Special Interest Groups
Adult Education
Technology in the Adult Basic Education Classroom
By Megan Butler
In a time of growing uncertainty, it is important as educators to be certain that we continue to create opportunities to give our ELL’s [English language learners] the knowledge and tools to be successful. One of the most important tools to implement in our classrooms is technology. Technology can be both rewarding and difficult in an adult class. One of the unfortunate challenges is the negativity it carries throughout today’s society. Some may view that technology has robbed us of our ability to problem solve or think for ourselves. Others see opportunities for growth and wealth. Fortunately and unfortunately, technology has taken over our world, thus the average student and employee must at least have a basic knowledge of a computer or smart phone.
How do we teach computer skills to students who can barely understand the language, and how can the computer contribute to learning? First, the student needs convincing that learning how to use a computer will benefit him/her in the long run, and actually serve as an aid to improving their language skills. This could begin with different websites that focus on listening techniques. Dictation exercises are ideal for enhancing both listening and typing simultaneously. If this is still too challenging for students, they could begin with an exercise where they copy a written paragraph into a Word document. These projects advance into a formatting lesson to introduce the different areas of Microsoft Office. Many adult students are hesitant to learn new projects for the fear of incapability and the lack of time. Students sometimes believe that if they have gone this far without the skill then there should not be a reason to learn it now. Instead, students should be supplied with Internet websites where they can explore different areas of learning on a level with which they are comfortable.
After the students gain the confidence and trust in [using] the computer, we can start introducing lessons to show them what they can create. This could be a lesson as simple as writing a letter to a friend to generating an eye-catching resume and posting it to a job-board website. During this process, the students are listening to, and practicing answers for, a job interview, thus getting a whole new career from taking the time and effort to turn on the computer. In addition, there should be emphasis placed on the importance of communication via e-mail. Most employers’ first impression is about how the individual presents himself or herself in the introduction e-mail. This is crucial due to the fact that a language barrier can be made obvious, and a disqualifier, from the first few words. It should also be emphasized that almost all inquiries are made through e-mail. This includes communication with teachers, principals, landlords, accountants, etc. Replying to e-mails in a professional and timely matter is of the utmost importance. Many potential employers will not take the time to try and translate incoherent language.
Technology controls today’s world and must be incorporated into adult classes. It is especially crucial for English language learners to be accustomed to at least the basic skills. It is our job as educators to ensure confidence and create level-appropriate activities to promote success in both the classroom and the workforce.
Megan Butler, ESL Teacher at the Adult Learning Center, New Brunswick Public Schools
mbutler@njtesol-njbe.org
Bilingual Elementary
Introductions and Inspirations for Bilingual Elementary Teachers
By Jack Meyers
Greetings, hard-working, and dedicated educators, my name is Jack Meyers and I’m your new Bilingual Elementary Special Interest Group Representative. I am in my first year as a 3rd and 4th Grade bilingual (Spanish) math teacher in Franklin Township, though this is my second full year teaching. I also previously worked as an ESL teacher in another district.
I have my B.A. in International Studies and Spanish from Teachers College of New Jersey (TCNJ), where I got the chance to meet some outstanding language learners and teachers. One group of people that really got me inspired me to become a bilingual teacher was the Brazilian exchange students. They often lacked authentic language experiences with native speakers because they relied on the comfort of speaking Portuguese with their Brazilian peers. When I spent time with them, they got to practice English in a real way. I learned through my experiences with the Brazilian students that I could connect profoundly with people through language-- and I especially loved teaching it.
As a lifelong language learner, as well, I identify with the struggles and obstacles that our ELLs face in the bilingual classroom. I learned Spanish in school and, much like many ELLs, I was missing a key component for sustained language learning: regular exposure outside of the classroom. While I recognize our obvious cultural differences, I know that the difficulties I had in improving my Spanish skills are similar to what our ELLs face. The blessing of this shared experience is that now I can encourage my students with practical advice: “I am here today teaching you in Spanish because I worked hard to learn it. The same can happen for you if you practice English.”
Now, back to you, the reason why I am here, at NJTESOL/NJBE. As bilingual educators, we have expertise, skills, and knowledge that make us the experts for our bilingual students. As a result, we must be our own experts when advocating for students. Thank you for being experts and for sharing that expertise with your colleagues and supervisors. And, perhaps most importantly, thank you for sharing your expertise with your students. With that said, I’m looking forward to serving you all, the community-at-large of lifelong language learners and expert educators.
