School and Community Context
School and Community Context
Embedded Files
Over the course of 3 weeks in February 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in an after-school program offered at PS 329Q. Within 5 lessons, I implemented my sculpture unit that centered around the theme of fear and protection. Due to the fact that many of the students are immigrants and English Language Learners, I realized that my planning and instruction needed to be more closely aligned with students’ cultures and languages. As a bilingual non-native English speaker myself, with Mandarin as my first language, I deeply relate to the students due to our shared experience of navigating a second language. With both myself and students using a second language as the main form of communication in the classes, I discovered that this may have contributed to a disconnect or an additional language barrier in the way we understand each other. These challenges have helped inform my teaching and how I plan and teach the curriculum. As I navigated the intricacies of teaching in English I became acutely aware of how my linguistic background and self-perception as a non-native English speaker (NNES) shape the way I construct my lessons and deliver instruction.
Student Demographic Composition
Founded in 2013, East Elmhurst Community School (PS 329Q), is an elementary school located in Queens, New York. The student population at PS 329Q is primarily Hispanic students, with a diverse range of cultural backgrounds represented, including immigrants from countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico. Additionally, there is a mix of students hailing from both urban and rural backgrounds, although there is a notably high percentage of students from rural areas according to the principal. PS 329Q’s demographic composition, which is further presented in the column chart below, serves as a major factor that influences my current and future teaching practice.
Students’ Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds
Our class initially began with 8 students, and by the second week, it increased to 9 students. Comprising a mix of 4th and 5th graders, this group of students comes from diverse linguistic backgrounds. There were two English Language Learners (ELL) in my class, with Spanish being their first language. When asking them what language they speak, some students consider themselves bilingual and others told me that they have limited proficiency in either Spanish or English. To the right is the breakdown of the linguistic backgrounds of the students.
Page updated
Report abuse