Blog 12

Interview Transcript

M    So what inspired you to go into the ESL field?

C     I was an ESL student myself, and in my second year of teaching I actually taught a first grae and second grade combined class and I had all the ESL students for the second grade and first grade. The ESL teacher would come into my classroom, every afternoon during my literacy period and she would teach the ESL students in a small group instruction and as the year progressed I looked at her and thought “wow, that is really something I would like to do” especially since I had the experience of being an ESL student; I would like to give back and become a teacher to them.

M    okay, umm can you describe your students and how they interact with one another and how they interact with non-ESL students.

C     My students are of various different cultural backgrounds. I have Haitian students, Chinese students, I have Portuguese, Brazilian, Spanish students. But the students that I pull out are students that are in two separate groups and they are from the same classes—two classes combined. For both group of students that I have so they know each other, they interact with each other. Some were in Pre-K class together last year. They…… can you ask me the question again please. *** laughs****

M    ***laughs*** How do your students interact with one another and how do they interact with non-ESL students—so do they like stick together amongst themselves or do they talk to the non-ESL students?

C     They talk to all the other non-ESL students as well and they talk to each other when they are in class together. They get along pretty well together, you know they are five year-olds, they are kindergarten students so they tend to tattle and just have regular things that other kindergarten students who are not ESL students do. Even the ones who can’t speak English that well, they still manage a way to tattle. (MELANIE laughs)Or to tell me that something is wrong. They can figure it out. They can get their point across when they need to.

M    okay do you think those attitudes change as they like get older.. like…

C     I think it also depends on the culture that they’re from. I know that in the high school many of the students are very much against Haitians. So I think it’s where they’re from. Where—and they accept other cultures much more so than Haitians

M    Um what are the parents’ attitudes towards ESL?

C     It depends on the parent. Many parents are very, very negative towards ESL. They think it is part of the special education. It used to be. It use to fall under the part of special education—it no longer does. Now we are our own division in education—we are Tittle III. And some parents are all for it. They’re like “yes, my child needs to go into ESL, I want them to learn English.” Every year I have parents call me up in October, right after the letters get sent and they say “WHY IS MY CHILD IN ESL?” I say “well, they failed the test. Whether its grammar, vocabulary, or whatever it may be. Many of them, after I explain it to them, they say “okay, I will let you have my child.” And many of them will write a letter stating that they don’t want their children in ESL anymore—so I’ll have to accept that.

M    How do you observe your students in their regular classroom or do you observe them (C: I DON’T.) or just strictly pull-out

C     Yea, it’s just pull out

M    So then how do you go about evaluating them and determining if they are actually learning the language?

C     I do a lot of observations of their skills and I know how to communicate with them with the one who have more English opposed who have less English so ill modify my vocabulary for the ones who don’t have as much English. We are actually coming up right now it’s only the one major evaluation at the end of the year. We are starting it next week and that’s the WIDA access --- W.I.D.A. Access. We are going to test each student individually at the kindergarten level with reading, writing, listening, and speaking. And we get the results next year in September and that will determine if the students have passed the ESL program. And the test is very difficult because the student—if they do not past the writing, they won’t exit the program. I also do a lot of writing with them so I could see a lot of writing and phonics and all the other worksheets so I see how they are progressing so I can tell how much they are doing and I reinforce those skills, as well, continuously.

M    How do you conduct your lessons?

C     I have three parts mostly to my lesson—three components. I have a theme whatever the theme may be—reading a story for the day, or going back over the story—vocabulary. Then I break into phonics, whatever the phonics lesson for that day is—whether its rhyming or letter sound and if it’s a letter sound we can sing a song that goes along with that letter sound. And then I have picture cards. They can choose which picture begins with that sound or has it at the end or the middle, whatever the skill may be that im working with that day. They can choose that picture; put it up on a chart. Sometimes I give them picture card and I have iPads for the students. They can write the word, they have to sound it out so that reinforces their phonics and writing skills at the same time. And then we break into guided reading where we have the guided reading in small groups and some students go into a center—whatever that center may be.. iPads, computer, or a game, or if they didn’t finish their work.

M    When teaching a new lesson do your ESL students comprehend the material at the same level as the English speaking student?