Jack Meyers, Bilingual Elementary Special Interest Group (SIG) Representative, 3rd/4th Grade Bilingual Math teacher, Franklin School District.
jmeyers@njtesol-njbe.org
What a WIDA!
By Michelle Land
Tampa put on its best face for conference attendees. The convention hall was conveniently located and the conference app made it easy to find professional development [sessions] that were meaningful for each participant. Finally, the WIDA staff, sponsors, and vendors did a wonderful job collaborating and organizing each aspect of the conference. It is always refreshing to come together with professionals who work in this field, especially because many districts have smaller ESL/bilingual departments and our role is often misunderstood. Attending the WIDA Annual Conference was like returning to my tribe for rejuvenation and enlightenment.
I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop on co-teaching with Andrea Honingsfeld and Maria Dove. They have recently published a new book, Collaboration and Co-Teaching, and shared information and videos. Their website has a lot of information: http://coteachingforells.weebly.com/
Cynthia Lundgren (WIDA) and Maggie Churchill (WIDA Specialist [for NJTESOL/NJBE]) presented “Language in the Driver’s Seat”. Their session focused on the interdependency of content, literacy, and language. It was a wonderful and eye-opening session that was enjoyed by all.
Noreen Drucker [former NJTESOL/NJBE Executive Board member: Ed.] and I presented on “Implementing the Key Uses” at WIDA. The topic was well received and we were pleased with the interest and engagement that the participants demonstrated. It was rewarding to see how quickly participants understood the Key Uses when explained through the lens of learning how to ride a bike. Noreen dressed the part in her bike pants and bike jersey, yet again demonstrating that visuals are invaluable in explaining a topic.
If you were not able to attend the WIDA Annual Conference, there is still a valuable opportunity on the horizon for professional development and enrichment. The NJTESOL/NJBE Conference is coming sooner than one would think. “Cross-Curricular Conversations for ELLs” is this year’s theme, with each day brimming with exciting opportunities to expand your knowledge.
Even though each day is general interest and Pre-K to 12, it also has a focus. Wednesday is focusing on advocacy. Thursday is focusing on STEM and Friday is focusing on Higher Ed., Teacher Ed., Adult Ed., and K-12, Administrators, Bilingual Ed., and Biliteracy. With these strands are the opportunities to attend an Advocacy Summit on Wednesday and the Awards Reception on Thursday for a nominal fee.
Since this convention often sells out, it is a good idea to get the ball rolling now and apply for permission to attend. In addition, you can still get the early bird rate as long as you register and pay by 10 pm on March 2nd, 2018. Go to this website and you will find everything you need to register: http://www.njtesol-njbe.org/spconfreg/2018ConfRegFormEarly.htm
Regular registration will be accepted until 10 pm on May 4th, 2018, but why wait?! The invaluable cooperation and collaboration that you can experience at this year’s conference will be an asset for you and your district. See you in May.
Michelle Land is the NJTESOL/NJBE Bilingual/ESL Middle School 6-8 SIG Representative. She teaches ESL at Randolph Township Schools. michelleland88@gmail.com
Meet Your New Early Childhood Special Interest Group Representative
By LeighAnn Matthews
My name is LeighAnn Matthews. I am currently a PreK/K/2nd grade teacher of English language learners (ELLs). During the summer months, I am an English as a Foreign Language instructor at Rider University as a part of their Study Tours program. I am very excited and proud to be your new New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/New Jersey Bilingual Educators (NJTESOL/NJBE) Early Childhood Special Interest Group (SIG) representative.
I have always had a strong interest in early childhood education. I was fortunate enough to gain experience in the early childhood classroom as early as my senior year of high school. I then built a foundation by receiving a B.S. in elementary and early childhood education from Elizabethtown College, near Lancaster, PA. I started teaching at U-Gro Learning Centre, (an early childhood center,) shortly thereafter. I believe that young children learn best through self discovery, explicit social-emotional support, exposure to a literacy-rich environment, and authentic opportunities to develop language through play.
