A Closer Look at the School Life of the ESL Teacher

Now that the pilot study on ESL teachers is complete from the assignment standpoint, I will spend some time over the Christmas break reviewing my findings, while transcribing the fourth interview. Including appendices, the report should end up at 41 pages -- not a bad start for a potential dissertation topic. Still, there is a long way to go with this study as even noted in my implications (not included here). I'm looking for commentary, particularly from any educator who has done research on this topic. The next post will show on December 27th, so a big Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. Thank you for reading!!

In the Classroom

Interviews with all four of the teachers provided worthwhile information into the everyday existence of the ESL educator. Like many regular teachers, no day is the same as another. However, with ESL teachers, change is part of the normal equation.

The ESL teachers in this district had no set classroom, no set schedule, and worked with students of different comprehension abilities throughout the day. They also spent portions of the day pulling students from classes, pushing others into class, changing lesson plans on the fly. Their typical day is a juggling act, short on order, but full of surprises.

It is understood that the students are going through a major life change as a new student in America, so the teachers look to provide order and routine to their students who are living in a strange, chaotic world. Part of the attempt to provide order is to consistently draw up stable lesson units with strong lesson plans, attempting to bring predictability to the students who are developing their English speaking skills in an unfamiliar world.

Despite the attempt to provide structure, lesson plans are changed “on the fly.” Part of the adaptation process required of the teacher is being able to adjust lesson plans based on what methods are working to teach the students. Because of the uniqueness of the ESL students, it is not always obvious which method or technique will work in the classroom. The teachers have found that using references to pop culture are helpful. Students seem enamored by American television shows, commercials, celebrities and books. In several instances, teachers mentioned a popular commercial or book as a lesson tool, sometimes prompted by accident in the classroom.

This art of improvisation is also important to the ESL teacher. The ability to add or subtract an element to a lesson is a key to conveying the message of the lesson. The interests of the ESL student can be unpredictable. In one interview, a teacher mentioned having a lesson on New York City interrupted by a student who began to speak of a close relative who was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The lesson suddenly changed from geography to history and other students shared personal stories of that day.

It is important to find common threads with the students because of their varying abilities of English comprehension. The level system is used as a quantitative measurement of linguistic ability and teaching students who are Level 1 (lower-level) the same lesson as a Level 3 (mid-level) student is commonplace. Just like in a regular classroom, lessons must be differentiated to accommodate students of all abilities. But with the added consideration of English as a second language to all of the students, this skill must be sharpened. The language barrier encompasses the teaching of every lesson and the teacher has to be aware of verbal and non-verbal cues from students to gauge the comprehension level. Two of the teacher subjects spoke of the coping skills of their ESL students, meaning that a teacher had to look for the student who could pretend to understand the lesson, but was truly having difficulty. This is probably a skill honed by the student in the outside world.

Lessons

Each teacher has a favorite lesson. There are similarities in the favorite lessons. References to pop culture, television commercials and celebrities were previously mentioned, but there are others. Regardless of the subject or method used, the important element is to reach the student at their level, making the lesson relevant and meaningful.

Part of this goal is achieved in the difficulty of the lesson. The 7^th grade teacher spoke of students who are embarrassed when they feel that a lesson is “too easy.” Even if they cannot comprehend the easy lesson, the student does not want to look “dumb” among classmates.

Making Connections

Teachers spoke about the importance of social language. This term deals with making the necessary connections with students and finding a common bond. The connection piece, just like with regular classroom teachers, is an important element to ESL teachers. However, one teacher spoke of the connection process. It can take a couple of weeks with one student and a whole school year with another. Another teacher spoke of “rolling over” with her students , in order to strengthen the bond with her students. By rolling over, the ESL moved up with her 3^rd grade students, allowing her to continue working with them as 4^th graders. While this may strengthen the bond, there is a potential drawback. Said the teacher, “I have to be aware to change up,” referring to her teaching style. “What I used last year may not work with them again, so I have to remember to use a different approach.”

