Hello, my name is Kennia Estrada. I am 27 years old. I have a beautiful baby girl. I have been married for 11 years. I am a senior at the University of Houston. I am graduating December this year with a BS in Education as a EC-6 Generalist. I am very excited to be a future teacher.
I have experience as an ELL. I was born in Brownsville, Tx. Both of my parents are from Tamaulipas, Mx and their first language is Spanish and that was the language I was introduced to. Due to some family events I was moved to Mexico when I was 1 and I ended up attending Kindergarten in Mexico. All I knew was Spanish, so when I was 6 and had to move in with my grandma in Brownville, I struggled. I was to start 1st grade in a new school with a strange new language that I did not understand. It was hard to do anything because I didn't understand in the beginning it was nothing but had motions to get me to places and get me to do my work. I was struggling, my teachers didn't seem to have the patience to guide me and I felt so alone. I didn't have friends, I avoided talking to anyone and therefore I was falling behind. Then, I met Mrs. Flores, she was amazing, she helped me understand the language. She took the time out of her day to guide me and help me with my English. It is thanks to her that I was able to overcome this obstacle.
Thanks to Mrs. Flores and her kindness, I didn't feel alone and I mastered a new language. It's because of her that I decided to become a teacher. I want to be able to help students and be there for them like she was there for me. My teaching philosophy comes from my experiences, I hope to create a classroom community where my students don't feel alone because of their struggles and that they feel that they have someone who supports them. According to Wright (2019), " The more the teacher knows about a student's experiences, the more he or she can assume about the expertise that student is likely to have." (pg 23) I understand that it's hard to learn a new language and to adapt to a new environment. I hope to support ELL's with patience, kindness, reassurance and by being understanding. I will be there to support and guide them with what they need and ensure that they don't have to sacrifice their native language and culture.
Being able to actually talk about issues like this is very important because it can help us connect to students who have gone through the same thing. Also, it helps us see that knowing 2 languages is very helpful because now you can communicate with someone who may not speak English. I try to keep up with my Spanish so that I am able to communicate with others.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2019. Print. Third Edition.
We need more teachers like Mrs. Flores, teachers that understand what ELLs go through. We most definitely need more teachers like her, and I am glad she inspired you to follow in her footsteps. According to Write, for teachers to be able to provide effective instruction, they need to be able to answer basic questions about their ELLs in their classrooms (p. 23). It looks like Mrs. Flores took the time to know you and about you. This knowledge should guide teachers in what educational strategies and techniques to use to help their ELLs succeed (p.23).
ReplyDeleteHello Sonia,
DeleteI agree she did take her time getting to know me and thanks to her taking her time in getting to know me she was able to help me more. Like Wright said " Knowing the students ethnicity and country of origin, for example, allows the teacher to incorporate appropriate multicultural education strategies and techniques into the curriculum" (pg.23). Knowing that she cared and tried to relate with me helped so much, I am glad that she was my teacher. This is why I hope to be able to build a positive classroom community so that my students may feel safe and cared for.
Hello Kennia, My name is Luma. Thank you for sharing your story and experience with learning the language. Most of us have experiences with learning English because there are a lot of immigrant live here in The United States and mostly in Houston. According to Wright “foreign-born immigrant made up about 13.2 % of the U.S. population between 2012 and 2016” P 7. We as a future teachers need to learn from those experiences in order to better educate our students and prepare them for a better future. Since most of us have experienced this feeling, we can imagine and understand ELL students.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2019. Print. Third Edition.
Hello Luma,
ReplyDeleteI agree, as teachers we need to take our experiences and help our future students. Especially when we know how it feels to be misunderstood. As Wright says we should encourage ELL's to find be their own identities instead of "encouraging them to assimilate to mainstream norms" (pg. 22). My classroom plan has always been to build a positive classroom community and I want to ensure that all my students feel safe and welcomed. I never want to make them feel that way I have felt before.