Any ESL teachers?

I've enrolled in a TESOL grad program and have some questions... Do you like teaching ESL? Can you give me an idea of what your day is like, what your school's program is like? If you could do it all over again, would you? pros vs. cons...

Any advice at all would be appreciated!! :)


Thanks!

Message edited 9/4/2009 10:22:18 AM.

Re: Any ESL teachers?

I am! I LOVE it.

I teach both MS and HS. I'm the only secondary ESL teacher in my district. I will say that to teach at the secondary level, especiallly HS you have to KNOW the content area. You're not just teaching them grammar and English, you've got to give them all that background knowledge that the US History teacher or the Biology teacher doesn't have to time cover because the american kids have all seen it or known it since elementary school. Plus since ESL kids don't get a traditional English class until they reach advanced level, guess who is responsible for preparing them for the English Regents??? Which is fine with me, because the literature is one of my favorites.

I also love that fact that I get to do so much culture with the kids. Things like going to Broadway (they think it's just a street) and seeing their faces or just explaining the quirks of American lifestyle is so much fun. Sometimes I actually have to think "hey why do we actually do that?"

My day is fairly easy. I do HS in the morning (mixed groups) including one period of ESL science, and I go to the MS in the afternoon, again mixed groups. I also work with guidance a lot to make their schedules.

pros:

lots of fun

you interact with tons of teachers

you really get to know your students and they really depend on you

Seeing their faces when they start to understand the language

Cons:

Depending on where your students are from, they may or may not be educated

you interact with tons of teachers LOL



So yes, I would do it all again!

Re: Any ESL teachers?

This will be my 9th year teaching ESL, and although I teach Spanish as a FL separately, I adore teaching ESL. It is my passion.

I am in a 7-12 JHS/HS. Our ESL program has over 120 kids, so we have many different classes. In the ESL classes, we teach content. It is not like resource room; we do not review/reteach what is learned in their other classes. ESL stands on its own. We teach communication and grammar through all levels with a focus on language appropriate content. In the intermediate and advanced levels we focus mainly on literature in preparation for the English Regents.

Pros:
The kids; if you want inspire children and have them feel grateful for what they are learning, teach ESL. It is the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life.
Flexibility of content; depending on where you are teaching, you will have freedom to develop materials that are interesting to you and the students.
Colleagues; in my school other teachers are always looking for our advice/assistance in reaching the ESL students. I think this speaks volumes about their concern and dedication.

Cons:
Flexibility of content; our ESL program is pretty well established now, but when I first began it was just beginning to grow and we didn't have the materials/resources/know-how that we have years later. If you start out in a school with a smaller ESL program you may face this same problem.
Funding/resources; while students are mandated to ESL, the services they receive are not as strictly mandated as say Special Education, therefore the kids don't always receive what they need to be successful. For example, in my school we have the same number of ESL and Special Education students, yet there are 3.5 full time ESL teachers and 1 ESL TA. In Special Ed, there are 12 full time teachers and 6 full time TAs.

Any questions, I'd be happy to help.