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Amy Reese

English Language Learners, Families, Community, and Professionalism


ESL 6
Field-Based Assessment: Action Research Project:
November/December, 2014

Amy Reese

ESL 6
Action Research Project
Section 1: School Profiles
School #1
School District: Hazleton Area School District
School Name: Hazleton Elementary/Middle School
ELL Population: 199 198 Latino/Hispanic; 1-Chinese
ESL Supports: Reach (K-5), Inside (6-8); Systems 44 and Read 180
School #2
School District: Hazleton Area School District
School Name: Heights Terrace Elementary/Middle School
ELL Population: 220 All Latino/Hispanic
ESL Supports: Reach (K-5), Inside (6-8); Systems 44 and Read 180
School #3
School District: Hazleton Area School District
School Name: Hazleton Area High School
ELL Population: 491 ( 1 Russian, 3 Indian, 1 Chinese, and 485 Latino)
ESL Supports: Edge curriculum for grades 9-12
The district has a partnership with Migrant Education for tutoring and credit
recovery. The Hazleton Integration Project also provides after school support for the
ELLS in the entire district. Here are the websites:

http://news.psu.edu/gallery/333188/2014/11/04/academics/tutoring-throughtechnology-education-online-college-education.

http://www.cphazleton.org/services/children

Section 2:
School Selection: Hazleton Area School District: Heights Terrace Elementary
/Middle School
Why did you choose this school for this this research project?
I chose this school district because I have been working in the district for 3
years and am familiar with the ESL program. With the district having so many ELLs
in each building, especially Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School, this
building is the best opportunity for the research project. This building houses
grades kindergarten through grade 8. There are 220 ELLs in the building and there
are 6 ESL teachers. Students in grades K-6 are pulled out of the classroom for small
group English instruction and ELLs in grades 7 and 8 have a separate English class 2
periods each day in place of the ELA class for regular students.
Since I have done most of my observations at this building, I have had the
opportunity to get to know the staff at Heights-Terrace, who has been helpful to me
in exposing me to many chances to work with ELLs in kindergarten to grade 8.
This particular school cares about the diversity represented by the students and
tries to not only accommodate families of ELLs, but also offer programs to help the
community experience the diversity of its students and their families.

Section 3: Community Description


Name of town: Hazleton
State: PA
School District Demographics: Hazleton Area School District
K-8 buildings: 6
3-8 buildings: 2
K-2 buildings: 2
9-12 buildings: 3
Hazleton Area school District is one of the largest districts in the state, which
abounds in many options in class offerings and extracurricular activities. The latest
addition to the district is another primary building and a grade 3 through 8 building.
Last year, the district opened up the Academy of Sciences where the school offers
STEM curriculum. The career center is also another option where student can take
classes in a variety of trades.
Student population: 11,089
Community Population: 86,432
Community Special Features:
Greater Hazleton Area is home to many industries including food processing,
distribution/e-commerce, plastics, and back office. The CAN Dos three industrial
parks employs 11,000 people. The top major employer in the area is the Hazleton
Area School District, employing 1,377 people.

Hazleton also has the access to 3 major interstates including I-80, I-81, and I84. This area also has access to many local colleges including Pennsylvania State
University, Bloomsburg University, Luzerne County Community College, and many
more.
The community is also going through a revitalization plan in downtown
Hazleton bringing more businesses, employees, and residents. There have been
several road improvement projects, which has made the area more appealing.
The area has many cultural opportunities like Eckley Miners Village, and local
events, which include Funfest and recreation areas including Rails to Trails,
Nescopeck State Park, and Eagle Rock Resort.

