Bilingual Education
New Rules hurt Bilingual students raises the concerns of ‘equitable education,’ because students are being deprived of time in program with a certified ESL teacher. This brings me back to my time in school as a child where the “sink or swim” education did not provide me with certified ESL or Bilingual teachers to assist me with my transition into school. I received an education where my first language Spanish was sacrificed at the expensive demands of learning a second language English. The teachers in kindergarten or first grade did not provide language support sensory, graphic or interactive to make input comprehensible. As a result, I experienced a “silent period’ that lasted all of kindergarten and retention in the first grade. Without the instructional or procedural supports, I was finally acclimated into the education system.
Defining student silence in the classroom as an educator and a survivor of a one year silent period within the American education system, I listen to what their silence says about them. I listen to what their silence says in between and beyond words like when Maylin ask, Ms. Nunez can you skip me because I am not sure if I got the answer right. I hear she does not really want to be skipped, she is asking for help to find the correct answer because she does not feel confident. This kind of knowing comes from carefully observing students’ behaviors and non-verbal cues. I listen to how and when students choose to remain silent. For instance, when Joel does not want to share during whole group. I will often give the option before a lesson, suggesting they discuss with their cooperative which section of writing they will share so that everyone has a chance to speak. I will even listen to the students who dominate the class and want to take over by giving them an opportunity and reminding them of their limited time to speak as others need to share. The listening becomes a balancing act of verbal and non-verbal behaviors in class. In the article, the meaning of silence, the author Schultz suggest that silence is rarely caused by a choice not to speak instead as a signs of engagement, lack of interest, shyness and/or fear. So whatever the reason there is silence it may be interpreted as refusal to participate in the class.
In understanding the affective filter of language, as an educator in a Developmental Bilingual classroom and a learner of English as a Second Language who has experienced the pendulum swing, this silent period may be due to conditions of language learning not being optimal. In my classroom I work to make the most of linguistic conditions and embrace both realities, linguistic diversity in the classroom is appreciated through exhibitions of children’s published and non-published work that is displayed around the room on bulletin boards. Also, the labeling of bulletin boards is in English and Spanish so a balance of power between the languages can be seen around the room.
STAR READING
GRADE
|
MONOLINGUAL or BILINGUAL
|
AVERAGE SCALED SCORE GROWTH
|
2
|
MONOLINGUAL
|
+43.5
|
2
|
BILINGUAL
|
+21
|
3
|
MONOLINGUAL
|
+71
|
3
|
BILINGUAL
|
+60.5
|
4
|
MONOLINGUAL
|
+38.7
|
4
|
BILINGUAL
|
+39
|
5
|
MONOLINGUAL
|
+52.7
|
5
|
BILINGUAL
|
+73
|
Many of the schools who have low performance have the highest rates of English Language Learners. Is it fair to hold students to the same comparison based on test that are not in their dominant language?
Thanks for your post Dena. Your experience as an emergent bilingual and the lack of support you received during your kindergarten and first grade years sounds painful and isolating. It's also a powerful counter in your own teaching practice--in the ways you visually highlight your students' language diversity and listen critically to the different meanings behind student silences.
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As an early childhood educator, I know how important these early years are when teaching English to monolingual students. When a piece is missing, the students struggle moving forward. Now, thinking about an ELL trying to take in the same information not having support to make the important L1 to L2 connections puts them at an incredible disadvantage. Very concerning for the child's social emotional needs. Never mind the being compared to the scores of other students.
ReplyDeleteHi Noel,
ReplyDeleteRight students are more than scores. Their social emotional needs should be attended to in order to begin this important work of drawing out the knowledge. Hammond (2015) offers the advice of creating a learning partnership. Through the learning partnership, you build trust using the trust generators,i.e., selective vulnerability, familiarity, similarity of interests, concern, competence. After you have established this trust building relationship, the brain is primed for learning, as many of the affects are minimized. This gives you the space to push them cognitively as a "warm demander."