View Content #21324

From http://blog.tesol.org

Nathan Hall writes, “A bulk of our training to become ELL specialists involves the nuances of linguistics and how to adapt curriculum, but it’s not until we’re in the classroom for a year that we begin to see how the education is only a sliver of our students’ lives. We learn how they may have jobs that leave them with no time for homework, how they move so often they barely know their own addresses, or how hard it can be to get their parents to attend IEP meetings or other school functions. There are two ways we can handle this realization: We can focus on our jobs as teachers and stick to our activities and tests, or we can try to help our students to gain the skills they truly need to succeed in society.”

If you prefer the second choice, read on for ideas for being involved in improving the lives of your students and their families: http://blog.tesol.org/making-esl-class-an-entryway-for-community-involvement/