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Improving the Classroom Environment for English Language Learners and All Students

Alyssa McCarthy

Saint Marys University of Minnesota

Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs

Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standards Three and Five

EDUW 694 Classroom Environment

Instructor: Catherine Anderson

August 7th, 2016

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Wisconsin Teaching Standard #3: Teachers understand that children learn differently. The
teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede
learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with
disabilities and exceptionalities

Knowledge:

- The teacher knows about the process of second language acquisition and about strategies to
support the learning of students whose first language is not English.

Dispositions:

- The teacher appreciates and values human diversity, shows respect for students varied
talents and perspectives, and is committed to the pursuit of individually configured
excellence.

Performances:

- The teacher creates a learning community in which individual differences are respected.
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Wisconsin Teaching Standard #5: Teachers know how to manage a classroom. The teacher
uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning
environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-
motivation.

Knowledge:

- The teacher recognizes factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish intrinsic
motivation, and knows how to help students become self-motivated.

Dispositions:

- The teacher is committed to the continuous development of individual students' abilities and
considers how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this development for
each student.

Performances:

- The teacher engages students in individual and cooperative learning activities that help
them develop the motivation to achieve, by, for example, relating lessons to students
personal interests, allowing students to have choices in their learning, and leading students
to ask questions and pursue problems that are meaningful to them.

Danielson Framework for Teaching

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Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

Component 2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning

Element: Expectations for learning and behavior

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Pre-Assessment

Self-Reflection Assessment of Classroom Environment Related to WTS 3&5

After finally completing the steps for a teaching license, I will begin student teaching in the

Fall of 2016. I havent received my final placement yet, however, I am anticipating a placement at

an urban high school in the city of La Crosse in Southwest Wisconsin. La Crosse Central High

School is the biggest public high school in the city of La Crosse. Based on the schools 2013-14

report card (Artifact 1), 79% of the students at Central High are White, 10% are Asian, 6% are

Black and 3% are Hispanic. According to the same report card, 15% of the students are students

with disabilities, 40% are economically disadvantaged, and 3% are limited English proficient.

I am expecting to student teach in a Secondary Spanish classroom. Based on years of

taking a variety of Spanish classes, I will assume my class size will be about 15-20 and will be

primarily made up of female students. As foreign language is an elective, I expect to have a variety

of high school aged students and grade levels within the same classroom. Most foreign language

classrooms contain students with moderate to high achievement levels; however, many students are

easily distracted and have busy schedules. Additionally, there are just a handful of students with

the confidence and personality to participate regularly, while the others tend to be less verbal and

quiet.

Based on the school statistics, approximately five or six of my students will be from broken

homes; one of my students will be limited English proficient; one to two of my students will have

disabilities. I will anticipate having at least one student having some type of attention deficit
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disorder, one student being in a wheelchair or with limited physical mobility, and one student

suffering from depression. Furthermore, based on the school statistics, the students in my

classroom will be primarily white, however I will have a handful of minority students. I will also

anticipate having at least one to two students that have checked out due to a lack of challenging

material.

Central High has a unique daily schedule. Monday, Tuesday, Friday students have the

standard 8 period day. However, on Wednesday and Thursday students have block scheduling

(odd periods on Wednesday and even on Thursday). Each block is an hour and a half long and the

remainder of the day is used as an intervention time for students with less than a C in their classes.

The goal of the district foreign language department is to develop students into global

citizens. The focus is not only language, but on student travel and a culture enriched classroom as

well. There are also district wide curriculum and state and national Foreign Language standards

for schools to follow. Finally, although Central High is a big school compared to the surrounding

schools I have visited, it lacks classroom/one to one technology. Some classrooms are equipped

with smart boards, but students dont have access to individual technology. This drastically affects

the classroom environment. Technology is a useful tool when it comes to student engagement.

Although too much technology use in the classroom is a distraction, a lack of technology use is a

disadvantage as well. Technology in the classroom adds fun and creativity for students.
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Additionally, technology in the classroom enhances learning through instant supplemental

information.

