TELL Reflection #2

Provide a reflective piece based on the module. How can you use the essential strategies and ideas to allow you to make changes, implement news ideas, be supportive and be an advocate for ELLs, parents, staff and administrators? How have you grown from this module as an educator? Where and what you do plan to do now? What is meaningful to you from this module?

The module has introduced many interesting ideas, in taking in the theories available for explanation of Language Acquisition, one is able to deduce that language learning can be impacted by a multitude of forces. As a parent and a teacher, I think I have especially grown in my understanding of what it means to be supportive in second language learning. I think that I have not only began to better understand how I am going to teach myself French and support the language development of Mandarin and English in my son’s life, but how as a teacher I will foster the use of a first language to help my students better learn and understand their own development of a language, whether it be English or whatever. The myths of ESL/ELL are basically the reasons that as teachers, we see students who are struggling. Parents, old beliefs of language learning, these are all factors that if left unchecked could spiral a student’s language development into a state of shock. Parents, like students need guidance when meeting with teachers about how their child can better develop language without damaging their life after school.

In regards to diversity, students are encouraged to celebrate differences and acknowledge the different attributes between them. I feel that in this AQ I have acquired the understanding that there is more to an ESL/ELL classroom than the average language barrier. In understanding how to better support students of different cultures, you need to better support them in ways that make them individuals. Accounting for students and celebrating things about them through classroom activities like birthday calendars in class or reading choices of the week. There are many ways for teachers to celebrate student’s lives as not just students, but as people.

Students are supported in classrooms by excellent teachers who are keeping an eye on the details. An example of ways that students can be supported through a teacher’s Culturally Responsive Pedagogy can be exemplified through a short list provided on page 21 in the Many Roots, Many Voices: Supporting English Language Learners in Every Classroom; a practical guide for Ontario educators “use simple vocabulary to introduce new concepts, speak clearly and pause often, etc.” (2005). The list provided shows in depth details a teacher should pay attention to in regards to instructional dimensions of mindsets. This particular mindset being one that accommodates for the reaction by students in an academic classroom.

Providing an example of how mindset can be applied in my classroom as I understand it now, would be in instances like my Social Studies/English 11 (Cross Curricular) Unit. I have taken the ideas laid out in page 7 of Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Student’s Mental Health and Well-being, and through backwards design established the ways in mindset of a teacher can be applied to support diversity, and social justice in the classroom. Understanding the LGBTQ history in China through case studies and timeline, provides students to participate in the advocacy of a topic that is sometimes controversially viewed based on the location of a population, without singling oneself out. For example, to discuss why the human rights of people in China should include the right to marry anyone they like, may stimulate critical thinking of why are there still places and people in the world who don’t think it is okay. In some cases, it could be used for school wide advocacy activities. I have approached it as the beginning to an anti-violence campaign idea with students that spiralled into a more localized topic related to the topic of LGBTQ.

What I have learned as well, is that social advocacy matters, through a round-about way I suppose. Nevertheless, I think that for myself, I will be trying to implement more social advocacy (at least until I find one thing that really sticks). I think first I will take on blood donation drive for our school and see what can come of that. Through the social advocacy of gifting life, I am hoping that it can be discussed why this is important and how it can make an impact on a population. The incorporation of all students from all over gifting something this important, is a great way (I think) to begin building understanding of how we are all the same.