Sensitivity to the students needs is important to the ESL teacher, but has a two-pronged approach. While showing empathy toward their own students, there appears to be an unwritten rule among the ESL teachers to make other, non-ESL teachers aware of the special needs of the students. A 7^th grade teacher talked of providing professional development to her colleagues, in the form of a lesson presented during a faculty meeting – a lesson which discussed the special needs of the ESL student. Addressing the issue of teaching the teachers, she remarked, “I understand that the normal teacher has five classes, over 100 students and may have so many things to deal with that they don’t have time to consider the needs of my students. But, it is important for me to reach out and make them aware.”

Another way that ESL teachers bond with their non-ESL colleagues comes in the form of co-teaching lessons. Because the ESL student has the eventual goal of becoming accommodated with their English speaking classmates, they are “pushed into” regular classes for most of the day. To help ease the burden, when possible, harmony is reached by including the ESL teacher as part of the lesson. This is a common job requirement of all four teachers.

Induction to ESL Teaching

None of the teachers interviewed started their career as an ESL teacher. One was a probation officer who enrolled in a career switcher program to gain teacher licensure, while the other three started as regular elementary teachers. Their induction into the program, and their new career could be due to the newness of the program in the school system. One teacher spoke of attending college in Florida and having to earn an ESL endorsement, by virtue of state requirements. Still, she started her career as a regular elementary teacher.

Two other teachers were asked by the school system to complete training to acquire the endorsement. This request was made by the building administrator because of the initial need for ESL teachers.

In spite of their unlikely paths into teaching ESL students, each teacher loves what she is doing and commented that she would not change into another teaching job, preferring to stay with the ESL program. Their love for the program and their students is infectious.

Working with Resources

Each teacher was resource challenged from the beginning. A cursory look at each work area noted resources - books, posters, boxes of miscellaneous items, to have been gathered from different places. In a reflective moment, the 7^th grade teacher noted, “If one of the teachers is throwing out an old science book, I might take a look and grab it because there might be a lesson, a picture, something that I can use later.”

Funding for the ESL program in this district appears to have been scant. However, with recent funding from the government in the forms of Title I and Title III grants, there are now more resources available for the ESL teachers.

However, old habits are hard to break and teachers will still scour through the building to find more teachable materials. However, to a person, each ESL teacher commented that their current funding and availability to resources is sufficient for them to do their job. There is some concern about how long these funds, which are renewable and not guaranteed, will be available.

Challenges

There are three notable challenges which emerged from the teacher interviews. The first, making other teachers aware of the special needs of the ESL student has been mentioned.

The second challenge emerges as result of the state and federal expectations of each student. The third grade teacher shared thoughts on standardized testing. “The kids, actually, the students in general are tested too much. It creates a drawback to the learning process.” Thinking of her own students, she added, “the problem is that one of my students might get a 40 on a standardized test and be upset with the score. In that case, I may have to sit down with the student and look at the progress. It might be a matter of saying, yes, you earned a 40… but look, the last time you took this exam, you scored a 20. I don’t think that any other students actually doubled their score.”

The other challenge is the expectation for the ESL student to keep up with their American classmates. Because of the constant testing, precious classroom time is lost, adding additional pressure to the teachers. While students are improving and becoming more acclimated to the regular classroom, the complaint from the teachers is that too much is expected of them too soon. Says one, “They are expected to earn the same scores as the students who have been here (in America) their whole life. It isn’t very fair.”

Harris Finishes Sixth Year of HRA Tennis with 89-3 Record

For Shelby Harris, the game of tennis started as a diversion to keep her busy.

“My mom got me into tennis when I was about seven years old. After school, she would take about five or six of us to James River Country Club to play. It was something to do after school,” recalls the Hampton Roads Academy senior.

However, the youngster showed promise immediately. Within a year, she was working with coach Eric Christensen and developing the physical talents and mental aspects of the sport needed to succeed at a high level in the ultra-competitive arena of youth tennis. Aside from a foray into basketball, tennis has been the focus of Harris’ athletic career, one that boasts a long and growing number of titles and accomplishments.