My goal as a teacher is to use the classroom environment by promoting learning through an

open mind and team collaboration. Teacher/student interactions should go beyond the educational

material and the classroom walls. Teachers should take time to work on building relationships with

their students as well as encouraging student-to-student relationships. When it comes to discipline

in the classroom it is important to be consistent. Expectations should be set in the beginning of the

semester and posted in the room; routines and procedures should also be used to prevent

misbehavior. My foreign language classroom is student centered and focuses on classroom

participation. I use Popsicle sticks labeled with students names to keep everyone involved.

Additionally, I hope to have a colorful classroom that focuses on the Spanish culture. I want a map

of Spanish speaking countries with fast facts. This coincides with the districts goal towards global

education. Lastly, I anticipate focusing on regularly formative assessments; however, summative

assessments will be used and will center around The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign

Language Student Academic Standards.

I will be researching English language learners (ELLs) as an exceptional learning condition.

The number of these exceptional learners is on the rise; so, it is important to learn how to adapt

lesson plans/classroom environment to their learning needs. Furthermore, learning how to teach

these types of learners better can improve how I teach foreign language to all students.
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Researching the struggles and limitation students face when learning a new language provides new

perspective on foreign language teaching methods.

After this reflection I have also learned that my experience with other cultures gives me

added strengths that other teachers of ELLs may not have. I have lived in other countries, am well

traveled and am bilingual. This has made me accepting of different cultures and my Spanish

background can benefit Hispanic-American immigrant students and their families. All ELL

students and families can also see that as a bilingual, I can understand their concerns, thus building

a culturally aware and mutually respective relationship. Additionally, throughout my education

classes I learned simple teaching strategies to benefit these students, like using smaller vocabulary,

avoiding idioms, and including visual prompts. However, these tactics seem to lack the depth it

takes to truly make an impact on ELLs learning progress.

Based on this realization, I determined I needed additional research to fill in these gaps. I

searched for applicable classroom techniques that benefit ELLs on a more complex level. I wanted

teaching strategies that the students and teachers could learn to transfer to all of their classes,

despite the difference in academic content.

St. Marys University focuses on Charlotte Danielsons Domains; classroom environment is

the center focus of Domain 2. Upon reflecting on the aspects of this domain, my anticipated

strengths and challenges became apparent. I am not a native Spanish speaker and no one is perfect

when learning a language. I anticipate succeeding in creating an encouraging learning environment

where students feel comfortable to participate despite mistakes. I also am extremely passionate

about learning the Spanish culture and language; it means adventure to me and I anticipate easily
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conveying that to my students. Like many first teachers, I anticipate student behavior and

transitions to be challenges. Experienced teachers I observed handled any bit of misbehavior with

ease. Likewise, these teachers completed classroom transitions smoothly, even when it came to

thinking on their feet. As a new teacher, I anticipate experiencing some bumps in the road in these

areas in the beginning. As a new teacher, I intend to lean on research and past experience in order

to benefit the needs of students as individuals.

Essential Question to Guide Learning Process and Growth

After reflecting on my anticipated classroom environment and reflecting on the Wisconsin

Teaching Standards and Danielsons Domain 2 on Classroom Environment, I decided to focus my

research around my teaching goal to create an open classroom. Students with different

backgrounds respond to and approach academic material in different ways. My goal as an educator

is to teach students tools they need to actively participate in a student centered classroom

environment. The essential question that will guide my learning process and growth is as follows:

What instructional strategies will promote an open, engaging, and challenging learning

environment for all types of learners, specifically English Language Learners (ELLs), despite

language barriers, culture differences and background experiences?

