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.