The high school chapter of her story was recently completed as the Lady Navigators dropped a tough decision to rival Cape Henry at the Virginia Independent Schools Division II final. Earlier in the season, HRA had defeated Cape Henry to win the Tidewater Conference crown.

For Harris, it was the end of an extraordinary career, one which cannot be replicated, at least in terms of longevity. The Newport News native started playing for the HRA varsity squad as a seventh grader. Since then, the rule within the Tidewater Conference has been changed so that players must now be in eighth grade before joining the varsity.

In spite of her early arrival to the team, Harris finished her HRA career with a sparkling 89-3 record, and a #5 ranking among all seniors in Virginia. Among her achievements are five all-Tidewater Conference selections as both a singles and doubles player and three TCIS tournament MVP awards (one singles, two doubles). Also on the horizon are a probable fourth selection to the Virginia Independent Schools All-State first team and third selection as a Daily Press All-Star. The Navigator teams also won three VISAA state championships (2006, 2009, and 2010) during her tenure.

Harris likes the team element of tennis.

“I like individual sports, but it (tennis) can be a team sport.” Indeed, HRA has boasted many great tennis teams in recent years. This year’s squad included former Daily Press player of the year, junior Maureen Slattery, giving the Navigators a powerful 1-2 punch at the top of their lineup. Although, Harris will graduate next June, she notes that this year’s team, which finished with a 14-2 record, also had two freshmen among their top six players. “They will still be competitive next year.”

Harris will continue playing tennis, competing in various USTA (United States Tennis Association) events through the winter and spring before beginning her collegiate career next year at Mary Washington University. While the athletic side of her college choice was important, the honor roll student says there is another reason for her decision.

“I want to major in psychology and become a sports psychologist. Mary Washington is one of the best schools for that. Part of what I like about working with Coach Christensen is how he understands the things that I have had to overcome. I’d like to work with other athletes because I know how it feels.” Harris would also like to eventually coach at the collegiate level.

For Ray Smith, her coach at HRA, it is Harris’ mental toughness that separates her from other players.

“One thing about her is that since seventh grade, when she plays, she has no fear. Other players who hit with (velocity) tend to make adjustments. She doesn’t change her game.” Smith notes her maturity and leadership skills as assets and in no uncertain terms adds, “She is one of my last six year players. I’m going to miss her.”

Her initial interest in the Fredericksburg college came from an event last summer. “I was playing on the ITA (International Tennis Association) circuit and one of the events was open to juniors. It gave me the opportunity to play against college players, which was completely different from anything I’ve done.” During the tournament, Harris became acquainted a several of the Mary Washington players. “That’s how I got interested. Choosing Mary Washington is the best decision I’ve ever made.”

But she will miss her experience at Hampton Roads Academy.

“I always wanted to go to HRA. It is a great community and students and parents showed up for our home matches. I love it there.”

Shelby Harris Highlights

Career Record: 89-3
Accomplishments: Varsity Tennis since 7th grade
Tidewater Conference First Team All-Conference in Singles and Doubles: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Tidewater Conference First Team All-Tournament in Singles: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
All-Tournament MVP in Doubles 2008 and 2011
All-Tournament MVP in Singles 2011
Virginia Independent Schools All State First Team: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Daily Press First Team All-Star: 2009 and 2010
Won State Championship with HRA: 2006, 2009, 2010.
Runner-Up State Championship with HRA 2011 – Cape Henry won
Academic Honor Roll (3.5 GPA)
Ranked #5 in Virginia out of all seniors

Pilot Study Update - Part Deux

Sorry for the delay between posts. It is nearing the end of the Fall semester at William and  Mary, and I am waist deep in two projects. I did complete a project for Intermediate Statistics, but feel like I would feel better retaking the class and moving on to Advanced Stats. Being that I have not taken a Math class in 27 years, it was just difficult to re-grasp some of the concepts. Of course, a solid knowledge of Stats is necessary to conduct any research project (ahem..dissertation) that includes any quantitative data and Uncle Sam only funds quantitative projects.
The other project is my pilot study of the successful methods and pedagogical techniques used by ESL teachers in the classroom. My four interviews provided a treasure trove of useful information and I am looking forward to tonight's class presentation, as well as the completion of my study next week. For today, I wanted to share a bit of that project, basically, the answer to the question, "Why Study This Topic?"