C     ESL is varied. Some students are non-English speakers so they won’t understand anything some are limited speakers and that varies in itself. They have more understand than others. The limited English, they understand more than they speak and many times they don’t understand the lessons. I know because the teachers tell me—“They’re not get this they don’t understand” I say “change your vocabulary, try to have them sit with a student that who speaks maybe their language can help them.” Many students though at the kindergarten level they cant speak the language correctly either, their home language. They can’t explain it in their home language. So that’s .. in kindergarten its basically sink or swim. Most of them swim. *** laughs***

M    ** Laughs*** What are some every challenges faced in the ESL classroom; between the teachers, the students. What challenges do you face?        

C     What challenges do I face? Between me and the other teachers or me and the students. Or both?

M    You and the students… and the teachers.

C     Hoping that they get the point of the lesson and understand everything that I want them to learn. I do have some students who don’t speak any English and I don’t .. I can’t communicate with them in their own home language so --I actually have a student who speaks French and we have a teacher who speaks French and I asked that teacher to communicate certain points to this student so I can work more effectively with her in the classroom because she was not behaving as a student should. And she has been better so those are some challenges, especially with the ESL students--- when they’re completely new to a school, to a country, they don’t know the culture, they don’t know customs of school it’s kind of hard to communicate how we want them to behave in class and at school when they have no idea how to do that.

M    Can you just tell me a story or just events with students who don’t speak the language, right out of a new country and..

C     Oh! Any of them cry. They don’t want to come to school. The student who I was just referring to, she came in last month. I met with her and the morning, her mother was there. She told her who I was and that I was going to come get her. When I went to go get her, two hours later, she didn’t want to come with me. (Melanie laughs.) No, I said, I was trying to express to her “remember your mom? I was here?” she was like “no, I’m not coming.” So then it was snack time and I went and got her snack and I said “let’s go. Let’s go to my classroom.” I held her hand and I brought her upstairs and I bribed her with a snack. And every day since she’s been fine. She even hugs me in the morning; she’s all smiles. So most of them don’t want to come with me, they don’t understand why they are leaving their classroom, the security of their own teacher and the students and coming with me. And once they get accustomed to it they’re okay.

M    Does it ever become frustrating for you or your students when you are unable to communicate or comprehend each other?

C     Sure, it’s frustrating but you get by it. You know, you overcome it. Many times I say if they don’t understand the lesson, look at him, look at her, look at what they are doing. I’ve modified the lesson for this young lady because we are so advanced in the classroom right now in what we are doing. I’m practicing the writing with them on the topic—whatever the topic may be and she can’t do that. So im reinforcing phonics with her. Im starting with the letter “A” and going through the phonics pages. “This is “A” this is the sound.” And I’m teaching her vocabulary, basically. So I have to differentiate my lesson.

M    How do your students overcome their struggles, do they ask you for help, do they look at someone else’s paper, or do they sit there until the teacher acknowledges them? So this can be in their regular classroom too.

C     Most of the students do copy and I let them, at the beging. I let them copy because they are doing something, they are not just sitting there.. And when I know they can do the work as the year progresses, I tell them “It’s time to stop copying, I know you can do your own work and you need to focus on what you can do.” And yes, some of them do—each student is different. Some of them ask for help, and some of them will just sit there and cry. I have had both. So it depends on the child.

M    If a student doesn’t have anyone who speaks the English language at home, does it make it more difficult for the student to learn the new language?

C          It can. Especially if there isn’t anyone who can help the parents themselves. And help them translate and communicate with the school. We have that as well. It’s difficult for them to communicate with the school and teach them. But I always tell the parents to speak their language with the children because it reinforces what they have learned and they can understand their principals and the concepts better if they explain it to them in the home language “OHH, that’s what the teacher meant” if they’re talking about dinosaurs, whatever. The parents ”Oh, yes, I remember learning about dinosaurs in my home language—this, this, that’s what the teacher meant.” So it reinforces the concept. So I always tell parents “please speak to your child in your home language and don’t try to speak to them in English if you don’t speak it correctly.” Because that reinforces poor skills. “So I take care of the English and you take care of your language” that’s what I tell them.