Synthesis of Research

Throughout history, the United States has been known for being a melting pot of cultural

diversity. The United States is not just a country with many cultures, but also a country with

numerous languages. It is no surprise that a reflection of this diversity can be found in classrooms

all around the country. According to the National Council of Teachers of English, from the 1970s
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to the early 2000s, the foreign born population of the U.S. has tripled, and more than 14 million

immigrants moved to the U.S. during the 1990s (National, 2008, pg. 1). For many of these

immigrants, English is their second language. As these immigrant families enter the school

system, teachers are faced with an added language barrier challenge. It is important to incorporate

teaching strategies that benefit this diverse group of learners directly into the classroom

environment.

English Language Learners (ELLs) are a widespread and diverse group of learners. Like

any group of students, ELLs dont all learn the same way; they have different levels of exposure to

the target language (English) and each learner offers a unique set of strengths and challenges. In

some instances, ELLs speak English at home, but that is not to say that they all do. Some

families/cultures support ELL students learning English, while others are stigmatized. Some ELLs

are at the top of the class and some ELL students are at the bottom.

Knowing how students learn language in a foreign language classroom can be quite

beneficial for a teacher. This process is useful to teachers because it helps interpret and predict ELL

behaviors. For example, speech comes after comprehension; just because a student cant verbalize

thoughts doesnt mean he/she doesnt understand the content (Hill, 2008). This and other

landmarks, including teacher prompts, can be seen using The Stages of Second Language

Acquisition chart (Artifact 2). For example, ELL students wont be able to verbalize more than

one word thoughts until 1-3 years of acquisition. Teachers should use tiered questions in order to

differentiate material and expectations to ELL students.

According to Robertson and Ford (2015), the goal of the education system and its teachers

is to have students in the advanced fluency level. Many ELL students excel in social English, but

dont participate in academic discussions in class. Teachers teach in the advanced fluency level,
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when in reality being fluent in social English falls under intermediate fluency or lower. If teachers

began teaching students using intermediate English skills rather than the advanced level, ELLs

would be able to participate. These students need extra time with vocabulary and grammar.

Robertson and Ford (2015) give tips like letting students circle and guess word meanings using

context clues while reading, giving consistent grammar feedback, or making language goals to

assist students become more fluent. There are other instructional strategies that although are used

for ELL students, in truth, they benefit all students.

The first teaching method that all different content teachers can implement into their

classroom lessons is teaching strategy instruction (Olson & Scarcella & Matuchniak, 2016).

Strategy instruction includes any instruction that teaches students how to approach the thought

process behind academics. Teaching solid strategy instruction targets ELL learners, while teaching

strong study habits to all students. Two examples of strategy instruction are cognitive bookmarks

and do/what charts. Cognitive bookmarks (Artifact 3), are a reference tool for each student to carry

as they go from class to class. The bookmark contains thought prompts for students to use when

analyzing a reading or assignment. They can help students verbalize thoughts or plan an essay.

According to Olson, Scarcella and Matuchniak (2016), do/what charts, like in Artifact 4, can help

all students focus and clarify instructions. All students, including ELLs, struggle with repeating

and/or regurgitating information. Making do/what charts help learners clarify exactly what the

directions are asking and process the information they know to answer it. In this activity students

circle verbs and underline tasks in directions; next students create a T-chart of the simplified

instructions. These charts help ELLs break down and comprehend complex directions (Olson &

Scarcella & Matuchniak, 2016).

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The second researched strategy is creating a culturally relevant classroom environment

(Piazza, Rao & Protacio, 2015). Like with any student it is especially important to understand the

background knowledge and experiences of ELLs. Understanding cultural norms, language

development and social dimensions will help teachers better understand how to educate each

individual ELL (National Conference, 2008). Additionally, creating assignments and/or activities

that act as a cultural outlet for students improves ELL motivation and engagement. Often times

ELLs get lost in mainstream American culture; assignments can be used as a way for these students

to describe their culture and experiences. ELLs are motivated when the material relates to their

background knowledge, have assignments that offer task choices, and can participate in

collaborative activities (Olson & Scarcella & Matuchniak, 2016).

The third teaching strategy for ELLs deals with academic language. Many ELLs dont

have enough natural exposure to academic language (Olson & Scarcella & Matuchniak, 2016).

