TELL Spec. M1: Task 5

INTERVIEW TIME!

Choose 1 of the 3 questions below to answer. In order to respond to your chosen question, incorporate the learning materials reviewed, conduct research, visit a school and/or interview an ESL teacher. Also, be sure to share any personal insight and/or experiences of your own in your response.

Question 1: How can educators provide equitable learning opportunities for ELLs?

Question 2: Why is helping students in authentic ways a necessary component of establishing a safe and comfortable environment that truly fosters student learning?

Question 3: What assets do students bring into the classroom? How can teachers create opportunities for students to interact with one another to build relationships?

Kristina Heimester: Question 3

Some kids have self regulation skills, some have resiliency, some have the learning skills they need to be successful in academics, some have a sense of self, some have the weight of the world, some have more responsibility than a high schooler should ever have, some have an idea of the outside world. Nothing I have ever done in 10 years will answer the second part of that question. And to know why, you have to have taught on reserve. You are working with kids who are in the same class as bullies, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, you are working with severe behaviours and mental health issues, you are working with selective mutes, you are working with a population who is still working on the Maslow hierarchy of needs stuff, and they have to be taught in a way that develops self confidence first

So I can’t really answer it, I guess. But it’s a balance. Sometimes you can get partners to work together, but when you take into account bullying and abuse, you understand why no one wants to work together. You also have t o take into account our environment, for example rolling black outs, and you can’t drink the tap water.