ESL Training + Branding Update

I am currently taking a certificate program to learn how to teach students who are learning English as a Second Language. The skills learned in this program will be directly applicable to teaching bilingualism to children within my classroom and my platform. I currently teach in a public school preschool program where 50% of the students are bilingual. I strive to be more culturally sustaining and relevant to support my students in future grades where they will be expected to read in English. I also want to further my connection with Spanish-speaking families to integrate them into the children’s education to enable them to advocate for their growth and development. I will be developing my knowledge of ESL instruction practices and building support pathways for families to navigate the public school system.

ESL Training

I pursuing a graduate certificate in ESL at the American College of Education. I decided to do the graduate certificate to learn to apply strategies within my classroom to develop a bilingual curriculum and instructional literacy strategies. Students are already benefiting from having bilingual instruction. Literacy scores have been increasing on our benchmark assessments. The research on the use of bilingual instructional literacy strategies for dual language learners to connect them with their native home language to the English language. The coursework will strengthen my ability to teach families about bilingual strategies for their children and further the development of their ability to read in both languages in the future. I am studying to prepare for the ESL state certification to eventually pursue an ESL teaching position in the future.

Bridging the Gap

Bilingualism is missing in the conversation about literacy in diverse school districts. Black and Hispanic children have their language and vernacular that is often ignored when teaching literacy in schools. We focus on “proper” in English and ignore the cultural language background knowledge of children. If children’s background knowledge was understood and used to teach English, students would be able to make connections to their native language in English. I believe there needs to be an expansion of ESL programs throughout school districts to meet the needs of students who have disabilities. ESL students with disabilities are largely ignored in the conversations about language development. I am privileged to have worked with numerous children with disabilities to develop their knowledge of English through research-based literacy strategies to develop bilingualism. I am dedicated to bridging the gap between disability and language development through obtaining my ESL license and teaching students with disabilities.

I am constantly developing my business to align with a mission to serve Spanish-speaking families with children with disabilities. Changes to the platform will include the new Instagram profile, Developing Language Teacher. I changed my logo and website to match the current services and courses I am developing in my Developing Language program. I believe I am getting closer to refining the services and courses within my business by reflecting on the meaning of my work. I am passionate about education and supporting all of the children I serve. It is important to me to continue to give a voice to children and families who often get lost in the educational system.