I obtained an M.Ed. in TESOL from The College of New Jersey in 2014. Since then I have had the pleasure of working with English language learners from PreK up to 5th grade. Teaching ELLs is my true passion. I love that I can teach with my heart every day - each child and family bring a unique story to our schools and I get to help them unfold it and share it with others. I give these students a voice, by teaching them the English language, when they need it the most. In my newly acquired role as early childhood SIG, I hope to be able to share my passion with others and continue to advocate for using best practices with early childhood ELLs and dual language learners (DLLs) in NJ. One of my favorite aspects of my current teaching role is that I am able to work with grade level teachers to promote biliteracy among language learners. In the realm of early childhood, many students are developing their first language and English simultaneously. Therefore, it is even more critical that educators are encouraging these students to use their native language, in addition to English, at school and at home with their families.
I think that everyday is an opportunity to be positive. ESL/bilingual educators need to be the catalysts for change. Not everyone sees language learners through our lens. We can shed positive light on English language learners at all levels through something as simple as our own attitude. Advocacy doesn’t always have to occur at the national or state level in order to be effective - it can occur right within the walls of our schools. By being a genuine resource for your school staff and celebrating the “small moments” with your students, you can promote a positive environment where ELLs can flourish and feel empowered.
I love to connect with other professionals and discuss topics in the field. I’m constantly researching and reflecting on my own practice. I think it’s beneficial to learn about what other educators are doing in their classrooms and schools. If you are interested in the NJTESOL/NJBE early childhood SIG, please contact me. I am always open to suggestions, ideas, and happy to answer any questions. I hope to meet many of you in person at the NJTESOL/NJBE Spring Conference.
LeighAnn Matthews, PreK/K/2nd grade English language learner (ELL) teacher, Highland Park Public Schools. During the summer months: English as a Foreign Language instructor, Rider University Study Tours program.
Making Writing Manageable
By Rosalie Pereda
When you ask teachers what the most difficult language domain to tackle is, they usually say writing. Writing is the last language domain to be mastered since it is the written expression of one’s thoughts. For English learners, as they build their vocabulary word banks, learning about grammar, spelling, and punctuation, can at times seem like a daunting task. In this article, some ideas on how to improve the writing of English learners will be discussed.
Students often struggle with wanting to write. Many are frustrated with the writing process as they feel lost and not motivated. One helpful tip is to make sure that writing is a natural extension of speaking and reading. For example, when reading a story, it is important to have students question what they are reading. As a whole group activity, you can create an “I wonder” list where you can write down questions that students come up with as they are reading the text. As an extension, you can create a questioning worksheet. The worksheet will have three columns, “Before Reading, During Reading, and After Reading”. Students will begin by looking at the title and jotting down a few questions that they have before reading the text. They may take a picture walk through the book to help them. As they are reading, they will stop to jot down more questions about the text that may arise. Finally, any lingering questions that the students may still have are jotted down in the last column. A variation to this task is to give students post-its on which to write down their questions at various points. In small groups, they can share their questions and choose two from the group to write down on the worksheet in each column.
To ensure motivation to write, it is important to always make sure that writing is a meaningful learning experience for your students. For example, in trying to teach persuasive writing, have students write a letter to an actual entity such as a leader at your school, a company, or a political leader. When writing friendly letters, set up pen pals for your students or have your students write weekly letters to you in a journal to which you respond. Students can learn a lot from these real life experiences that can be tied directly to your cross-curricular lessons and that may include technology. English learners will understand that they are writing for a purpose, rather than just for the sake of writing. Writing will seem less tedious for your students and will be authentic.
Our English learners need to be writing every day in one way, shape, or form. Whether it be note taking, a formal writing assignment, or another type of writing activity, the more our students have experience writing, the less stressed they will be about writing.You do not need to have students go through the entire writing process for each piece as each piece is usually not published. If we focus too much on editing, writing will be less free flowing and more contrived. We may then dissuade our students from wanting to write. We need to give our students the chance to experiment with language and to become independent learners. However, when you do have students edit their work, use “COPS”. “COPS” stands for Capitalization, Organization, Punctuation, and Spelling. There are many printable posters available or you can create your own. Create a simple checklist of these skills for your students to attach to their writing as they edit and revise their work. I create “tickets” for peer-editing which makes editing more interesting and fun for the students. COPS is also used as part of the grading rubric that students are given beforehand, to optimize their writing.
