet her needs in my class as a result of our interactions.

Another program requirement that I found especially helpful and that I am particularly proud of is the English Language Learning Wiki that I created for my second language acquisition, methods and linguistics courses. I constantly reference this page when completing projects or talking with colleagues about meeting the needs of ELLs in their classrooms. I know I will continue to use the page as a resource in the future. I also enjoyed creating this reflective blog. While I've never considered writing to be my strong suite, this blog has allowed me to improve my writing skills and reflect of my teaching practice from a variety of perspectives.

If I could give any advice to others considering seeking ESL certification here at MTSU it would be to take advantage of the assignments required by applying them to your own classroom if possible. Applying what you are learning to your current practice helps make it relevant and understandable. Also, online classes require a great deal of discipline and organization, but I truly believe that learning online made me both a better student and teacher. Those considering this program should definitely be prepared to keep up with readings and class assignments carefully. They should also be prepared to improve their communication skills through online discussions and collaborative projects. Avoiding procrastination and taking an active role in each course are definitely the keys to succeeding in the program. Overall I have truly grown personally and professionally and I would highly recommend the program to anyone interested in ESL teaching.

Literature Circles

My literature circle activity was implemented with the help of Mrs. Jennifer Cox at Station Camp Elementary School. I was able to work with a group of four first grade students, two boys and two girls. The students home languages included Cambodian, Korean, Spanish and Chinese. All of the students were in the beginning fluency stage with solid Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, but varied in their literacy levels. We began with a read aloud of Mia Coulton's Spy Danny. I was not familiar with the series before, but I truly enjoyed reading the selection with these students.

What are your overall impressions of implementation?

Initially I was very intimidated to work with this age group. I felt that their literacy levels would prevent me from creating meaningful activities in which they could interact with the text and develop critical thinking and literacy skills. However, I quickly discovered that I was wrong. We were able to work of prediction and inference skills and the students did very well when asking questions of the text. They were excited about the topic and participated enthusiastically overall.

How did students react to the literature?

The students really loved the story's main character, Danny, and so they seemed excited to see him in the role of a spy. They especially enjoyed the realia involved in exploring the spy theme. The mystery and suspense of the story helped to keep their attention.

How did students react to discussing the selected texts?

The students seemed to enjoy discussing the text in the whole group setting a little more than when working in pairs as "checker" and "highlighter." When I modeled the questions students responded quickly, but when I asked students to ask questions of their partner and then "highlight" their responses with a transparent/colored ruler they needed a bit of encouragement. I find this to be the case with almost all age groups. Students are much more comfortable in a passive rather than an active learning role. I was glad that they were stretching during the activity because, by the end, they became more comfortable asking their own questions of the text.

How appropriate is the Literature Circle Technique for second language learners?

I think the literature circle technique is a fantastic idea for differentiation in the diverse English language learning classroom, especially for older learners. I think that it was a bit more difficult to implement with the group I worked with given their ages and literacy levels, but it was still effective. I could definitely see it implemented even more effectively with more literate students in a setting where the teacher and students had more time to work together.

What changes would you make if you were to repeat this?

I think I would arrange to have more time to follow up with the students and extend the theme with other literature selections for students to choose. I would have liked to have more time to conference individually with each student and better assess their individual language learning needs.

Suggestions for other ESL professionals:
-Choose an initial selection that elicits the interest of the students you are working with.
-Spend time modeling the types of questions you want your students to ask of the text.
-Allot enough time to speak with each individual student to assess their comprehension of the text and assist them in formulating responses in their response journals.
-Have fun!

Ethnographic Study

What are your overall impressions of this observation?

I truly enjoyed the opportunity to observe this student in a second language learning environment. While the observation may have left me with more questions than answers regarding how best to accommodate the student I observed, I felt that through both observation and interviewing the student I came to understand her daily struggles as an adolescent English language learner.

What did you learn as a result of the fieldwork?

First, and probably most importantly, I learned a great deal about a student that I've had the privilege of working with for the past two years in class. Although I knew of some of the struggles she had faced when she immigrated to the US, I learned so much more through my observation and interview. I believe that my fieldwork will help me to better meet the needs of not only this particular student, but also other immigrant students that I work with in the future. I also realized that, as a general education teacher, I need to be MUCH more cognizant of the diverse needs of the learners in my classroom. Because I teach a second language acquisition course, I often assume that the activities I use in my classroom are appropriate for English language learners, since they are appropriate for second language learners. However, observing in another teacher's classroom made me more aware of the adjustments that still need to be made in my presentation like chunking, adjusting my language and adjusting the cognitive load of the assignments I give.

