Meeting the Needs of Diverse Students: SO 3

Meet Maria!• Moved to United States at 12• Originally from Mexico• Father works in construction• Mother is unemployed• 4 younger siblings• Parents only speak Spanish• Must translate for all

important household tasks (doctor, police, food)

• Feels inferior to other native speaking students

• Feels a deep obligation to her family

• Believes there is a negative stereotype towards Hispanics

Maria’s Experience as an ELL

• Anxiety towards reading or speaking aloud in front of peers• Struggled with idioms• Found learning basic conversation easy• Appreciates teachers who give her extra time to complete

work• Takes pride in making good grades• Likes to make every assignment perfect and feels upset when

not allowed the time to revise her work• Likes her ELL pull-out model as it allows her to ask specific

questions on a one-on-one basis• Does not like classes where teachers only lecture and finds

those who do difficult to understand

Teaching ELL Students like Maria

Works Doesn’t Work

Visual Aides Long Assignments

Audio Books with the text Students reading aloud

Small Group Work Lectures

Modeling Working Alone

Engaging Projects Worksheets

Authentic Assessment Multiple Choice Tests

Conversations Silence

Best Practices for ELL StudentsThe teacher HS ELL teacher provided the following as Best Practices for ELL students:

• Add visuals• Activate prior knowledge• Utilize reading strategies• Use graphic organizers• Frame main ideas• Use listening guides• Check frequently for understanding

Meet David!• Ninth Grade Student• 2 siblings• Loves music, basketball,

and dancing• Very involved parents• Receives SPED services

for a learning disability• Makes A’s and B’s• Plans to go to college• Technologically savvy• Loves to make jokes and

show off for friends

David’s experience as SPED• Feels embarrassed by “SPED” label• Likes having additional time for assignments• Likes having a resource teacher who will give him

additional support• Does not like the inclusion model where he is seen

receiving support services• Feels frustrated by his disability at times, but doesn’t

think it will hold him back• Does not like classes where the teacher lectures • Prefers to see thinks, then write them down• Likes hands-on activities where he can learn by doing

Teaching SPED Students like David

Works Doesn’t Work

Visual Vocab Definitions

Reading Strategies Comprehension Questions

Graphic Organizers Numerical Lists

Study Skills Reading Notes

Guided Practice Independent Practice

Assistive Technology Frustrating Rewrites

Engaging Assignments Lectures

Best Practices for Teaching SPEDThe teacher HS SPED teacher provided the following as Best Practices for SPED students:

• Teach study skills• Use graphic organizers• Don’t alienate students or expose them• Engaging assignments• Authentic Assessments• Teach Reading strategies• Small group instruction• Similar texts, lower levels

2013 Work with ELL’s

Through my work as a Project Based Learning coach, I facilitated a project for Ms.Thornton’s ELL class. The project was created to encourage hands-on, authentic learning as an approach to literacy education. The student response was extremely positive and this project has led to ongoing collaboration between the elementary and high school ELL classes. Many of the students participating experienced a higher level of success than they have previously known as a student. This work exemplifies meeting the needs of diver students.