Classroom and Community ELL Goals
By Michelle Abeyta and Jennifer Hamer
Goal 1: Build Clear and Consistent Communication
I will make it a priority to build clear and consistent communication with ELL students and parents. I will build an understanding of backgrounds, cultures, and views of the children in my classroom. This also means allowing all families to have access to school meetings and other functions that are held at the school.
How I Will Implement This:
Reaching out to families of ELL’s prior to the beginning of the school year to assure that we have a plan for communication. Sending home a monthly newsletter that will be accessible in the languages that are represented in my classroom.
Home visits, to assist families on how to make your home a good learning environment. This will help support their children as students.
Goal 2: Foster a Community with a Shared Vision
My classroom and school will establish a community of “We must work together for our future.” This means building a community of learners (students, teachers, parents, grandparents). As long as we all work together we can build a community of lifelong learners.
Epstein (2010) outlines the components of effective community involvement practices in her essay “School/Family/Community Partnerships: Caring for the Children We Share.”
How I will Implement This:
- Fall and spring conferences, and follow-ups as needed. This may be email or phone to ensure that parents and teachers are all “On the same page” with the students learning.
- Offering homework clubs once a week (online or in class) of clear understanding of the curriculum being taught in class.
- Parents having access to all technology learning based programs that students implement in class. Opening up computer lab in school for parents and students to conduct learning together.
Goal 3: Creating a Welcoming Environment
I will foster and welcome all families to volunteer in my classroom. Parents will feel welcomed when they enter my classroom. Bilingual parents will understand that they are always welcome in my classroom and all talents are special.
How Will I Implement This:
- Communicating with parents that all talents are welcome in our classroom.
- Build a schedule to hand out at back to school night. Building a flexible schedule to hand out will give parents the opportunity to plan appropriately for volunteering.
- Communicate with parents that I am available to train and explain information for volunteering jobs.
- They may volunteer in other classrooms as well.