Working with English Language Learners (ELLs) is an invigorating challenge. I find myself drawn to these students more and more each semester. I am not sure if it is because they "need' me more or if I get a greater satisfaction out of helping them, but seeing them succeed makes my heart soar. Every project, activity, or test has propelled me that much closer to being confident when working with ELLs. I will admit it. I started out hesitant and shy. I was worried they would misunderstand or become frustrated when I did not understand them. I knew these interactions would be a challenge, but each one has helped me to grow. The SOLOM (Student Oral Language Observation Matrix) is a critical tool when it comes to assessing your students. Without knowing where your students began, how will you know if and how far they have grown? Working with ELLs is not simply about finding and administering accommodations. It is so much more than that. It is about bridging the gap. It is about letting that child know (no matter their level) that you love and support them, and you will do whatever needs to be done for them to be successful in your classroom. By focusing on the five areas of the SOLOM (comprehension, fluency, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary), teachers will be able to build lessons that help their students excel and grow. We cannot expect a student to read or write in English if they are not yet comfortable speaking it. Unfortunately, there are many among us who have forgotten that you must learn to walk before you can run. In my experience, I have found that many teachers are ill-prepared to work with English language learners. It saddens me that they become frustrated and short tempered when interacting with students whose only "crime" is not being able to understand. I am grateful for my ESOL courses and that I will be graduating with an endorsement. I am confident in the strategies that I have learned and that they will help me to be successful in the future. I do not believe that it is simply enough to just comply with the Florida Consent Decree. I think we, as educators, must challenge ourselves to strive for more than compliance. My future classroom will be a place where all students (especially ELLs) will feel welcomed, safe, and supported. By using the strategies I have learned from my coursework and those I learn about from researching, I help my students life up to their fullest potential. This project had its ups and downs. Some of my activities were more successful than others. My comprehension activity was well suited to Kharina and one I would absolutely use again. She loved being read to and was even confident enough to read to me. I think the kinesthetic aspect of rolling the di was important and kept Kharina more engaged. My fluency activity was well executed albeit a bit hectic. Kharina's focus was pulled down the hallway many times. I had hoped that by hearing my inflection while speaking that Kharina would mimic it in her recounting. That was not quite the case. She still spoke very quickly and with little inflection. My grammar activity was challenging to say the least. Despite the fact that Kharina's grammar when speaking is fine, she does not seem to have a strong grasp on part of speech. I do feel as though my activity increased her awareness and might help her be more successful in the future. My pronunciation activity went far better than I had even hoped. By slowing the activity down and taking the time to focus in on each word, I think Kharina now has a better grasp on these appropriate pronunciations. She was highly receptive to taking her time and really narrowing in on the correct pronunciation. Finally, my vocabulary activity yielded quite interesting results. I believe that Kharina has the potential to correctly use and identify those vocabulary terms. However, for some reason, I do not feel as though I had Kharina's full attention while completing this activity. Hopefully, what she did gain from this activity will be beneficial to her in the future. I take pride in the fact that I tailored each activity to Kharina, and my biggest priority was her continued success. Working with Kharina was an absolute pleasure! She is so soft spoken, but that simply means that you must take the time to really listen. Once I started listening, I could not stop smiling. She has this infectious smile and laugh that really draws you in. I look forward to my continued work with Kharina in the classroom. We might not have quite as much one on one time, but I know that she will always be one of my biggest priorities. I think my activities helped Kharina to grow, and the better I get to know her the more I will be able to help her develop and succeed.
Kharina told me once that she liked to swing with her eyes closed, because it felt like flying.
She was trying to give me bunny ears, but couldn't QUITE reach.
"Hey, Ms. Troast! Look I'm wearing your glasses!"
Working with Kharina was a privilege and an honor! I hope you enjoyed reading all about our amazing journey!!!