Students I work with are English Language Learners from Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and, of course, Brooklyn, U.S.A. These kids are dedicated, feisty and determined. More than 80% of students at my school receive free lunch. Not only are my students English Language Learners, at least half of them also have a learning disability of some type, so there's no shortage of challenges.
My students are known for their perseverance, insightful questions, and sense of humor.
My job is to harness that positive mojo and incorporate it into our work as we delve into reading, writing and speaking. I'm fortunate to work with a great line-up of co-teachers who have a knack for making learning fun, irresistible, and collaborative.
My Project
Co-teaching and collaboration form the backbone of my work as a teacher of English Language Learners (ELLs). Intentionally or not, teacher interactions form models for students. Yet, there's not a whole lot of formal professional training offered in this area.
Positive co-teacher interactions foster a welcoming and vibrant classroom community; access to technology helps bridge divides.
I've earned a positive reputation as a collaborative teacher; now I'm determined to become a resource in co-teaching and in technology. The more I know, the more I can share with partnering teachers and the more I can help accelerate my students' learning in all subject areas.
Cutting-edge books on co-teaching and technology will help me deepen my work with students and colleagues. *Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection* by authorities Maria G. Dove and Andrea M. Honigsfeld, is due out at the end of October and will give my co-teachers and me access to the latest research and strategies for working with ELLs. Another title, *ELL Frontiers: Using Technology to Enhance Instruction for English Learners,* will offer guidance on how to integrate web-based projects for reading, writing and research. To cut my teeth on these projects I'll need two Chromebooks, so I can try out tech-based approaches to teaching ELLs with colleagues and with students. We'll test-drive strategies from the new texts and will pilot a few of our own and will create a web-based gallery of projects to share with teachers and administrators in our school and beyond.
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