Our New Name!

When I started this blog back in 2009, it was for me. Documenting what I was learning as a relatively new teacher. But then I started sharing it throughout our district, inviting others to celebrate with me the good things that were happening in our little EL room. It even made it to a college course or two. Then I had The Cuteness and chose to stay home with him, and the blog sat dormant. But a few months ago, I got lassoed back into the teaching world, working with other teachers. And so it with revitalized spirits (and typing fingers) that I continue to share with our town, our state, and {dare I say} our world our take on Teaching ELs in the USA. This fresh start needs a fresh name: enter TeachingELs.com. 

Would you join me over there? (You won't find anything else here!) My fabulous hubby has been working hard to make it look pretty and work effortlessly. Let's go!

The Many Words of Vocab

I'm so mad. I'm furious. I'm upset. I'm hot.
Hot?
Yes, hot can relate to that angry feeling you get when the pop machine doesn't give you the can you requested...NOR your change back.
Grr...

I digress.

Just like the many synonyms social English can carry, even academic English has synonyms.
Yes, even math has synonyms.

That's why it can be so difficult for ELs to discern what function a particular question is asking them to perform. And that is why Lena works through this vocab sheet with her students regularly. Especially with high-stakes tests using multiple words to refer to the same function.

Visual Learners

Long division is hard...for anyone. But combine new language + new content and it can become downright frustrating. That's why Lena has created this chart just of symbols to help her ELs remember the steps to long division.

Well, that and she uses Math Karate. Hey, whatever works!

"Scholars"

Johanna is helping with her building's morning school program, Spartan Scholars. She addresses her students as "scholars."

"It sounds like you just answered my question with a single word," she'll say to a student. "Scholars speak in complete sentences...and you are a scholar!"

ELs don't need to be reminded that they are behind; they need to be pushed to get ahead! And Johanna uses oral language practice as a perfect tool for pushing.

Parent Contact

"A school system without parents is just like a bucket with a hole in it." -Jesse Jackson 

Nicole has taken parent contact extremely seriously. Her goal? To make personal contact with 100% of her parents...in both of her buildings.

Now, Nicole is not one to shoot for 99.9%. In fact, if 110% was possible, she'd do it.

EL parents are accustomed to hearing one of two things: "Your child is behind" or Nothing. As terrible as this is to admit, it is sometimes easier to ignore a difficult situation than face it head on. 

Parents in Nicole's buildings are hearing neither of the above things. Instead they are being assured that their children are, in fact, progressing (even if it's at a slower pace than their teachers prefer), that they are being well cared for by their EL and classroom teachers, and that their insight into their child is invaluable to help said teachers teach their children in the most effective way possible.

Now that's motivating. That's what results in high parent involvement. Here's a reminder of why parental involvement is so important from FamilyFacts.org.

Frustration

"Go ahead and start on your math sheet," EL teacher Amber directed. "I'll be with you in a moment." She scooted over to the other table with the other students' needs. 

Multiple students, multiple levels, multiple needs. Such is the life of a teacher.

Pound, pound, pound. Amber was interrupted by the harsh sound of pencil meeting textbook. Little eyes glanced back and forth between distressed student and concerned teacher.

Teaching reaches far beyond pure academics.

Eduardo had zoned from the classroom. "Eduardo," Amber began. No response. "Eduardo!" Still the pound, pound, pound of hopelessness. "Students, you may go back to class," Amber directed, sending the three scurrying from the room. She crouched down on all fours next to his spot on the carpet. "Eduardo!" she called. Fingers snapped, zone broken.

"I just don't understand, Mrs. Cotherman." And difficult it was. Multiple step problems with a new skill set.

New language, new content. Big words, big risk of failure. 

"Don't worry, Eduardo, we can do it together."
"But it's due today!"

Amber was able to pour confidence into the frustrated sixth grader by reminding him of what he did know, what he was capable of. And by reading the questions to him, helping him dissect the many words that he did know but that had jumbled themselves all together, and looking for those key words (in this case, "percentage" and "total"), he was able to complete his assignment. Even on time.

There are lots of modifications for ELs in mainstream classrooms. One of them is extra time (time-and-a-half). Another is being read the material. But it is never dumbing down the content. Make content accessible. Amber did.

