Embedded Files
Rebecca Eckert
Learning Targets
At the end of this lesson readers should be able to...
describe the current assistance given to English language learners, and what teachers should be doing to support these students.
Name three ways the pandemic has affected the experience of non English learners and teachers.
Teachers and students are having difficulties communicating.
Less support for the students and their families.
Difficulties learning as efficiently online as students would in person.
To help get a basic understanding of what it can look like to be a teacher to English language earning students, this video offers the perspective of two long-time teachers who have been teaching English language learning students. They offer good advice and great insight that leads us into the lesson today.
Introduction
Introduction
Being a student in America can be difficult in itself, but for English language learning students, school can bring on a whole world of troubles. Imagine being in a classroom where everyone is speaking a language you are not fluent in. That can be very overwhelming for anyone, but the education system has spent many years trying to make the experience for non-English speaking students as productive and supportive as possible. In this lesson we are going to learn how families and teachers can and do work together to ensure English language learning students succeed.
Interviewees
Interviewees
Mrs. Ackerman
Mrs. Ackerman
Mrs. Ackerman is a first year second grade teacher. She is currently teaching in Chesapeake, Virginia. She has always had a passion for teaching and being inclusive to all of her students. As a first year teacher in 2020, her year was interesting to say the least. Having to navigate the pandemic and her first time experiencing teaching an English Language learning student.
Andrew
Andrew
Andrew is a seventh grade student in Chesapeake public schools. Andrew recently moved to the Hamptons roads area, and is from a predominantly Spanish speaking family. He is an English language learning student and for most of his life his older sister is the only person in his home that had a good understanding of English.
“ how are english learning students and their teachers handling the pandemic”
Teachers are all having to change and adapt their methods during this pandemic, losing that face to face student and teacher interaction has made the past year very difficult, especially for teachers who have english learning students. Mrs. Ackerman spoke to me about some of the challenges she has faced while trying to be the best teacher she could be to her non-English speaking students. A lot of what I learned from her had to do with the difficulties students face trying to learn without the full immersion that they get in a traditional classroom setting. Online learning has proven to force students to become more independent with their learning and that can't be easy for students who are learning a new language. It can be hard for teachers to give that same one on one care that they could give in a classroom over larger internet based classes. That one on one care to English learning students is one of the main ways teachers have supported their students, and that being taken away is hurting those students' progress. When moving back to in person classes it will be very important that English language learning students are a priority( Julia sugarman, Melissa Lazarin,2021). There are many concerns being spoken about in the education community about the long term consequences of the pandemic in relations to English language learning students. Carrie parker, an educational researcher, shares this thought, . " The fear is that if they get disconnected enough, school will no longer seem relevant." I think this can be said for all students but will could unequivocally affect Non English speaking students.
Andrew's perspective
English learning students face many struggles in a normal school environment, and the pandemic has only added more to that. It can be isolating and overwhelming being in a english speaking school and not being able to communicate as easily. Andrew knows this struggle well and he gave me insight to some of the things that he struggles with while online learning. Technology is the main way of learning during this pandemic and many students have had to receive their computers from their schools. For students like Andrew, him and his family struggled being able to set up and learn their schools online learning program. None of his family speak fluent english and their school was not as helpful as they hoped they would be which led to delays in his advancement in his classes. While online learning it can be hard for students to speak up and ask for the help they need because teachers are very busy and also trying to navigate this new way of learning.
In Conclusion
In conclusion I have learned that being a teacher to an English language learning student does not have to be so different from helping any other student. Talking with each individual student and learning what they need from you to be able to succeed in your class is always beneficial. You can also spend time teaching your students what you expect from them. English language learners deserve sufficient support from their teachers and schools, whether that be specialists or more scheduled one on one time.
Multiple choice questions
1) How are teachers struggling to teach their English language learning students during the pandemic?
a. They do not have the time to teach their students
b. They do not care enough to help them
c. It is harder to communicate with students while teaching online.
d. they do not want to teach them
2) What grade does Mrs.Ackerman teach?
a. 5th
b. 10th
c. 3rd
d.1st
References
Julie Sugarman, Melissa Lazarin (2021, February 15). Educating English Learners during the COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Policy ideas for States and school districts. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/english-learners-covid-19-pandemic-policy- ideas
Parker, C. (2020, June 02). How is the pandemic affecting english learners? Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.edc.org/how-pandemic- affecting-english-learners
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