When the St. Charles Community College (SCC) Education Program was looking for ways to strengthen our diversity component several years ago, we were challenged to consider working with children of the local immigrant population. Little did we know what to expect when we contacted Ingrid Casillo-Tackes, English Language Learner (ELL) Lead Teacher at SCC, an immigrant from Italy by way of South America, who was overjoyed to gain help for the ELL children in our area. Knowing many of the local ELL teachers and aware of the need for help, Ingrid enthusiastically recruited those who would be willing to partner with the SCC Education Program.
Fifteen hours of the required 30 clock hours of classroom observation in our Teaching Profession with Field Experience class are now reserved for ELL observations and assistance. After each observation period, the Education students write an observation journal to describe and reflect on what they did, what they learned, and how this experience will help them in their future classrooms.
Each semester, the cooperating ELL teachers meet with our SCC Education faculty to discuss what is working, what is not working, what we need to tweak, and how they are utilizing our Education students. Each ELL teacher has the choice of having our Education students work solely with them and their students or allowing the SCC students to shadow/tutor specific ELL students throughout the day in their regular classrooms.
When Ingrid Casillo-Tackes presents the ELLFES program to our SCC students, she begins her presentation by telling the students that their families have just moved to Central America with their jobs, and they are taking all of their children with them. She asks the students, “What is the first thing that parents do with their children in the new country?” The students reply, “Enroll them in school.” “Yes!” Ingrid says, “and on the first day this is what happens.” Ingrid then begins teaching the days of the week and numbers up to ten in Spanish (speaking ONLY in Spanish) as if the students were in their Spanish school. The SCC students are bewildered, frustrated, and completely lost.
After Ingrid’s ten-minute lesson, she asks the students how they felt during the lesson and tells them that this is exactly how ELL students feel when they come to the United States and start school here. She then explains to the students a list of do’s and don’ts when working with ELL students. These guidelines include:
- Have positive expectations for all students, including ELL children.
- Accommodate for the needs of ELL students, just as you do for all other students.
- Realize that ELL students have the same capacity for learning as all children.
- Find out who the international students are by simply talking to them - don’t single them out.
- Make certain ELL children are seated in the front of the room.
- Students see the teacher’s mouth and facial expressions.
- Teachers see ELL students mingled in with regular children.
- Speak clearly, but not more loudly.
- Act out what it is you want ELL students to do.
- Use a lot of visual aids when working with ELL children.
- Teach basics, be very clear with directions, and use a lot of modeling and guided practice.
- Teach format and structure of homework and tests clearly.
SCC implemented our ELLFES program five years ago, and its benefits have surpassed our greatest expectations. Our SCC students are apprehensive when they learn that they will be working with non-English speakers. At first, they ask, “How can I work with them when I do not know their native language?” After their first visit, their question is often, “May I spend more than fifteen hours in this part of the program? I love working with these students because they are so eager to learn!” The value of the program was highlighted when several SCC students indicated that they want to earn the ELL add-on to their teaching certificates so that they will be more effective teachers of ELL students in their own classrooms. Yes! Go for it! |
