I still consider myself a "newbie" in the education world, as I will be entering my third year of teaching in August. That said, I have a variety of teaching experiences, from student teaching in western Wisconsin, to teaching middle school summer school courses, to my first "real" job as a traveling middle school Spanish teacher, to at last, a full-time teacher in Tennessee. Unfortunately, even with these different experiences, I have had very limited work with ESL students.
I do, however, know a second language myself and find languages and language acquisition fascinating. Having both learned another language and lived/studied abroad for a few months, I would like to relate this experience to future students I may work with. When I have completed my master's degree, I would like to combine my degrees in Social Studies/History, Spanish, and ESL to work with high school students.
I believe second language learners should have the same rights to education as any other students and should be held to the same high standards and expectations. Also, while it is important for students to learn English to become active citizens, I think it is also important for us to learn about the culture, language, and heritage of our ELL students. What a fantastic learning opportunity for teachers, students, and the school community!
Hasta luego,
Sarah
Hi, Sarah
ReplyDeleteI think that after three years you are very "seasoned!" You might want to think of teaching like we do "dog years." For every one, you taught three! ;-)