Key Beliefs

There a few key beliefs that have defined everything that I do as an educator. I believe
that knowledge, by itself, has intrinsic value. Every child regardless of race, religion, sexuality,
or disability has the potential to succeed and deserves a quality education. Students are partners
in their own learning. My job is to help students learn about themselves and others, help them
gain valuable critical thinking skills, and evoke a sense of insatiable curiosity about the world
around them. Every student has the ability to learn and grow. These beliefs drew me to pursue an
endorsement in English as a Second Language. This population can seem invisible in school.
They are the refugee student, the immigrant, the multicultural student, and every other student in
between. Serving this underserved population has become a passion that I look forward to
pursuing for the rest of my career.

Krashen’s Hypotheses

Regardless of reason for acquisition, the way that most students learn is being flooded
with input and then being asked to create output. This happens naturally when students are
immersed in the language. It happens less naturally in second language classrooms, but good
teachers can create environments that replicate this more favorable environment. To me,
Krashen’s Acquisition learning hypothesis best explains how learners acquire language. First, to
be able to use language you have to acquire it rather than learn it. Second, language that has been
learned can only monitor correct and incorrect usage. Language that has been acquired can be
used to create other language. Third, language is acquired in predictable orders. Fourth,
acquisition occurs when lesson are one level above their current level (i+1). And, fifth, students
can’t learn when their affective filter (a metaphysical barrier that occurs in our brains due to fear,
anxiety, or trauma) is up. L2 instructors have to be aware of this in order to help their students
acquire their L2.

Language is Social

It’s impossible to separate language from its social characteristics. Without humanity’s
innate desire to be social and live in community, language would not have an important place
and society and therefore would not have the same prominence in our brains. Everyone exists in
some sort of language community, and those who are bilingual belong to more than one. It’s
important to honor the language communities of my student’s L1’s, regardless of what language
community that they exist in with their peers.
 Authentic Practice

Language teaching must be relevant and authentic, otherwise students learn the language
but they do not acquire it. In other words, they can do well on a test, but will not be able to use
the language in a real world context. A student’s curiosity is stifled when the only activities in
the classroom are memorizing parts of speech, diagramming sentences, and reciting proper word
form. This provides an artificial environment for language interaction, as well as a poor context
for students to practice their second language. However, when combined with opportunities for
conversation with peers and authentic opportunities for practice it can be a powerful addition to
an EL curriculum. Often, our EL students struggle initially with this kind of lesson. However,
providing an opportunity for students to frequently practice, despite the struggle, is essential.
Translated into the classroom, this may look like making sure students have time to speak to
each other in collaboration, creating projects that require students to both speak and write, and
incorporating more discussion, along with some teacher modeling. These different types of
practice are an intentional part of every unit I create.

Adapting rather than Changing Curriculum

Often, curriculum for EL students is made easier ​rather than adapting instruction to
support similar outcomes for the student while still holding them to the content standards of the
class. Students want to learn, and we are not respecting their dignity as human beings if we
believe that they can’t. Sometimes, EL learners need more scaffolding and information presented
in a different way. This task can be time-consuming and, at first, difficult. This does not mean
that we should take the easy way out and hold an 18 year old to the standards of a 10 year old.
EL students want to learn, and EL students can learn. We are cheating them if we believe
anything different. SIOP model lesson plans provide a solution for this pervasive issue. This
model provides support for the language learner, quality teaching, and content-rich instruction
while still holding the student to the appropriate standards and curriculum.