Supporting language learners

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“The American classroom is rapidly changing. School populations are increasingly diverse in terms of student experience, culture, language, race, economics, gender, handicapping conditions, home support, and a myriad of other factors that undeniably shape how students learn” (Tomlinson, 2010). With this accelerated change, it is imperative that our school adapt to provide a learning experience that meets the needs of new students. “One implication of the tremendous diversity previously described is that all teachers, regardless of their identities and experiences, need to be prepared to effectively teach students of all backgrounds” (Nieto & Bode, 2008, p. 19). The driving force behind our school is student learning. We are committed to provide quality education that supports all learners. Therefore, we must establish practices that support all learners.
“In order to meet the need of all pupils, the school ought to share the same vision. We know that success for culturally- and linguistically- diverse students cannot rest with a single teacher. It is not just the responsibility of one teacher in one grade. It really is the responsibility of the entire school, from principal all the way down to the front office” (Stritikus, 2014). When the school community shares the same idea, we can ensure that we procure practices that benefit English Language Learners. In my school, we have a problem of practice that drives our instruction. Our precise problem of practice is to increase and develop academic language for all learners. After reviewing our students’ data and the composition of our student population, we were able to identify a specific area in which all teachers have to work to increase student achievement. The data reflected th...

... middle of paper ...

...our resources to ensure that the staff is adequately trained to satisfy the necessity of all students. The steps we have taken are not sufficient. Nevertheless, we have commenced the necessary alterations that will get us closer to our goal.

References
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Characteristics of effective schools. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.
Parrett, W., & Budge, K. (2009). Tough questions for tough times. Educational Leadership, 67(2), 22

Tomlinson, C. A. (2010). Differentiating instruction in response to academically diverse student

populations. In R.Marzano (Ed.), On excellence in teaching (pp. 247-268). Bloomington,

IN: Solution Tree Press

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