Event Title
Engaging English Language Learners During Instruction: A Professional Development Workshop
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Although the English Learner (EL) population in United States schools continues to grow, many mainstream teachers find themselves unprepared to support the special needs of these students. This project explores how professional development for mainstream teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students influences their perceptions of preparedness to support the ELs in their classrooms. SUBJECTS: This project is designed for mainstream elementary teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The participating teachers have varied levels of experience with working with ELs. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The professional development resource generated for this project is designed to last over the course of an 18-week semester in order to develop a collaborative relationship between teachers and the ESL specialist, who will work with teachers between workshops by observing and modeling teaching practices that support EL language and academic growth. Development of individual teacher perceptions of preparedness and implementation of instructional techniques that support English language development is measured using participant surveys and the ESL specialist’s observational rating scale. RESULTS: The success of this project is reflected in teacher responses to a pre- and post-training survey as well as the increased use of instructional strategies to support academic language and comprehensible input, as observed by the ESL specialist. CONCLUSIONS: Research shows that high quality professional development lasts over an extended period of time and provides a specialist support person to assist teachers with implementation of new teaching methods.
Engaging English Language Learners During Instruction: A Professional Development Workshop
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Although the English Learner (EL) population in United States schools continues to grow, many mainstream teachers find themselves unprepared to support the special needs of these students. This project explores how professional development for mainstream teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students influences their perceptions of preparedness to support the ELs in their classrooms. SUBJECTS: This project is designed for mainstream elementary teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The participating teachers have varied levels of experience with working with ELs. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The professional development resource generated for this project is designed to last over the course of an 18-week semester in order to develop a collaborative relationship between teachers and the ESL specialist, who will work with teachers between workshops by observing and modeling teaching practices that support EL language and academic growth. Development of individual teacher perceptions of preparedness and implementation of instructional techniques that support English language development is measured using participant surveys and the ESL specialist’s observational rating scale. RESULTS: The success of this project is reflected in teacher responses to a pre- and post-training survey as well as the increased use of instructional strategies to support academic language and comprehensible input, as observed by the ESL specialist. CONCLUSIONS: Research shows that high quality professional development lasts over an extended period of time and provides a specialist support person to assist teachers with implementation of new teaching methods.