Learn about the unique responsibilities, strengths, and social-emotional needs of English language learners (ELLs) and immigrant students in middle and high school from Michelle Lawrence Biggar, a veteran ELL educator in New York State.
Biggar High School Science Homework
Working with middle and high school English Language Learners (ELLs) presents a unique set of opportunities, benefits, and challenges. In order to achieve the highest level of success in the classroom, it's important to acknowledge these factors and understand how they affect student learning.
Even with great instruction, success in the classroom will become that much more difficult to achieve if the social and emotional needs of a student are not met. This is especially true for middle and high school ELLs, who often have significant responsibilities at home.
Michelle Lawrence Biggar is a high school ESL teacher at the International Preparatory School at Grover Cleveland High School in Buffalo, NY and is featured in Colorín Colorado's Watch & Learn series.
In high school I was a foreign exchange student in Costa Rica. And I remember as a sophomore I went, and I loved it so much that I worked hard for two years and saved all my money so I could go again as a senior, because I had gotten the travel bug.
This particular student was on the lower end of that spectrum. Most of his classmates moved on to a different level but he stayed at the beginning level. Mary Claire Hays, my colleague, the other ESL teacher at the high school level and I, struggled. "Should we keep him in my class or should we give him a switch?" Because it's not a punishment for a student to repeat a beginning level class. They get the credit. They just need to understand that they still need to learn those skills. We ultimately decided to enroll him in my class again. While at first I was worried that "Oh, we'd be reading the same stories and maybe he'd feel that he was bored," it's not the case at all.
I didn't give anything, you earned. You can say that a thousand times and students don't quite understand it. But with this salary they get it. They see every day "Oh, I didn't bring my homework so I don't get the five points. Oh, I was late so I can't get those five points." So I want to thank the math teachers at my school because it has been a phenomenal success in my classroom.
The bilingual teachers at this school and our aides are just invaluable. For me personally, I think that they serve our students in the content area more. I don't see them in my classroom as much. They more push in with the students in their science and math classes and help them out content-wise.
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Every grade has a theme and a purpose. Kindergarteners are mountain gardeners. First graders are entomologists, and second graders are herpetologists. Third graders are mammalogists, and fourth graders are fisheries biologists. Fifth graders are ornithologists, and sixth graders are watershed mashups of astronomers, meteorologists, geologists, and hydrologists. Seventh graders focus on life science through the phenomena of wildlife and wildfire. Eighth graders explore physical science through the lens of mountain life and adventure. High school students apply local phenomena and stewardship to traditional courses.
The program underwent its first major test this past spring with the sudden virtual shift to home. To accommodate home-based learning, I led outdoor Zoom meetings for every grade level and local scientists. I also created over 120 Outdoor Core videos, sharing local phenomena; accompanying homework to explore and find that phenomena was always outside. Critical was the ability of all kids to field-journal independently. Also essential was the theme of the year, which by March had been embedded. During the final weeks of the school year, further inquiry on the theme, and even stewardship projects, were designed by kids in their own yards and neighborhoods. The resilience of the program and the identity of the kids helped everyone navigate the uneven ground of spring 2020. 2ff7e9595c
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