If he only knew that it is really important to have high expectations for the students; he could help them to master the new language and culture. In my teacher shadowing I have seen how important is to set clear goals for the students. It is critical that teachers trust in their students; they have to believe that the students can improve if they have good opportunities to show what they can do.
I think that the role of the teacher is to prepare the students far beyond the standard tests or the next assignment. For immigrant kids life has not been easy; they came here running away from war or poverty; some of them have lost their parents or siblings in dramatic situations; they came here with just a few pieces of clothing, and no money on their hands, but they deserve a good opportunity to improve their way of living. It is not fair to think that these kids just can apply for jobs that Americans do not want to do; it is important that teachers really believe in the students' potential; they have to trust in them and give them all their support.
One thing that has caught my attention is that some of the activities seem to be motivating and with a real purpose, but the students do not find any reason to do them. From my point of view these activities do not have any language or content objectives; the students do not see how the work done in class can help them to improve their writing or reading; they prefer hanging around with their friends and keep improving their speaking.
I found a good article that talks about high expectations; not only for ESL students, but also for students and schools in general.
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1 comment:
Francisco,
This is a good reflection on the situation. Obviously, you will have very high expectations for your students one day (and they will meet them, no doubt!).
Gina
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