Journey to Literacy

The first time I had English Language Learners (ELLs) in my classroom, I had no idea what I should be doing differently to support these students.  I did my best and I have learned that I was doing some things right, but there was a lot more I could have been doing had I been properly equipped.  Let’s get equipped! First of all, it is important that you use whatever resources available to you (ESL teachers, records, parents, conferences with student, etc.) to learn as much as you can about your ELL students.  You especially need to find out about prior schooling experiences, level of home language literacy, and current level of English proficiency.  This information can guide you in the decisions you make in supporting your student(s) in the classroom. Below, you will find some strategies for supporting ELL students in your classroom.  Keep in mind that anything you can do to promote home language literacy is a good thing!  L1 literacy is directly linked to L2 literacy and man

Can I be real with you?  Technology does not excite me.  I’ve always been a paper and pencil kind of gal.  I remember in college, I would hand write papers before typing them out to turn in. (And no…it wasn’t because I graduated before computers were invented!)  For me, my brain functions better and my thoughts are more organized with pencil in hand.  My husband is opposite.  He never understands why I do these things and he carries his computer or tablet everywhere with him.  We will attend a class at church together and he will be taking notes on his smart phone while I am hand writing them.   For these reasons, I have been slow to adopt technology into my teaching.  Admittedly, it also has not always been available to me either, but even if it were I don’t think I would have taken advantage of it.  Now that I am pursuing my Masters in Education, I am being forced to move outside my comfort zone and sometimes begrudgingly embrace technology.  I have seen the many benefits