M3: STEP Guide (2 Posts)

Module 3! Almost there!

This module we looked at the STEP Guide and discussed experiences and thoughts regarding our pedagogy and the guide.

Post 1

Initial assessment must be completed to ensure students are supported. Create a handout for parents so they can understand what we do to support their students. Create it so that parents can understand and see the benefits.

As parents bring their children to a new country, community and school, it is no shame that in some way their children will benefit from school through appropriate accommodation and understanding of educational background. As discussed in “Supporting English Language Learners Grades 1 to 8”,   “The Initial Assessment is important to getting to know the English Language Learner. It is an opportunity to get a clear picture of the students’ educational cultural, and personal backgrounds, including their individual learning styles and interests.”(2008) Parents are invited to ask questions and make sure that they are aware of what the steps in the initial assessment are. Students will be completing the initial assessment to provide schools with the ability to know where to place students and what sort of program that particular student could benefit from having. Students are benefited from assessments in “Reading and Writing”, as well as “Mathematics” for starters. In regards to “Reading and Writing” students= are initially assessed, if it is not clear that the students are in need of support in their English Language Learning abilities, they will be further assessed in more specific areas of reading and writing. From the specific assessments in this area, recommendations will be shared with the parents and reported in a formal way. In other cases, assessment will remain ongoing until a recommendation can be provided for parents in regards to get support for their children in school.

See handout at the following link. (canva.com)

https://www.canva.com/design/DADSNbsNbUE/share?role=EDITOR&token=jm_VEXTZ74iHS4kwemvNmA&utm_content=DADSNbsNbUE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton


Post 2

How does support your School Board initiatives or how can it be supportive within a School Board?

The government document “Supporting English Language Learners Grades 1 to 8” (p.18 2008) describes the importance of making this a school wide approach to assisting students in their development of language and integration into a new culture.

It is important to have students recognized not only by the teachers, but the administration as well. Our school has developed what is called a “School-Based Team” which is a group of teachers and administrators who are to determine and/or note the developments of programming for students who are not only special needs but severe ELL as well. This team meets every Thursday at the beginning of each month and allows for students (new and returning) to be assessed based on a number of different factors.

As outlined in the “Supporting English Language Learners Grades 1 to 8” (p. 42, 2008), it is important to ensure that assistance of students is not discontinued until they have reached the English proficiency needed to be successful at a particular level. It is a teacher’s understanding that they are responsible for the support of an ELL student in their classroom. As a teacher it is expected that the classroom provides all students with equal opportunity. Discontinuing a student’s ELL support in a classroom is something that needs to be carefully examined and assessed to provide an idea of whether this student is really ready or not.

In the school I am working at currently, the students who are in need of ELL supports receive it from their classroom teachers on a daily basis. There are students with needs that surpass the abilities of the classroom teachers. We have had students in the past who voiced that they did not want the support of staff in regards to their language learning because of the stigmas attached to it.

This is where our support for ELL students and students of other needs has become convoluted. Teaching in an international overseas school generally means a number of students will be English Language Learners. Factor in the students with special needs that are sent to the boarding school and a tight teacher budget from the head office. Our specialized support staff offer more to the needs of students who need the extra assistance with general learning, but do offer support for students who are severely struggling in English Language Arts as well. Due to the nature of students who generally visit the “Success Room”, some students build a negative stigma around it. There are some phenomenal teachers in there whoa re doing an excellent job at turning it into a safe space as well, this will hopefully alleviate the stigma.