Visuals are the foundation to everything.
A new ENL student enters your room. Perhaps they don't understand a single word of what's being said. Maybe they're anxious, confused, feeling alone. But then you start your lesson, and there's a picture of an apple there. Suddenly, the student thinks to themselves in another language, "Well, I know that!" They might be struggling with what you are saying, but they know the lesson has SOMETHING to do with an apple. Now the teacher starts pointing to the different parts of an apple. The "red" "color" is practiced by the class. Maybe this student knows this word in their own language. Maybe "rojo" is on their mind if they speak Spanish, or "wouj" if they speak Haitian-Creole. But what you've just done is tap into their knowledge, their background experiences. They might not speak, they might be in the famed silent period. And that's okay. But you just gave them a foundation. Visuals are a universal language that allow students to break down complex information in a more comfortable, relatable format. It is the building block for everything that follows. As an ENL history teacher, I utilize visuals throughout my lesson every single day. To help students describe what they see. To make things relatable. To tap into their personal and cultural assets. To help them see their own understandings in their lessons. Each of us has the power to make learning comprehensible, and therefore we have the chance to connect with our students. Use visuals, a graphic organizer, anything that helps break down information for students. Ask them what they see, what they think, and watch learning unfold in your classroom every single day. They deserve it. Give them the foundation they need. Tap into our universal language.
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Creating a brave learning environment requires teachers who WANT to help ENL students thrive.
It starts with a warm hello on the first day of school. A kind gesture. A desire to connect with someone looking at you, possibly, without an understanding of what you're trying to say to them. Then it becomes "¡Hola!!" Or "Bonjour." Or "Guten morgen!" Or "Konnichiwa!" A simple phrase, with so much compassion and warmth. To tell that child they are not alone. On the first day of school, I have students share where they are from. I want them to know that this is a class of students from various backgrounds. They see quickly that they are not alone. They are here to learn, to grow, to become the people they want to be. Just like everyone else around them. Not all English Language Learners are immigrants. Many are even from the United States and left this country before returning with a dream in their hearts that a kind teacher can nurture into reality. Yet it is important to find out where our students and their families are from, to help break down barriers. After learning where all of my students are from, I ask them, "Who is from Guatemala?" I raise my hand to gesture students to share if they are from Guatemala. I can repeat the question in Spanish, ¿Quién es de Guatemala? Such a simple act, a phrase we could all learn in seconds, so that our students can hear their native tongue, their first language, their "L1." Perhaps your student is from Haiti or China. Learn how to say, "Ki moun ki soti Haiti?" or use an online translator to help you. It is a small act to help a student feel more at home in your classroom. I repeat the question for various countries, letting other students see the reality in front of them: This is a class of people from all over the world, ready to learn and grow alongside one another. They learn this on the very first day. The foundation has been set, and your students are ready for the new adventure. Perhaps you have a student who arrives midyear. Maybe you have introductions. You know where your students are from, and upon meeting this new student you say, "Who is from Guatemala? El Salvador? Honduras? Dominican Republic? Haiti? China?" Watch the new student's reactions. Watch what happens. Ask how many months or years they've lived in the United States. Write these months on the board. Let your new student see something incredible: You have just taught a lesson to your newest student in mere seconds of entering the class. They have learned that they, too, are not alone - and that they are on a journey with a teacher and a classroom that reflects their cultural backgrounds, supports their native language, and is ready to embrace their path to English proficiency. So are we. Let's make their first days as comfortable as possible. With small acts of kindness and a simple "Hola!" |
Mr. GA teacher trying to share ideas to enrich the experiences of all English Language Learners ArchivesCategories |