ELL Specialist

Looking back on this program, there is a lot to reflect on. The amount of knowledge and realizations I have had around English language learning has been incredible. Prior to this, I was an educator who put ELLs in their own `silo` of learning and I certainly had no understanding of what our ELL Specialist could provide. I had no knowledge of cultural awareness, except around celebrations, food, clothing, etc. I did not understand who a refugee was. I also didn`t realize all the terrific strategies and frameworks that I, as a classroom teacher, could implement to help our ELL students in the classroom, no matter my level of understanding of the language acquisition process. I realized that traditional assessments were not serving this group of students, but I was unaware of how to provide other opportunities for them to share their learning or higher-order thinking.  Looking back, there is one particular thing I wish I had known all along: the difference between social and academic...

 Aha! Our goals for ELLs extend beyond learning the English language. We also strive to help them maintain and take pride in their cultural identity. We want them to be a part of the school community and communicate and participate with their peers. We also want them to learn grade-appropriate curriculum and higher-order thinking skills.  These goals can seem intimidating for classroom teachers who are already overwhelmed, as well as ELL Specialists who can only be in one place at a time. So how do we address this? There are many frameworks that educators can use to guide their teaching that can help address ELL needs, as well as the needs of other students in the classroom. These frameworks are beneficial in that they don’t put ELLs in an ‘other’ category of learners that can only be helped by language specialists; rather these frameworks hope to engage students, address inequities, and give educators the tools and strategies to assist all students in achieving their best. ...

Aha! ELL education is multi-faceted and requires many pieces of our educational system to work together in order to achieve best results; the achievement of this cannot be solely on the ELL Specialist. The number of ELLs in classrooms is steadily growing; however, educator training and administration prioritization about intercultural awareness, language acquisition process, appropriate assessment, scaffolds and strategies, and access to resources has not kept pace.  Administration, ELL Specialists, and classroom educators all have vital roles in order for ELL education to best serve those who need it. School Leadership  With a school-wide lens, administrators hold much of the power and drive necessary to promote teacher efficacy and advocate for resources and necessary funding. School-wide goals are often selected and monitored by administration; when an effort is made to include ELL in these goals, effective support and learning can take place. Administration can take ca...

Reading this article really highlighted how important leadership knowledge and support of ELL education is to its successful implementation.  I agree with many of the ideas presented in this article. Administration is the main influence on school goals, allocation of resources and funding, and focus of professional development, collaboration time, and student placement protocols. In order to have a successfully implemented ELL program, the staff as a whole unit need to have a basic understanding of ELLs and the language acquisition process. Adminstration leadership can drive this focus by creating school wide goals, petitioning for funding and resources from the district, as well as utlitizing and encouraging staff members who are well versed in ELL education.  Administration has the benefit of having a view of what is happening on a whole school level. Educators are often only aware of the immediate group of students with which they interact; they don't have the opportunities...