When collaborating with peers, ELLs are exposed to slang and improper grammar use. When

reading, ELLs often times lack adequate academic language exposure because they lack the

English language proficiency level to comprehend such materials. All students, including ELLs,

benefit from learning academic language in all disciplines. Academic language needs to be

explicitly taught to ELLs, more so than their peers. When a lesson or task requires academic

language, side-by-side paragraph examples of slang and academic language can help.

An applicable and hands on way to teach academic language to all students is through

debate or two way discourse. Debates allow ELLs to use academic language with their peers in a

structured setting. Sentence frames with basic argument and counterargument structure may

provide additional help to ELLs. Allowing students to agree and/or disagree and state why

provides necessary practice with academic language use (Olson & Scarcella & Matuchniak, 2016).
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Another tactic is to create assignments that allow students to summarize what they have learned.

This allows ELLs to apply taught vocabulary and teaching objectives (National Conference, 2008).

ELL teaching strategies involve differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction means

students are learning the same thing but in different ways (Ford 2015). All students, not just ELL

students, come to school from different backgrounds with different experiences and personalities.

This means each student learns in a different way. Differentiated instruction benefits all students

(Ford 2015) not just ELL students. Learning new strategies to differentiate lesson plans to help

ELL students achieve the same goals as regular education students is important. By taking the time

to learn about each student, not just ELL students, teachers can group students with similar needs

together when differentiating lessons (Ford 2015).

Professional Implications of Research

In conclusion, after researching how to better teach ELLs, it is evident that simple ELL

teaching strategies can benefit all students. After learning the steps of second language acquisition,

I understand how to modify assignments effectively and get better results to benefit both the

struggling ELL and regular education. With the right tools, guidance and support, ELL students

can complete the same tasks as any student. Simple activities and classroom differentiation can

benefit all students while targeting the English language learner.

Creating an engaging learning environment for the ELL also benefits all students.

Providing students with options in an activity creates an open learning environment. Allowing

students to have a choice in their learning increases student motivation. Another idea is to engage

students in brain breaks (Artifact 5), so the class can get to know each other and they can bond over
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something not related to a grade. Reinforcing study habits/strategies that students can apply to all

content classes also gives them the tools necessary to succeed.

Research-based Action Plan

Action Plan Summary

My plan is to manage behavior by maintaining an engaged classroom environment for ELLs and

all types of learners. This will be done in five ways:

1. Provide students with a variety of differentiated tasks to allow students to have a choice.
2. Create an open learning environment by giving students an outlet to discuss opinions,
experiences and likes/dislikes.
3. Use brain breaks and other activities to lessen student anxiety and also to promote a
positive and safe classroom culture.
4. Use cognitive bookmarks and do what charts to assist students in understanding what is
expected of them.
5. Reinforce and stress important material using visual cues and guided practice.

Anticipated Implementation

I will incorporate station work time into my classroom routine. This will give ELL

students added exposure to English within the classroom. It will also provide the task

variety and student choice needed to increase engagement and motivation. I will also use a

weekly writing prompt on Mondays to allow students to talk about their experiences. I will

center the prompt on the use of last week's skill or vocabulary to further benefit the ELL

student. Students will be able to apply the material in a personal way. I will create a bank of

brain breaks that can be used to improve student focus, lessen student anxiety, and promote

an atmosphere of fun in the class. Lastly, in order to reinforce important material I will

include added lecture bubbles that focus on academic language and objectives. We will also

practice creating outlines and visual cues of material on these types of slides. These slides

could also incorporate extra practice on exam-like questions and study tips.
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Anticipated Outcomes

I anticipate that students, including ELL students, will become more motivated and

engaged in the learning process. Students will be applying academic language within the

classroom on a consistent basis. The classroom environment will become more open and

students will work as a team to learn. I anticipate that as I teach study habits/strategies and

academic language use in variety of ways that involve student participation assessment

scores will improve. ELLs and other struggling learners will be able to complete

assignments using their strengths.

