My path to English language teacher

For the #Ellchat_bkclub, we have been reading The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English learners. Chapter 4 mentions that English language teachers "come to the profession by many different pathways" (67), making me wonder how we all got here, contributing to this book club that has grown exponentially in the past year and a half since I joined. Evelyn is the reason I am here. Evelyn and a district decision back in 2010.

Evelyn was one of my seventh-grade English students. She and I bonded quickly. School was not the biggest priority for her, as it is not for many junior high students. Her Mexican family expectations were stereotypical - find a boy, have his babies. Finish school or don't. No big deal. At least that's how I remember it.

Aside from boys, Evelyn was always mixed up in drama. I once pushed my way through 200 students (I swear I am not exaggerating; I even earned the nickname Ninja Foti for how I worked my way through those kids) to get into the bathroom to break up a fight with her and another student. I ran in just in time to see her slam the other girl's head into a sink.

I wanted more for Evelyn, and I do believe part of her wanted more, too. We worked hard on her classes, more than just mine. Until the day she was removed from my class.

The district made a decision to place all ESL students together with an ESL certified teacher. Despite having a masters with an ESL focus, I really did not know much about how things worked with these students at that time, including any laws or regulations that may affect their class placement. The only thing I knew for sure was that Evelyn was taken from my class and placed with another teacher, one whom we both resented.

Things did not go well for Evelyn in the new class. She and the teacher did not get along. Evelyn's ability to see me, talk to me, and work with me became more and more limited. We would only have a couple of minutes here and there to talk, for me to keep tabs on her. And it was then that I decided that I would never allow a situation like that to happen again.

I became ESL certified within a year, and doors and opportunities opened up for me like crazy after that. Years later and I have earned a local ESL teacher of the year award and been named the best of the best presenters for my region at a state TESOL conference. The ESL kids on my campus, those I teach and those I do now, are my kiddos, whether they like it or not. I am territorial and want the best for them.

Evelyn is a grown woman. She has three kids now. I'm not sure if she finished school. The last I knew, she had not. In the middle of writing this, I stopped to send her a thank you on Facebook for transforming my life. Because she did.

So now I want to know about your story. How did you get here?

Making time for Makerspace

I was recently out of the classroom for two back-to-back conferences. My reading students had to survive without me for four days of school. Certainly not an easy feat for my seventh-grade students. So prior to leaving, we made a deal: if they could behave and complete the work I left with no more than one off day, we would take a break from class to visit the library and explore the new makerspace activities.

I teach struggling readers, and I truly believe students who struggle in any way need rewards to build motivation. Makerspace time may not have anything to do with reading in and of itself, but makerspace time allows for my students and I to engage in a number of other ways.

Students collaborated in small groups to problem solve. In doing so, they had an opportunity to talk to one another, building relationships in a way that does not always occur in the general classroom setting. I observed students who never talk to one another in class working together and discussing what they were creating.

As students were working, I asked what professions they thought might use some of the same skills they were applying to their creations. The student below was building with blocks, when another student said an engineer would use those skills. The student actually doing the building said he felt that the process he was using might benefit an artist. Gotta love the kids who think differently!

One student exhibited some creativity that I had not seen in the classroom before then. When I asked what he was creating, he told he a portal - to take him home. I did ask if that same portal could take me to a tropical island, but I was denied.

In each class, I also played. I want my students to understand that "play" is not just for kids, no matter how much they criticize me for not acting my own age. They watched as I built a flower, only to have it collapse at the last second. Did they see me cry and yell and pout? Absolutely not. It was an excellent opportunity to model how to react when things do not always go our way.

I do believe that makerspace is underutilized on my campus. It is seen as play rather than being a tool for critical thinking and problem solving and so much more. And when did play become such a bad word? Are we so lost in a world of deadlines and testing that we have forgotten to give kids time to explore?

I am not simply doing my best to create better readers. I want to create writers and dancers and singers and artists, in addition to scientists and engineers and doctors and lawyers. And I hope our makerspace time ignites a spark that may not have been present before.

How are you using makerspace time with your students?