What is the value in case study research and analysis in terms of classroom practice?

Case study research is extremely valuable for any teacher looking to improve practice in terms of meeting the needs of diverse learners in their classrooms. Examining classroom practice from an ethnographic perspective of an individual student leads a reflective teacher to differentiate their instruction not only for that individual learner, but also leads them to evaluate their instructional practices for all of the learners in their classrooms. Case study research also personalizes learning forcing teachers to re-evaluate the rather prescriptive practices that teachers often feel are necessary in our standards- obsessed culture.

What is the value of the ethnographic narrative?

The ethnographic narrative was by far my favorite part of the fieldwork assignment. It allowed me insight into experiences that, while almost unimaginably tragic, are a stark reality for many immigrant students. The interview and narrative allowed me to build rapport with a student on a level that is uncommon in most classroom interactions. I hope to be able to complete fieldwork like this with other students in the future.

How will this information assist future teachers (next year’s teachers) as well as yourself in meeting the needs of this particular second language learner?

I think that the information I collected in the observation and ethnographic narrative could help future teachers to be more aware of the contextual factors that affect the second language acquisition process for this English language learner and, hopefully, help them to respond in a more compassionate and patient manner when seeking to help this student succeed academically.

Reflecting on Action Research

Thoughts about action research

I have really enjoyed all of the action research projects that I have completed as part of this program. The projects have actually helped me and my colleagues to enact significant changes in our department and have informed my teaching practice in surprising ways. I think that action research is really a more intentional and systematic version of what many teachers consider best practice: critically examining their classrooms, reflecting on the teaching and learning taking place, and making changes that result in better learning outcomes. I love that action research is collaborative and cyclical. It forces me to continually consult with other teachers that have talents and strengths different from my own. Although I wish that I could just "arrive" as a seasoned, autonomous, all-knowing professional one day, I think action research helps to remind me that I should always stay humble enough to learn from others and keep growing.


Ideas generated

The focus of my action research study was to examine the impact of collaboration between English Second Language teachers and high school general education teachers on ELL student attitudes and achievement in the general education classroom. I met with English language learners, general education teachers and the ESL professional in my building to discuss accommodations for ELLs in the general education classroom and found that both ELLs and their teachers perceived a need for additional training in modifications for students with limited English proficiency. I think that, as an ESL teacher in the future, I will need to carefully consider how to create professional development and collaboration opportunities for the general education teachers at my school. I would like to continue to research this topic and look for models of best practice in my professional learning community.



Suggestions to other ESL professionals

Based on the action research that I conducted I would definitely suggest that all ESL professionals consider implementing common planning time, online collaboration or other professional collaboration opportunities in their building to work with the general education teachers who teach their ELLs. General education teachers can certainly benefit when educated about second language acquisition and sheltered content instruction. Although I realize that collaboration is difficult on a school-wide level, I think any efforts made will undoubtedly positively impact learning outcomes for ELLs.

Observation #1

My first classroom observation took place on Wednesday, September 28th with Mrs. Cox, an elementary ESL professional. I chose to observe in this setting because all of my previous experience has been with adolescent English language learners. I was only able to observe for a little over an hour because I had to schedule my observation during my planning time. However, following this experience, I've decided that I would like to spend an entire day shadowing Mrs. Cox as soon as possible. In the short time that I was with her I was able to observe her working with three different groups of students. Her schedule is packed and I am sure that spending just one day with her will provide me with a great deal of insight into working with elementary ESL students. I truly enjoyed the brief time I had with Mrs. Cox and her students, but I have to admit that the time constraints that they were forced to adhere to left me feeling a little overwhelmed. Below are my notes and observations from the two lessons I was able to observe. I wasn't able to stay to observe the final group of students, but hopefully I will get a chance to see them in action next time.

Teaching
What was the purpose of the lesson?

The purpose of the lesson I was able to view in its entirety was to develop literacy skills including reading fluency and comprehension and to help students to use their imagination and evidence from the texts to make predictions.

How was the lesson structured –methodology, appropriateness,materials for second language learners, adaptations?