Research Problem

            Classrooms across the United States are becoming more diverse. While a number of cities, such as Miami, Los Angeles, El Paso, and Phoenix have enjoyed a long transition into diversity, some areas of the country are only in the infancy stages of diverse demographics. One such area is the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. While other northern regions in the state enjoy diverse learning communities, the percentages of Hispanic and Asian students in Hampton Roads schools are still low. For example, the most recent demographic of the Newport News school system shows only 9.9% Hispanic students, and 2.9% Asian (2010). By comparison, in the city of Alexandria, these percentages are 30.7 and 5.0, respectively (2010).

 However, the percentages of minority students in the Hampton Roads region are rising and will continue to do so. To continue preparing for this change in demographics, school systems in southeastern Virginia will need to hire more ESL teachers in the near future. Currently, there are very few ESL teachers in the area. An inquiry to one school system with four high schools, seven middle schools and 24 elementary schools elicited a response that there were less than 10 ESL teachers currently employed in the entire system – and only one at the high school level.

At this time, it is not believed that any research has been conducted on the expected growth of Hispanic and Asian students to this region. There is also little evidence of any planning for this shift in demographics at the regional level. The intention is to examine the situation in one school system. By examining a locality with only several teachers, I intend to capture the essence of what is working. These results will be compared to results in a larger study, which will be conducted in a larger school system, probably in Northern Virginia. By identifying the successful methods and techniques which are brought into the classroom by ESL teachers in more diverse regions, the objective as a researcher is to make comparisons to the methods and techniques used by teachers in the Hampton Roads community and determine which ones are working successfully. This information can be presented to school administrators who will be in the position to seek and retain successful ESL teachers over the next several years.

The Saints Are Golden..But Homeless

In Newport News, the Saints are without a home.

Amazing as the statement may seem, Chaplain Deborah Mitchell from the World Outreach Center in Denbigh insists it is true. For years, the Golden Saints, the football and cheerleading teams representing the Center in the Peninsula Youth Football and Cheerleading Organization (PYFCO), have played games here, there, and everywhere…else.

For the record, the Saints are not a small operation. There are four teams, players and cheerleaders, for each of the age groups represented in the PYFCO. They include the Mites (ages 6-7), the Mighty Mites (8-9), the Midgets (10-11) and the Juniors (12-14). In all, the Golden Saints are represented by a contingent totaling over 150 individuals - 91 players, 32 cheerleaders, 19 volunteer coaches (16 for football, three cheerleading), and another volunteer staff of 13 which handle everything from equipment, parent volunteers, photographs and the team website (www.leaguelineup.com/goldensaints). Their annual budget exceeds $20,000, which pays for uniforms, referees, league fees and other necessary expenses. It is a figure which is becoming increasingly harder to reach.

By comparison, PYFCO, (www.pyfco.org/home) known as the Peninsula Youth Football Association (PYFA) until this year, is also a fully built organization. The league, now in its 52^nd year, has expanded from a four-team league centered in York County to a regional force with over 60 teams representing 16 groups from around the Peninsula, as well as Gloucester and Middlesex. In all, over 1,700 athletes and nearly 800 cheerleaders participate in what the promoters like to call the “Best Game in Town.” It is the culmination of a dream started by Vernon Taylor and George Teagle, Jr., long time youth league supporters and the driving forces behind the success of PYFA. Both men passed away recently, Taylor in 2007 and Teagle in 2008.  

The culmination of each season is the league “Super Bowl”, when the championship games for each division are played in succession. Last year, the finals were held at Wanner Stadium in Williamsburg.