For our English learners, we need to tie in a writing task with each lesson. The everyday practice of writing authentic and realistic pieces that are correlated to speaking and reading will help to improve our students’ writing. Being able to express one’s own thoughts in written form takes time. However, if we can foster and maintain that love of learning, our students will surprise us with how independent they can be with a bit of scaffolding and differentiated instruction. As our students become better writers with practice, writing will become more enjoyable to teach and less daunting for students. Our students’ motivation for writing will grow as well as their confidence and self-esteem.
Rosalie Pereda, Bridgeton Public Schools, Elementary ESL SIG Representative
rpereda@njtesol-njbe.org
Reflections on Training Content-Area Teachers in Sheltered Instruction
By Hana Prashker
Iam fortunate to have been part of a training team for Sheltered Instruction for classroom teachers. After participating in sheltered instruction training at William Paterson University with B.J. Franks and Barbara Tedesco, and Sheltered English Instruction Training of Trainers at the NJDOE (New Jersey Department of Education), our team of six prepared to train the teachers in my district. The team consists of 3 ELL teachers, 1 elementary teacher, 1 middle school science teacher, and 1 high school history teacher. The pilot training group consisted of 15 classroom teachers and department heads from K-12.
First, many of the strategies are considered best practices for all students. Some teachers were surprised that all their students gained from the activities that they used in their classrooms. For example, a chemistry teacher used the Frayer Model for a lesson on elements, compounds, and homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. After completing the paired practice, all of her students were able to explain the differences, characteristics, examples and non-examples more proficiently. A U.S. History teacher observed a positive change in her students’ understanding by using pictures when explaining new vocabulary and putting those slides on the wall at the front of the room throughout the unit. Her students had higher scores on assessments than in the past.
Second, many elementary school teachers use these strategies in their classrooms already and just made small adaptations to their activities. Some secondary content-area teachers needed more support to begin using these in their classrooms. In an Algebra class, a teacher saw improvement on assessments when he had students use graphic organizers to complete practice problems. These organizers included writing out the steps in numbers and word sentences. He also began to use word walls for the academic words in the unit and having students solve problems in pairs, orally, and in writing.
Third, teachers felt the training would have been more useful if it had been split into two training sessions: one for elementary and another for secondary. Secondary teachers would have preferred the training be split into content-areas (math, science, English and social studies). Some teachers felt that strategies that might work for social studies would not be helpful in a math class. These led to brainstorming sessions on possibilities of using each strategy in different content areas.
Fourth, teachers found that having time during the training hours to include the strategies or activities was useful. They also had time to talk to and get support from the trainers and other teachers. During the training, the trainers developed activities for the teachers to participate in that they could use in their own classrooms. At the end of each session, sharing activities that the teachers developed during the training was also helpful for the teachers.
Finally, the biggest take-away was that teachers now have more empathy and understanding about English language learners. They realized how difficult it can be to stay focused all day in classes when learning a second language. They better understand the many aspects of their present and past lives that affect their learning abilities. The teachers understand the various English Language Proficiency (ELP) levels and how a student’s proficiency level affects the amount of scaffolding a student needs.
Since the pilot training has begun, some of the content-area teachers will ask for feedback on assignment, activities and assessment they create for their classes with ELLs. For others, I see modifications in the wording and the types of assignments compared to previous years. Overall, I see the changes in teacher behavior as a positive for all students, including ELLs.
Please feel free to contact me at hprashker@njtesol-njbe.org with questions or concerns for Secondary ELLs.
Hana Prashker is the NJTESOL/NJBE ESL Secondary Representative. She teaches ESL at Dumont High School, Bergen County.
Graduate Student Representative
Advocating for Graduate Students and Being Culturally Responsive
By Lizzett Gutierrez
Greetings. My name is Lizzett Gutierrez and I'm the new Graduate Student Representative for NJTESOL/NJBE. To share a bit about myself, I'm a Middle School ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in North Arlington. Also, I'm an Alternate Route Teacher, almost earning my Standard Certification, upon completing the ESL Certification program this spring semester at Montclair State University.
I hope that you are gearing up for 2018.
I know that I am ending 2017 and starting off 2018 with a bang because I'm excited to share with you that I’ve just added "contributing author" to my professional achievements. I never thought it would happen.
