"Teaching Multilingual Children" by Virginia Collier
1. "Teachers must be creative and flexible, serve as a catalyst for discovert as students learn to operate effectively in their multiple worlds, be able to mediate and resolve intercultural conflicts, keep students on task, and serve as a support base. (pg.223)"
-I couldnt agree more with this quote. Teachers shouldnt just assign work to students. The teacher should think of creative, fun, hand on activities for the class. These types of activities make children want to learn. Group work, asking questions, communicating with others is always much more fun than just being handed a worksheet. Be a coach more than a boss. Support and guide students in the right direction. Dont just give demanding orders.
2. "The student, because of conscious or unconscious emotional or social factors that keep him or her from taking in maximum input at the same time, may miss other input. (pg. 225)"
-Sometimes people seem to forget this. Some students, no matter the age, have many issues going on at home. Students who dont have tons of stress and worries outside the classroom are able to focus better. An example would be a family on welfare who is struggling day by day. The student may come to class hungry, and this will serve as a distraction from learning and staying focused. Being bullied and picked on is another example that may make a student lose focus in the classroom. Teachers need to keep this in mind, and do their best to make sure students are getting all the input that they should be getting. Have a bond with each of your students, so they feel comfortable to tell you some of their personal issues. Maybe you could help.
3. "One kind of code-switch is conversational, which can be a signal "that the students feel a common bond among themselves and a teacher." To allow the child to express him/herself can motivate the student, which encourages learning. (pg.230)"
-A teacher who doesnt bond with her students makes the students "scared." Thats what i believe from my personal experience at least. If a teacher is accepting of all her students and/or has conversations with them, the student will feel comfortable. This feeling will allow the student to want to learn. They will want to succeed to make their teacher feel proud of them. Allowing the student to tell you about him/herself, will make them feel good about themself. The feeling that their teacher truely cares about them, will make them want to strive to succeed. These feelings will make students feel like they have a place and role in the classroom.
In conclusion, their are many things to keep in mind when dealing with ESL students. Dont dismiss their native language. Let them use it. Make your students feel at ease in the classroom. Bond with them and coach them in the right direction. Have diverse books in your classroom so students can relate to them. Have students share past experiences, and communicate with eachother. Be an open minded, accepting of all kind of teacher :). Watch how your students will excel with the biggest, warmest smiles on their faces.
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I really like your explanation of your first quote. I do believe to many teachers make school boring. More group work and hands on work will help better communication between students.
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time focusing on the Collier piece. Your comment about teacher/student bonding is a good one. I agree that if you don't create a positive, comfortable environment you will lose the kids. It was easier for me to read your piece than Collier's. -Brian
ReplyDeleteYou have so many good point/ideas throughout this post. I agree with you entirely about making things more interesting to students. We tend to excel in classes that we find more interesting. So it is definitely important we find ways as future teacher's to help students to feel comfortable and learn at the same time. It's great that you have an open minded outlook!
ReplyDeletei really liked what you wrote about in the first quote. Teachers should make classes more exciting and be a coach not just a boss like you said. I couldn't agree more with your ideas!
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about also being a coach not just a teacher. You should be helping your students not only with school work but also life outside school. Some students don't have figures at home who teach them how to survive outside of school and sometimes they need a little lesson on it. I also like hands on activities. Many children can't concentrate on a worksheet and rather have some hands on experience thats fun and interacting. I always like reading your post, you always have interesting points. :)
ReplyDeleteYour right Tara, ESL students need to feel comfortable because language barriers can create a lot of negative feelings inside the classroom.
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