Monthly Archives: February 2014

Making Family Conferences Successful

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Conferences are a time for school communities and families to connect and share important information regarding the details of the daily learning lives of students.  One foundational need in order to support this partnership is making sure that both teachers and parents have an opportunity to not only access the information shared, but also to be able to ask questions to provide clarity. If a family speaks a language other than English, it is important that we ensure that the educational rights of students are carried out through the use of an interpreter to create a bridge between home and school.

Whether you have worked with an interpreter many times or the next round of conferences will be your first opportunity, it is important to understand the roles and responsibilities between teacher, parent and interpreter prior to beginning a conversation.  We have created a chart highlighting some of the roles and responsibilities that are important to remember. Below you will see some of the big ideas from the list.  To see a complete list of ideas for how roles in partnerships during conferences could look, please click here.

If you are a teacher, it is important to remember:

  • The teacher is in charge of the conference.
    • Educators will typically arrive at a conference with information regarding academic performance of students and a list of agenda items to cover. Although these items are important, sometimes more pressing issues may arise as conversations with parents occur. Providing flexibility on what is covered during a conference is important and also allows for parent voice and a more meaningful, relevant discussion for families.
  • Speak directly to the parent and presume positive intentions.
  • Use short simple sentences and allow time for the interpreter to share.
    • Many phrases and sayings do not have literal translations. Stay away from figurative language and teacher jargon.
  • After every idea, stop and allow for a parent to respond.
    • Instead of asking, “Do you have any questions?” say “What do you think about this?” You will have a better chance of eliciting a response from parents and keeping the conversation meaningful and relevant.

If you are an interpreter, it is important to remember:

  • Communicate exact ideas intended for both parents and teachers.
  • Each assignment will  be confidential and approached with impartiality, putting all personal opinions aside.

If you are a parent, it is important to remember:

  • Be present at the conference and advocate for your child through questioning and clarifying content of the conference to the extent comfortable.
  • Learn about the role of parents in education in the US schooling system.

Our hope is that these ideas will create a stronger partnership between learning communities and families.

 

Classroom Management and ELLs

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Reflect on a moment in your life when you walked into a new environment for the first time. Any number of events might spring to mind—entering your high school cafeteria as a freshman, attending your first college course, or the first day you began a new job. As you take this trip down memory lane, try to recall any feelings you had in that particular moment.

Discomfort. Uncertainty. Confusion. Embarrassment. These are emotions that many English Language Learners feel on a daily basis in our classrooms. What can we, as educators, do to make them feel more comfortable in the learning environment? In his book, Explorations in Language Acquisition, Dr. Stephen Krashen explains that when an English learner feels anxious about her surroundings, a block (termed the ‘affective filter’) may prevent her from understanding the language and the content of a lesson (2003). One way we can decrease ELLs’ unease is by having a well-managed classroom.

According to Dr. Jacqueline Ancess from Columbia University, “Classroom management is setting up an orderly and safe space where kids can learn what you want them to learn (2011).”

Here are 3 tips for effective classroom management.

1. Teach, Review, and Monitor Classroom Rules

The essential purpose of classroom rules should be to keep all members of the learning community safe. They are meant to protect students’ feelings, physical bodies, and their right to learn. When creating rules, we should try to limit the number to five or fewer. We also need to use positives rather than negatives (Wong, 1991). Examples might include:

  • Be respectful.
  • Be responsible.
  • Be safe.

For ELLs and native English speakers alike, it is critical that we explicitly teach the rules. If we are asking students to be respectful, what should this look like? What sort of language should students use when talking with peers or with adults? One effective technique for teaching rules is to use classroom scenarios with modeling to demonstrate how we would like students to act, talk, and move.

The most effective classroom managers know that they need to monitor students on a daily basis to ensure that they are adhering to the rules. Rules should also be revisited and reviewed after schools breaks. We also need to display the rules in an easily viewed location. For ELLs at lower language levels, consider using visuals alongside the written rules.

2. Teach, Review and Monitor Classroom Procedures

Procedures differ from rules in that they are meant to help a classroom function in an organized manner. Procedures include things like how students should enter and exit a class, how they should pass in assignments, or what to do if they need to leave to go to the restroom. When introducing the difference between rules and procedures, it may be helpful to talk with students about procedures like how to make a phone call or how to get on and off of an elevator. For a more complete list of suggested procedures to teach and have in place, click here.