Post-assessment: Reflection

What Worked (or anticipate what will work) and Why

1. I think students will respond very well to stations and brain breaks (Artifact 5). These two

activities will get students up moving around and make transitions easier. Stations and

brain breaks also give students choice and variety in assignments and activities. Based on

what we discussed in class, when students have independence and ownership in their work,

like in stations, intrinsic motivation increases.

2. I also anticipate my website (Artifact 6) will be useful to all students, as well as benefiting

ELL students. It will allow the ELL students to bring the classroom, as well as extra help,

home with them. Each student will be able to look at academic material at his or her own

pace. Students will also be able to post questions and participate on the website when

raising their hand in class is too intimidating. It is also a great communication tool for

parents that cant use spoken English as well as other forms.

What Did Not Work (or anticipate what will not work) and Why
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1. I anticipate that ELL students wont respond to being forced to participate or to share their

prompts. ELL students may shut down and this will create an environment with anxiety.

My goal will be first to share my prompt and ask for students to share theirs. I anticipate

that when ELLs become more comfortable, they will do the same. I also intend on finding

every ELL students strengths and have him/her participate that way (etc. speaking, writing,

reading, leading, completing tasks).

2. I anticipate that initially students will find learning study habits/strategies tedious and

boring. They will assume they dont need these habits. However, I anticipate if they

complete them, they will notice the improvements. In the beginning, if I receive push back,

I intend to offer extra credit to students using these habits in order to encourage all students

to learn them.

My Next Steps

1. Upon entering a school, I plan to approach Special Education teachers and English as a

Second Language (ESL) teachers to learn the needs of my specific students. Many teachers

have overlapping students and can share tips on teaching strategies that benefit student

learning styles. Every student learns differently, no matter their specific label, and working

as a team saves our most valuable resource= time.

2. In the future I will continue to learn more about the cultures of the students in my

classroom. I have spent years immersing myself in the Spanish culture, but I will have

students from all different backgrounds. Taking the time to learn about other cultures and

pastimes will provide students with a more welcoming classroom environment.

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Artifacts

Artifact 1: This is La Crosse Centrals school information found on their Wisconsin school report

card. These can be used to determine the environment and background of any school in the state.
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Artifact 2: This is the Second Language Acquisition Chart. It provides teachers with the

characteristics of each stage and hints on tiered questions to use with each student involved.
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Artifact 3: Cognitive bookmarks give academic language cues to help ELL students.
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Artifact 4: Do/What Charts help students learn to identify and clarify directions.
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Artifact 5: Brain breaks like this one will help manage student behavior during transitions, one of
my anticipated weaknesses.
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Artifact 6: My classroom website allows the students to take the classroom environment home
with them and learn at their own pace. It also provides as a participation and communication tool.
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References

Ford, K. (2015). Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners. Retrieved August 10th,

2016, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/differentiated-instruction-english-

language-learners

Hill, J.D., Bjork, C.L., (2008) Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners

Facilitator's Guide, Chapter 2, Denver, CO. McREL. Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108052/chapters/The-Stages-of-Second-Language-

Acquisition.aspx

National Conference of Teachers of English. English Language Learners [PDF document]. (2008)

pages 1-8. Retrieved from Presentation slides Web site:

http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/PolicyResearch/ELLResearchBrief.pdf

Olson, C.B., Scarcella, R., Matuchniak, T. (2016, February) The Write Stuff. Educational

Leadership, Helping ELLs Excel, 73(5), pages 38-44

Piazza, S. s., Rao, S. s., & Protacio, M. s. (2015). Converging Recommendations for Culturally

Responsive Literacy Practices: Students with Learning Disabilities, English Language

Learners, and Socioculturally Diverse Learners. International Journal Of Multicultural

Education, 17(3), 1-20.

Robertson, K., & Ford, K. (2015). Language Acquisition: An Overview. Retrieved August 10,

2016, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview

HYPERLINK "http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview"