Search found 14 matches

by TeacherScrev
Wed Jun 27, 2012 1:52 am
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Problems with group work
Replies: 7
Views: 5287

Group Work

You will always have an activity that does not appeal to all of the students in your class. However, I feel that group work is one of those strategies that need to be taught and practiced in the classroom. After all, these students will be expected to work cooperatively as adults when they are done ...
by TeacherScrev
Wed Jun 27, 2012 1:39 am
Forum: Secondary School Education
Topic: Listening Skills
Replies: 1
Views: 5512

listening

My students really benefit from having access to content related materials in an audio form. Sometimes, you are able to find the books on CD or free downloads of the books. However, oftentimes the students struggle with reading much more than just the literature read in class. Textbooks are often wr...
by TeacherScrev
Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:00 am
Forum: Secondary School Education
Topic: Teaching Listening
Replies: 0
Views: 4422

Teaching Listening

I have two students ELL students who have hated doing cooperative group work all year long. Actually, they didn’t mind working together. They simply hated having to converse with each other. Both students had difficulty understanding each other during listening contexts. Each student had very strong...
by TeacherScrev
Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:58 am
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Reading and Writing
Replies: 0
Views: 1831

Reading and Writing

Reading and writing are two of the four domains that ELL students need to practice inside and outside of the school environment. The past year, I have been surprised at various things that have come up in the ESL classroom. I had two Level 1 (Entering) students based on the WIDA English proficiency ...
by TeacherScrev
Tue Jun 12, 2012 2:16 am
Forum: Assessment
Topic: Creating and revising tests
Replies: 2
Views: 5072

Turning existing tests into more effective procedures

You are correct in saying that the ESL teacher will often have the responsibility of taking traditional tests and converting them into authentic, interesting, and appropriately challenging for the current ELL students in the class. Even if a test is not modified for the ELL students, I think it is e...
by TeacherScrev
Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:59 am
Forum: Assessment
Topic: ELLs and Standardized Tests
Replies: 2
Views: 5912

Standardized testing

I have a student who had to take the math portion of the NJASK test this year. She had only been in the country for several months. The entire testing time, she complained about the fact that she had to take a standardized test that assessed her knowledge and skills in a language that she couldn’t y...
by TeacherScrev
Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:07 pm
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Self-esteem and identity
Replies: 2
Views: 2814

Developing student self-awareness of learn styles/strategies

I believe that a student's self-esteem is connected to his own perceptions about the language he is learning. At the beginning of the school year, it is often beneficial to have your students complete an informal self-checklist to help them develop the self-awareness necessary for the students to wo...
by TeacherScrev
Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:26 pm
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Teaching Multiple Proficiency Levels
Replies: 2
Views: 2654

Teaching Multiple Proficiency Levels

This past year, I found myself teaching students with a wide range of proficiency levels. I expected the challenge of teaching students ranging in English skills from a level 1 to nearly a level 6 on the WIDA English Proficiency scale. I knew my position responsibilities included teaching ELL studen...
by TeacherScrev
Mon May 28, 2012 3:01 am
Forum: Texts
Topic: Texts for Middle Schoolers
Replies: 1
Views: 5077

Texts for Middle Schoolers

I am finding the process of selecting appropriate textbooks, materials, and resources for the classroom to be quite daunting! I currently use the National Geographic Reach series for my students in grades 4 & 5. I believe this textbook series actually fits in well with the curriculum map already est...
by TeacherScrev
Mon May 28, 2012 2:57 am
Forum: Computer Assisted Language Learning
Topic: How to make CAll effective in middle school teaching?
Replies: 6
Views: 9547

Benefits of CALL

I believe that CALL can be beneficial for students of all ages. I actually took a course called "Games as Learning Tools" where we became the ESL student for the entire 15 weeks. I saw first hand how the use of Games can make two dimensional materials in a textbook come to life. However, one of the ...
by TeacherScrev
Mon May 21, 2012 10:53 pm
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Maintaining L1
Replies: 3
Views: 2648

maintaining L1

I, too, have had similar conversations with teachers in general education classes. I have had many “breakthrough” moments with several of these teachers. Unfortunately, I have received the most resistance from one particular administrator. This administrator has asked the student, on multiple occasi...
by TeacherScrev
Mon May 21, 2012 10:51 pm
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Student Speech Comprehensibility
Replies: 1
Views: 1562

Student Speech Comprehensibility

I currently teach ESL in an Intermediate school (grades 6-8th). I have been working with a student for most of the school year who came to the country just a little over one year ago. She is from China and originally had no English receptive or expressive skills. At the beginning of the year, she En...
by TeacherScrev
Mon May 21, 2012 10:48 pm
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: new teacher dilemma
Replies: 5
Views: 5073

New Teacher Dilemma

I agree with all of the information you have received from previous posters. Trial and error is something that all teachers have to experience regardless of how many years they have been teaching. Every year brings new students, different issues, and influencing factors that will challenge approache...
by TeacherScrev
Mon May 21, 2012 10:46 pm
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Positive motivation
Replies: 3
Views: 2622

positive motivation

I work with both elementary school students and Middle school students. I agree with your observations about student motivation and the correlation to the students’ grade levels. My students in grades 4-6 (six is part of the elementary school) seem to have much more intrinsic motivation than my olde...