I didn't have a formal interview with the teacher that I'm observing, but we did discuss how she assesses her students. She was currently in the process of preparing her classes for a state examination. That is the main assessment that she is pressed to prepare the students for every year. There are minor informal assessments that are administered daily, or semi-daily, but the main target is the state examination.
The main point that the teacher stressed was how much she disliked all of the emphasis on state examination prep. It handcuffed her in terms of what she wanted to accomplish and how to go about it. I've found this to be a common complaint with every teacher that I've observed so far. There needs to be less of an emphasis on state testing and prep. The teachers aren't being given enough freedom in the classroom.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Observation: Day 1
2/23/2010
This was my first day of observation for the semester. The students were identifying the sequence of events in stories. The students had to identify the terms that indicated sequence. The teacher then had the students use these same terms to identify the sequence of events to their morning. I thought that it was a very effective strategy. The kids seemed to really take to it with great enthusiasm.
The students were broken into groups and made to read different portions of the same story. Each group was responsible for explaining the sequence of events in their portion of the story to the other groups in the class.
The class also utilized vocabulary cards. The teacher had the children spell words aloud as they wrote them down on their vocabulary cards. There was a particular emphasis placed on tense, prefixes, and suffixes. Each student had to write a definition or draw a symbol for the word on the index card that they felt would best help them remember it.
This was my first day of observation for the semester. The students were identifying the sequence of events in stories. The students had to identify the terms that indicated sequence. The teacher then had the students use these same terms to identify the sequence of events to their morning. I thought that it was a very effective strategy. The kids seemed to really take to it with great enthusiasm.
The students were broken into groups and made to read different portions of the same story. Each group was responsible for explaining the sequence of events in their portion of the story to the other groups in the class.
The class also utilized vocabulary cards. The teacher had the children spell words aloud as they wrote them down on their vocabulary cards. There was a particular emphasis placed on tense, prefixes, and suffixes. Each student had to write a definition or draw a symbol for the word on the index card that they felt would best help them remember it.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Week 2 Questions
What is your experience in terms of working or friends with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds?
I work everyday with people from around the world. The one thing thing that I've noticed is that tensions surrounding cultural differences disappear once people are comfortable with one another. I really find it interesting, because I can honestly say that I wouldn't remotely know most of these people had I not come to know them through work. It just goes to show you how working toward a common goal can shatter barriers.
Do you have experience in working with ELLs?
I have limited experience working with ELLs. I briefly taught an adult ELL class, but most of my experience has come through observing ELL students.
Do you have experience in teaching ELLs?
See the above question...
What is your perception on ELLs in terms of their learning motivation and performance in general and in reading and writing specially?
Personally, I feel that ELL students tend to be more motivated than non-ELL students. That's just my personal experience. My experience has shown me that ELL students tend to be more aware of the importance of learning the language. This awareness pushes them to work harder. Also, students who come over to the United States and are already literate in their primary language usually pick up the English language easier. Their language structure fundamentals tend to be intact already.
What learning difficulties do ELLs usually encounter in schools?
The main difficulty that I noticed was the social barrier. They can be quite uncomrtable in social situations, and this can negatively impact upon their success in school. Also, inabiliy to communicate with the teacher can be a big problem.
In your observation, how do classroom teachers resolve ELLs’ learning difficulties and improve their learning motivation? What strategies do they often adopt? Are these strategies effective? Are you familiar with these strategies? Are family and community involved?
When I observed last semester I saw the teacher group students with language difficulties with students who spoke their language. It was a great strategy, because one student was able to translate for the other student. This also provided the two students with a comfort zone to work in. Students tend to learn better when they are at ease with their environment. You can't always count on having two students who speak the same language in one classroom, but it's a great strategy if you are fortunate enough to have the setup in place.
What intervention strategies would you adopt if you have ELLs in your class? How do you go about teaching the child? How do you go about reaching out to the family and the community?
I would definitely embrace the group concept. I've always liked instructing groups (when applicable), because the smaller audience usually eliminates some of the fear that comes with asking questions infront of the entire class. Students become more inquisitive and likely to ask questions. As for reaching out to the family, I would try to assign homework that required the family to interact with the student in English.
I work everyday with people from around the world. The one thing thing that I've noticed is that tensions surrounding cultural differences disappear once people are comfortable with one another. I really find it interesting, because I can honestly say that I wouldn't remotely know most of these people had I not come to know them through work. It just goes to show you how working toward a common goal can shatter barriers.
Do you have experience in working with ELLs?
I have limited experience working with ELLs. I briefly taught an adult ELL class, but most of my experience has come through observing ELL students.
Do you have experience in teaching ELLs?
See the above question...
What is your perception on ELLs in terms of their learning motivation and performance in general and in reading and writing specially?
Personally, I feel that ELL students tend to be more motivated than non-ELL students. That's just my personal experience. My experience has shown me that ELL students tend to be more aware of the importance of learning the language. This awareness pushes them to work harder. Also, students who come over to the United States and are already literate in their primary language usually pick up the English language easier. Their language structure fundamentals tend to be intact already.
What learning difficulties do ELLs usually encounter in schools?
The main difficulty that I noticed was the social barrier. They can be quite uncomrtable in social situations, and this can negatively impact upon their success in school. Also, inabiliy to communicate with the teacher can be a big problem.
In your observation, how do classroom teachers resolve ELLs’ learning difficulties and improve their learning motivation? What strategies do they often adopt? Are these strategies effective? Are you familiar with these strategies? Are family and community involved?
When I observed last semester I saw the teacher group students with language difficulties with students who spoke their language. It was a great strategy, because one student was able to translate for the other student. This also provided the two students with a comfort zone to work in. Students tend to learn better when they are at ease with their environment. You can't always count on having two students who speak the same language in one classroom, but it's a great strategy if you are fortunate enough to have the setup in place.
What intervention strategies would you adopt if you have ELLs in your class? How do you go about teaching the child? How do you go about reaching out to the family and the community?
I would definitely embrace the group concept. I've always liked instructing groups (when applicable), because the smaller audience usually eliminates some of the fear that comes with asking questions infront of the entire class. Students become more inquisitive and likely to ask questions. As for reaching out to the family, I would try to assign homework that required the family to interact with the student in English.
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