Last Thursday, Lisa and Amanda gave their lesson to the Kindergarten class at Brigham about recycling materials. The students were introduced to some different materials that are commonly recycled, and they had to determine where those materials were supposed to go when they were done with it (the recycling bin). This was my 3rd time in a classroom at Brigham and my 2nd time in the Kindergarten room. As some other peers that were in the classroom with me had mentioned, it would have been beneficial to know the plans beforehand so we could have had some input with some Spanish phrases like "papel" and "reciclar." However, with Lisa and Amanda teaching a clear and concise lesson and the extra hands that we provided as assistants, the students seemed to have a pretty significant grasp on the material that was taught.
My goal that I continue to reflect on for the ELL students in this classroom was to become more aware of their struggles and discover ways to better accommodate them. During the independent working time when the students were cutting pictures and pasting them in the correct categories, I determined a way to accommodate them in a small way. I started by having conversations about the different materials they learned about and tried to relate it to their activity. "What was the can made out of? Is foil made out of the same material?" With a blank expression in their eyes, I knew I needed to try something new. I grabbed the can first, and brought it over to one of the students. I simply pointed to the can, and pointed to the picture of the aluminum foil. Without using any conversation, I simply raised my shoulders as if to ask him "Is it the same?" Right away the boy was able to comprehend what I was asking him and he responded with a loud "yes!" He was then able to categorize the aluminum foil in the correct category. By using the manipulative we had talked about in class and then applying it on a personal level during independent work time, the student was able to relate and add a new concept to his schema.
Being able to have the preservice experience by getting to know these ELL students is so beneficial and important in our repertoire. Being able to appropriately accommodate and relate to ELL students is my biggest fear as a beginning teacher. However, I do feel more confident in the first part of my goal that was getting to know ELL's struggles through this experience. Before stepping foot into the Brigham classrooms, the only diversity I had dealt with in a classroom setting was of the Indian culture at my day care I worked at for the past few years. I have not personally had to deal with language barriers so this whole realm of ELLs is a new perception for me entirely. Growing up in my small farm town, I also hadn't dealt with cultural diversity as an Early Childhood student. All of my peers spoke English and barely any even had the slightest accent. Once I got to ISU, I was introduced to my first taste of cultural diversity. That's why I feel so fortunate to be able to teach in such a diverse classroom at Brigham; it's experience I wouldn't have received until later in my career otherwise, which may have been too late. I am fortunate that I will be able to draw from these experiences and look back on these ELL students and classrooms and take some of the accommodations I've discovered to heart.
This is a link to a website that has Spanish teaching resources. I would use this to familiarize myself with the different topics that are included so I will be more knowledgable to incorporate Spanish activities for my ELLs.
Spanish Resources for Kids
EXCEED: Went over the required word limit and included a source for activities and ideas to teach Spanish to kids that I will use in my classroom one day.
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