Standard 3.a. Planning for Standards-Based ESL and Content Instruction. Candidates know, understand, and apply concepts, research, and best practices to plan classroom instruction in a supportive learning environment for ESOL students. Candidates plan for multi-level classrooms with learners from diverse backgrounds using standards-based ESL and content curriculum. They use multiple modes of assessment and address their students diverse backgrounds, developmental needs, and English proficiency as they plan their instruction. They plan toward specific standards-based ESL and content objectives, but include multiple ways of presenting material. They collaborate with general education and content-area teachers to ensure that ELLs access the whole curriculum while learning English. Candidates design their classrooms as supportive, positive learning climates. They recognize the array of needs of SIFE students acclimating to the school environment and plan instruction accordingly.
In my course ESC 725 we primarily focused on analyzing the English language and how to teach English grammar to students, especially to ESL students. For part of the course we had to tutor a group of ESL students and plan for teaching a multi-level classroom with diverse learners. For my tutoring sessions I worked with four low/intermediate English proficient students, this particular artifact presented we worked on the be and modal families. Before creating my lesson plan I collaborated with both the general education teacher, and ESL teacher to ensure that all of my learners would be working to their full potential. This artifact relates to standard 3.a. because during this lesson the students were provided multiple ways of understanding the material. We played a game with partners, they were provided a deductive explanation of be and modal families, and they were given an activity and provided support through out. All of my activities consisted of visual, auditory, and hands on approaches to learning the material to assure that all students were following. In addition, I also prepared a modification for any students that may have encountered any difficulties with the content. One student ended up needing this modification and I was readily prepared to support this student. This tutoring experience has helped me develop a better understanding of how to apply concepts and plan classroom instruction in a supportive learning environment for ESOL students. It has given me the opportunity to have a first hand experience on how diverse each student is as a learner, and what it truly takes to properly address a multi-learning level classroom. I have learned that it takes a variety of instructional strategies and an understanding of each student to successfully teach content instruction.