Section 4: School Personnel Interviews


I interviewed the ESL testing Coordinator for the Hazleton Area School
District, Patricia Craig. Mrs. Craig is also in charge of all ESL teachers for the district.
The current ESL resources for the students in the district include a curriculum from
National Geographic Learning, which includes Reach (Grades K-5), Inside (Grades 68), and Edge (Grades 9-12). ELLs also participate in the Scholastic reading resource
called System 44 Next Generation. It is a program where students alternate between
small-group differentiation and modeled/independent reading. Scaffolds and
supports are embedded throughout all aspects of System 44, from the technology to
the comprehensive teacher-led instruction. The district also utilizes another
Scholastic reading program called Read 180 Next Generation. This program begins
with large group instruction that engages the entire class. Then students break into
small groups and rotate through three stations for small-group and independent
learning. Online technology is also utilized with Rosetta Stone to help advance ELLs
communication skills.
Mrs. Craig also informed me that the school district also has a partnership
with Migrant Education for tutoring and credit recovery. The goal of the Migrant
Education Program is to ensure that all migrant students reach challenging
academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED)
that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive
employment (US Dept. of Education).
The final resource that is used by the district is the Hazleton Integration
Project, which provides after school support for the ELLS in the district. The mission

Is to provide a physical environment within the city of Hazleton, beneficial to


creating opportunities for economically challenged children to participate in a
variety of low or no cost educational cultural, and athletic activities
(hazletonintegrationproject.com).

Amy Reese
ESL 6
Section 5: Teacher Interviews
December 6, 2014
ESL Teacher: Caren Burkholder
How ELLS, families, and community are supported:
Caren is an ESL teacher at Heights Terrace Elementary School and pulls out
kindergarten, first, and second grade ELLs for English instruction. She explained to
me that she tries to encourage as much parent participation in school events as
possible. Miss Burkholder sends out reminders for school events like open house
and diversity night. She tells the students to choose a pencil if they come with the
parents to the event. One year, She took pictures of each student at diversity night
and attached the photos to papers. Then each ELL wrote about the night and the
photos and papers were hung in the hallway, outside the classroom.
As a school, forms, report cards, and other newsletters are available in both
Spanish and English. The only current language of the k-2 population is Spanish, but
there have been students who have spoken Chinese and Arabic in the past. There is
a full-time interpreter/translator, who is available for conferences, walk-ins, and
phone conversations. The translator also translates letters that need to be sent
home, as well as contacts parents for the teachers as well.

ESL Teacher: Diane Zecker


How ELLS, families, and community are supported:
Mrs. Zecker is an ESL teacher at Heights Terrace Elementary School and pulls
out ELLs in grades three and four for English instruction. Fortunately, Mrs. Zecker
also can speak Spanish and is able to talk to parents directly, encouraging them to
participate in school events with their child. Mrs. Zecker also encourages parents to
help their child and sends home vocabulary lists and flash cards with pictures of
vocabulary words so the student can practice and master the vocabulary introduced
in class. For all the 3rd and 4th grade teachers, Mrs. Zecker also offers help in the
content areas, like science and social studies, and suggests several learning
strategies and differentiated instruction ideas that will help the ELLs with difficult
content material.
Since Mrs. Zecker is in the same building as Miss Burkholder, the school
supports are the same and is repeated here:
As a school, forms, report cards, and other newsletters are available in both Spanish
and English. The only current language of the k-2 population is Spanish, but there
have been students who have spoken Chinese and Arabic in the past. There is a fulltime interpreter/translator, who is available for conferences, walk-ins, and phone
conversations. The translator also translates letters that need to be sent home, as
well as contacts parents for the teachers as well.

Section 6: Model Programs Research


Reading Improvement: Impacts of Online Technology use in Second language
Writing: A Review of the Literature
This article reviews the literature on how online technology affects second
and foreign language writing. One of the most urgent issues for ELLs in todays
education is writing instruction. According to the article, recent research has shown
that most writing programs in the United States are not suited for non-native
English speaking students because ELL students have different linguistic, cultural,
and educational needs. Another issue is that teachers will need to determine what
works for which students.
A promising system, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), can
incorporate both individualized learning activities and social interaction learning to
accelerate ELL writing processes and writing outcomes. Twenty-two studies
explored the effectiveness of online collaborative learning on ELL writing.
Positively, the majority of these studies published by the academic journals favored
online collaborative writing. Tailoring instruction to meet the needs of each ELL will
maximize the benefits.