You can preview the chapter that I contributed. I discussed the importance
of how being culturally responsive is at the center of effective teacher practice within the classroom in order to educate both ELLs and general education students alike. For more information about the book and for a free preview of my chapter visit http://www.edumatch.org/books. My chapter can be found in e-Book (Volume 1) starting on page 115-121.
As the Graduate Student Representative, I aim to communicate the needs of graduate students to faculty members at Montclair State University, and any other universities represented within the member body-at-large, by participating in linguistic departmental decisions, including decisions about the graduate curriculum. If there is anything that I can do to assist with your graduate student experience don't hesitate to touch base with me.
It's a privilege and an honor to represent NJ's finest ESL/bilingual educators.
Lizzett Gutierrez, Graduate Student Representative, ESL Teacher (Gr. 6-8), North Arlington Township. lizzettguitierrez@gmail.com
Higher Education
Opening Doors
By Diana Sefchik
As a public school educator, I have had the privilege of working in English as a Second Language (ESL) with students of all ages. Even though my day job is as a Pre-K to grade 12 Supervisor of ESL and World Languages, I have always done the “second shift”, working in adult schools and community colleges teaching ESL. On the weekends, I adjunct in a teacher education certification program for ESL; both areas fall into the realm of higher education. I am so fortunate to be involved in both areas.
There has been a great deal of news about higher education in print. On November 13, 2017, the New York Times printed an article by Stephanie Saul entitled, “Fewer Foreign Students are Coming to the U.S., Survey Shows.” The article highlighted reasons both internationally and domestically for the decline. On November 26, 2017, the Star Ledger published an article by Kelly Heyboer, entitled “Foreign Enrollment up at N.J. Colleges.” The article highlighted the top destinations in New Jersey for foreign students and the countries with the largest percentage of enrollees in New Jersey colleges. In the December, 2017, New Jersey Magazine, an article by Leslie Garisto Pfaff, entitled “Lowering the Cost of Higher Ed,” highlighted reasons that community colleges attract a large number of students of all backgrounds.
By reading through the 3 articles, we see that that the realm of higher education is an area that we all need to notice and support for our ELs. We need to consider what our high school students do after they graduate high school. I have always been concerned that our high school students plan to go to college but actually do not attend. Is it the money factor? Do the students not see the value of furthering their education? Are the families putting pressure on the college-aged students to go to work instead of going to college? Even though the questions may have valid answers, we need to educate our graduating students about the benefits of education beyond high school.
Recently in my community college class, I assigned a narrative writing assignment to define what a hero is and who the students’ heroes are. One student wrote that a hero gives other people help and strength to overcome the difficulties of life. The student continued to say that sometimes professors can be heroes because professors teach students how to read and write well and to understand the importance of grammar and writing skills; professors are responsible for helping students express themselves correctly in English, a skill that will help open doors. The student discussed how professors teach students to put aside their fears and fight for their goals.
We need to keep all this in mind when we work with our students. Our teaching content, of course, is so important. We need to reflect on our style of teaching and reflect on the periphery benefits of our work, to help our students open doors.
In my graduate class, in which I teach future ESL teachers, the same concerns appear on the graduate level as appear on the secondary level. As the students are learning about language acquisition, all types of teaching strategies, SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol), hidden poverty, bilingual plans, and a plethora of acronyms, the students wonder how does this all fit into the classroom. How can I, as a teacher, balance teaching ESL and preparing ELs (English Learners) for PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers)? How can I do it all? Our job as professors is to help students put aside their fears and to open the doors to their futures.
I will continue to keep you updated about the varied areas of higher education and I will continue to share current articles with you. In all areas of education, the population of our ELs is increasing. We must be vigilant of trends in education on all levels. It is our job to focus our teaching to open the doors to success for our students.
Diana Sefchik, Higher Education SIG Representative, Raritan Valley Community College and Seton Hall University
The Truth Was in the Chaos
By Angeline Sturgis
If you read my article in the autumn edition of Voices, you know that I am a firm believer in home visits, especially for teachers who work with English language learners. Even a short time spent in a family’s home renders clues to solving problems revealed in the classroom. But like so many interactions in our lives, the benefits go way beyond our professional experience.
