Jessica Persky

25 November 2019
Educ 359
ELL Questions

Observation Questions for ELL student(s)

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL
student(s)? Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL
student(s) or in whole class/small group instruction)

There is one ELL student in the class that I observe in. She is very fluent in English at
this point, as she is in fourth grade and has been learning English since kindergarten. However,
she is still a very visual learner. The teacher often writes directions on the board and repeats
them a few times. This technique is extremely effective not only for the ELL student, but also for
the whole group because it is a good reminder of what they are supposed to do for the
assignment.

2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider “out of the
ordinary”? Please describe in detail. (This applies to both the ELL student(s) and
other classroom students)

I do not notice any student behavior that I consider “out of the ordinary” for the ELL
student, however there is one child in the class which I do notice it. This student is completely
non-compliant when it comes to completing assignments. They will often stare at the ceiling or
refuse to do the work. They often get upset when you ask them to complete their work. They also
only complete about two questions on a given assignment.

3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom
students, and the teacher(s)? Please describe in detail.

I often observe small group discussions between the ELL student and the other classroom
students. The teacher often has them discuss in groups what they have learned during the lesson.
Between the teacher and the ELL student, I observe the teacher repeating directions. The teacher
also provides visuals on the board for the ELL student.

4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please
describe in detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be
effective? Explain.

I do not see many resources being used with the ELL student. The ELL student is pretty
independent. The only thing I have observed is the directions being read aloud to the student and
also being written on the board. This strategy is very effective because it gives the ELL student a
visual to look at.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)?
Please describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.

I think the classroom environment is comfortable for the ELL student most of the time.
There have been a few occasions however where the student seems a bit uncomfortable. I have
noticed this the most when the student is randomly picked on, rather than when they raise their
hand. They often struggle to come up with an answer if they do not know it. The student does
seem pretty comfortable in the classroom though when interacting with peers and the teacher.

6. What’s the “comfort” level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English
language? What observations help you arrive at your decision? At what stage would
you place the ELL student? How did you decide on that level?

The student seems to be very proficient in English. I’ve noticed that they understand
idioms, speak in full, clear sentences, and are very comfortable speaking English. I would place
the ELL in the intermediate fluency stage. They seem comfortable enough with the language, but
still need some improvements. That is why I placed them in that stage.

7. Ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher) what type of

accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student(s). Please
describe the types of accommodations/modifications that were discussed. Do they
appear on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are present/not present
on the checklist?

When speaking to my cooperating teacher, the biggest accommodation that she discussed
with me was writing the directions and answers on the board to give the ELL student a visual.
This appeared on the checklist. I think this is present on the checklist because many students are
visual learners, and having stuff written down in front of them can be very helpful, rather than
just reading the directions out loud. Sometimes they need to see it to comprehend it.