Science #2: Brigham Goals

Throughout the rest of the semester, our class will be going to Brigham Elementary School and working with a preschool and kindergarten class.  Each of these classes has a large number of children who are English language learners.  During our time there, we will work with partners to teach one science lesson.  I have set a very specific goal for myself to work towards during my time there and that is to learn at least 5 words in Spanish because Spanish is the primary language that most (if not all) of the English language learners.

I have set this goal for myself because I think that it is important that teachers make an effort to familiarize themselves with each child's native language.  This can build a stronger, more trusting relationship between the teacher and the student and it also helps lessons go a lot smoother because the child will have a better chance of understanding what they are learning.  I have learned throughout my courses at ISU that building trusting relationships is an important step to building a caring classroom community.  In TCH 276, I have learned a lot about the general makeup of diverse classrooms.  In module 2, we focused more specifically on the effects that linguistic diversity has on classrooms and teacher instruction.  I even learned about California Proposition 227, which is a law that passed in California that banned bilingual education in the entire state.  I cannot believe that a state would ban such a beneficial and widely used form of education that so many students are currently enrolled in. 

Because of the effectiveness and necessity that I see bilingual education as, I think it would be very important for me to learn some Spanish words this semester that I can use in my lesson.  A great start would be to learn the five senses (touch, sight, smell, hear, and feel) in Spanish because that is the focus of our lessons in the prekindergarten classroom this semester.  By learning these words and incorporating them into my lesson in a meaningful way, I hope to capture the student’s attention and keep them engaged throughout the entire length of the lesson.  I also think it would be beneficial to learn other words such as sit, listen, and other words that are frequently used during lessons.  One of the ways that I plan on learning these words is by researching the proper way to say them online.  I also intend on asking my sister-in-law who is a high school spanish teacher if the translations I have found are correct.  

Although I have set this goal for myself, I would also like to set another goal.  I think that it would be very beneficial to both the students and me if I were to gain confidence in working with students who speak another language during this semester.  Most of my placements that I have worked in throughout my college career have not had English language learners.  Therefore, I do not have a lot of confidence in my abilities to teach those students.  I hope that by making solid lesson plans that I make in advance, having them reviewed by Dr. Osorio, revising the lesson based on her suggestions and me and my partners new ideas, I will have accurate knowledge of what I plan to teach during the lessons.  That way, I won’t have to focus as much on making sure I get through all of my lesson material and put more energy into gaining confidence in working with this group of students.

I found this web page that is a compilation of science resources to use when teaching science to English language learners that I think will be useful when planning my lesson for the prekindergarten class.  http://www.canby.com/hemphill/fyispn1.htm

EXCEEDS: I included a link above that has a large list of resources to use when teaching science to English language learners.