Last week, I was preparing for a large family Christmas party that I had never hosted before. There would be a huge dinner, out of town guests staying at my house, groceries to be bought, decorations to be in place weeks earlier than usual, and furniture rearranged so everyone could have a seat at the table. I became frantic, losing sleep after hours of preparation once I was home from school each day. I began to think I had invented a new affliction—party planner’s ADHD. As the day of the event got nearer, I lost sight of the purpose of the party.
Things came to a screeching halt when I actually realized I was on the brink of tears because I was so unsure about which tiramisu recipe to use (because, of course, my reputation as the family baker was at stake). I was convinced I didn’t have enough chairs for everyone to sit down and how could I possibly figure out the exact amount of cold and hot appetizers I needed?
I took a step back, took a deep breath, and tried to get myself away from the cliff edge. At that very moment, I remembered one of the greatest home visits I’d ever experienced and immediately it brought my life back into perspective and put an enormous smile on my face.
Eduardo came to me in October of his kindergarten year from Oaxaca, Mexico, without a word of English. He was a delightful child who had lived in poverty in Mexico and whose family was struggling now to make a new life in New Jersey. I came to know the family well, though I never visited their home.
Two years passed and Eduardo thrived. But the family suffered a tragic stillborn death of a daughter, lost jobs, found new ones, and, through it all, showed admirable strength and optimism.
When I was invited to Eduardo’s eighth birthday, I didn’t hesitate to accept. I remembered my own sons’ birthdays and the eager anticipation they felt for their upcoming parties. I also remembered the hours and hours I spent on every detail of their parties, wanting them to have a perfect day. I asked Eduardo if it wouldn’t be a better idea if he invited another child instead of me, an adult. He looked at me puzzled and said, “No,” of course, I should come since I was his friend.
The party was to start at 5pm on a chilly October night. I thought it was a sweet idea to have a little dinner party for second graders. Imagine my surprise when I saw a huge crowd at the house, including many adults, grandmothers, babies, and children dressed in very imaginative Halloween costumes. The party was both inside and outside the house. The kitchen could not have held one more person as food was being prepared and hauled out to tables set up all over the yard and the house. Music blared from giant speakers and the birthday boy was being passed from one person to another for hugs and kisses and small gifts. Suddenly the skies opened up and rain poured down. I felt terrible for the family. What would they do? Surely everyone would have to leave since there wasn’t nearly enough room inside. But, no, in a flash, several men pulled their pick- up trucks into a circle and roped a giant landscaping tarp from cab to cab and on to the house. Under the tarp went tables and chairs and stereo speakers.
Eduardo, thriving in his new life in the United StatesThe party never missed a beat. Ghosts and goblins danced in the puddles and then ran inside to help put towels on the muddy floor. Mothers laughed and continued to carry platters of delicious food. Grandmothers hugged small children to them as they dried their hair. Everybody danced—inside, outside under the tarp, and back into the puddles. I was given jobs to do: dance with grandfathers, change babies’ diapers, and eat more than I had in my life. At one point, the tarp attached to a gutter gave way, taking the downspout with it and a torrent of water knocked a couple off their chairs. It was the greatest entertainment ever witnessed and the families jumped to their aide while more towels were fetched and children howled with laughter.
Where was the disappointment at the weather? Where was the frantic cleaning of the floors? Where was the anxiety that the schedule was to be altered? Where was the helpless hostess on the verge of tears because she couldn’t decide which recipe to choose? Of course, there was no room in this family’s celebrations for ridiculous details like that. There was no room [for negativity] in hearts filled with celebration and gratitude and love of family and cherished children.
Angeline Sturgis, Parent and Community Involvement, ESL K-3, Lawrence Twp Public Schools
asturgis @njtesol-njbe.org
Special Education
Meeting the Academic Needs of the Victims of Hurricane Maria
By Sonya Bertini
Recently on the Hotlist, I noticed quite a few queries dealing with the sudden influx of students from Puerto Rico due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in late September. I teach at Vineland, N.J. High School where in just one week we received up to 10 students from the island. Our district has received so many students (60 as of the end of November) that we are presently looking to employ an additional 5th grade bilingual teacher. My resource room algebra class grew from 12 to 17 students in two weeks. The effects of that terrible storm are being felt in our state.