Bringing It to Now

"What do you do?" people ask.
"Teaching elementary English language learners" was always the first thing I said. But not anymore.
"I am Mom to a beautiful redhead," I reply.

"I also work part-time for the local school district," I continue. "Five or so hours a week. Perfect to keep me connected but still allow me to stay at home."

And stay at home I have. We've been having a blast here, learning about each other, dusting off old hobbies, meeting other moms and kids. I've also been quite invigorated by the time spent away from The Cuteness. Those hours I put in for the district are hours I get to spend with elementary EL teachers, advocating for them, for their students, and for their low-income families.

I've taken a long hiatus from this blog. Ever since I stopped teaching (a year ago!), I've had every intention of closing up shop, shuttin' 'er down, saying goodbye. But I couldn't. ESL (turned ELL turned EL) has been such a strong part of me for so many years. How do you quit? So I've postponed my goodbye. 

Sometimes I hop on the blog just to read where we've been, remember the journey, dream for the future. Please don't read this as discontentment with my current calling. I love being a mom. And a wife. A caregiver. A cook. A seamstress. A reader. But boy, did I love teaching those precious EL students! 

So. What am I saying? As I'm still connected to the EL community, I thought it only appropriate to continue sharing what I'm learning, even if it is only in five hours a week. 

• I plan to highlight EL teachers and their building teachers who are doing great things for EL students. 
• I plan to showcase this ever-changing world and how teachers are adapting and succeeding in it. 
• I plan to demonstrate to the nay-sayers out there that teachers teach for reasons far beyond themselves--reasons with names and faces and souls.
• I plan to document for my own intellectual well-being, to keep my mind sharp for this field that has grown me in radical ways.

It'll be a great ride!

Sarah

A Letter from an Author

Remember all the Jorge activities we've done this year? Well, I wrote to Jane Medina (the author and creator of Jorge) to let her know how much we've grown because of him. And guess what? She wrote us back! (Okay, she wrote us back a while ago, but...I'm still on my maternity leave, so I'm just now posting it.)

Isn't that amazing?? She wrote it FROM JORGE!

And check this out. She wrote it in Spanish, too!

Jane Medina, you rock! :)

An Unwarranted Thank-you

Not sure what I did to deserve this thanks, but then again, what kind of "thanks" asks you to pay money to receive your thank-you? Not sure if I should feel honored or offended?!

A New Job

We had our baby! Thanksgiving Day 2010 Corban James Steele graced the world with his presence. 6 lbs. 11 oz., 20 inches, and gorgeous red hair. He absolutely is our pride and joy and a "gift devoted to God" (Mark 7:11). I'm starting to feel the pangs of postponing the work I love and watching my students grow to be with my son and growing him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We love you, Corban!

Misunderstanding Skits 5th

Sooo Coooool!

Remember Levi, "my new favorite zero"? Well, we finished a project we'd been working on to give his parents. I had him create a book from the sentence stem, "This is my family member." We had read a book together about family and drew a picture of our families (although his family looked an awful lot like mine, which worried Mom when he showed it to her at home...she's not pregnant nor trying!). So in order to help differentiate between my family and his and to become familiar with a useful phrase ("This is..."), we created said book with computer paper for the inside and construction paper for the cover. We finally finished yesterday (I wanted to make sure he was able to take it home before Thanksgiving Break), so I laminated, punched, and spiral bound it and pulled him out of his classroom to give it to him. 

His reaction?  Biiiig eyes. "Oh. My. Gosh!" His tiny fingers caressed the shiny pages. "Wow! Soooo cool!" I handed it to him. 
"This is for you, Levi," I said. "Read it to your Mom and Dad, okay?"
"No, now," he replied. So we stood right there in the hallway and read My Family by Levi. 
"Again," he whispered. So we read it again. 

As I took him back to class, he did nothing but look at his precious creation, and as soon as we arrived in his classroom, he marched right up to his teacher and handed it to her. And the coolest thing that she did? "Will you read it to me?" So he did. And then he proceeded to read it to the rest of the class. They oohed and aahed over the beautiful book, and several students were heard remarking about how very much they would like to make a book about their families. Levi went from being the new curiosity to the coolest kid in school that day.


And I just know his mom loved it.

