Teaching English Language Learners Part 1. Special Education Part 1. Senior Social Sciences ABQ. Guidance Part 1.
ELL Teaching Philosophy
SAFE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
As an educator, I firmly believe that every student deserves a safe and inclusive space that provides opportunities for learning and growth. This is particularly important with ELL students who may have come from an unsafe place, experience(d) trauma, and could feel quite isolated due to language and cultural barriers. Classrooms should be welcoming to students, staff and families regardless of sex, race, gender, language, ability or socio-economic status. We can create positive environments for ELL students by including multilingual signs and posters in the classroom, posting visuals of acceptance, and encouraging the use of L1 to support the development of L2. EQUITY AND DIFFERENTIATION Sameness is not fairness. As an educator I believe in the importance of delivering a pedagogy that is both anti-racist and representative of all my students. Equity can be upheld in the classroom by knowing the students and modifying/accommodating learning to support each student in their success. We can encourage our ELL students to draw on their experiences, to show value in those lived experiences and to use them as a base for new knowledge. For ELL students, accommodation may come in the form of allowing more time with a concept/assessment, or providing alternative ways of presenting knowledge either through writing, oral communication, or with supportive technology. I will gage my students' learning levels through diagnostic assessment and their learning preferences through introductory work in order to play to their strengths and focus on their needs. COLLABORATION FOR HIGH EXPECTATIONS I believe in the importance of collaborating with students to create clear, high expectations. These classroom expectations will be based on respect, integrity, and taking risks through participating in a safe learning environment. I would have these posted in the classroom and encourage my ELL students to annotate translations on the posters in their L1. Creating a positive community in the classroom and knowing my students is the foundation for my philosophy. |
About Me
My name is Olivia Volonte and I am an Occasional Teacher with the HWCDSB, HWDSB, BHNCDSB and an after-school tutor. I graduated from Western University with my Bachelor of Education (intermediate/senior teacher English and History) in 2018. Since graduation, I have worked at camps as a drama instructor, junior leader coordinator, and assistant director. I have also been tutoring English, reading, writing, and basic math during after school hours. In addition to tutoring I have been able to maintain my love for travel in my work with an educational tour company; taking classes to places in both Canada and the US. My personal hobbies include cooking, reading, travelling, dance, dramatic arts, leadership, and keeping up with popular TV shows and movies!
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ELL Course Reflection
This course has greatly benefited me as an educator. As a new Occasional Teacher I enter a different classroom every day and do not always have the luxury of getting to know the students on a personal level. Having discussions with my peers who are located internationally and teaching grades 1-12, I have been able to gain a lot of insight on the ELL experience in the classroom. I have learned multitude of different strategies, communication techniques, and plausible outcomes of situations from my peers. I feel equipped with a toolkit of resources that I can bring into any class and effectively engage ELL students in the curriculum and community of the class.
At the beginning of this course I created a chart based on what I knew, wanted to know, and had learned thus far about working with ELL students. At this point in the course I have definitely answered my questions. It is crucial for ELL students to engage in conversations to develop both their BICS and CALP skills, but also to have many opportunities for reading and writing. I have learned about the resources of the STEP continuum and the importance of levelling our ELLs and setting goals. I have also learned about unique tasks and assessments to encourage the use and development of L1 while learning English, and I will feel more comfortable applying that in the classroom. I have been able to reflect throughout the course to realize the importance of creating multiple opportunities for engagement with the language. When students are consistently are exposed to the language and can engage with it in meaningful ways, they will grow in both confidence and skill.
By examining the instruction of ELLs through a social justice lens, I have learned the importance of ensuring the representation of diversity through pedagogy, creating meaningful tasks with community outreach, and being as informed as possible on the potential trauma experience(s) that my students bring into the classroom. Creating a safe and inclusive space is the first step in welcoming ELL students and their families to the school. This can be done through multilingual translations of key signs such as the office location, classroom expectations, having visuals in the class through lessons and with signs, and having open communication with families in L1 with translations to English.
I entered this course with a growth mindset and I really do feel like I have gained a lot of insight on the lives and challenges of English Language Learners in the classroom, but also have logged many resources to aid them in their journey. In one of my blog posts I have included a link to the 12 myths about instructing language and I think it is a phenomenal resource for any teacher, for it will enlighten educators to check judgements and welcome challenging situations with positivity. As educators, we can get overwhelmed with the diverse needs of our students, but knowing that there are communities of teachers, local and national resources, and a variety of learning strategies to help our instruction can reduce that stress. Being a caring adult in the classroom is really what all students need, especially ELL students who may have experience(d) trauma and need a safe space to learn. There may be learning gaps, and language barriers, but all children are capable of learning and I am excited for the opportunity to teach them. I will continue to advocate for ELL students by sharing these messages and my newfound resources with any peer who is currently, or will teach ELL students in the future.
Throughout the course I have been collecting resources and tools from my peers and my own research. I have created a document below that includes such external resources:
At the beginning of this course I created a chart based on what I knew, wanted to know, and had learned thus far about working with ELL students. At this point in the course I have definitely answered my questions. It is crucial for ELL students to engage in conversations to develop both their BICS and CALP skills, but also to have many opportunities for reading and writing. I have learned about the resources of the STEP continuum and the importance of levelling our ELLs and setting goals. I have also learned about unique tasks and assessments to encourage the use and development of L1 while learning English, and I will feel more comfortable applying that in the classroom. I have been able to reflect throughout the course to realize the importance of creating multiple opportunities for engagement with the language. When students are consistently are exposed to the language and can engage with it in meaningful ways, they will grow in both confidence and skill.
By examining the instruction of ELLs through a social justice lens, I have learned the importance of ensuring the representation of diversity through pedagogy, creating meaningful tasks with community outreach, and being as informed as possible on the potential trauma experience(s) that my students bring into the classroom. Creating a safe and inclusive space is the first step in welcoming ELL students and their families to the school. This can be done through multilingual translations of key signs such as the office location, classroom expectations, having visuals in the class through lessons and with signs, and having open communication with families in L1 with translations to English.
I entered this course with a growth mindset and I really do feel like I have gained a lot of insight on the lives and challenges of English Language Learners in the classroom, but also have logged many resources to aid them in their journey. In one of my blog posts I have included a link to the 12 myths about instructing language and I think it is a phenomenal resource for any teacher, for it will enlighten educators to check judgements and welcome challenging situations with positivity. As educators, we can get overwhelmed with the diverse needs of our students, but knowing that there are communities of teachers, local and national resources, and a variety of learning strategies to help our instruction can reduce that stress. Being a caring adult in the classroom is really what all students need, especially ELL students who may have experience(d) trauma and need a safe space to learn. There may be learning gaps, and language barriers, but all children are capable of learning and I am excited for the opportunity to teach them. I will continue to advocate for ELL students by sharing these messages and my newfound resources with any peer who is currently, or will teach ELL students in the future.
Throughout the course I have been collecting resources and tools from my peers and my own research. I have created a document below that includes such external resources:
Extra Resources and Tools | |
File Size: | 164 kb |
File Type: | docx |