Because of the strong community support for the league’s teams, all of the organizations enjoy a home field to practice and play their games on. While the Golden Saints are allowed to hold their practices at nearby Lee Hall Elementary, it is not a marked field; therefore, it is unsuitable to play games there.

Somehow, it is ironic that the only Christian-based team in the PYFCO league is also the one searching for a permanent home.

“There are two things we need,” says Mitchell, herself a beacon of positivity and hope, known for greeting everyone with a “How are you?” and “God Bless You!” “Mike Barber from the Newport News Department of Parks, bless his heart, was kind enough to give us Lee Hall to practice. In the month of October, it’s very hard because there are no lights. We make a formation and use the headlights from cars.”

The problem is greater than the lack of lights.

“It doesn’t have a community feel because we don’t have a place to call our own” adds Mitchell. “All these other teams have theirs (home fields). Some teams have had theirs for years.”

The team does have substantial support when it comes to sponsorship.

“We are thankful for the help we have received from various organizations in the community. Out of 123 children, 34 are sponsored. The church itself sponsors 10 individuals who wouldn’t be able to play otherwise. The dad or mom might be in jail or strung out on drugs. Single moms with three or four children can’t afford to pay $110 for a child to play ball. But by them practicing every night in August with us, they’re off the streets.” Indeed, the Saints practice four nights a week through the fall, leaving only Wednesday open so the families can fulfill their religious obligations. The church, in cooperation with Newport News Public Schools, provides meals, which they can’t receive from school because of the summer holiday. Because of their Christian affiliation, some of the traditional moneymakers, such as raffles and the like, are off limits because of the gambling nature of such activities. “We did car washes every month in the summer. It’s not enough to bring in sufficient income; we’re still in the negative right now.”

What Mitchell and the Saints need are a blessing and a helping hand.

“We would like to find somebody who sees the work that we’re doing and is willing to say, I like what you all are doing, let me help you. We need two things – a home and land to play on from August to November.”

In other words, a saintly act.

Doing the Right Thing

For this week, we are going to try something different. This will be our first guest blog entry and to do the honors is my partner in education, as well as life, Elizabeth McGrath. Looking at the amazing series of news stories streaming out of Happy Valley, otherwise known as State College, PA, over the past several weeks, I was inclined to dedicate some of this space to sharing some of my views about the incident and its rippling aftereffects. However, after listening to what Mrs. McGrath had to say, I happily deferred..... Elizabeth..you're on... :)

Normally, I reserve comments regarding recent events until all sensationalism subsides. In reference to the recent news involving Penn State, I will make an exception. The following is not about football. It is not necessarily about Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky, the Second, Third our Fourth Miles. The entire scope is about "Doing the Right Thing" honoring and protecting children. Despite age differences, experiences, and vocations in life, we in the world are all someone's child.

It is acceptable, commendable, and expected to call authorities in a time of need. Without coaching (and please excuse the word choice), common sense prevails that an ambulance is called for medical emergencies and the police in regard to criminal investigation. The general subjects appropriate to treatment are "who", "what", "when", and "how." The "whys" and particulars to the behavior vary with each inquiry. Blackened eyes, bruises, and broken bones do not happen alone. Someone and something inflicted the pain.

The same thought applies to sexual abuse--who, what, and when. Based on several published documents, Sandusky first abused his authority and position during 1996 to 1998 with a participant in his Second Mile organization. With courage, the young man told his mother, who immediately reported the incident to campus officials. Criminal charges were not filed, though investigators eavesdropped on conversations between Sandusky and the victim's mother where the coach reportedly expressed remorse and shame.

Coach Sandusky retired from the university the following year but maintained entry to the university campus and facilities, after the first allegation? Reporting the incidents to a superior was the most crucial dimension to the case. Those who first reported sexual abuse needed to double and triple check on investigations. Now, it is almost 15 years later and there are eight victims.

