I am an ESL teacherbut Im not! Let me explain.

Due to recent changes in Title I rules and regulations, my job as a reading specialist has undergone a dramatic change. A couple of years ago, students identified as ELL and receiving services, did not qualify to receive Title I services because it was considered double-dipping. Then, all of a sudden, this was changed to ELL students may receive services in addition to ELL support. In my district, MAY translated to MUST. This is how I became an unofficial ESL teacher almost overnight. While I have an extensive background in teaching reading to English speaking students, I certainly did not feel adequately prepared to meet the special needs of the second language learner. That is why I embraced this interview project as a way to educate myself by talking to and learning from the people who really know what is what; the people actually working in the trenches with ELL students on a daily basis. To prepare for the interview process, I developed a set of guiding questions that covered a variety of issues relevant to the teaching of ELL students. I then contacted ELL teachers I knew and was delighted when 3 of them agreed to be interviewed, provided I maintain their anonymity. Since time is such a precious resource, I gave each participant a copy of the questions ahead of time so they could start thinking about the topics and I set up an interview time that was convenient for them. My first series of questions helped me to break the ice and also learn more about my colleagues professional background. Two of the teachers I interviewed were rather new to the ELL specialty and the third was a veteran of 23 years. Even though the newer teachers had less experience with ELL students, they both had many years of classroom teaching experience. I personally feel that it is very important for a support or resource teacher to

first have classroom experience. This helps one have more credibility with classroom teachers as you have had the opportunity to walk in their shoes. Reasons for choosing this area of teaching were interesting. All found working with this population of students very rewarding and enjoyable. One teacher was very motivated by how eager her ELL students are to learn. She also talked about how much she learns from this group of students. Even though my experience with ELLs has been limited, I am always struck by how enthusiastic they are to learn. They teach me every day. Two teachers felt their own language background is what led them to the ELL classroom. One teacher stated that she ended up in ELL because of the changing population in her school. Because she herself is bilingual, her principal offered her an ELL position even though she did not have ESL or bilingual endorsement at the time; she does now through the IRC. I could really relate to this teachers experience, even though I am not bilingual. I am learning more effective ways to teach because of the changing demographic, something that we all should be thinking about. The educational preparation of the teachers I interviewed was varied. One teacher had a degree in elementary education and worked as a 4th grade teacher for 4 years. She then obtained her Type 29 provisional certificate and began teaching in an ESL pull-out program while working on her bilingual endorsement through the IRC. Another teacher received an M.A. in Linguistics and went on to obtain an elementary teaching certificate. Throughout his 23 years of teaching second language learners, first to adults and then at elementary level, he took additional coursework leading to his bilingual endorsement. The third teacher I interviewed started her teaching career as a high school English teacher and went on to get a masters degree in reading. She currently has a Type 29

provisional certificate and will soon complete her coursework towards bilingual approval. Since reading and learning go hand in hand, I really think having a reading background is very beneficial to not only ELL teachers but all teachers. I then asked questions about their language backgrounds. I was very interested to hear their responses because I do not have much of a second language background. After two years of high school German I can count to 20, sing the ABC song, and swear like a truck driver. All three of the teachers were very interested in language development and acquisition, not only for their students, but for themselves as well. One of the teachers came to the U.S. from Poland when she was 4 years of age. While Polish is her first language, she considers English to be her dominant language. She feels strongly that ELL teachers should be bilingual because it helps teachers better relate to and communicate with their students and it also makes a teacher more empathetic about the language learning process. Of the other two teachers I interviewed, one considered himself to be fluent in Spanish and the other said that while she could read and understand Spanish, she could not speak it. These two teachers did not feel it was absolutely necessary for an ELL teacher to be bilingual. One teacher went on to say that she felt not knowing the students primary language was an advantage because it actually facilitates conversation and language learning, in her opinion. She also likes when students of different language backgrounds work together because they seem to use more English since this is the language that unites them. I thought this was an insightful comment; something I had never thought of before. All the teachers I interviewed found their own second language learning to be invaluable to their teaching. One teacher shared her vivid memories of what it was like,

at a very young age, to hear and speak one language at school and have to think in another language. Another teacher stated how he frequently thought about what helped him learn Spanish and then transferred this to his teaching. The final teacher felt she gained a deep respect for what learning a new language entails based on her own personal experiences. This made me realize that even my lame experience in high school has value as it has helped me realize the difficulty of learning a second language. Sitting in a language lab with headphones on for two years, listening to and parroting scripted dialogues, is not the way to learn a language. My next series of questions focused on the programs and program components each teacher was currently involved in. One of the teachers I interviewed taught in a high school that provides a TBE program for Spanish students and a TPI for other language groups. She herself teaches reading to students who come from a variety of language backgrounds and levels. Her students are appropriately grouped in classes based on their level of development. The other two teachers I interviewed, both bilingual teachers, worked in the same elementary school; one with Spanish speaking students and the other with Polish speakers. The Spanish bilingual teacher described his programs as being a TBE/Spanish class and a TPI/ESL class. The Polish bilingual teacher described her program as being a TPI/ESL class. Both stated that they pulled students out by grade level for 40 minutes each day. All language levels were grouped together. Their responses were interesting for a few reasons. First of all, since there are over 20 Polish students enrolled in the school, I was surprised that a TBE/Polish class was not offered. Another thing that stood out was how students were pulled by grade level rather than language level. Pulling out based on language levels seems to be more desirable as it

