The United States is growing ever more diverse in languages, religions and ethnicity and school districts are working (with varying levels of success) to adjust to their changing communities. ESOL teachers are often in the position of go-between for their students and the larger culture, which can be a little awkward when the holidays come […]
English Language Learners
Posted inESOL, Featured, How to Fix Education, Instructional Strategies, New Teacher Bootcamp, The New Teacher Chronicles
Tips for New ESOL Teachers: What To Do When Your Student Is Brand New (to English)
Contrary to what many might expect, most English Language Learner students are born in the USA, and come to school with at least a few useful phrases they can throw around on the playground. ELL students, like any other group, are a diverse bunch and all good teachers know it’s important to get to know […]
Posted inEnglish Language Learners, Instruction & Curriculum
Changes that Need to be Made in ESL
As an ESL teacher there are a few things that I wish would change in education today. These are things that specifically relate to English language learners. Of course, there are other aspects in education that could do with some tweaking, but for today The focus is ESL. 1. Licensing. Teaching English to speakers of […]
Posted inBook Review, Featured, Opinion
ELL Classroom Instruction that Works – a Book Review
by: Jennifer Healey Book: Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners 2nd Edition By: Jane D. Hill and Kirsten B. Miller Published: ASCD, 2013 [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Most K-12 classroom teachers are […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
Teaching with the Courage of Love: Curtis Acosta
By Guest Writer Jennifer Healey [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Imagine an educator so dynamic and compelling he can win over the most jaded and broken adolescents. He has that magic teacher element that cannot […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching Writing to English Language Learners
An English as a second language student will need extra guidance and encouragement to write. Depending on the various stages of English acquisition in your classroom and the grade you teach depends on how you ask for a writing piece and what you can expect the student work to look like. These are some general […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
What’s an ESL Teacher Anyway?
Every year when I get my test data and begin to form groups and create a schedule, I come across at least one classroom teacher that has an issue with me. I feel that the issues come up because of ignorance. Ignorance of what an ESL teacher does all day, why we help more than […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, Kindergarten, Uncategorized
Refugee Students: Who will advocate for the UN-Common students who got Left Behind during the Race to the Top?
By Jennifer Healey Portland, OR The notion that ALL students can be lifted up and freed from their circumstances, past language barriers, out of poverty and away from war and crime and drugs, upward and onward toward a glorious middle-class future, is absurd. If we insist on being a country with an elite high school […]