When thinking about how to be a great Teacher Ally, especially to a particular group of students, it can be a little intimidating. There are so many aspects that you have to simultaneously think of that it can be overwhelming. English Language Learners are one group of students that need ally-ship from teachers. There can be a struggle with the transition to a school taught in a primarily foreign language. How best can you be a Teacher Ally to ELLs?
" Building Bridges: Supporting English Language Learners in AP English Literature and Composition" by Jennifer Pust provides some great tools in your support of ELL students. What are a couple of ways that you can best support ELL students in their learning and together, create learning opportunities for them? Three tools and techniques that the article offers are as follows:
(1) Make the material culturally relevant.
Everyone learns from everyone. If you make the material culturally relevant to the ELL students in your class, they can provide an individual perspective to the classroom, and it makes them feel as if they have a stake in their learning.
(2) Think-alouds are key.
Showing your students, instead of telling them seems to prove most effective with ELLs. When thinking through a reading, it is important for you to first demonstrate (i.e. think-aloud) the best process of this.
(3) Being goofy is encouraged.
It is okay to be silly with the material. When reading aloud, if you use different voices and accents, it can help students follow along with the text, as well as help them create lasting connections with you.
After reading this particular article, I hope that I can take a further step towards becoming an ally for ELL students.