would be easier to address student needs. Finally, the fact that ELLs were only pulled for 40 minutes each day was somewhat surprising. This does not seem to be adequate time to provide language learners the instruction they need. The whole part-time TBE issue really needs to be more clearly defined, in my opinion. When it comes to materials and interventions, I found the responses to be varied and interesting. The Spanish bilingual teacher, who was the most experienced ELL teacher of the three that I interviewed, used the same basal reading program materials that the classroom teachers used. When he described what he did, it sounded like the same thing the classroom teacher did. What his students were getting was not different or supplementary but more of the same. The Polish bilingual teacher also used the basal material but felt that more was needed so she enriched her instruction by doing a word of the day in Polish as a way to help her students maintain their primary language. I think it commendable that this teacher realized the importance strengthening the first language. The high school ESL teacher, who is also a reading specialist, enthusiastically talked about the strategies she used and had success with rather than commercial programs, which greatly impressed me. For example, she finds that use of visuals really helps her students comprehension. She sang the praises of the Language Experience Approach (LEA). She gave examples of the success she had implementing readers theater activities. She stressed the value of explicit content and vocabulary instruction. She also believed strongly in the importance of building background knowledge to enhance comprehension. She did this through read-alouds, discussion, and field trips. She loves taking her ELLs on field trips because it builds their background in content areas and helps them socially as well. This teacher really seemed to know what works

best for all students, not just ELL students. The strategies she talked about should be in all teachers repertoires. Good teaching is good teaching! All of the teachers I interviewed felt their districts supported them mostly in the area of staff development. They all mentioned attending at least two interesting and helpful conferences or workshops this school year, with more opportunities available in the spring. Areas they all felt their districts could support ELL more was by providing classroom teachers and support staff with training and also by giving teachers time to collaborate with each other on ELL issues. This was very interesting to me. I had no idea that the ELL teachers in my district had been attending such worthwhile conferences and workshops. There really needs to be a way for this information to be shared with all teachers involved in the education of the ELL students. When I asked them about the biggest ELL issue they or their students faced, the teachers came up with some insightful comments. The Spanish bilingual teacher was very concerned with the achievement gap between his students and the general population, specifically in the area of language arts. He felt that unless major changes are made in instruction, materials, programs, etc., this gap will continue to widen. I had to bite my tongue when he said this. I wanted to tell him that perhaps using the basal reading program and giving the students more of the same was not exactly best practices but it was not my place to say this, at least not yet! The Polish bilingual

teacher felt her biggest issue came from parents who believed that their child would be better off in the general education classroom without any ELL support. Many of her parents only want their children exposed to English in school. They also feel their children get enough exposure to their native language at Polish school. These parents, in

my opinion, do have a legitimate concern but they need education to understand the importance of maintaining the primary language. The high school ESL teachers biggest issue is with her colleagues. She feels they have many misconceptions about ELL students and their ability which can have a negative impact on her ELLs achievement, behavior, and motivation. I agree wholeheartedly with this. Educating classroom teachers and support staff is important to the success of an ELL program. Classroom teachers often come off sounding like they want to push off the responsibility of teaching ELLs to the bilingual or ESL teachers when in reality they are advocating for what they feel is the best placement for these students. It is not their fault that they do not have the background to best meet the needs of these students. Administrative changes are necessary to ensure that all teachers have the training they need and the time to collaborate on what is best for not only ELL students but all students. I ended the interview by asking the teachers to predict how they think their programs will look in the future. The Spanish bilingual teacher predicts the expansion of the Spanish and Polish bilingual programs in all the buildings in his district. The Polish bilingual teacher believes that the Polish population has peaked and will stay the same or lessen due to the economy. She has heard that Polish immigrants are choosing to move to England and Ireland and many of the families here will go back to Poland. I did not think to ask where she got this information but she stated it with such certainty that I am sure she had a credible source. The high school teacher predicts that the programs in her district will continue but she is very concerned that the failing economy will prevent the schools from providing ELLs and all students the extras that they need. It is sad to think that as the need increases, the resources will be not available to support programs.

But I am quite sure that at the state and federal level, schools will still be expected to meet high and unrealistic standards. Finally, I asked the teachers what they would do to create a perfect ELL program and they had some interesting and insightful ideas to share. All felt that more collaboration between the ELL teachers, classroom teachers, and support staff is absolutely necessary. The Polish bilingual teacher said she would love to have an abundance of materials and interventions specifically designed for Polish speakers since these apparently are not readily available. Educating regular education teachers was mentioned as being critical to a perfect ELL program. One teacher felt it imperative that a perfect ELL program help students maintain their primary language. Another suggestion to create a perfect program is in the selection of the staff as the teachers in the program can make it or break it. I certainly agree with all their ideas for a perfect program. ELL teachers should make their suggestions known to administration. I know that things being what they are we cannot always get what we want, but being a voice for positive change is a part of being a good teacher. The teachers working in the trenches have the knowledge and the experience and so should be a big part of program planning. Getting a first hand, realistic picture of what goes on in the life of an ELL teacher was a real education. We have so much expertise to tap into with our own colleagues that it is a shame that we so often overlook this valuable resource. I am excited about dealing with the challenges and rewards that come with being an ELL teacher and I look forward to working more closely with such dedicated colleagues.