Professional Learning Communities Facilitator’s Guide3
In a detailed guide, the authors of this comprehensive research based evaluation offers tools for educators to teach academic content and literacy to English Language Learners in Elementary and Middle School. According to the contributing authors of the guide, the knowledge and resources provided are intended to assist educators in meeting the instructional needs of ELLs and rigorous requirements of state college and career readiness standards. The guide offers professional development for educators in the form of small learning communities driven by discussion.
In response to the lack of support and preparation to teach new incoming ELLs, Carol Ann Tomlinson recounts the way a history teacher approached teaching ELLs without any formal assistance. Tomlinson writes how the history teacher simply attempted to position himself in the situation of his new students and began to make small changes to his lesson plan. The teacher asked himself what it would feel like to be a teenager once again and going to school in an entirely new country learning a new language. As the teacher attempted to place himself in the shoes of his students, he realized that there were simple things he could do to alleviate the hardships and challenges of ELLs. The teacher noticed that showing ELLs that he the teacher cared about their learning had a positive impact on the attitude and self-esteem of students. Showing basic respect for the unique cultural perspectives of ELLs allowed students to value their voice in the classroom. Without being an ‘ELL expert’, the teacher reasoned that educators can start teaching ELLs by simply being human beings and try to understand the immense challenge of starting over in a completely new place.