International Schools Journal: The Impact of Technology Tools on Literacy


Motivation on Elementary School English Language Learners in a 4th Grade EAL
Class

Using technology within the classroom is becoming more common


throughout the world. Students are becoming very comfortable with digital
products, especially elementary students. The use of this technology brings new
opportunities to ELLs who may benefit from learning key English language skills
through this modern technology. This particular study tested a certain type of
technology to find out if it increased literacy motivation among ELLs. Research has
shown that there is a lack of literacy motivation among ELLs and is an area that
needs to be addressed.
The article states that there are some factors that help increase literacy
motivation, including student engagement. When students are motivated readers,
they are engaged readers. When integrating technology in literacy instruction, it has
shown to be effective in the motivation and engagement of ELLs. Technology
provides unique purposes for reading and unique audiences to write.
In this study, a 4th grade EAL class was chosen who are a combination of
push-in and pull-out support depending upon the ELP of the students. This project
was used only with the pull-out-classes. The medium chosen for students was to
crate an original podcast. The procedure included the following steps:
1. Implementing the MRP (Motivation to Read) Survey

2. Explaining and executing the podcasts and audacity recordings


3. Writing the descriptive fictional study
4. Peer-editing
5. Examining the fluency rubric
6. Self-assessing using the fluency rubric
7. Conducting final interviews
The goal of the study was to receive an understanding of the impact of certain
technologies used with ELLs and how it can improve their reading motivation, as
well as improve EAL instruction. The results were positive and encouraging and
suggest that using an educational tool like podcasting has the promising result to
motivate students to read and encourages active engagement in literacy learning
among the EAL students in this study. The author does feel, however, that more
research is necessary to look more closely into the connection between stimulating
literacy engagements of a high quality and purpose, and literacy achievement in the
area of learning English.

Multicultural Education: F.A.C.E. Time (Families and Communities Educating)


Accommodating Newcomers in Elementary School
This article addresses a program called F.A.C.E. Time, which stands for
Families and Communities Educating. It has been implemented in Lexington,
Kentucky elementary schools for the past 6 years. The program is a support
program for refugee and Latino immigrant children and their families who are new
to the school system. The goals of the program included language and academic

adaptation support, cultural and social emotional support, and community support.
This program also consisted three other programs. First, was an after school
program that was dedicated to academic skills, social, and behavioral adaptation for
students from third to fifth grade. Second, was F.A.C.E. Time Summer, which
included collaboration with a local learning center that provided hands-on science
and math lessons and a music school. This summer program also provided
instruction in writing, music, math, social studies, art, physical education, and field
trips. Finally, The Prime Time Reading Program was offered through the University
of Kentucky, school district, and the local library. Families received two reading
books with translations. The books were read and discussed by the facilitator.
Adults and children participated actively in the discussions.
This is a program that grown and now serves children in Kindergarten to
eighth grade. It is a program that is a great example of how the community and the
school can make a positive impact on ELLs and their families. Having a program
available in the summer outside of school helps keep the students connected and
continues to assist and advance the ELLs and their English skills.

The Cross cultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook- Chapter6:


Theories and Methods of Bilingual Education: Immersion
Immersion education provides academic and language instruction in two
languages and the goal is for students to be proficient in both languages. There are
two different types of immersion. First, there is enrichment immersion, which is
found mostly in private schools where foreign languages are supported with the

instruction delivered in a foreign language. The second type of immersion is dual


immersion. This program is designed to provide an enriched program of academic
and language study. This allows students and teachers to use both languages as the
medium of communication for certain areas of the curriculum. This type of
immersion encourages students to develop and improve their native language
speaking skills.
Research has shown that students who have received academic instruction in
their native language make more progress in learning English and developing
academically. Dual language immersion schools help ELLs develop their native
language while learning English through an enriched curriculum. On the contrary,
critics charge that dual language immersion fails to teach English to ELLs. Since
content is taught in the ELLs primary language, communication in English is not
emphasized.

