The theme I found most ever-present in these two chapters was how much the difference between each individual student who is learning English as second language plays a critical role in how students engage and interact in the classroom. The differences between levels of language proficiency and differences among the various languages and cultures students represent give the teacher a full plate of work and responsibility if they are dedicated to meeting all learner needs. I do not have as much knowledge regarding the methods and practices in teaching ELL students so both of these chapters helped give me a great starting part about what I need to know as a teacher, and what I need to do with that information.
With ELL students, there is a necessity for student knowledge on the individualized level, down to the smallest cultural detail. A teacher can have a group of students which he/she would classify as Asian, but there are differences between students who are from Korean vs Chinese vs Japanese culture. Aside from just cultural expectations, the variances in language and dialect exist. These chapters mention how Hispanics who are from different areas will speak in different dialects of Spanish. I feel like the number one step before anything else is to dedicate time knowing and building relationships with students. I liked the idea of giving students surveys that can help teachers understand their background with language.
What really stood out to me was the discussion about classroom expectations for students of different cultures. Here in the US, teacher education textbooks have a heavy emphasis on active learning, collaboration, and meaningful discussion. I never thought about how some students of other cultures are taught to learn silently or only answer questions for the sake of being correct versus adding for the sake of discussion. This is information that can help teachers understand students' classroom behavior. The suggestion about incorporating technology (blogs, forums, etc.) as an outlet for students who may be less vocal in the classroom is a good strategy that works for all students no matter the culture. It's a universal design approach.
I liked the point that was made about the primary language serving to scaffold the second language and how it is important not to disregard students' first language as it is a part of them. We should not be trying to wipe out students' native language with English, but should use what they know to enhance their English learning. A question was raised in Beers' chapter about what to do when a student starts speaking his/her native language that we as the teacher do not understand. I appreciated the response about how even if we cannot make sense of the words, we can see the emotion elicited behind the words. This reminds me of the time I spent last May in Honduras with an MIA team from Olivet. There were times where I heard messages delivered solely in Spanish, and even though I could not understand what exactly was being said, I remember feeling high emotions due to the intensity and passion of the speaker.
The challenge for teachers seems to be both helping students learn English and also applying it across the content areas. Therefore, content instruction requires differentiation and creativity. There is always a way to meet a classroom full of different needs, the teacher just needs to be willing.
The outlines of lessons delivered at the end of Hinchman's chapter were great examples about how to teach explicitly while giving students chances to learn from each other and teach other what they know. Having differentiated group work when students move to independent learning is a strategy I have seen before in special education that can be very successful.
Overall, we will most likely encounter ELL students at one point or another during our teaching career. We need to embrace these students and show them that we are interested in who they are. I loved the quote from Beers' chapter on page 115 that says, "Students bring their languages, their ways with words, their ways of learning, and their beliefs and lifestyles into our classrooms. If we can see these as resources, rather than oddities, our minds, and our student's minds, will open and our curriculum will be enriched." I have been learning in my special education intervention class about strength-based learning and using student strengths to create a positive learning environment for them. If we design our instruction to use the strengths of our students in order to meet their needs, we will be fostering learning and growth. We need to do the same for our ELL students! Let's use their experiences, native language, and strong points to their advantage.
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