Like classroom rules, it is important to model and review them on a regular basis. Students will only follow procedures if we set the expectation that they do so. For example, if a group does not enter the class in the manner we envision, we should practice this procedure until they understand that there is only one acceptable way to do so.

Check out the videos below for examples of how to teach and use some procedures in your classroom.

Entering the classroom

Seating procedure

Starting with a Do Now

3. Use an Effective Attention Signal

In all classes we teach, there are times when we need to get our students’ attention. Explaining and consistently using a specific signal lets students know that we have something important to share with them. Students should know that all movement and conversation ceases when the signal is used. We should refrain from giving any directions until all students are quiet and focused. English learners, in particular, need to be in an environment where they can see and hear the messages we are delivering.

Check out the video below for an example of how to teach and use an attention signal.

Attention Getting Signal

Sources:

Knight, J. (2013). High-impact instruction: a framework for great teaching. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

Krashen, S. D. (2003). Explorations in language acquisition and use: the Taipei lectures. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.

New Teacher Survival Guide: Classroom Management. (n.d.). Teaching Channel. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/new-teacher-classroom-management

Sprick, R., Reinke, W., Knight, J., & McKale, T. (2006). Coaching Classroom Managment. Eugene: Pacific Northwest Publishing.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1998). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher ([2nd ed.). Mountainview, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.

 

 

 

Secondary ELL PLC Work 2013-14

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In order to correlate our work with the district’s PLC vision using Data Teams, ELL teachers, coaches, and ESU Assessment Specialists collaborated monthly during the 2013-14 school year. We worked to identify target objectives, to define proficiency, and to develop common assessments for each ELL level in the areas of reading and language acquisition. We developed a table of specifications for three target objectives in reading that define the objectives we are measuring, how we will measure these, and benchmarks that will be used.  Our plan is to continue working on the data teams process.

During our first PLC meeting in August, we presented the data teams process. We looked at what we would be doing and how we would be doing it. We looked at the alignment of our reading objectives with our state ELL guidelines, our ELDA assessment, the NeSA Reading assessment, and Common Core Anchor Standards. Our first target objective focused on fiction and the elements of a story. To see our presentation, click here.

During our September PLC meeting we discussed the process of identifying target objectives and how to determine proficiency at each language level. Teachers brought student work and began to write a description of what a Level “X” student who is proficient on this objective should be able to do (skills) and know (language concepts)? We also discussed how a student might be asked to demonstrate this. To see our presentation, click here.

In October, we reviewed the tenets of successful PLCs and we really focused on looking at the reading objectives through the language lens. We collected student artifacts for the target objective #1 reading fiction and identifying the elements of fiction. We began unwrapping our target objective #2 reading nonfiction and identifying the main idea and key supporting details. To see our presentation, click here.

At our November PLC, we shared the work that each group had done to define proficiency at that language level. Each group shared a statement of what students can do and how they will demonstrate their proficiency at the level. We also began looking at student work for our second target objective of identifying the main idea and supporting details in nonfiction. To see our presentation, click here.

During our December PLC, we reviewed the work we had done thus far. We reviewed target objective #1, we worked on target objective #2 and wrote the description of what a Level “X” student who is proficient on this objective should be able to do(skills) and know(language concepts)? We also began looking at our target objective #3 reading nonfiction and identifying text structures. To see our presentation, click here.

Our PLC work in January consisted of evaluating the proficiency definitions for each level, the graphic organizers and texts for both fiction and nonfiction for each level, and the writing language structures for each language level. Teachers worked together in their language level groups and reviewed all of the materials for target objectives #1 and #2 for all four language levels. To see our presentation, click here.

In February and March, we continued to define our target objective 3 and collect student work. We discussed the importance of identifying different text structures and also the importance of helping our students apply these structures to gain comprehension of the texts they are reading. We developed a table of specifications and created multiple choice assessments for levels 1-4. We also found texts at each language proficiency level representative of these various text structures. Students will read, identify the text structure, and write a short summary to demonstrate proficiency . To see our presentation for March, click here.

At our final PLC in April, we shared all of the work we completed this year. We reviewed all three target objectives, the table of specifications for each objective, and the assessments we created. We also shared the docushare folders for all of our work this year. We discussed our goals for next year and our curriculum plans. We plan to meet as a district group next year and use the 5 step data teams process. We will use the target objectives and pre-test students in each level, then group them as proficient, close to, far from, and needing intensive support. We will identify strategies, set goals, implement strategies, and use assessments to determine student progress. We will use our benchmark assessments for our summative assessments of language proficiency each quarter. To see our presentation, click here.

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