What is the right thing? Tell. Document and take every piece of evidence to the police as well, not just university police or college officials. This advice includes every instance of assault--from child abuse, spousal/relationship abuse, to college date rape. The right thing includes additional safeguards in following through each report, training all who work with children from preschool to university for signs of all abuse. When it comes to the right thing for children, break the chain of command and tell.

The modern point of view with any type of activity is to 'not snitch.' That is a huge barrier to overcome. The right thing is to not think of the revenue generated by names and sports brands. If speaking the truth prevents further abuse but decreases revenue, then fine.

Young man, you did the right thing by telling your mother. Thank you for your courage. Mother, you did the right thing by reporting the abuse to the university. Again, thank you for reporting the incident. As for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, university officials and community: how could it grow to at least six additional known reports of abuse without anyone doing the right thing?

Pilot Study Update - Characteristics and Pedagogical Techniques of ESL Teachers

My pilot study into the characteristics and pedagogical techniques of ESL (English as Second Language) Teachers is in full swing. I have conducted four interviews with local teachers and am in the transcribing, member checking and coding process now. The transcribing is becoming difficult as elementary teachers tend to be more rushed and have the capacity to communicate a lot of information in a very short time, thus turning my 4.5 minutes for transcribing each minute of the interview into a 7:1 ratio. Thus, a 17 minute interview is taking two hours to type out.

However, I am gathering great information and developing a number of significant codes. Working with 21 right now, which fall into five categories, but feel that the number of codes will flesh out to 40-50 after I complete the transcription process.

After the class presentation on December 7th, I will certainly aim to post some highlights of the study. Of course, there are issues of maintaining the anonymity of the participants, who I am indebted to for their assistance. Their love for the job is obvious and the energy with which they talk about their students is infectious.

There are a couple of items which I can probably address right now. First, I did not realize how important such a study could be for this region at this time. Granted, a pilot study only clips the top off the iceberg, but I am becoming aware that a more in-depth type of study, especially for a dissertation, could assist a number of school leaders not just here, but in other regions where the ESL program is in its infancy stages. I am seeing the challenges that come when such a program is put into place. There are issues of teachers earning the necessary endorsement, the balance between how often the ESL students should be included in regular education classrooms, testing and accountability, and certainly a number of sensitivity issues, which lead to the larger topic of cultural competence.

At this time, I don't have the answers. But, to mimic a recent Anderson Cooper show commercial, I am developing the questions, and this current study is helping me a great deal to view the larger issues with a keen lens.

PHONICS: A Large Phoneme-Grapheme Frequency Count Revised – Was Fry Right?

Recently, I was looking back at an article that I reviewed a few years ago. Written by Edward Fry for The Journal of Literacy Research and published in the spring of 2004. Fry aims to retrieve previous data gathered by academics such as Hanna et al (1966), Thorndike and Large (1944) and to simplify this data and make it more usable. Fry’s research centers around two questions:

1. What are the most useful (highest frequency) phoneme-grapheme correspondences?
2. What are the most frequent ways of spelling these phonemes?

I found the author’s research to be well prepared and well presented. By using data from over a half-dozen

studies covering a sixty year period, Fry brings a wealth of data to the table. He can divide his study between vowel classification and consonant categories, One interesting note about the former comes from the tidbit that Merriam Webster dictionary’s vowel classification system went from 33 vowel sounds to 22 to facilitate their original algorithms.

The consonant section gets more technical with multiple phonemes and consonant digraphs mentioned at the forefront. Fry points out the differences among the studies while focusing on certain items – such as the digraph TH and how it is used in high frequency words (i.e. this, that, these), but only used in 411 different words. I was surprised by the intensity of the findings and how the author attempts to make sense of such a plethora of information.

It surprised me at the beginning of my English teaching career to learn how little I knew about phonics. I gained a new respect for the remarkable work that reading teachers accomplish on a daily basis. Working with their students is like detective work, in that the teacher employs different techniques to find the problems while simultaneously developing solutions to the specific problem. When I first read this piece, I looked forward to using some of the methods myself to help reading students, but in a sense, I felt like the student. In summary, Fry makes a compelling argument.