ELL+Paper

Gracejoy Hauser Sept. 18, 2010 EEX 4941 Internship II *final

**__Environmental Adaptations for English Language Learners__** In my Senior Internship at the University of Central Florida, I am placed in an ESE elementary setting with a Resource Teacher at Bonneville Elementary School in Orange County, FL. A Resource Teacher is someone who gives intervention instruction in different levels. My supervising teacher has a very busy schedule. When she provides ‘Push In’ service, we go into other teacher’s classroom and provide either co-teaching and/or one-on-one service. When we do the ‘Pull Out’ service, we pick up a group of students and take them back in our classroom to provide a more intense service. Bonneville Elementary follows the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. The RTI model is a multi-tiered approach to providing high quality instruction and intervention matched to student needs, using learning rate over time and level of performance to inform instructional decisions. RTI involves the systematic use of assessment data to most efficiently allocate resources in order to improve learning for all students. In Tier 1, the bottom of the Tier is where 80% of students belong. General academic and behavior instruction and support are provided to all students in general education settings. Tier 2 is ** Targeted, Supplemental Interventions & Supports. ** This is a more targeted instruction/intervention and supplemental support in addition to and aligned with the core academic and behavior curriculum where 15% of students fall under. The most intense (increased time, narrowed focus, reduced group size) instruction and intervention based upon individual student need provided in addition to and aligned with Tier 1 & 2 academic and behavior instruction is at Tier 3 with only 5% of students. Just by examining this model, it seems evident that the needs of English Language Learners will be met because of the differentiated instruction embedded within the RTI model.

The following categories describe the learning environment of my internship setting and included will be how I would adapt my future classroom to meet the academic needs of ELL students. **Classroom Organization** I think this set up for classroom organization and layout works well with all students including English Language Learners, therefore, I will make sure that my future classroom will have distinct areas for each group. I will also have bookshelves located in the corners and will label it “Reading Corner.” Books by grade level will also be featured in the tiered display shelf to attract students to specific titles. Computers will be facing the wall for less distraction. Each grade level of students that we take into our room know exactly which table and area of the room to go whether they’re in Kinder, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
 * There are four computers (with headphones) facing the wall with expected behavior posted for students to adhere to.
 * Two large bookshelves fill each side corner of the room.
 * Tiered display shelf on front of classroom featuring varied books.
 * 3 Small Group setting for Kinder, 1st, 2nd and 3rd. (tables and chairs adjusted)
 * Bookshelves that contain textbooks and workbooks by grade level as soon as you enter front door.

**Visual Displays** C- conversation (Level 0-3) H- help (tells students how to ask for help. Ie. Raise your hand, etc.) A- activity (what you should be doing) M- movement (standing, sitting, etc.) P- participation S- success Our classroom is full of visual displays that students can utilize in sounding out words, reading, comprehension and knowing expected behaviors. In my future classroom, I will make sure that each area is clearly labeled and expectations are posted so that students know exactly where to go, what to do and how to behave. Just as my supervising teacher does, I will explicitly teach and point students to each visual display and area in the room so that they can look at these displays with a purpose. **Materials** My future classroom will have materials neatly organized by grade level in bookshelves similar to my placement setting. Each grade level textbook is color-coded so they are easily spotted. I will assign a student helper each week to make sure that my pencil canister is full of sharpened pencils. I will have rotating books and books on tape which will be especially helpful for ELL students to listen to as they immerse themselves in the English language. I will make sure that I have an organized teacher cabinet for quick access to supplies I need in putting together materials. I will make sure that I have a Teacher’s Guide and Intervention Guide along with the complete curriculum. (Some teachers in our school do not have the books they need). I will also make sure that I have the digital (cd’s) and online version of each curriculum. Having the curriculum available for students not just inside the classroom but outside when they go home and log on the internet is very important also for ELL’s so that they can have that extra access to materials they need to learn.
 * Big and color-coded Letter-Sound cards clearly visible and posted high in the front middle wall of classroom. Separated by Long Vowels (yellow) Short Vowels (green), Complex Vowels (Blue), and Blends.
 * Vowel Name Cards
 * Word Wall
 * Reading Rules Poster laminated and color-coded (We teach Reading.)
 * Expected Behavior (C.H.A.M.P.S.) School-wide behavioral system that tells students exactly how to behave.
 * Literary Line Up Poster: (Fable, Fairytale, Biography, Autobiography, Myth, Mystery, Poetry, Fantasy, Historical Fiction)
 * Comprehension Strategies (4 Posters): SQ3R, Question-Answer Relationship, Connecting to Text, and Fix Up Strategies
 * Textbooks and Workbooks arranged by grade level located in bookshelves by the door.
 * Canister of sharpened pencils always ready for students.
 * Tape players and headphones with books and books on tape.
 * Teacher office supplies in a cabinet.
 * Teacher’s Guide and Intervention Guide books.
 * Teacher and Student Online Access to Curriculum.

**Grouping Strategies** Each group that comes to our classroom is usually the Red Group which also means that they are the below or low level group. The group is determined by students’ academic level from beginning of school year and is also based on what their IEP states. In my future classroom, I will make sure that small groups contain no more than six students so that I can provide a more focused instruction which ELL students need. **Classroom Management** Bonneville Elementary has a school-wide behavioral system called C.H.A.M.P.S. Each area of the school, from the cafeteria, to the stairs, to the Media Center and inside classrooms, students know exactly how to behave by looking at the C.H.A.M.P.S. poster that is manipulated daily based on the activity. My supervising teacher delivers reading instruction so she has a separate Reading Rules called STAR Reader. She collects points/stars each day up to a total of 20 pts for a trip to her Treasure Box on Fridays. My future students will know exactly how to behave in my future classroom as I will make sure that the school-wide behavioral expectation is clearly posted and explicitly taught and practiced from day one. ELL students benefit from written and visual expectations as well as explicit instruction. **Instructional Strategies** Since my supervising teacher is not just an ESE teacher but also a Resource Teacher, she practices an abundance of instructional strategies daily as she gives instruction. She uses a table/worksheet for teaching vocabulary where students need to circle 1 thru 4 based on their knowledge of the word, then they can draw what they think the word means and also put into their own words the definition of the word. The four main reading strategies with visual displays in her classroom are: SQ3R, Question-Answer Relationship, Connecting to Text, and Fix Up Strategies. These strategies help students navigate their weekly reading selections and also helps them in their reading test on Fridays. In my classroom, one Reading strategy I will implement is the S.C.R.O.L. (Survey, Connect, Read, Outline, Look Back). In Spelling, I will use S.P.E.L.L.E.R. (Spot, Picture, Look to See, Look Away, Examine, Repeat). In Writing, one strategy I will implement is the Response Journal. In Math, I will implement Peer-Mediated Instruction and in Study Skills, I will teach the P.L.A.N. (Predict, Locate, Add, Note).
 * Tables and chairs for Small Group arranged by grade level with adjusted table height and chair height.
 * Comprehension Strategies color-coded and magnetized on board: Predict, Visualize, Make Connection, Ask Questions, Monitor and Clarify, Adjust Reading Speed, Summarize
 * Vocabulary Table Handout for teaching weekly Vocabulary.
 * Various acronyms for remembering how to do different academic tasks (ie. math problems, reading tests, etc.)

All of these elements I mentioned are significant pieces in delivering effective differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse ELL students that will be consistently practiced in my classroom.