Comments Off on Resources for Teachers Preparing for a Diverse Classroom

By Shelbi, December 8, 2012 6:10 pm

• Flannery, M.E.  (2010).  Welcoming ELL Parents into the Classroom. National Education Association.  March 28, 2012.  From http://www.nea.org/home/37153.htm.

In this article, Flannery describes methods for increasing ELL parent involvement in the classroom. Centered around the idea that teachers, parents, students, and schools represent a team, the article offers different “invitations” for teachers to extend to ELL parents. These creative methods offer teachers unique ways to go beyond just calling or having a translator in the room at a parent teacher conference– although both of those can serve important functions to get in contact with ELL parents.

• Panferov, S.  (2010).  Increasing ELL Parental Involvement in Our Schools: Learning From the Parents. Theory Into Practice, 49, (2): 106-112.  From http://globalprojects.arizona.edu/sites/globalprojects.arizona.edu/files/Panferov%20-%20Increasing%20ELL%20Parental%20Involvement.pdf.

This article uses real case studies to document and demonstrate ways in which schools can engage ELL parents as resources in the classroom. The article specifically tackles ELL parent’s views of literacy  as well as parent to child and parent to school interactions which will contribute to school success. As a future educator, this article provides specific stories reflecting the views of real ELL parents and engagement strategies which would have been most effective in these two cases and cases like these.

• Waterman, R., & B. Harry.  (2008).  Building Collaboration Between Schools and Parents of English Language Learners: Transcending Barriers, Creating Opportunities.  The National Center for Culturally Responsive Education Systems.  March 28, 2012.  From http://nccrest.org/Briefs/PractitionerBrief_BuildingCollaboration.pdf.

This article provides information for practicing educators regarding ways to overcome the barriers in place for the parents of ELL students. The article elucidates various obstacles to these parents which all result in parents having few or no opportunities for collaboration with and in their child’s school. The authors then move to describe and recommend specific policy innovations for districts.  It is acknowledged that schools may need to introduce these new methods gradually because if implemented too quickly they may fail from lack of appropriate resources to maintain them. As a future educator I would feel comfortable referencing this article because the authors outline (in detail) 10 critical ways to increase parental involvement validated by scholarly research.

Comments Off on Resource File

By Shelbi, December 8, 2012 5:58 pm

This is resource file is a collection of developmental materials for first year middle and secondary education teachers built to assist them in shaping their instruction and curricular practice during their first years as professionals. In the first years teaching, it is critical for young teachers to build a sense of personal efficacy in the classroom–these resources might be a helpful place to start!

Start of School Resources

The start of the school year is a critical time for all new teachers. It is the time when you make your first impressions on the students and their parents, and the best time to set the expectations of your classroom for the rest of the year. These resources are all various tips, tools, tricks, and articles for helping teachers get the year started on the best note!

1.  This article is an interview with a new teacher and her thoughts on the first day as well as the future of education. The article describes her experiences as a first year
   1. http://www.thecherawchronicle.com/view/full_story/20129776/article-New-teachers-enter-classrooms-all-over-Chesterfield-County?instance=popular
2. This article emphasizes the importance of establishing expectations within a classroom on the first day, as well as other important aspects to consider before embarking on your first day of school.
   1. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/creating-great-first-impression-grades-6%C2%968
3. This site gives tips for back to school for teachers. It includes classroom set up, prepping for the first week, classroom management, and working with parents.
   1. http://www.nea.org/tools/back-to-school-guide.html
4. This website offers resources to help teachers stay organized including back to school checklists, decoration ideas, letters to parents, and ideas from real teachers.
   1. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/get-smart-start
5. This article from the NEA gives tips for classroom management for new teachers. Many teachers are nervous about going into new classroom and managing student behavior as well as the learning environment, but this article offers four areas to consider to establish an environment that promotes learning while being safe and structured.
   1. http://www.nea.org/tools/management-tips-for-new-teachers.html

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