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Entry 4: Reflection

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Not only has this Second Language Methodology course had a significant impact on my teaching philosophy, but it has opened my eyes on how biased and neglectful teachers can act towards ELLs. My teaching philosophy has always been about respect. I believe that respect cycles, and in order to earn the students’ respect the teacher needs to demonstrate the respect they have for the students. By respecting my students, I will be getting to know more about them. Like where they are from, their first language, interests and hobbies, and academic understandings. As a future teacher, I will get to know my ELLs so I can make sure they are learning to their best abilities by providing ample support and accommodations. As I have mentioned in my other blogs, my placement is in a sixth-grade math class. My misconception about my placement, was that math involves numbers so there is not a lot to accommodate for ELLs in math. However, I was very wrong. Since this course has started, I have notic...
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Entry 3: Interview with an ESL Teacher

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You can watch my video here . In my video, I introduced the interview as Vlog 4 and did not realize until I went back and watched it, so my apologies. For this Vlog, I interviewed Mrs. Tullia. She has worked with ELLs of all ages, but now primarily works with high school students. Due to the large district that she works in, she receives students from various backgrounds. I immediately thought back to the text and how Wright (2015) begins the book by stating the fact of ELLs being an extremely diverse group. In the interview Tullia discusses how she is currently acquiring a large number of refugee students from Venezuela, and how the hardest adaption for these students is the American school system itself. Wright (2015) says, students from immigrant and minority homes may find the culture of the school vastly different from the culture of their home. I asked Tullia about content-based instruction, she said that it is only effective as the training the teachers receive. She knows that...
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Entry 1: Course Introduction

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Claire Orewiler's Vlog Welcome to my first ever vlog! I am in my last semester at the University of Houston. I will graduate on December 14 with a EC-6 Generalist degree. The light at the end of the tunnel is finally here! I am currently student teaching in a sixth-grade math class at Alexander Middle School in Pearland ISD. Through my various experiences in the field, thanks to the College of Education, I have started to form my own teaching philosophy. The foundation of my philosophy is to treat the students as the unique individuals that they are. Wright (2015) opens the text by providing examples of the various types of backgrounds that English Language Learners come from. It helps me remember that not all ELLs speak the same primary language or represent the same cultures. As an educator, it is important to acknowledge and learn about the students' home cultures. While we hope that the students succeed in the American language and culture, we do not want them to forget ...
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