Assessment Description
It is vital that teachers communicate with others regarding the needs of ELLs and advocate for them with teachers and other key stakeholders. Sometimes the window of time to communicate in person is brief as the time it takes to ride an elevator together. Meaningful conversations that can start larger discussions can occur in a hallway between class periods or in a teacher's workroom right before the start of the school day. Being prepared at any moment to articulate the needs of ELLs with succinctness is a real-world part of your professionalism and leadership in the field of TESOL and ELL education.
Imagine you are at an education conference with your fellow teachers and happen to hear another teacher in your group mention the “bad English” her ELL students speak and that their English does not sound right. She says they go back and forth between languages, switch the order of words around, and really need to do more to learn English. You only have a few minutes to talk to this colleague to help her understand some of the issues you have learned about language development.
Part 1: Elevator Speech Video and Script
Write a script for an elevator speech that briefly and persuasively convinces your colleague that there are things she can do to promote the English language development of the ELL students in her classroom. Include the following in your script:
· Address two specific linguistic concerns of the teacher (e.g., language varieties, dialects, code-switching, syntax, language motivation, language processes, language bias).
· Advocate for the needs of the ELLs in a supportive and professional way.
· Provide research-based strategies and clear next steps for the teacher to work more effectively with the ELLs in her classroom.
Part 2: Reflection
In 250-500 words, reflect on the importance of your professionalism and leadership as an educator with TESOL expertise. Include the following in your reflection:
· Describe effective collaboration strategies for serving as a resource to educators and school staff on issues related to the instruction of ELLs.
· Explain how you plan to stay abreast of current research in the field of TESOL and ELL education to continue your personal professional development.
Support your deliverable with a minimum of three scholarly resources.
Submit your script, reflection, resources, and a link to the video of your speech in a single