Two weeks ago, I approached our administration asking that we give a professional development (PD) presentation to staff regarding these students and how to teach and assess them following the law, with equity and compassion. My request was granted and, after the Thanksgiving recess, my supervisor and NJTESOL/NJBE president Dr. JoAnne Negrin, one of the assistant principals at the high school, Ms. Jacqueline Roman Alvarez, and I gave a 40 minute presentation on meeting the needs of newcomers. I hope that the following summary of our talk is helpful to all of you in districts and/or classrooms that have received an influx of students from Puerto Rico in recent weeks.
First of all, a great deal of empathy and compassion must be shown these students: they are traumatized. Many of them have lost everything or nearly everything. They have come with only the shirts on their backs, depending on family members or friends for food, lodging, clothes, and transportation. We, as educators, must gain an understanding of potential stressors these children may be facing. We should make ourselves aware of any immediate needs the student is facing and see what we can do to help meet them. We have to encourage the same of our colleagues who are not ESL or bilingual teachers.
Secondly, we, as educators of English language learners, are obligated to inform and assist our mainstream colleagues of the accommodations and modifications that they will have to put into place in order to fairly instruct and assess these students. Consider grading. If the student is a port of entry student or has scored lower than a 3 on WIDA, and if s/he is trying her/his best, the student should get no lower than a C as a report card grade. If possible, the student should get a pass/fail grade in lieu of a D or lower. It is the classroom teacher’s responsibility to scaffold instruction and assessment for ELLs in her/his classroom. They must provide modifications and accommodations in at least three areas: literacy, classroom management, and assessment.
Consider the matter of literacy. Teachers of ELLs know that it could take anywhere from 7 to 10 years for our students to become academically proficient*, but do our colleagues? They have to be made aware of this fact because the older the student, the more this becomes a serious issue. A high school student coming into a district as a freshman or later may never read at grade level. Therefore, the reading they are expected to do has to be modified. Students should be given a study guide which includes a summary or bulleted list of the most important points in the their content area subject. Key vocabulary terms should be pre-taught directly by the teacher using realia, pictures, and/or Google translator. Reading material should be “chunked”. Chunking is breaking up the text into shorter, easier to comprehend parts (chunks). For example, instead of giving a student five paragraphs to read and comprehend, give him one at a time with frequent checking for comprehension. Students should be encouraged to brainstorm when a new topic is introduced and to generate ideas in their native language whenever possible.
This brings us to classroom management. Students should be seated in small groups with other students who share their language whenever there is an opportunity to do so. In this way, they will be able to talk through what they are learning or thinking in their native language as opposed to not expressing themselves at all. Other students in the group who share their language can translate for them if necessary.
As far as assessment is concerned, there are several points to consider. Most importantly, an assessment given to an ELL should not look like an assessment given to a native English learner. In the case of students who score a 3 or lower on WIDA, they should be given shorter tests, multiple choice tests with fewer options, tests that include a word bank, open book tests or take home tests. There should be few to no open-ended questions on the test. If open-ended questions are included, the student should be allowed to answer in their L1 or to “translanguage”, i.e., use both their L1 and English to answer. It will then be up to the teacher to get a translation of the answer. Alternative assessments, such as making a poster or any other kind of hands-on activity, should be accepted. Teachers should steer clear of summative assessments and instead opt for formative assessments that are frequent and short. The goal of modifications and accommodations is to level the playing field as much as possible. We need to remind our colleagues that an ELL is struggling to learn a concept in a language s/he does not have. Our duty is to make the curriculum accessible to them. Direct your colleagues to the WIDA Can Do Descriptors and urge them to reference these when deciding on how to best assess a student’s progress. It is our legal and moral duty to ensure these students find a safe haven in our school and in our classroom.
The following are some resources that you can pass on to the content area or mainstream classroom teachers. I hope they are useful and I wish you all the best of luck as you face the challenges that come with dealing with newcomers in the middle of the year.
www.state.nj.us/education/bilingual/podcasts
www.ritell.org
http://www.state.nj.us/education/bilingual/ell_mainstream/part_three/siop.html (Facilitating SIOP)
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/academic-language-and-ells-what-teachers-need-know
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=jN9mCTtbRTw (Teaching ELLs)
http://www.colorincolorado.org/sites/default/files/Cognate-List.pdf
Sonya Bertini, SPED SIG, Vineland Public Schools, Vineland, NJ sbertini@njtesol-njbe.org
* : BICS and CALP: Clarifying the Distinction, Jim Cummins, 1999.
