For too long, I have resisted learning how to best support ESL students. Although the percentage of ESL students in my regular English classes has dramatically increased in the past four years, I have always had a handful of ESL students in my classes, and I have not served them as well as I could have. For years I have wanted to improve this aspect of my teaching, and I regret to say that I simply never made it a priority.
So, when the opportunity to teach ESL presented itself, I jumped on it. I knew that teaching ESL would mean learning from and collaborating with Brooke, an experienced ESL teacher and advocate for international students, whom I respect and deeply value as a colleague and friend. I also knew I would need to learn a great deal about language development and the best practices for teaching it.
Brooke found a book for us called Teaching English as a Second and Foreign Language (Jerry G. Gebhard), which is "designed for those new to ESL/EFL teaching and for self-motivated teachers who seek to maximize their potential and enhance the learning of their students." It is filled with case studies, strategies, and suggestions for approaching the challange that I face. Most importantly, it also offers direct opportunities for me to reflect on my teaching and discover ways in which to improve it. Many of these opportunites are presented through journal prompts. Instead of recording my answers in a static, private journal, I will type my responses on the blog with the hope that they will turn into dynamic conversations about best practices. They may not always be pretty, and they may not consistently present me or my work in the best possible light, but I hope that they will show that I am able to recognize my weaknesses, that I have a strong desire to improve, and (I hope) that I am improving as I try new strategies, figure out what works (and what doesn't), and try, try again.