The Cross cultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook- Chapter6:


Theories and Methods of Bilingual Education: English as a Second language
ESL instruction is given to students in a few different ways and research has
shown student success. There are four types of ESL programs that have proven
varying degrees of success among ELLs. The first model is the pull-out ESL. ELLs are
separated for remedial instruction in English. This program is the most expensive
but it also is the most implemented and least effective. The second program is the
ESL class period. Students in the secondary schools have the separate ESL classes
that assist the ELLs with their English skills. Most times, these classes focus

primarily on English skills but do not address the other academic subjects. This ESL
program has the possibility of being lacking in academic instruction. Third, is the
content-based ESL classroom where the students are separated for instruction. The
ELLs are taught English through the content areas with a curriculum organized
around grade-level objectives. According to the author, the most effective way to
achieve success is when an ESL teacher works with content area teachers and team
teaching occurs in the classroom.
The final ESL model is sheltered instruction which is provided by teachers who
knowledge in both content and second language acquisition. The lessons consist of
language and content objectives. The ELLs are mixed in with native English speakers
to keep the stigma of ELLs being in a separate class to a minimum.
Observing all these ESL model programs in the local schools, it seems to
work for some students but there is still some missing components including ESL
assistance in the content areas. Many content area teachers have not adjusted to the
influx of ELLs coming into their classrooms and do not have the knowledge in
second language acquisition. Although ESL support is available, the content area
teachers are not utilizing the support system available to them.

University Wire: Bilinguals Emerging inside the Classroom


In a new program being developed at Auburn University, teachers are
creating curriculums designed to encourage interaction among ELLs and native
English speakers, as well as teach students in their primary language. According to
Jamie Harrison, associate professor of ESOL education, students will develop

conversational English skills outside of the classroom but receive poor marks in
school, which reflects on their difficulty to grasp new concepts taught to them in
academic English. A graduate level course, literacy and inquiry in the content areas,
the co-instructors assigned professors and students exercises. These exercises were
meant to make them reflect about teaching ESOL students and conveying lessons in
ways that ELLs can understand. Vicki Cardullo, one of the co-teachers of the course,
explained that there are two different areas, reading and English as a second
language. Overloading the student may make it too difficult or too much material to
deal with together. It was explained that teachers do not know how to help the ELLS
in their classroom and do not realize that it is not a cognitive issue, but a language
issue.
Although this was not a model program for teaching ESL, it is important to
recognize the teachers who understand that it is not a cognitive learning delay. ESL
teachers learning how to address how ELLs learn a second language is just as vital
as what program model works the best in school. Teacher instruction, especially in
the content areas, will be key to helping ELLs succeed in their academic language.

Educational Digest: How Schools Can best Educate Hispanic Students


A surprising one-quarter of K-12 students in the United States come from
Spanish-speaking families or communities. The Hispanic population is not only the
nations largest immigrant group, but accounts for 56% of population growth the
last 20 years. This large influx of Hispanic students is challenging the United States

school system, not only to develop ELLs literacy skills, but also develop advanced
literacy skills. The UNO (The United Neighborhood Organization), a community
group lead by Juan Rangel, provides Hispanic families with a high quality education
through its local network of charter schools. UNO chose English-language
immersion over a traditional bilingual transition program. According to Rangel,
English immersion is effective in closing the performance gap between ELLs and
their peers nationwide. Not only is immersion financially viable and scalable, and he
also believes that these schools provide a well-rounded and challenging program
with exceptional teachers, who work with any population, but work well with the
Hispanic immigrant children. Even though the UNOs students is mostly Hispanic,
low income, and ELL, they perform far better on state tests compared to the public
schools of Chicago. These schools have also extended their school day to 7.5 hours
and 191 days on instruction, which has proven to prevent the summer slide. The
UNOs success also depends on the strong relationship between home and school.
UNO teachers conduct two home visits a year to create a trust to help challenge the
families.
This organization is an excellent model of what an immersion ESL program
should look like in the public school. Although a charter school, the public school
system can observe the obviously strong leadership and dedication of the teachers
and staff, which is what makes a program exemplary.

