Eemma Iseman

TE 896
Reflection
ELL Practicum Reflections

I am currently living and teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in

Mexico. Due to this restriction I completed my practicum hours in Kentwood School District

where I worked 30 hours in an K-5 ELL elementary pull-out classroom and 30 hours in a middle

school newcomer immersive ELL program. During this reflection I will be integrating both my

my past experiences working as a K-5 ELL pull-out teacher in Okemos School District and my

experiences working with teachers and students in the Kentwood School District. I will use my

experiences from both these contexts to focus on the current strengths, constraints and

opportunities for growth in regards to teaching ELL students in our current education system.

While teaching in the Okemos and Kentwood School Districts I found that the the

English language teachers are highly qualified and passionate about working with these diverse

learners. These teachers employ translanguaging strategies, evidence of cultural competency,

and knowledge of best practices for ELL instruction. They are strong advocates for ELL students

and their families, continuously going above and beyond what is required of them. If these

teachers are a reflection of ELL teachers across the nation I believe we have a strong springboard

for improvements for ELL equality and support in the education system.

Opportunities for Growth & Constraints

I believe a major constraint that many ELL teachers face today is the critically low

priority that districts rank ELLs. This attitude is reflected in administrators decisions to not

allocate adequate resources to ELL programs in the form of appropriate teaching staff, suitable

curriculum, and the initiative to seek knowledge regarding ELL best teaching practices and

strategies.
 One common constraint that makes it difficult to support ELL students from my

experiences is the student to teacher ratio. The majority of ELL teachers have an extensive

caseload and are often required to spread their time between multiple schools. Curriculum is also

something that ELL teachers are often required to create on their own, which becomes extremely

difficult when you have such a large group of diverse learners. These students deserve a

comprehensive curriculum that meets all of their needs just as much as students in the

mainstream classroom. When it come to additional supplies and resources both of my mentor

teachers in Kentwood told me how they started campaigns on GoFundMe and DonorsChoose in

order to meet these needs.

I also believe that there is an attitude or deficit in regards to ELL students in the current

field of education which not only negatively impacts ELL growth and identity, but also restricts

the potential value that ELL students and families could add to the district and community. Only

once these attitudes are addressed at the administrative level and strategies for improvement are

implemented will the ELL students be set up to meet their full potential.

Recommendations for Carrying Out Enhancements

While the climate in the field of ELL education might make it difficult for teachers to

improve the quality of these programs, we must advocate for our students and their needs, while

also finding ways to show administrators the value that they add. My mentor teacher shared her

experiences as an advocate for her students and the ELL program. When starting her position 10

years ago she came into a class with 40 students and no curriculum. She approached her

principal and demanded that the ELL students receive adequate support through an additional

teacher and a curriculum that meets their needs. She received the curriculum she requested, but it
took a few years for the principal to provide another ELL teacher. Which shows the importance

not only for advocacy, but also for the persistence.

Which brings me to the first essential question I am going to address: What is the

teachers relationship with the other teachers in the school? Does she/he share strategies with

teachers and support staff? My experiences as an ELL pull-out teacher in Okemos and my

experiences working with the teachers in the Kentwood school district have been similar when it

comes to the communication and relationship between mainstream classroom teachers and ELL

teachers. Both in Kentwood and in Okemos the ELL programs feel distant and isolated from the

mainstream classrooms. However, teachers have often reached out for strategies that would

better help them support their ELL students in the classroom. While the mainstream teachers did

often look for extra support it was difficult for me to meet their needs with such an large

caseload and minimal time.

I believe that if ELL teachers and mainstream teachers worked towards closing the gap

between the mainstream classroom and the ELL classroom we could together better support our

ELL students in the classroom. Byrd, Fairbairn and Jones (2010) state that In order to ensure

that diverse learners enjoy equal access to the curriculum and, therefore, and equal opportunity to

realize their maximum potential, every teacher must embrace the notion that she or he is

responsible for the learning of each of her or his students (2010, p.3). Which is why I created a

ppt that will help teachers identify the various level of English langauge development, what are

appropriate assignments and assessments for each level of language development, and necessary

instructional strategies that will best support their ELL students. I am hoping that this

professional development session will be useful in getting teachers onboard in sharing the

accountability for the success of the ELL students in the school as well as create a positive
collaborative teaching partnership between the ELL teacher and the mainstream classroom

teacher.

Another essential question I would like to address is: What strategies is the ELL teacher

utilizing to include the use of the students first language in the classroom? From my practicum

experience in Kentwood I found that the both of the ELL teachers were extremely supportive of

the use of the first language (L1) in the classroom. Both the head teacher and the assistant

teacher are refugees from Bosnia and often converse in Bosnian in front of their students. I also

often saw translanguaging happening while students were working individually on an assignment

or when collaborating with other students that shared the same L1.In education, translanguaging

is a process by which students and teachers engage in complex discursive practices that include

ALL language practices of ALL students in a class in order to develop new language practices

and sustain old ones, communicate and appropriate knowledge and give voice to new socio

political realities by interrogating linguistic inequality (2014, p.66)

When I asked the teachers how they felt about students using their first language in the

classroom they mentioned that they were supportive of it and often paired new students with

students that spoke the same L1. She also expressed that they would never not allow students to

use their L1 in the classroom because they know what it is like to be new to a country and not

speak the language. Allowing the voices of emergent bilinguals who otherwise would have been

silenced are released and heard. The students translanguaging serves three important discursive

functions: to participate, to elaborate ideas, to raise questions (2014, p.103). I also included the

importance of supporting the use of the L1 in the creation of my professional development

presentation on supporting ELL students in the classroom.

 Through this course I was able to work with experienced educators in the field of ELL

education and discuss the many requirements of the job. While working with ELL refugees and

immigrants I was touched by their capacity to overcome and their motivation to learn. Overall I

believe that my practicum course and experience has allowed me to reflect on the best ways to

meet the needs of ELL students and how to advocate for these diverse learners in the current

climate of our educational system.

Works Cited

Fairbairn, S. & Jones-Vo, S. (2010). Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for English
Language Learners: A Guide for K - 12 Teachers. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.

Garca, O., & Wei, L. (2013). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education.
Springer.