The two stories that stand out the most to me are "The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing" and "Learning Silence".
These are two powerful texts that carry the same message. It
illustrates the innermost feelings of ELLs as they struggle to integrate
themselves into a new culture. In "The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing", we
learn about Kit and how she felt forced to give up her Chinese roots in
order to fit in and achieve the American dream. Her loss of identity
and culture hindered her ability to learn and contributed to a negative
sense of self. This story teaches us how not embracing a student's
culture can hinder their social and academic development.
"Learning Silence" is a poem told through the eyes of an ELL student. From this poem, the reader can learn about the importance of providing a welcoming classroom environment to an ELL's academic growth. In the poem, the little girl is feeling scared and unwelcomed in her classroom. The author states, " I hope Miss Barton will not curl her lip when she looks at me. I would gladly turn into Jane if some magic could transform me, make me blond and cute, instead of serious and scared with my sausage curls, my huge, terrified eyes, my long nose, my dark olive-toned skin."The little girl clearly feels disliked by her teacher and perceives that the reason is because she looks different from the other students. Here we have a little girl who has been thrown into a new school, where the people look different and have a different culture than her own. In a situation like this one, it is normal for any child to feel uneasy and like they don't belong. However, the worst factor that is contributing to this student's feelings is the teacher's attitude and behavior. This is causing the student to feel more unwelcomed. When teachers fail to create a classroom environment where the students feel safe and welcomed, the students are less likely to participate and take risks during the learning process. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that teachers create a classroom environment where students feel like they are part of a community within the classroom and valued and respected. For ELLs, it reduces a lot of anxiety and allows them to focus on learning.
"Learning Silence" is a poem told through the eyes of an ELL student. From this poem, the reader can learn about the importance of providing a welcoming classroom environment to an ELL's academic growth. In the poem, the little girl is feeling scared and unwelcomed in her classroom. The author states, " I hope Miss Barton will not curl her lip when she looks at me. I would gladly turn into Jane if some magic could transform me, make me blond and cute, instead of serious and scared with my sausage curls, my huge, terrified eyes, my long nose, my dark olive-toned skin."The little girl clearly feels disliked by her teacher and perceives that the reason is because she looks different from the other students. Here we have a little girl who has been thrown into a new school, where the people look different and have a different culture than her own. In a situation like this one, it is normal for any child to feel uneasy and like they don't belong. However, the worst factor that is contributing to this student's feelings is the teacher's attitude and behavior. This is causing the student to feel more unwelcomed. When teachers fail to create a classroom environment where the students feel safe and welcomed, the students are less likely to participate and take risks during the learning process. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that teachers create a classroom environment where students feel like they are part of a community within the classroom and valued and respected. For ELLs, it reduces a lot of anxiety and allows them to focus on learning.
No comments:
Post a Comment