Journal of Teaching and Research: A Literature Review on Content ESL


Instruction
This article focused on the research on use of content ESL instruction within
the science classroom. It emphasizes that using ESL content instruction focuses not
only on learning English but also using that language as a medium to learn content
areas like math, science, and social studies. According to several theories, content
ESL instruction can help students both learning English and science. It can promote
vocabulary development, listening, speaking, reading, and writing development
together. The author also discussed how to promote language and science
effectively by using a variety of models like content-based language instruction and
theme-based instruction. He concluded that science learning thrives in places that
help students make connections with matters of importance to science. The teaching
of science with language learning through collaborative interaction can conclude in
the success in the knowledge of science. The author also feels that more research is
needed of how science instruction is constructed, how to improve and evaluate the
students achievement in both language learning and learning science concepts, and
how to balance L1 and L2 in a content area classroom.

SIOP Model- Center for Applied Linguistics


SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) is a sheltered instruction
model that has been widely used in the United States. It is a research based and
validated model that has proven to be effective in helping with the needs of English

language learners. This model consists of eight components including: lesson


preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction,
practice and application, lesson delivery, and review/assessment. Originally meant
for research, the SIOP model has been proven to be effective for English language
learners. Research shows that when teachers fully implement the SIOP Model,
English learners' academic performance improves. The model has not only
benefitted ELLs, but also all students. The CAL (Center for Applied Linguistics) has
done many research projects with SIOP. I have used this model when creating
lessons for ELLs and native speaking English students and it has proven to be
successful time and time again.

Section 7: Position Statements


TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages): Position
Statement on Language and Literacy Development for Young English Language
Learners
Literacy learning and language acquisition are vital a childs cognitive and
social development. A strong and solid education is essential to academic success
through high school graduation. The focus of this position statement is for children
who speak a language other than English and are entering a school where English is
the primary language used for instruction.
Based on research in early literacy and language acquisition, the following
components are key to an effective early literacy program:

Oral language and literacy development is supported by the students native


language

Literacy learning in English is an on-going process that requires time and


appropriate support

Instruction and materials are culturally and developmentally appropriate

Literacy programs are meaning-based and balanced

Assessment is reliable, valid, and ongoing

Professional preparation and development is continually provided for


educators regarding linguistic and cultural diversity

In conclusion, the quality of education of young children is critical and is an


indicator of long-term academic achievement. A strong academic foundation in the
students native language will help in learning a second language. Teachers should
make certain to engage students in activities that include speaking, listening,

reading, and writing in all content areas. These early childhood educators need
training on not only linguistic and cultural diversity, but on the foundations of
second language learning for children ages 3-8 so they can help meet the needs of
their diverse classrooms.
TESOL: Position statement on Multilingualism
A valuable tool in todays global community is the ability to speak a second
language. English is becoming a common global language for communicating. The
ability to communicate in more than one language is more important than ever and
promotes international goodwill and helps in dispelling mistrust.
TESOLs mission is to advance superiority in the teaching of the English
language. Not only does TESOL value multilingualism, but encourages learners to
learn a second language and supports and encourages programs that enhance skills
in both first and second languages.
TESOL also supports individual language rights and wants governments and
countries to endorse policies that recognize and value the languages within their
population. Finally, TESOL strongly encourages policies that sponsor and enhance
multilingualism by identifying and building on national resources.
TESOL: Position Statement on the Diversity of English Language Learners in
the United States
Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the immigration population,
which has had a dramatic impact on both the number and diversity of students and
adults known as English language learners. This diversity has brought on groups

with not only linguistic and cultural differences, but also in educational and
socioeconomic characteristics. All these factors have an impact on the way that
these students learn English. It is vital that educators and policymakers be made
aware of these important areas.
Cultural differences can be small, but do influence students learning. For
example, student-teacher interaction and the value of education may be viewed
differently. How students comprehend content an also be due to cultural
differences. Students from different cultural backgrounds will not all have the same
experiences necessary to understand the texts.
Another factor is language, which is embedded in culture and the culture
affects how people think and use language. The native language of the person
impacts the way a person learns English. Over time, ELLs will develop their own
cultural sensibilities in local contexts.
Another set of factors affecting English learners is age and educational
background. According to research, children and adults do learn differently, this is
especially for learning a language. Learners at different ages have different needs
and approaches to learning and teaching methodologies must fit the age group.
It is a fact that strong language and literary skills in the ELLs native language will
definitely help with second language learning.
Finally, an ELLs socioeconomic status will also affect learning. There are
many factors that financially impact a family and these experiences not only affect
learning, but also how education is viewed and supported.

