Assignment 2: Teacher Interview

Purpose: This assignment provides another opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of how teachers can promote ELs language and literacy development. In your reflection, you will demonstrate your understanding in relationship to a teacher's explanation of how s/he meet the needs of ELs in his/her teaching. This assignment reveals your knowledge and understanding rather than your enacting of ESL standards. 

Learning Outcomes met

Language and Linguistics: know, understand, and use the major concepts, theories, and research related to the nature and acquisition of language and linguistic systems to support English language learners’ development of literacy. 

Cultural Diversity Domain: know, understand, and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the nature and role of culture and cultural groups. 

Instruction Domain: know, understand, and use the Utah English Language Proficiency Standards in selection of programs, practices and strategies related to planning, implementing, and managing ESL and content instruction, including classroom, organization, teaching strategies for development and integrating language skills, and choosing and adapting classroom resources. 

Assessment Domain:  explain issues of assessment and accommodation and can use a variety of measurement tools to evaluate English language learners for placement, proficiency and instruction.

Family, School, & Community Involvement: understand the role and contribution of family and community in the cognitive, linguistic and social development of students.  Candidates provide support and advocacy for ELLs and their families and understand the history, laws, and policies of ESL teaching.  Candidates work in partnerships with families and communities to create positive learning environments 

Directions: 

1. We would prefer that you interview your mentor teacher. You can, however, interview any teacher in the school with or without an ESL Endorsement. Remember that the purpose is for you to articulate your knowledge and understanding of the domains represented in the learning outcomes for the K-12 TESOL Minor. This is not an evaluation of the teacher but a demonstration of your knowledge about teaching ELs, or emergent bilinguals. (You can arrange the interview with a partner but each of you will take your own notes and use them to write a reflection that demonstrates your understandings of teahcing ELs.).

2. Select the teacher and make arrangements for the interview (The interview will probably take 15 to 30 minutes, there are six questions but add others if you would like. Be respectful of the teacher's time).

3. Use the Interview Protocol linked here as you conduct the interview. There is space to take notes. 

4. Use the guidelines for writing a reflection based on your interview. The rubric used to evaluate reflections is found in Appendix A.  In your reflection, make sure you reference the notes you took in response to each question. The questions  identify your learning in relationship to what you learned in the various teacher certification and TELL courses.

5. Submit the assignment through Learning Suite for this course. The link is found on the BYU Grades tab under assignments.

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