Esl School

I just accepted a job as a middle school ESL teacher (7th-9th grade). I'm looking for any tips on how to set up my classroom, including the physical make up of the room, classroom routines, classroom management tips, reward systems, etc. This will be my first year as a teacher (aside from substitute teaching). Although I am certified to teach middle school ESL, I am used to the elementary age. Any suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks!

You will have to hit the ground running as far as the room; so you will want to see what it looks like. If there aren't bulletin boards, have the maintenence staff put some up. Since it is not a self contained classroom, the scheduling of the children is a hard part. You will want the children to come to you, which means, that when you set up their schedules, you don't want them to miss to many of their core subjects. To set up the schedule, block out all the periods of the day for each day of the week. Then, you have to get the schedule of your caseload and distribute their hours in accordance with their needs. Generally, a start of the year room even for upper grades has the back to school theme, but somehow you have to make it relevant to the preteen, tween age child. Also, as it is ESL, you need labels around the room. You will need flashcards, either you make or buy. For management, I suggest, copious praise for good behavior and never sit down. I don't know about your district, but I never stop moving. Also, I make hands on the desk or in view. Mostly, you have to have them learn English, so they can function and be out of your caseload. If you didn't retrieve the school issued stapler, you need that, a grade book, which they should provide, paper they should provide. This means, that whatever the procedure at the school for obtaining supplies you will need to get in the know. The same is true of copier procedures. At the school's orientation meeting, they usually tell teachers the discipline procedures and rules. They often assign a mentor for new teachers. But not all systems function as they declare. Take your time getting the room ready, spotless, then figure the schedule. It doesn't happen in a day. You will also need lesson plans, as they will probably check your lesson plans and visit your classroom for observations. You shouldn't have behavior problems, just that they are reaching an age where learning a new language is not as easy as when younger. Plus, some children are more anxious than others. Regarding rewards, it is not like elementary school with stars and the like. If there is another ESL teacher in the school, try to coordinate with her. There used to be a website for all types of teachers, but I can't find it anymore. You might try starting with the site below and see if it leads to anything. My friend teaches ESL, but she doesn't have the types of behavior problems that were seen in an urban area, and I hope that your case is similar. If so, then I think you will enjoy the older children much better. I used to block out the schedule on an open manilla folder. That gave me a big space.

2010-08-13 15:42:24 by ladylion215

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I've taught ESL both in the US (to adults) and abroad(to kids). I've been wondering what the environment of a high school ESL class is like back in the US. Do you cover all of the subject material that they get in school and teach new words needed for those subjects (science, math, history etc)? Are you just teaching them grammar and converstation while they get content in their native language for the other classes?
Sorry if my questions sound ignorant, I'm really curious.

Our students come to ESL class every other day as an elective. The classes are divided first by grade and then by a combination of ability level and mother tongue. A typical class might have three students from Korea, two students from Iran and one from China, all of whom speak very little English and all of whom are in the same grade. The time in the class is used to support them in their other academic subjects, which is why the teacher-student ratio is never more than 1:8 (and it's usually closer to 1:5). Students use the tutorial time to do their classwork (which takes longer because of the linguistic barriers) and get help from the teacher (who has to be familiar with both the English language and the curriculum in each class at that grade level). The types of things you would teach in an EFL course (abroad) like grammar and pronunciation appear infrequently and usually in one-on-one instruction, not whole-class instruction.

Approximately 25% of the students in my school are ESL, and all academic subjects (save foreign language immersion programs) are taught exclusively in English.

2007-01-04 21:37:04 by brickity hussein brack

I need to teach about colors to High school students.Please what is the best way to teach the ESL?

Take a survey of your class. How many are from Japan, how many from Mexico, how many from India, etc?

Then grab a flag (if feasible) of each student group and bring it in, along with the US Flag. For example, the Mexican flag itself has several colors (Red, white, green, yellow, brown). An Indian flag will have green and orange. I had several students from South Korea. Old Glory has blue as well as red and white.

Then what you do is you describe each flag first. "Mexico's flag is Green, White, and Red, Japan's flag is red and white." You point out the colors on each flag.

Then, you have volunteers come out and point out the colors on each flag.

Then, you have each student in the class, looking at the hanging flags, write down a description of his/her nation's flag: "Mexico's flag (or the flag of Mexico) is green, white, and red. My flag is green, white, and red."

Note that this lesson is a great, practical way to introduce the possessive in English.

Then, each student can share his/her description with everybody else.

To continue this practice, if you have computer access, have each student research several different flags that weren't in the class. They can describe those flags too. Also point out other characteristics ("The Danish flag has a cross. The New Zealand flag has stars. The Brazilian flag has a globe."

By giving students ownership in certain colors (because the colors belong to their flags) they retain the information faster.

2008-09-16 06:09:33 by Divine Love

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I will have a new ESL student in my 6th grade social studies and literature classes this Fall. She has only been in the country for 6 months and is trying hard to learn English, but she understandably struggles with even conversational English. The school does not have ESL support or a paras to help...I'm on my own. Any suggestions on how I can effectively teach her and help her acclimate without affecting the other students? Frankly, I'm a fairly new teacher and am concerned about this challenge. Thanks for your suggestions.
I have just read the responses and I can't thank you enough. I think setting up a buddy (or 2 or 3) is a great idea. I think I edited out a phrase in my original question--I said without affecting the class...I meant without affecting my ability to teach the class. My heart tells me to sit by this young lady and work with her--but you are all correct, there are a lot of nice kids in the class who would enjoy being a buddy and she'll learn to fit in and acclimate better from her peers.

GREAT SUGGESTIONS everyone, thank you very much.

when I was in middle school our country was flooded with
refugees from Laos and other asian countries.
my teacher asked for student volunteers to team up with
the new student , she would give us a hall pass and we would
walk around the school pointing out objects or people doing things and we would tell them what it was and have the new student repeat it.
Here is an example I would point at a door knob and say door knob and I would have the new student repeat the word.
Teaming the students up together also helps create a friendship bond that helps the new student to become a part of their new environment.

2007-08-01 19:00:37 by iwannabquietnow

I don't think it would be possible unless you have a Chinese business partner. I looked into that before, as well as on another business venture, but I gave up on this idea...

2007-10-07 13:47:11 by mailgary5