The Brick Wall of ESL

At a recent ESL training led by Katie Brooks & Susan Adams from Butler University, we practiced an activity called Barriers or Bridges. We tweaked it a little for use in our classroom. I wanted to take some time one of these odd three days before Thanksgiving Break to remind students of the purpose of ESL, no matter what teacher is guiding them. We wrote down any and everything that came to mind of things that we've done in the ESL room that have helped us connect to our mainstream classrooms. We put the completed wall in the hallway outside our room. Check it out!

We have some 5th graders coming in today to draw three things--on one side of the wall, we'll have some pics/graphics that represent ESL; going across the top of the wall will be footprints; and on the other side, we'll have some pics/graphics that represent our regular classrooms. Genius, eh? But really, I hope even moreso that they'll remember that ESL is not just a bunch of fun random activities where we read cool articles and meet new people, but that what we do in that classroom is actually beneficial in making them successful students...no matter the environment. (*sigh* It's hard to talk about this like it's over, but for me, it almost is. :( )

That's What I Said!

A student came rushing into my room during homework time today.

"Mrs. Steele, I need help with disability!"

Normally, she and I work on math concepts--multiplication, division, fractions, factoring, etc. Disability was a new one for me. She wrote the word on a whiteboard. "D-i-s-a-b-i-l-i-t-y." I realize I've been out of 6th grade math for a while, but I wasn't sure I'd even heard of this new concept!

"Could you start it for me? What does it look like to do 'disability'?"

She wrote the following: "15: 3, 5. 20: 2, 5, 10."

"Ohhhh!" I exclaimed. "Divisibility!"

"Yeah, that's what I said, 'disability.'"

'Member when I wrote about misunderstandings in one of my recent posts? I think we found a real-life example! :)

Mis-forgery

One of my students forged his mom's signature today.

He spelled her name wrong.

Misunderstandings in 3rd Grade

In 3rd grade, we've been studying the idea of misunderstanding things and what you should do when you think that's happened to you. We culminated this mini-unit by creating our own skits to show what kinds of misunderstandings could happen...to anyone!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hZqYvk2keA 

Content-Area Word Walls

Found these gems in some 5th grade classrooms. Look what these teachers are giving ALL students!
 

Writing teacher, Linda Moore, includes verbal (provided by her) and pictorial
(provided by the students) descriptions of each of the five steps in the writing process.



Math teacher, Sarah Ashton, displays examples of essential math components.

EL Statewide Conference

I had the honor of a lifetime when Susan Adams asked if I would present with her at Wednesday's EL Statewide Conference in Indianapolis. Wow. We even had mini bios printed about us! (Not a big deal for you big-timers, perhaps, but huge to me!) :)

We had a great presentation about writing in the ESL classroom and outstanding feedback from our participants. Susan and I made a great secondary-elementary team. I only hope this won't be the last time that we present together!

Teacher Spotlight

We've shared with our teachers the importance of allowing students the opportunity to use their native language to better understand new concepts. Here are some quotes we shared with them:

Why Native Language Support Works

“Learning most effectively occurs in the language that the learner knows best. The skills and understanding acquired in the first language are accessible to a learner in the second language.”
When Should They Use Each Language?

“If your focus is higher order thinking skills or prior knowledge connections, EL students should probably work together in their native languages. If you want EL students to practice using some of their new English language structures and vocabulary, you should pair them with native English speakers.”
TAKEN FROM:

Brooks, Kathryn, & Karathanos, Katya. (2009). Building on the cultural and linguistic capital of English learner (EL) students. Multicultural Education, 46-50.


One 3rd grade teacher (Sara Hawblitzel) really took it to heart.

 Her students were learning about classifying creatures according to whatever different features they could come up with. Then they would be learning about specific classifications within the animal kingdom. Here's the list that some of our shared students came up with:

Needless to say, I was so proud, as were the students to be allowed to use their strength (Spanish) to understand something new! Thanks, Mrs. Hawblitzel!

Always Good for a Laugh

MELISSA: My mom just started laughing last night on the way home.
ME: *strange conversation starter* Why's that?
MELISSA: She said she just kept thinking about how big your belly is!
ME: HAHAHAHAHA!!

Glad somebody somewhere's getting joy from this... :-P