When we as teachers have English language learners in our classroom and are having to help by modifying a lesson for English language learners, they are not supposed to "water it down" as Lynn Smolen says. We are called to create strategies and routines to make it more understandable for the students to be able to learn easier.

One statement that stood out was that the typical approach for integrating English learners in the classroom is to put them in a mainstream general-ed classroom and wait to see if they succeed or not. This shocked me because without having support or resources, no one would just understand a completely new language or culture, so why are we expecting students to be able to?

The other point that interested me was the approach of Content-Based Instruction, where the teacher provides grade-level content alongside the types of support needed to properly understand what the content is. As future educators, we need to strive to create new strategies that help with understanding and connecting the content for our English learners. This way, they can get the same education as their English-native peers while not feeling singled out or 'dumb'.

The school provides the whole family through the entire process and I think that is extremely important. They also give the students multiple resources and moments to interact with other peers to better suite their educational needs.

The video emphasized that supporting English learners is not about “watering down” instruction, but about making learning more accessible. Strategies like sheltered instruction, scaffolding, visuals, and small-group instruction allow students to access grade-level content while also developing their English language skills.

To combat this, some schools have implemented different types of newcomer programs, sheltered instruction, or education, including their own language, to help ease these students into their educational environment. It's methods like these that are shifting the classroom norm from a sink-or-swim structure towards one that is specifically tailored to their own educational needs.

Across the country only 62% of English learners graduate from high school, just by law English learners must be given the support for second language acquisition, this law is called the every student succeeds Act also known as (ESSA) passed in 2015

At Thomas Jefferson their using a practice called sheltered instruction as where they receive intensive instruction and lessons scaffold the information presenting it in multiple ways including simplified language, visuals aids and graphics and hands on activity's. Also the newcomers program encourages the students to use their home languages for more successful outcomes.

Another thing I learned as well from this video is that when general education teachers, ESL teachers, and families work together, English learners do better in school and feel more welcome in the classroom. From this video, I learned how working as a team is key to having English learns succeed, and this also helps teachers understand their students' needs.

I also learned the difference between conversational English and academic English. The documentary pointed out that in years past, immigrants and refugees did not struggle as much as they might now because they picked up the English Language through experience. For EL's in the classroom today, there is a different language for math, social studies, and science. This presents an additional challenge for EL's who not only have to learn to communicate in the English Language on a day to day basis, but they also have to learn how to communicate in an academic sense.

ESSA is a law that is required for English learners to have extra support in school to help them to succeed. There are dual language programs to help students learn educational content in their native language.

Many of English student's learner come from different backgrounds and bring different trauma within them. With having support in school to help cope with trauma or teach them basic hygiene.

T.E.S.O.L endorsement Teaching english to speakers of other languages. This is an endorsement. 

There is a nation wide award given out by schools district or education department called the the seal of biliteracy.  It gets added to the student's transcript and is added to their diploma.

I also learned that English learners are the fastest-growing population of students nationwide. One school in the video said they have 47 dialects spoken in their school system. However, they seem to have a lot of resources to give the families support. They said their main goal is to make the families feel welcomed, which I think is a huge part for ENL students. Not only are they learning a new language, but also culture, so allowing them to feel welcomed and wanted is key.

Another thing that stood out to me was the idea that adapting lessons to better equip ENL students is not equivalent to "watering down" or oversimplifying the lesson. I think this correlates with the fact that many English Learners feel like they aren't as smart as their native English-speaking peers.

Knowing how to teach to English Learner students can have a big positive impact in your student's academic journey.

The Seal of Biliteracy is given to students by school, district, or state education department and it becomes part of the students official transcript and diploma. 27 states have approve it. I had it on my diploma! and I honestly didn't know what it was.

I learned that most students that only know how to answer questions in their 1st language struggle to fully demonstrate their understanding in academic settings where a different language is used.

I was at a school with a lot of English language learners but I was still surprised at the percentage of them that actually graduate highschool, which was 62%. This number surprised me because I had a lot of ELL students that graduated with my class.

Another thing that I learned is Sheltered Instruction, which is an approach to help students with academic content and make it more accessible to English language learners but also help them in learning english.