Friday. Beginning ELD.
(ELD stands for English language development. This is the class for recent immigrants. Beginning means they don't speak any English yet, so they're very recent immigrants.)
Mr. F had left a jam-packed lesson plan, and I was struggling with the technology. And, of course, the instructional aide was running late.
(For reference, Mr. F is the teacher who took over the vacant middle school English class in 2019 that I started the year in. He's still in the same classroom. And the instructional aide, Ms. R, is the IA I had when I did the summer academy in 2022. In other words, they both know me, and I know them.)
By the time Ms. R arrived, I had gotten the technology going, had gotten their notebooks passed out, and was just getting into the lesson. Ms. R kind of took over as she knew the routine and could slip into Spanish to help the kiddos understand what they had to do.
(While the majority of the class were from Spanish speaking countries, there were a couple students who spoke Arabic and a couple who spoke Vietnamese. I can't recall what the fourth language was, though. It's always a mix in these classes.)
As Ms. R was discussing something with them, half the class broke into whistles...
Ms. R stopped what she was doing to explain to the group why whistling was inappropriate.
She does this from time to time. One time in the winter she explained why even though the sun was shining, they needed to wear a jacket. (Our climate is weird.) And she'll point out things that they might not know as newcomers to this part of the world.
The whistling discourse hit on how disrespectful it was to women and the sorts of things you'd want boys to learn. And then Ms. R turned back to the board to get back into the lesson. (They were writing sentences like, "The third day of the week is Wednesday," and "The seventh month is July".)
Just as Ms. R turned around, another student whistled...
Oh, she wasn't having that. She sent that student out for that.
Because, seriously? The first time, sure. They don't know better. But the second time? Nope.
Later, Ms. R had a serious conversation with the student. Mostly in Spanish, so I wasn't listening. (And it was snack time, so I went in search of a restroom.) But later, she talked to me about it.
The big question was, what's going on in that seventh grader's life that he felt the need to call attention to himself like that? Which is a very good question.
Beginning ELD classes can be tricky. Behavior issues crop up. We wonder what sort of schooling they had prior to ending up here. But kids are kids, and they'll do the sorts of things you'd expect.
Her response was fantastic, she sounds like a perfect fit for the class!
ReplyDeleteOh, she is. She knows what she's doing.
DeleteI'm sure you learn a lot from these beginners.
ReplyDeleteIn day-to-day subbing, not so much. I've had some interesting days in these classes, though.
DeleteYour post reminds me of the time I had to gently get across to some ESL students (adult learners) that audibly belching in class is culturally inappropriate. Some of the Ss thought it both gross and funny when it occurred, so they started laughing. We quickly moved along from it, but the loud belching needed to be addressed!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, definitely. It does help to explain how it's culturally inappropriate, and that tends to help. No one wants to make a cultural faux pas in their new home.
DeleteMy late childhood best friend from Brooklyn, who started teaching as a sub, then kindergarten, and finally 4th grade, had a lot of interesting experiences with ESL students over the years. In her case, a lot of those students spoke Russian, which she didn't. And she wasn't an ESL teacher. But she managed. Somehow. And yes, there were some interesting cultural differences she had to deal with.
ReplyDeleteTechnically these classes are supposed to be taught in English (slowly), but with so many Spanish speakers in the area, a lot can happen in Spanish.
DeleteIt must be difficult all around, for teachers, and students. I'd find it scary to be plopped down where I didn't speak the language. In 8th grade I was in Spain, by my school was English. I can't imagine going to a local school.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a challenge. The teachers in those classes know what they're doing.
DeleteESL is hard, I’m sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's challenging.
DeleteI still admire you for doing this. I simply could not do it. I haven't the patience, and I haven't been around young people that much. I consider teachers & subs to be saints.
ReplyDeleteThat was me, CountryDew. For some reason I can't comment on your blog today.
DeleteI wish I knew why the comments won't log some people in while others have no issues. I'm contemplating switching over to the pop out comments as there seem to be fewer problems with those. But I like being able to reply directly to everyone.
DeleteThere's always got to be at least one. 🙄
ReplyDeleteThere are just some kids who will not listen the first or second time and are going to do what they want.
ReplyDeleteOr they want to flaunt authority. "Oh, I can't do this? Watch me."
Deletewe now have tons of immigrants from India, young men mostly, clerk almost all the convenience stores. I ran into two from India when trapping cats at one location. They were living in a teensy trailer on the property and working there. Very nice young men, couldn't understand a word they said nor they me, but they loved cats and we showed each other cat photos and they were so happy the cats were being fixed and were the only ones in that large establishment who ran over to give me $20 for gas. I thought they were really nice young men and we did communicate without knowing each others languages.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny who settles where. Lately we've been getting a lot of Egyptian immigrants to this area. Although, I don't recall any being in this class, so I might be thinking of three or four years ago.
DeleteI bet the melting pot is quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy late friend Henry used to teach a Spanish as a second language class at night at the community college. Key West had so many hotels and restaurants and construction contractors that had majority Spanish speaking workers and it helped supervisors communicate with their employees. He found it frustrating on one hand, because it was his experience that it was harder for adults to learn a new language. On the other hand, he preferred it to ESL in the local junior high -- which he taught for only one year -- because he found the kids so disrespectful. He was the product of Catholic schools in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and was just stunned by how badly behaved students here are. I miss him so much. I'd love to discuss this post with him!
ReplyDeleteMs. R made the comment that some of the kiddos didn't attend schools before, so they didn't understand the protocols. And add that to the disruption of leaving your home for a weird country and that just being a difficult age generally, and it's a recipe for disaster.
DeleteIt sounds like you had quite the experience in your Beginning ELD class! It’s great to see Ms. R stepping in to guide the students not just in language but in understanding social norms as well. It can be challenging for new immigrants to navigate cultural differences, and it’s important to have someone who can help bridge that gap.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you’re reflecting on the behaviors of your students and considering what might be behind them. It really shows your compassion and understanding as an educator. Every day brings its own challenges, especially in such a diverse classroom setting, but it sounds like you’re handling it with care.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks.
DeleteIn France we have this course, FLE, for French as a foreign language, and classes can be very heterogeneous. You did a great job, both of you, listening to the kids. Not the easiest course!
ReplyDelete