Hi, my name is Elijah Lawson and I am graduating from UH in May. I cannot wait to get started in my own classroom with my own students.
As I stated in my video, learning a second language is something that is extremely challenging regardless of who it is. Students learn in different ways in the classroom which is why it is important for teachers to differentiate instruction. Learning Spanish was challenging, but it was an amazing experience. I still have a long way to go if I ever want to become fluent, but I know that I was given a great start with how I was taught in school. I took an intro Spanish class in 7th grade, but the teacher for that class was always changing so it felt like we really did not learn much some days. We would have substitutes a lot and on those days, we would just read books we brought from the library, none of them being in Spanish of course. On the days we did learn with an effective teacher, I enjoyed the way they would provide visuals for things and would be very patient with us when trying to speak correctly. In high school, I had a great experience learning more and more of a new language. The teachers made a huge difference.
I believe that an effective teacher must establish a safe, fun learning environment for their students. My Spanish teachers made class fun by incorporating different projects and activities throughout lessons. My teaching philosophy places emphasis on the teacher being able to teach in an equitable way for all students, regardless of their culture. According to Wright, “ELLs represent a wide variety of ethnic and cultural groups.” (Wright, 2020, p.18). A teacher who knows and can try and relate learning to a student’s culture has a better chance of really connecting with an ELL student and making it easier for them to adjust to the culture of the school they attend. “Helping ELLs succeed academically requires helping them adjust to the culture of the classroom and the school…” (Wright, 2020, p.20).Wright, W. E. (2019). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and Practice. Caslon.
Hi Elijah,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching your video and reading your blog. I too got my first second language experience in a Spanish class in school and just like you I really enjoyed it my teacher made it fun and it was a new experience for me. I also have lots of friends who speak Spanish so I was always emersed in the language one way or another. I love how you suggest that providing EL's with a visual aid to better assist them in learning english. I think that is a great idea because if you think about it before anyone no matter their first language learns how to read, or write we remember pictures and symbols (visuals). I think that you are spot in when you mention that According to Wright, “ELLs represent a wide variety of ethnic and cultural groups.” (Wright, 2020, p.18). A teacher who knows and can try and relate learning to a student’s culture has a better chance of really connecting with an ELL student. I believe education that children can relate to reaches children. Thank you for your insightful post.
Wright, W. E. (2019). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and Practice. Caslon.
Hi Lathon, thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment! It is cool to have friends who speak Spanish because you’re able to practice speaking it more and more. I am glad you agree with the fact that visuals are extremely beneficial for an ELL to have in the classroom. English is not an easy language to learn, so as effective educators, we must be able to differentiate how we teach, without directly changing the curriculum. According to Wright, “ELLs are entitled to equal access to educational opportunities” (Wright, 2019). When we have our own classrooms, we have to make sure that we are provided the highest quality of instruction to ELLs and all our students. Thank you again for replying!
DeleteWright, W. E. (2019). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and Practice. Caslon.
Hey there Elijah,
ReplyDeleteI loved watching your video and the passion for teaching that you showed. As a native Spanish speaker, I always love to see people doing their best in public settings to help non-native English speakers, and am so thankful to hear of your kind heart! The fact you have still kept up with your Spanish skills will definitely come in handy as a teacher for you in the long run when communicating with native Spanish-speaking parents and families. As noted in the reading, “Spanish speakers, at over 3.2 million, make up over 80% of the ELL population,” (Wright, 2019, p.11). When students are able to see their teacher make a conscious effort in the classroom to reflect, appreciate, and consider their culture- they are able to be interested and feel cared for. Speaking of, I love your teaching strategy of a visual aid for EL students in their success. Having a visual aid in my questions and or answer choices growing up as an ELL student greatly aided in my success when test-taking and in my comprehension. Lastly, I am very glad to see that you understand that English itself is a hard language to learn. There are so many rules that apply in only certain instances and it is very easy for one to get confused as a new learner. I’m excited for you to grow and teach the future!
Wright, W. E. (2019). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and Practice. Caslon.
Hi Maria! Thank you so much for leaving such a nice comment. I like how you mentioned from the reading that Spanish speakers make up over 80% of the ELL population. That is important because as effective educators, we have to be able to teach ELLs efficiently and effectively, and that begins with the educator really getting to know more about that student’s culture. According to Wright, “More effective schools, in contrast, engage in pluralist (or multilingual) discourses by recognizing ELLs’ home languages and cultures as rich resources for helping ELLS learn English….” (Wright, 2019). In order to be an effective educator, we have to recognize other students’ cultures and differences so we can be sure we are delivering the highest quality of instruction we can. Thank you again for replying!
DeleteWright, W. E. (2019). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and Practice. Caslon.
Hello Elijah,
ReplyDeleteI love your video! You definitely have had a good amount of experience with the Spanish language. I also took Spanish all my four years of high school and took the AP exam my senior year. I am super ecstatic that you try your best to use your Spanish skills at your job to help customers. I work in retail right now and there is no better feeling than helping a person that thought they were not going to be understood or helped. Your tactic in using visual aids for ELL students is very accurate! Visual aids are helpful for children in their education and if there is a student who doesn't understand a certain word or topic in Spanish, the visual aids can be a great help for them. In the article it explains, "The more the teacher knows about a student's experiences, the more he or she can assume about the expertise that student is likely to have" (Wright, 2019, p.23). This entails that you have to know your students very well including their learning styles. Providing visual aids for students is a way of demonstrating that the teacher is aware of a student's preferred learning style. Nice uniform by the way!
Wright, W. E. (2019). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and Practice. Caslon.