One of the classes I was teaching at Ridgemont was ELD Math. This was my first time teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). The students in this class were mainly newcomers to Canada. Their English language level is quite low, and some may not have been to school at their home countries before. For the ELD math program in Ridgemont, teachers teach the elementary curriculum to the students. Students were placed according to their English and math levels: Low (K-3), Intermediate (4-6), and High (7-8). The aim of the ELD program is to build a math foundation for ELL students so that they can have a smooth transition in to the mainstream classes when they are ready.
On the first day of class, Maja (my Associate Teacher) and I introduced ourselves to the students. Both of us were ELLs when we were at school. By sharing this part of ourselves, we let the students know that we also have been in their situation: adjusting to a new country, learning a new language, making new friends, learning new subject content, etc. They are not alone in this journey. They may be struggling now, but they can one day thrive in this country, just like we are now. In addition to some icebreaker activities, we asked students to place a sticker on their birth country on a world map and a sticker on where they want to travel to. This lets the students know that we recognize their home country and culture in the classroom. The world map was posted on the board throughout the semester. Lastly, we asked students to complete diagnostic worksheets, so that the math teachers can understand the students' English proficiency and math level and discuss the appropriate class to place them in.
Throughout the semester, I thought that this was a very challenging class to teach. Due to the low English proficiency, students struggled to understand the math concepts and terminologies. Maja and I used various teaching strategies to deliver our lessons so that students can understand the content taught easier, such as using simple language, gestures, visuals, manipulatives, practice worksheets, and interactive activities. Students were also allowed to work with each other to support their learning. Even though they struggle completing practice questions, I can see that they were trying very hard to learn the new material taught and are appreciative of the guidance we give them.
Managing behaviours was another challenging aspect of this class. For many newcomers (to Canada) who haven’t been to school before in their home countries, they lacked proper routine in the classroom and displayed disruptive behaviour often. They come into class late, play on their phones often, don’t keep their arms to themselves, leave the classroom for very long breaks, etc. Maja and I would discuss various ways to manage these behaviours. Looking back though, I think rules and routines need to be established very early in the semester. The teacher also needs to be consistent with them, so students know that these rules are actually there and cannot be violated.
At the end of the semester, we created a summative for the students to complete. We first allocated three days for review. We pulled out snippets from the worksheets that the students have done throughout the semester and compiled them into three packages. Although they needed a lot assistance, they were generally very hardworking and eager to complete the packages. For the actual summative, the format of the package and questions were very similar. They were also given three days to complete the package.
Reflection
Overall, even though it was tough working with multilingual learners, I thought this experience was valuable, especially in terms of teaching in a diverse classroom. I recognized my limited knowledge about students' diverse cultures which limited my pedagogy. Often due to race, language, and culture differences, ELLs are seen as difficult to teach. The students' behaviour further leads to me making assumptions about them. On one of the days Maja was not at school, I got to know the students in the ELD class a bit more through the supply teacher's translation, especially the ones who are not motivated to work. Some of them felt that the math content is too easy for them. Since the students were mainly placed in our class due to their low English proficiency, there are varying math levels within one class. It was difficult to find a right balance of the appropriate math level to teach and helping students develop their English proficiency. Hearing what some of the students feel though did helped me with planning future lessons.
In addition, while working on practice questions, the majority of the ELLs struggled with the language and often needed to ask what the instructions meant. Esmeralda, the Math Coach from OCDSB who comes to Ridgemont once a week, suggested that we could make use of Chromebooks and virtual manipulatives more. Students who struggle with language could benefit from visuals. Initially, we didn’t make use of virtual manipulatives, such as Polypad and Desmos, because we thought that even the instructions of using them would be hard for the students to understand. After Esmeralda’s suggestion, if I am to teach ELL students again in the future I will give some thought into how I can use technology and manipulatives to make lessons easier to understand.
Finally, I recognize that still have a lot to learn when it comes to being mindful of my own prejudices, because these prejudices inform the assumptions that I have of my students, which affects the teaching strategies that I use. Students cannot fully benefit if I am planning lessons based on my (incorrect) assumptions. I need to be more educated about various cultures and groups to eliminate the prejudices, so that students can feel valued and belonged in the school community to learn.
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