With all these factors affecting English language learners, educators need to
be aware of this diversity when it comes to teaching and learning. Policies must be
flexible to give diverse English language learners opportunities for success. TESOL
wants decision makers to explore and understand the diversity of the target group
before making any education policies and to consult with researchers, educators,
and other stakeholders in the formation of education policy as it will affect English
language learners.

Section 8: School Observation


ESL Classroom grades 7 and 8 at Hazleton Elementary/Middle School
In this ESL classroom, System 44 and Read 180 are the resources used with
the ELLs. The schedule is done in such a way that 7th and 8th grade ESL students
receive 2 periods of ESL everyday. One day the ELLs will be with one teacher,
learning the regular English curriculum, and the next day with another ESL teacher,
who uses a different ESL curriculum. In this classroom, students are not given a time
limit for testing and supports are given based on their level and need. For example,
tests read aloud, extra teacher modeling, and examples. Pictures are used frequently
as a support.
Everything that the school sends home is in English and Spanish. There is
also a translator available for families to use either by phone or in person. Afterschool tutoring is also available for students that are in need of more support. The
school involves the community through Open House, when a translator is available.
The community is also involved with various letters that may be sent home through
out the year on a variety of topics.
Upon my observation, I found using System 44 or Read 180 with ELLs was
not productive. The students had difficulty with the material and were not
motivated to learn the material due to the language barrier. Although the students
are taught under a sheltered English instruction (SEI) program, the ELLs were of all
different levels, which made it difficult to teach the regular English curriculum.

ESL Classroom grades 3 and 4 at Heights Terrace Elementary/Middle School

In this ESL classroom, the ELLs are pulled out of the regular classroom and
Nat Geos Reach curriculum is utilized according to the grade level. The primary
focus in this class is vocabulary and learning how to communicate on a daily basis in
English. I also observed a newcomer class of fourth grade students. The curriculum
used was Nat Geos In the USA, which is introduced to the new students coming into
the American school system. The emphasis of this curriculum is to learn vocabulary
words and communicating the basics in English.
The ESL teacher is bilingual and at times does use some Spanish with her
newcomer class to communicate to the new students. She keeps a word wall of all
vocabulary words introduced and reviews the words often with the students.
The ESL teacher also is able to call the parents because she is bilingual, which helps
with getting to know the parents personally.

ESL Classroom Kindergarten and Grade 1 at Heights Terrace


Elementary/Middle School

The ESL teacher for these young students, which are pulled out of the
classroom, emphasizes the basics like letters and numbers, and also uses the Reach
curriculum with the ELLs. With Kindergarten students, the ESL teacher uses the
curriculum but also uses music to learn the letters and their sounds. Pictures are
heavily used to introduce the vocabulary as well as flashcards. A favorite activity of
the ELLs is bingo with vocabulary words.

This ESL teacher also sends home newsletters in Spanish in order to keep the
parents informed of the activities in the ESL classroom as well as progress reports
on the students English language development.

