Discussing teaching philosophies is
very beneficial. I always enjoying
hearing others viewpoints on education, and using these discussions to further
strengthen my own philosophy. This week
I sat down with a colleague to discuss her viewpoints on teaching literacy to
English Language Learners. The conversation
was very insightful.
I found that my colleague strongly
believes in providing English Language
Learners with a supportive learning environment, helping them develop literacy
through meaningful activities, and meeting their needs to succeed in the
English academic environment. She aims to make the learning
process meaningful by considering students’ prior knowledge, relationships,
values, and experiences. She also finds
the value in having English Language Learners actively participate in classroom
activities to develop literacy, rather than passively learn. She also believes that when teaching literacy
to English Language learners it is crucial to create a friendly, supportive
learning environment, where students are comfortable experimenting with a new
language without fear of making mistakes.
Keeping in mind the affective filter, Mrs. Merry knows it is crucial to
do her best to keep anxiety, stress, and tension from interfering with a
learner’s ability to learn.
Mrs.
Merry also believes that when teaching literacy to English Language Learners it
is imperative to use appropriate approaches, methods, and techniques. She compared preparing English Language
Learners for a reading task to packing for a camping trip. She spoke to how you always double check to
make sure you have everything you need to have a great trip, so when planning
instruction you should always double check that ELLs have everything they need
to comprehend the text.
Lastly, Mrs. Merry ended our discussion with by reminding me
to always consider the power of scaffolding, classroom talk, collaborative groups,
and think-alouds when working with English Language Learners.
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