Struggling a bit, not sure what they want for one class

[EthelMertz]

I am new to the forum. Background on me: I taught ESL and Sheltered instruction classes for 17 years in Southern California to 6-12 (not all at once.)

There was a specific beginning class, a specific intermediate class, and a specific advanced ESL class.

We have moved to the East Coast. I took off several years to raise kids. Now I am re-entering the work force and entering it in a very different environment.

There aren't a whole lot of ESL kids overall in the schools I am working in. So, they just lump them all together. Beg, Int, and Advanced, and I am meant to teach them all together.

One block I teach is called SIOP Lab. It is an elective and is 90 minutes long. I was told to just have 30 min. rotating groups with them. I have all levels in there.

30 min. Rosetta Stone on the computer
30 min. homework (so I can help them with anything they have questions about)
30 minutes reading, grammar, vocabulary, etc....

I have tried their recommendation.

First problem: They all say they don't have homework. And they may not. They have them in Art, PE, and Math only to start. No academic classes other than Math.

Second problem: There are no materials that are easy enough for the Beg. kids. And while the beginning kids are reciting vocabulary with me, the Advanced kids are goofing off because Rosetta Stone is too easy for them OR because they don't have homework.

The last two weeks I have gone to a new model:

EVERYONE does the same thing:

1. 15 min. activity in grammar when they walk in to get started.
2. 35 min. easy writing activity, with the beginning kids looking up descriptive words and the more advanced writing sentences or paragraphs about the activity.
3. 35 min. of Rosetta Stone independently on the computer.

It seems kind of boring to me. I hope they are getting something out of it.

But I am here to ask for ideas, suggestions, etc....I really don't know what else to do.

[Lorikeet]

I hope things are working better for you--it seems you have the right idea about trying to meet your students needs. As you may have guessed, this forum is not as active as it once was. However, you may find some ideas in the archives that might trigger some more ideas.