# data[].attributes.body
When I was doing my volunteering at Jefferson, I saw a huge connection between the ESL teachers, and the content teachers. The content teachers were utilizing the strengths, and information the ESL teachers would give them about particular students.

The teachers would also encourage the students to speak in their first languages, and use available technology to help them understand difficult concepts. I also got the amazing opportunity to see students completing history day projects, and the teacher I worked with really tried to help students connect with topics that were culturally relevant to them, so that they were interesting in the material and information they were researching. I think a lot of time at Jefferson teachers did a great job connecting linguistics, culture, and the content subject matter, which I think helped students who were learning English to engage with the course materials more.

# data[].attributes.headline
How I will Address Challenges in my classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
How I will Address Challenges in my classroom

# data[].attributes.body
In the article State of Americans they talk about how it is important to acknowledge that some standardization of form is useful for the variety of a language used, especially in print. They would also insist, however, that expressions appearing in dictionaries and grammars are not the only grammatical forms and may not be suitable for use in all circumstances. They are merely the ones designated for use in circumstances of wider communication. I think this will be extremely important for me as a Social Studies teacher who wants to work in a large urban city, with a lot of diversity. Many of my students will come in with different dialects based around their cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, and it is my job as an educator to work with them on the skills needed for academic language, and writing, while not rejecting or attempting to remove their dialect.

As a teacher, I want to make sure I am using the different dialects, and languages in my room to my advantage, because there are so many things I and other students who have English as their first language can learn from ESL students.

I also plan to work very closely with the ESL teachers in the school I teach at, so that they can give me the best strategies based on individual students needs. I am also going to make sure I am fostering students first languages in my classroom as well, because studies have shown that allowing students to use their first language can really benefit them in learning English, and really breaking down new concepts they are learning in class. I also think language is way we feel comfortable with our peers, so being sure that I allow students who may have the same first language to work together on assignments, and in class work would be beneficial in getting them more comfortable in the classroom.

When it comes to other teachers, administration, etc. I will be sure to make sure I am sharing resources and credible information that I received from this class when explaining my reasoning behind what I am doing in my classroom. I really don't think a lot of the older teachers in schools had the opportunity to learn the same things I am at the moment, meaning that it might be vital from to share information with them, so that they have the strategies and skills to work with their ESL learners, and ESL teachers.

As far as parents go, I will be sure to be using the language line provided to me, to make sure that I am able to communicate with them about how their student is doing in my class.

Personally, I want to have weekly meetings with ESL teachers so I can see what they are working on with my students, because I think this information could be vey valuable

# data[].attributes.headline
More ways to help my ESL learners in Social Studies 

# data[].attributes.subject
More ways to help my ESL learners in Social Studies 

# data[].attributes.body
As a teacher, who has English as their first language, I believe it is very important for me to reflect and really learn about how I feel about language, and where I see language impacted my life, because this will impact how I think language impacts certain people in society more than others “Often, children who speak non-standard dialects may be inaccurately classified as "not knowing much English" or even "having a speech defect," with terrible consequences for them. Or people who code switch (regularly mixing words or phrases from more than one language within sentences) are thought to be unable to speak the languages very well. (Usually the opposite is true.) Studying language helps us learn more about social organization, as well as about the remarkable resources of the human brain. It also helps us examine a form of social stereotyping we may not have been aware existed.” (Found in the What Speech Do We Like Best article)

# data[].attributes.headline
What I want to use in my classroom to help my ESL learners 

# data[].attributes.subject
What I want to use in my classroom to help my ESL learners 

# data[].attributes.body
I really liked the idea of using more complex language in the classroom that came from the Common Core Standards in Diverse Classrooms : Essential Practices for Developing Academic Language and Disciplinary Literacy, and definitely think this could help with the time constraint that content teachers feel when teaching certain subjects.

The quote, “lesson time is very limited. The more time we spend on one thing (e.g., vocabulary),

the less time we have to spend on others (e.g., communicating complex ideas)”
This stood out to me as something that I could focus on as a Social Studies teacher, with being sure that I am teaching the vocab, but then I am actually using the vocab to help students communicate more complex ideas, rather than just having them memorize definitions. I can connect this vocabulary to concepts that my ESL learners know based on their own cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.

# data[].attributes.body
compared to other schools have been in, this school does a wonderful job at supporting these students outside of their core classes, and they have a great ESL program at Jefferson. Many of the classrooms also have teaching assistants who speak languages that many of the students have as their native language, which makes it easier for students to understand difficult concepts. The students who are struggling with English are taking additional courses in ESL to get their proficiency up. The social studies classroom also had additional staff members who are fluent in the languages the students speak. I can share that from my experiences in this classroom and in this school, that these students who are struggling with English have so much determination and so much potential.

# data[].attributes.headline
Additional barriers faced in the classroom 

# data[].attributes.subject
Additional barriers faced in the classroom 

# data[].attributes.body
I believe one issue in the classroom that I have observed is the language barrier that comes between many of the students and the teacher. Many of the students are still learning English, which makes learning the subject of social studies much more difficult, because the concepts and topics are taught in English, and do not relate well to the students own linguistic or cultural backgrounds. I have also noticed that with some of the students who do not understand the material and have a hard time completing the work are just given a good grade on the assignment, even if they did not actually complete it because there is just not enough time to give that much individual attention. Content teachers at Jefferson, are focusing on classes with large student populations, and have a hard time giving individual attention to all ESL students.

# data[].attributes.headline
My Experience with ESL learners at Jefferson Community School

# data[].attributes.subject
My Experience with ESL learners at Jefferson Community School

# data[].attributes.body
Jefferson Community School is made up of a population of African American students, African students, and Native American students, as well as Asian American, and Mexican American and White students. But overall the school is made up of mostly African American, African, and Hispanic American students. Jefferson Community School also serves first generation immigrants, refugees who have recently moved to the country. Jefferson also has a percentage of the student body that is homeless. The school is about 94% free and reduced lunch, which is higher than the district average. The community is also filled with students who have never had formal education, because they have been in refugee camps their entire lives. Along with having students who have recently moved to the United States, Jefferson is faced with the challenge of having students who are still learning to speak English.