Francisco Jimenez's The Circuit

There are two hundred million children worldwide who wake up every day and go to work instead of going to school. Of those two hundred million children, seventy percent of them work in agriculture. In the short story, “The Circuit,” by Francisco Jimenez, we are introduced to Panchito, a young migrant farmer who travels state to state with his family following the harvest. Young Panchito has a hard life and does not have access to a full year of education. He and his family do not speak fluent English and he has limited learning in an English teaching school. The absence of a proper home environment also speaks for his family’s financial situation. Their severe economic status could also explain their children’s lack of an education.

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One strategy is to make it visual. The teacher should not just lecture the whole time and use only the textbook as a visual. English Language Learners have a more difficult time processing spoken language. Use many pictures and gestures to help the students understand and make connections. And modeling what needs to be done and what is expected is very helpful as well, especially for new skills and activities. Modeling promotes learning and motivation and makes it easier to follow the steps that were demonstrated. Another instructional strategy that will also help with social interaction is group work. Less teacher-led and more small group activities allow students to practice language with their peers in a more personal manner. Students can learn a lot from their peers and may be more comfortable in a small group setting. If a student is still fairly new to a language then sometimes it is alright to pair them with a student who speaks the same native language. Some students, like Francisco, are afraid to open their mouths and try to speak English for the fear of sounding stupid or using the wrong word. This gives them a person to help explain things and ask questions in their first language, which will help them relax more and feel more comfortable in the classroom environment. It is very important that teachers speak slowly and clearly, and provide students with enough time for their responses, whether in speaking or writing. These students are thinking and producing in two languages. This wait time provides the students the opportunity to think and process because ELLs typically need a little extra time. Also it is extremely important that the teacher checks for understanding. This could be a simple thumb up or thumbs down with ELLs who speak little to no English. This helps the teacher know whether or not the student understands the material, instructions, or assignment. A child can perform poorly