Section 9: School Supports and Model Programs Comparison

Type of model

Available

Unavailable

Computer Supported
Writing Program

Integrating Technology
Tools
Newcomer Program

Immersion Model

ESL Model Pull-out

Sheltered Instruction
(SIOP)
Content ESL Instruction

Online Technology Use

Bilingual Education
Structured English
Immersion

X
X

Section 10: Recommendations for Supports

Parent Recommendations: This is difficult due to the lack of participation and


involvement of the parents of ELLs in the school. With the sudden influx of ELLs

coming into the school district, there has not been any motivation to get parents
involved. If I could recommend to parents, it would be the following:
1. Read to your ELL at home in Spanish or watch television programs in
Spanish. This will strengthen their native language skills, which will benefit
learning English skills.
2. Be proactive with your child and work on vocabulary development. Help
your child by drilling words on flash cards.
3. Participate in parent/teacher conferences when scheduled. Ask the teacher
what you can do to help your child in school.
4. Volunteer when opportunities arise at the school.
Administration Recommendations: Based on my experiences with the school and
what I have observed, I recommend the following:
1. Hire more ESL teachers and support staff. The present staff is overwhelmed
by the growing number of ELLs and cannot service these students properly.
2. Reevaluate the current ESL program method and get feedback from the ESL
teachers on what is working and what is not working.
3. Listen to the ESL teachers concerns and suggestions and take into
consideration their concerns.
4. Have some teachers and administrators observe ESL programs at other large
school districts to get some ideas on how the present can be improved.
5. Run workshops for content area teachers to help them learn strategies that
will help ELLs with difficult content material.
Teacher Recommendations: I recommend the following:

1. Keep constant communication with content area teachers to help educate


them on strategies that will help ELLs in their classes.
2. Hold informational meetings on how to handle students from different
cultures.
3. Model your lessons following the SIOP model. Research has proven this 8 step model to be effective in helping with the needs of English language
learners as well as native English speakers.
4. Stop using the regular English curriculum until they reach a higher ELP
proficiency. Focus on English using an ESL curriculum based on their ELP.
5. Keep in communication with parents and try to find ways to involve them in
the education of their ELL student.

Paraprofessional Recommendations: Unfortunately, this school has very few


paraprofessionals who are overwhelmed by the amount of ELLs. I would
recommend the following:
1. Attend workshops to learn about the different models, especially the pull-out
and sheltered English instruction.
2. Learn some basic Spanish to communicate with the ELL if necessary.
3. Keep in communication with the content area teachers and ESL teachers.
Policymaker Recommendations: I would recommend the following:
1. Allow more ESL teachers to be hired to keep the teacher/student ration low.

2. Allow mandatory workshops for content area teachers so they can learn how
to accommodate ELLs in their classes.

Section 11: Professional Knowledge:


As a regular education teacher, I never had experiences with ELLs in the
classroom until I started working in the Heights-Terrace Elementary School. Prior to
taking courses for my ESL certification, I had no idea how to even relate to a student
who could not speak English. From taking these certification courses, I have learned
that knowing how to teach English was not enough in being an ESL teacher. It is
also learning about the different cultures represented in the ESL classroom. It also
includes how to relate to various behaviors of ELLs that regular students and
teachers may not understand until the culture has been studied. I have learned how
to relate to ELLs and their needs in the mainstream classroom, especially in the
content areas.
I have also learned how to differentiate instruction for ELLs in the
mainstream classroom, especially in the content areas. Setting language objectives
along with content objectives helps focus the direction for learning and set the path
for teaching the ELLs in the classroom. Keeping the students motivated and building
on a students background knowledge, will excel learning not only in English, but the
content area being studied. The SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol)
model emphasizes both language and content objectives, which I followed to write
my own lessons and objectives for all lessons written for this course. Assessing ELLs
in is a vital part measuring language proficiency. Using rubrics, checklists, and selfassessment are some of the tools that will measure an ELLs progress as well as
indicate areas that need more improvement.

Finally, I will be an advocate for the ESL students in my school. I will educate
other teachers with information concerning the cultures represented by the ELLs in
the school, which mostly consists of the Hispanic culture. Understanding several
cultural differences like shyness, dating, eye contact, dealing with time, and
attendance will help teachers and staff to relate the Spanish-speaking students and
their families. Planning an informational session at a faculty meeting or Act 80 day
will be a way to help teachers understand the ESL students and the cultures they
represent.

