Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students.
• Collaborate with colleagues
In order to make collaborating with ZMS content-area teachers efficient, I created the English Language Development folder in the Team Drive. The information shared with the LEP team for dissemination throughout the grade levels is housed here as well as other common tools and strategies that content-area teachers can easily access to assist them in instructing and assessing ELs. Though I meet with my colleagues individually and in group settings as needed to strategize ways to improve learning and instruction for particular ELs as well as subgroups (newcomers, beginning, transitionals, long-term ELs, former ELs, etc.), I also use other forms of communication to help build capacity among content-area teachers. Email newsletters are one way that I share staff development information and address concerns more broadly that some teachers share individually with me. The Beginning of the Year presentation is another way that I address the most pressing concerns of my colleagues.
I have also organized a PLT of ESL teachers --NorthEast Regional Dynamic Learning Team -- who synergize regularly, collaborating to improve teacher instruction and assessment, increase student academic English language acquisition, and to decrease the academic gap between ELs and their native-speaking peers. Our team is recognized by the District, which seeks our expertise and input regularly when they need teacher input or leadership. Our members, including myself, are called upon to facilitate PD, mentor peers, and as a model for other PLTs. The Department administration uses our PLT as a think tank when they need to understand and gauge teachers' needs in the field. Most of us is also involved in the District curriculum overhaul as writers or pilot teachers. We collaborate in person, virtually (via Zoom), digitally (through email, Twitter, and Google Apps for Education), and small groups as necessary to achieve our goals. We house shared information within a team folder in Google Drive and have expanded our presence to Twitter with the #ESL_DynamicLearning.
• Use data for short and long range planning; • Engage students in the learning process; • Monitor and modify plans to enhance student learning; and • Respond to cultural diversity and learning needs of students.
Our PLT has developed Common Assessments to more strategically target and assess the needs and progress of our students in order to adapt planning, improve student outcomes, and enhance student learning. We have enhanced them this year to reflect all Language Domains while focusing on the ELA standards that most directly impact student performance in their content areas.
One thing I am proud to have implemented this year is a rubric-based grading system to help students become more aware of and to take responsibility for, not only their learning, but their growth as well. I also require students to create and maintain a personal learning journal to capture their learning and to make connections with the Power Standards and how they are incorporated throughout the content areas. The learning journal helps students to reflect upon what knowledge and skills transfer between the disciplines and how the disciplines are interconnected. My intent is to help students to visualize recognize their strengths and weaknesses in order to capitalize on their strengths and gain control in improving their weaknesses.
Student Work Samples: Personal Learning Journal Entries:
Independent (Outside) Reading Log - (notice that this student has logged English and Spanish books that she is reading. I encourage students to continue to strengthen their native academic language as well. Begin fluent in the native language helps students become acquire a second language much more fluidly.)