I just started this network for ESL and bilingual teachers because I have noticed how some of the teachers I know feel really isolated. Some are the only ESL teacher in their school, or are the only self-contained class in their grade, or for whatever other reason they feel totally alone, or feel unsure about how to handle the new and particular obstacles they’re facing this year. Bilingual teachers, too, feel like they’re a dying breed, or feel frustrated because they both feel strongly about kids learning in their first language, but torn about teaching transitional bilingual classes.  Also, I was inspired by this article in education week.

So, please join my Ning and add your thoughts, questions, ideas; share resources and connect with and inspire new teachers, or reignite veterans, or yourself!

I just started it, and would really love for it to take off as a great resource for ESL/bilingual teachers hoping to do the best for their students, grow as teachers, (including ranting and venting as needed), and to help others to do the same.

Personally, this is my third year as an ESL teacher and every year I have done something totally different! My first year, I was a push-in with grades 1, 2 and 4. Last year I had my own self-contained, multi-level third grade class and this year I have my own self-contained fifth grade full of newcomers! It’s constantly a challenge and one of the things that keeps me sane and gives me perspective is being able to commiserate and share with others in the same boat.

“Eight-year-old children have a radically different learning strategy from twelve-year-olds and adults. Eight-year-olds learn primarily from positive feedback (‘Well done!’), whereas negative feedback (‘Got it wrong this time’) scarcely causes any alarm bells to ring.”

Learning From Mistakes Only Works After Age 12, Study Suggests.

I just knew I should be using positive reinforcement more! Argh!

What’s funny (or sad), is that plenty of people don’t learn from mistakes after age 12 either!!

I was feeling really frustrated the other day because two veteran teachers who were in my room ended up yelling at my kids to stop talking. That’s really the only way, or the main way, they “misbehave”. I was so embarrassed because I felt their actions reflect on me. I started to agonize over whether the rules, routines, and procedures I had established weren’t having the effect they’re supposed to and what I was/am doing wrong.

But the bigger struggle I have been having, is while I want a classroom that is full of kids passionate about learning and who follow the rules because they know it helps them to learn, I don’t want to be a drill sergeant. It’s not my style. Some may see it as a strength and some may see it as not belonging in the classroom, but I have a lot of respect for kids – their desire to ask questions, play, laugh, discover and try out. I don’t want a classroom that is silent. I have English Language Learners (ELLs) and I want them to talk – to sort out their problems orally and learn how to discuss their problems.

So I realize what I need is to focus more on allowing them to respect me and each other easily, and to learn HOW we talk in a classroom. And I need to find more ways to be better prepared so that lessons are more engaging and they reach kids from different angles and, on the one hand, lessens the language obstacles, and on the other, teaches them the language they need.

My thinking was sparked in part by finding loveandlogic.com, and while I don’t know enough to say I agree with their approach totally, I do like their list of classroom expectations:

(I combined two different lists from their site to make it like this)

1. I teach when there are no distractions or other problems.

2. I listen to students who raise their hand.

3. I listen to one person at a time.

4. Please treat me with the same respect I treat you.

5. If someone causes a problem, I will ask them to fix it.

• If they can’t or will not fix it, I will do something.

6. What I do will depends on what happened and what the person is willing to do to solve the problem.

This really speaks to the side of me that respects kids and wants to see them grow as responsible members of a community, and sees that they already have that potential. I like how it is written with emphasis on the teacher and uses positive language. NO ONE in my school, from what I can tell, uses this approach.

I’m sure for most of you Bloom’s Taxonomy is nothing new, but as someone new to pedagogy/the science behind teaching, it’s really thought-provoking (no pun intended). I really appreciate the way it classifies thinking and levels it — along with looking at learning styles, Bloom’s Taxonomy helps me to assess whether I’m appropriately challenging my students, and if I’m doing it in an academically-sound way and in more than one way. So, here’s an article I’d like to share.

I was actually thinking about it in kind of a spontaneous way today. I was doing guided reading with one group in one of my 1st grade classes, and I realized the book we were reading was probably too low for them, so I quickly had them work with me on creating a Venn Diagram. The book was called What Animals Do, and had things like, “A kangaroo hops.” As they were reading, they were already calling out things like, “I can swim (like the crocodile)!”So, when they were all done and we discussed the book, we listed what animals do that people can’t (like fly or slither) in one circle, what people do that animals can’t do (cute example: share snacks), and then in the center were things they both could do (like swim). I was excited at how quickly they got the concept of the Venn Diagram – including one student who has great phonemic awareness but is still in the Silent Period of language acquisition and speaks 99.9% in Spanish.

What are some great ways you’ve surprised yourself, using Bloom’s Taxonomy in your class?