Section 12: Advocacy


English Language learners are becoming more a part of our culture here in
United States and the numbers continue to grow. As an ESL teacher, it is essential to
learn the culture of all my students to get a better understanding of where the ELL
has come from and to help each student feel more comfortable in the school.
Understanding concepts like eye contact, touch, dating, and other culture specifics
will benefit the other students and teachers in the school. Sharing this information
with the content area teachers will help in relating to the ELL and not
misunderstand a certain behavior as negative.
As an ESL teacher, I will encourage my students to do their best and be
ashamed of their lack of English skills. As an ESL teacher, I will also build my
knowledge for the structure and usage of the English language as well as the process
that first and second languages are attained. Knowing the language background will
aid in determining the possible diverse linguistic challenges for the ELL and
formulate the most effective instructional strategies for teaching English to the ELL.
Languages can be complicated and being educated in the language structure and
usage of the ESL student will benefit the English learning process.
As an ESL teacher I will continue to build my knowledge of best practices and
strategies of second language acquisition to help ELLs achieve academic proficiency.
I will also be the voice of the ELL to the regular classroom teachers who may find
ELLs in the class putting the rest of the class behind or moving at a slower pace. I
will do my best to work with the content area teachers and share ways to
differentiate instruction so the class moves along.

AS an ESL teacher, I will also keep in mind how it must feel for a child with
little English speaking skills to be placed in a room full of strangers. I will help the
ELL feel more comfortable with new and unfamiliar surroundings by spending time
with him or her and checking on the ELL in the mainstream classroom. I will also try
to pair up the new ELL with a student who shares the same L1 as the new student.
Finally, as an ESL teacher I will assist the ELL in mastering writing, reading,
speaking, and listening skills in English to the best of my ability. I will praise the ELL
at every milestone the ELL achieves and be encouraging every step of the students
journey to master the English language.

Section 13: Reflection


Language
I have learned that I need to recognize within the English language the
difficulties that ELLs are experiencing and develop strategies or use proven
strategies to help ELLs with problems with phonology, morphology, syntax,
pragmatics, and semantics of the English language. I also will support ELLs in
understanding and using English in different contexts and for social and academic
audiences.
Culture
Learning the culture of the ELLs in the classroom will help me understand each
childs cultural identity. I will also be able to recognize the negative effects of
cultural bias in curriculum and use various ranges of resources to administer
instruction. I will also be able to develop ways to communicate between home and
school and support the preferred mode of communication of the parents and utilize
interpretation resources that the school provides.
Observing, Planning, Implementing, and Managing Instruction
I will be able to plan lessons that include all domains including reading,
writing, speaking, and listening. I will also use a variety of texts and materials, as
well as strategies and assessments based on the ELLs English language proficiency,
L1 literacy, prior knowledge, learning styles, and social needs. I will differentiate
instruction when necessary and reteach when the ELL is in need of extra instruction.

Assessment
I will use various formative and summative assessments to measure the
students proficiency and understanding of the English language. I will also utilize
technology-based assessment including audio and video, and computer.
Implementing a variety of assessment tools like observation, checklists, self and
peer assessment will also be a part of the assessment of the ELLs in my class.

Professionalism
Throughout this ESL certification process, I will use research that I have
conducted to make up my own educational philosophy for teaching ELLs. I will also
collaborate with school staff for the purpose of assisting the teachers with
differentiated instruction ideas for the ELLs in the regular classroom, especially the
content areas like science and social studies. I would like to also come up with ways
to include the families in classroom activities, keep them informed with information,
and offer support and assistance.

Appendix
Notes of Staff Interview: Patti Craig

1.

ELL population: What are the Number of students


and cultures represented by grade level (I have
the numbers for each grade level from the last
class up to grade 8.

There are 491 students in the high school, career


center and stem school.
High School 122-9th
70-10th
73-11th
83-12th
Career Center

7-9th

69-10th
32-11th
21-12th
There are 7 ELLs at the Stem School.
Our ESL population is 99% Latino. We have 2 Chinese
students, one Russian student, and 3 students from
India.
2.

What are the current ELL resources and support


programs that the school and community have in
place for ELL families and children? Is this
information on the HASD website?
The programs that we use are Reach (grades k-5),
Inside (grades 6-8), and Edge (grades 9-12).
We also use Systems 44 and Read 180. We have a
partnership with Migrant Education for tutoring
and credit recovery. The Hazleton Integration
Project also provides after school support for
our ELLs.

3.

What are the three schools in the district with


the highest number of ELLs and how many are in
each building?
The schools with the highest number of ELLs are:
Heights-Terrace-220
Hazleton Elem/Middle-199
West Hazleton-172

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