Teacher Education
Rethinking Preparedness of Non-ESL Teacher-Candidates
By Bryan Meadows
Recently, at my university, we have been thinking about how prepared our non-ESL teacher-candidates are to support English language learners (ELLs) in their future content-area classrooms (e.g., Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts [ELA], among others). Our discussions have led us to think more carefully about the situation for field supervisors who are tasked with coaching our teacher-candidates during their clinical placements. Some field supervisors may have experience working with ELLs in mainstream content areas and, therefore, may know exactly what teacher-practices to look for during field observations and debrief sessions. Other supervisors may feel less certain about what reflects best practices in supporting ELL students in the content-area classroom. Thus, they may not feel entirely confident when evaluating teacher-candidate practice for appropriate ELL student support.
In response, we have started crafting annotations to the primary field observation form [that] our field supervisors use. In our case, it is the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI). The annotations provide supplemental guidance for all field supervisors by indicating sample artifacts that would demonstrate teacher-candidate effective practice in serving ELL students during content-area instruction. The annotations are tied to each of the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers (NJPST).
In this article, I will share some examples of annotations with the idea of prompting conversation on this topic with members of the Teacher Education Special Interest Group (SIG). It would be wonderful to hear from fellow members about how they are supporting field supervisors in their respective teacher-education program.
To take one example, Learner Development: Standard One, we have thought about how important it is that all teacher-candidates, ESL and non-ESL alike, demonstrate a basic understanding of second language development. For example, teacher-candidates should show an awareness of language development stages according to WIDA proficiency levels. It is not necessary that non-ESL teacher-candidates memorize the can-do descriptors, but it is essential that they understand how WIDA level 1 proficiencies are different from level 4 proficiencies. Teacher-candidates can demonstrate this competency in their lesson planning, their student interactions, and in the conversations they have with their supervisor about their ELL students.
Another example is Assessment: Standard 6. Teacher-candidates should demonstrate in lesson planning and in classroom practice formative assessment procedures to check ELL student engagement. Quick formative checks can incorporate various formats: ELL student’s preferred non-English language; multiple-choice; yes/no response; and visuals/images. A second item in this area is the teacher-candidate’s familiarity with or use of a scaffolded grading policy tiered according to student WIDA proficiency level. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) provides a sample grading policy that recommends at least three grading options: pass/fail, modified assessments, non-modified assessments. As an artifact, teacher-candidates would either share with the supervisor examples of student assessment according to the scaffolded grading policy, or recount, in debrief sessions, the application of the scaffolded grading policy. Important to note here is that districts create their own grading policies so the teacher-candidate would need to work closely with their hosting institutions before implementing anything that strays from established district policies for grading.
A final example is Professional Learning and Ethical Practice: Standard 9. In this standard area, teacher-candidates can show their development in the things they do outside of instructional time. For example, one artifact might be that the teacher candidate-communicates awareness of, or membership in, professional organizations that support ELL students (e.g., NJTESOL/NJBE, the NJDOE Office of ESL/Bilingual Education, and TESOL International). The teacher-candidate may have attended an in-person, or an online, professional development event hosted by one of these organizations. One important artifact to demonstrate professional learning and ethical practice can be that a teacher candidate has downloaded and read guidance documents for mainstream teachers who serve ELL students. A few of these include (a) the NJDOE’s FABRIC paradigm; (b) the National Center for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) ELL Toolkit document; and (c) the New Jersey Bilingual Administrative Code (NJBAC). Links to these documents could be provided to teacher-candidates ahead of time as part of their clinical practice seminar coursework.
As teacher-educators, the primary focus of our work is the development of successful language educators (e.g., ESL/bilingual). However, our professional responsibility extends beyond just the development of ESL/bilingual specialists and to the preparedness of all teachers to effectively support ELL students in all academic settings.
It would be wonderful to hear what teacher-educator members are doing in this regard at their respective institutions. I look forward to hearing from you.
Bryan Meadows, Ph.D., Teacher Education SIG Representative
bmeadows@njtesol-njbe.org