Module 2: Environments

How are teachers building their classrooms to be environmentally accepting for ELL and ESL learning? The module seems like it will be focusing on the aspects of the school environment as well as a teacher to teacher case.

The first part that I'll look at here is Part A: Promoting Diversity

How would you celebrate students into the school? How can you engage parents within the school community? Create a design of a classroom that supports all learners that embraces cultures and diversity.

Celebrating students into a school in my opinion would begin with a classroom introduction and then at the next school assembly (after the student has had time to adjust and get to know a few of the students), introduce them to the whole school. I think sometimes as staff we may think that just because the student comes from a different country or speaks mostly another language, that they will stick out or be singled out by others. In a way (never really having dealt with this yet), I would think it would be important to allow the student a week or so after arriving to just have time to adjust as a new student and make a point of seeing where they themselves fit before announcing to the entire student body who this student is and why they are here.

At the same time though, that initial introduction might be what makes or convinces classmates to put the extra effort into smiling and saying hello to the student. With that being said then I would personally want to welcome the family to the school personally first over a meal and then allow for a rough judgement or recommendation from the parents about how they feel their child best fits into new populations. If the parents don't speak English, I would really want to meet them then and find a way to make it work so that I would be able to also offer help to them as a community member (having lived through the experience myself-twice).

Classic number one class decal-international collection of flags around the classroom ceiling and wall seams. From decals it would go to posters-everything from "Hello" poster in different languages to the Top 10 most interesting books poster (listed with the countries they were written in). After posters I would personally like to have ant farms (maybe)-I mean, if you have different colonies mixing over time and building them up, its a bit of a metaphor-no? A fish tank would also suffice, lots of different types of fish, one tank.

From physical, the big thing for me is birthdays-as a Child my birthday was at a brutal time and growing up-I stopped really caring about my birthday, but its something I never hope others feel, just due to a series of unfortunate events, I just enjoy quiet by myself/with my family kinds of birthdays. I would like to celebrate birthdays as a class though and I feel that even if they happen at different times, it would still mean something to know that someone was watching it for/with you-it should be a special day (in my opinion), its something ALL people have, no matter of anything else, it was the first (and largest) step into becoming a human.

After all that, I would have a music from around the world listening center as well as art from around the world put up around the class. In English class I would be doing what I do now, using writing prompts and reading materials from all around the world.