Today, public schools have become much more diverse, making it much more important for teachers to get to know their students. As a teacher, it is important to be aware of what the students need to be taught and what they already know. Some schools require their teachers to participate in Structured English Immersion (SEI) awareness training, workshops, and courses. These workshops and courses would be more helpful to music teachers if they were not taught by those with very little to no music class experience. To try and shed some light on how a music (and other arts) teacher can provide an adequate classroom environment for all of their students, especially ELLs, there are two perspectives (Teacher A and Teacher B) discussed throughout the
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When teaching a lesson, appropriate instruction is key for a successful learning environment for all students, especially ELLs. When planning a lesson, teachers should anticipate some struggle and misunderstanding so they can be prepared to offer different versions of explanations. They should also ask questions that promote observations and comparisons, give plenty of opportunities for students to “apply past experiences to new situations”(Neuman,Copple, and Bredekamp 2000, p. 58), Have plenty of patience, use shortened and concise instructions, give enough time for repetition, adding finger plays into the lesson, using pictures to accompany a new song so that it is easier to learn, have plenty of children’s books available add plenty of wait time for students to respond during the lesson, and allow group work when available. Forming Assessments for SEI students should be a little more individualized than the usual group assessments. It is better to asses them in different ways besides just paper tests. It is also important to keep in mind that SEI students have not reached the skill level necessary for expression. Teachers can try using yes/no questions, start incorporating the “w” questions (why, what, where), and having students demonstrate what they have learned. Instead of seeing modifications and accommodations for ELLs as a time consuming task, look at it as an opportunity as adding new activities and assessments to the lesson. Just as the students are learning new music and language concepts, this is a great learning experience for the teacher as
When teaching a lesson, appropriate instruction is key for a successful learning environment for all students, especially ELLs. When planning a lesson, teachers should anticipate some struggle and misunderstanding so they can be prepared to offer different versions of explanations. They should also ask questions that promote observations and comparisons, give plenty of opportunities for students to “apply past experiences to new situations”(Neuman,Copple, and Bredekamp 2000, p. 58), Have plenty of patience, use shortened and concise instructions, give enough time for repetition, adding finger plays into the lesson, using pictures to accompany a new song so that it is easier to learn, have plenty of children’s books available add plenty of wait time for students to respond during the lesson, and allow group work when available. Forming Assessments for SEI students should be a little more individualized than the usual group assessments. It is better to asses them in different ways besides just paper tests. It is also important to keep in mind that SEI students have not reached the skill level necessary for expression. Teachers can try using yes/no questions, start incorporating the “w” questions (why, what, where), and having students demonstrate what they have learned. Instead of seeing modifications and accommodations for ELLs as a time consuming task, look at it as an opportunity as adding new activities and assessments to the lesson. Just as the students are learning new music and language concepts, this is a great learning experience for the teacher as