The lesson was a read-aloud session between the ESL student and a kindergarten student. The teacher chose an age appropriate text and took time to pause and model asking questions about the text. The purpose of the text was to encourage imagination. The teacher also took the time to point to visuals and illustrations for words that might be unfamiliar to a second language learner. In the next session the student and teacher will take time to go outside and use their imaginations to create sentences about the “animals” they can find in the clouds and trees around the school.

How did the second language learners react and interact?

This learner was very engaged and interacted enthusiastically with the teacher during the reading. Occasionally he needed to be redirected to the reading, but he seemed to enjoy both the literacy experience and the conversations that he engaged in with the teacher.

Community
What evidence of “community” in terms of the second language learner did you observe?

Each of the students seemed to have developed camaraderie as English language learners. They seemed excited to go to ESL class and were sincerely engaged in class activities. When I arrived, one student was having a tough day. She was a newcomer from South Korea and was sharing her frustrations and anxiety with a fellow student and her teacher. There was definitely a sense that the classroom was a safe space to share her burdens.

What is required to become a member of this classroom or learning environment—consider language, literacy, content instruction, materials, etc.?

The requirements for membership in this classroom vary depending on the schedule. All of the students are second language learners, but their language and literacy skills are extremely diverse. For example, the kindergarten students are not yet literate in L1 or L2, but some of them are strong English speakers. In other grades, students may be literate in L1 and/or L2, but their language skills may vary. All of the students receive services targeted at improving both their productive and receptive language skills. The older that the students are, the more likely that their lessons also focus on content instruction and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency. The teacher utilized a variety of resources, but leveled readers are used most frequently.

Ethnographic Perspective
What events occurred during your observation – formal interactions and informal
interactions?

When I arrived to Mrs. Cox’s classroom I found that she had taken a break from her current lesson to address the needs of one of her learners. The young girl was crying , but trying desperately to hold herself together. The teacher took the time to explain to the girl that every student is allowed to have a “melt-down” and then wrote the word “melt-down” on a vocabulary card. She also handed her a box of tissues and encouraged her to cry if she needed to. She also encouraged her to tell her regular education teacher when she needed a little time away from class if she was feeling overwhelmed. While allowing the student a moment, the teacher turned to another young lady, and asked her to remember how difficult it was to come to the US as a newcomer. The girl shared about her experiences and both girls were then hugged and sent to class.

After dismissing the girls the teacher followed up with a 3rd grade boy that was working independently on reading comprehension questions from a reader. She checked his work, congratulating him on a job well done and then sent him to class with a fellow classmate that had stopped by the room to pick him up.

After sending these students to class, the teacher and I headed out to the playground to pick up three kindergarten students, two boys and one girl. The teacher had brought a stuffed hen and a big book with the letter “H” out to the playground. On the way in to the classroom the teacher held out the big book and asked students to repeat words beginning with the letter “H.” She gently corrected and redirected one of the boys as he pointed to the “chicken” in the book asking “Can you say “hen”?” Once, inside the classroom the students paused at the door beside a butcher paper cutout with a poem written on it. They recited the poem about rain with careful diction and motions to go along with the words. The teacher then directed the students to sit on the carpet, but was almost immediately interrupted by one of the mainstream kindergarten teachers. She needed two of the students to return to class because their class was scheduled to complete a health screening. One girl and one boy left with their teacher leaving another boy and the teacher to participate in the lesson. The lesson was about imagination. The teacher and the boy read a book about a young girl’s adventure on the walk to school as she imagines seeing jungle animals and trekking through the desert. The teacher often paused to ask questions and allow the learner to make observations and predictions. At the end of the story the teacher explained that the next day they would go outside to find their own adventure and then write a story about it together. The teacher then rewarded the student with a “bee-buck” (a school-wide positive behavior program incentive) for his attentiveness and participation in class that day.

What can an observer see if he/she entered the classroom at this particular time?

An observer in this classroom can see boxes full of books, small tables for reading groups and a carpet. On the wall the teacher has posted three poems, several word walls and other vocabulary visuals. Throughout the course of my observation I saw students seated at the tables working in groups and independently. I also saw students and the teacher seated on the carpet for reading circles.

What evidence of “acceptance and welcome” would a second language learner see?

The students are clearly welcomed by the smile on their teacher’s face when she greets them. The students can also see that the space is theirs to share as there are many manipulatives and classroom objects that they have access to.