Learning Outcome 4

In my first practicum at R.G. Park Public School, during literacy instruction, I saw my mentor and another teacher candidate use an approach called a station rotation. Again, students were identified and grouped into five different stations based on similar levels of proficiency, and the groups rotated daily for focused lesson and instruction. I found this approach very interesting. But then I started to wonder if segregating students on the basis of their proficiency levels would rightly be called accommodation. After all, each student has unique strengths and weaknesses—so can grouping strategies ever feasibly meet individuals in all contexts?

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During my second practicum, however, I was faced with a very different situation: a number of students in my class were not fluent in English. Since then, I have been able to work with several of them in a more direct support basis. Luckily, one of these students and I spoke the same language, and I was able to offer more help. In class time, I assisted her in understanding the meaning of the questions in her home language and promoted that she expresses herself in English as they can.

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As I worked with this student, I was hoping to juxtapose her previous responses, with her more recent responses, and see if her knowledge was situational or able to transfer to other contexts in the future. It was fascinating to observe that although she understood what words such as “computer” and even function words such as “because” meant in her own language, language barriers and with different grammar, made speaking in English very difficult for her. At the same time, when I broke down the vocabulary terms used and also explained the theory behind each term/concept, I found that she was more interested in and engaged in her learning.

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By doing so, this allowed me to see that not only was she starting to write out her answers through a translator, but that she was beginning to communicate her own ideas. It reminded me that no matter how many English language learners a classroom has, creating an inclusive classroom is still possible in modern day education. The goal is not removing all gaps at once, but rather slowly working to decrease gaps over time.

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To sum up, I think that it doesn’t really matter if I’m doing great or not, just that I’m progressing even a little bit. But I also know that this belief is not always universally true or applicable in all situations. I’ve been lucky in that I’m able to speak, or at least understand, four languages at a serviceable level. But I also know that this faith — like so much else — is something that has to be continually updated and refined, subject to place and time.