From this experience, I saw just how important it is to feel safe and welcomed with one another. Our group completely forgot to make introductions, and I think it really threw our behaviors off. For one, I did not feel comfortable probing the students further with their explanations because I did not feel a connection with them. We hadn't put in the time to get to know each other, and we were kind of like strangers throughout the entire discussion.
One student did something very unusual. When he gave us his thought process, as to how he counted the dots, he told us that he chose to group the chunks the way that he did (which was extremely random) because he knew no one else would count it out like he did. I wondered why he would want to do that, be competitive like that? I wondered what the class community was like in his classroom and if it was something that needed to be improved. I know that our small group really needed to improve on community building. I think it is really necessary to have a safe environment when we're talking about our ideas. We need to know that our thoughts will not be rejected.
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
For ELL's
I was recently asked by my master teacher to administer a math test to some students who were either pulled out of class by specialists and couldn't finish, or absent the day the test was originally given. I gave the test to two kids who were pulled out by specialists. These kids speak Spanish at home, so these are ELL specialists that work with many of our students at least twice a day.
I know these kids need the extra help and work with specialists, but at the same time, I feel that they are missing so much that happens during class. When it comes down to taking these tests, like the one I had to give to them, I don't see how they could realistically succeed because they missed so much time that was spent teaching the lesson because of getting pulled out of class.
In any case, I was instructed to read only the directions for each question. As I read these questions, I was thinking in my head, "I'm not sure if they understand this in English?" I wanted to either restate this question a different way so that the language may be more simplified or try to translate it in Spanish. I don't know if I was wrong to do it, but I eventually said it in Spanish or restated the question with words that these ELL's might be more familiar with. I just didn't think it was fair that they were being tested and asked to solve math questions when the make-up of the questions and words were too complicated to understand. The one question that one of the students answered correctly happened when I was able to translate the question in Spanish.
I've always wanted to explore my options to get an ELL endorsement, and this experience has definitely urged me to go after that goal. I wish I was much more proficient in Spanish, too. I wish I could have given the entire test to these kids in Spanish. I guess that's something I'll have to make as one of my goals: relearn Spanish.
I know these kids need the extra help and work with specialists, but at the same time, I feel that they are missing so much that happens during class. When it comes down to taking these tests, like the one I had to give to them, I don't see how they could realistically succeed because they missed so much time that was spent teaching the lesson because of getting pulled out of class.
In any case, I was instructed to read only the directions for each question. As I read these questions, I was thinking in my head, "I'm not sure if they understand this in English?" I wanted to either restate this question a different way so that the language may be more simplified or try to translate it in Spanish. I don't know if I was wrong to do it, but I eventually said it in Spanish or restated the question with words that these ELL's might be more familiar with. I just didn't think it was fair that they were being tested and asked to solve math questions when the make-up of the questions and words were too complicated to understand. The one question that one of the students answered correctly happened when I was able to translate the question in Spanish.
I've always wanted to explore my options to get an ELL endorsement, and this experience has definitely urged me to go after that goal. I wish I was much more proficient in Spanish, too. I wish I could have given the entire test to these kids in Spanish. I guess that's something I'll have to make as one of my goals: relearn Spanish.
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