Hi everyone! For my Blog Entry #3, I interviewed a teacher that works at the school with me. Her name is Cynthia Aguilar and teaches a Bilingual PreK 3 class. She is a very young teacher but she knows what she is doing and how to interact with any new ESL students that come her way. I am very happy that I have been able to get to know her these past 3 years.
Click Here to watch my Teacher Interview!
I asked Ms. Aguilar a few questions on her methods and teaching activities in her classroom. She stated that there was not like a set schedule through out each day where it would specifically designed for only Spanish or only English. In any time of lesson or activity during day like the morning calendar or when the students check in, she likes to include some Spanish vocabulary or songs and she does a little bit everyday and throughout the day. According to the text, "songs can also help students master the proper intonation of words and phrases, and chants, or raps can help make learning new vocabulary and language structures easier" (Wright, 2015, p. 169). When asked about the assessment process when she had an ESL student, since the students are so young she likes to observe them first interacting with other students and then she will continue with testing vocabulary and language comprehension. This type of assessment that she does is an Informal observation. Those types of observations can be jotting down quick notes on things you observe the student doing (Wright, 2015, p. 139). After the video we talked a little but more on what happens when she has an ESL student coming in. She stated that their English vocabulary and understanding improves so much when they interact with other English-speaking children as opposed to just one on one time with her.
Towards the end of the interview, I did ask her how her experiences with being in a dual language program herself has helped her with her owns students. She says that she knows what they are going through and that is why she tries to incorporate as much both English and Spanish into the daily activities so that the children won’t have such a hard time with either language later on. Her belief is that it is best for children to learn both languages at the same time.
Click Here to watch my Teacher Interview!
I asked Ms. Aguilar a few questions on her methods and teaching activities in her classroom. She stated that there was not like a set schedule through out each day where it would specifically designed for only Spanish or only English. In any time of lesson or activity during day like the morning calendar or when the students check in, she likes to include some Spanish vocabulary or songs and she does a little bit everyday and throughout the day. According to the text, "songs can also help students master the proper intonation of words and phrases, and chants, or raps can help make learning new vocabulary and language structures easier" (Wright, 2015, p. 169). When asked about the assessment process when she had an ESL student, since the students are so young she likes to observe them first interacting with other students and then she will continue with testing vocabulary and language comprehension. This type of assessment that she does is an Informal observation. Those types of observations can be jotting down quick notes on things you observe the student doing (Wright, 2015, p. 139). After the video we talked a little but more on what happens when she has an ESL student coming in. She stated that their English vocabulary and understanding improves so much when they interact with other English-speaking children as opposed to just one on one time with her.
Towards the end of the interview, I did ask her how her experiences with being in a dual language program herself has helped her with her owns students. She says that she knows what they are going through and that is why she tries to incorporate as much both English and Spanish into the daily activities so that the children won’t have such a hard time with either language later on. Her belief is that it is best for children to learn both languages at the same time.
Wright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy and practice. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Calson.
I love that Ms. Aguilar greets the students both in English and in Spanish. She is not trying to make them forget their Spanish, but she is encouraging them to use their home language at the same time as learning English. Wright believes that this is a great idea so that we are not asking them to forget about their home language (Wright, 2015). I also like that Ms. Aguilar has activities for them that they enjoy and learn from. Wright states that we should make activities for our ELLs fun and engaging so we do not lose their attention. Lastly, I definitely agree with her belief that we should not only teach them Spanish, but also reinforce their home language so they do not get out of touch with their roots.
ReplyDeleteYes, she does not like to make learning a new language as a challenge or a chore for her young students. Wright states, “they are disadvantaged when schools do not recognize, value, and incorporate these differences” (Wright, 2015, p. 19). That is why she tries to incorporate both English and Spanish all throughout the day. Whether it is a little bit or a lot of the language she feels that the exposure is enough for them to learn. The kids are so young so it is crucial that the activities are interesting but also relevant to educational material so they can learn but also fun at the same time.
DeleteI love that she doesn't make learning a new language a chore. When my brother was in Pre-K, I remember how horrible and bland the activities that were used to teach him English. Even my Spanish classes in high school were very boring. The teacher would just give us worksheets and make us do questions from the book. Seeing teachers who teach students another language like Ms. Aguilar does is a breath of fresh air. I will definitely be taking what I learned from her into my classroom.
DeleteName of the person who received it: Elizabeth Tejada
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth, I enjoyed your teacher interview with Ms. Aguilar. I am really interested in the fact that she uses songs to help students with vocabulary. As Wright (2015) has said in his textbook, “Add a rhythm or a tune to a piece of text and it becomes more memorable” (p. 169). It reminds me of when I am trying to study. I use music to set the environment. What is funny, is that my musical preferences change regularly. Some days, rap helps me get through math and another it is cumbias. So, I could understand why Ms. Aguilar would choose to play music. It is a great way to get the students attention.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Yes, she has noticed that the students memorized songs in different languages better than just learning certain words during a regular lesson. It is more entertaining and fun for them to catch on to the different languages. According to the text, “songs can also help students master the proper intonation of words and phrases, and chants or raps can help make learning new vocabulary structures easier” (Wright, 2015, p. 169). She mentioned that she first uses the songs and makes sure they know certain words and then uses vocabulary lesson to further explain the meaning of those words for the students to better understand.
DeleteHi Elizabeth, I enjoyed hearing your interview with the ELL teacher, Ms. Aguilar. The practices that she employs seem to align with theorists Richards and Rodgers (Wright, 2015, p. 64). These theorists believe that having the teachers provide various methods of teaching and instruction will ultimately allow the student to shine in his or her respective area. Ms. Aguilar makes sure to engage all of her students through circle time activity and by allowing them to read books together. This should make the learners feel as though they are the focus of the lesson and that they play an active role in their own learning. I will take these technique with me in my own future classroom and appreciate the insights of current ELL teachers.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Wright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon Pub.
Yes I also like her teaching technique that she uses in her classroom because it creates a less stressful environment in the classroom. The students learning a new language can cause lots of stress due to the new environment and the struggle of not understanding things at first. According to the text, “teachers need to find ways to make their instruction comprehensible for ELLs, and they need to provide ample opportunities for meaningful interactions in the classroom” (Wright, 2015, p. 65). I am glad that my interview inspired you to use the same techniques for your future classroom!
DeleteHi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your interview video with Ms. Cynthia Aguilar. There is one teaching method that I always find the similarity from many ESL experienced teachers that also use is cooperative learning. I believe kids are learning a new language very quickly from communicating with their peers. This is effective to let the kids work with partners or a small group of three or four students. This method encourages kids to talk and practice their oral language as they are learning as well. It is similar to what Wright (2015) wrote, “students must communicate with others and create comprehensible output” which connects with what Mr. Sanchez said about students being able to talk to each other to learn.” In the future, I would love to apply this effective teaching method into my teaching plan. I want all my students can help and learn from each other. Moreover, I will save more of my time to pay more attention to work one on one with the students who need my extra help. I would provide my best assistance, support and encouragement to help my students overcome their obstacles and endeavor their learning success.
Reference:
Wright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon Pub.
Yes Trinh I do agree that the students learn a lot more with peer through working on activities together but they also learn from them through just simple communication and play time. According to the text, “there is debate over how much vocabulary can or should be taught directly to students in a systematic way, and how much vocabulary students can acquire naturally or with some guidance within meaningful contexts of oral interactions and written texts” (Wright, 2015, p. 160). I personally believe that with all the playtime, it does give the students the chance to talk and practice with others as opposed to practicing their words through paper.
Delete