Response to A Guide for ESL and Mainstream Teachers

While ESL students certainly do have special needs in the classroom, they are by no means cognitively impaired. They are simply special needs because of their lack of knowledge pertaining to the English Language. Student knowledge and intelligence can not accurately be measured when written in English, when a student’s first language is Spanish.

The article states that “staying up to date with current trends in education, such as technology and teaching strategies can lead to growth and stronger educators.” This idea is a powerful one. As the schools and the population of the United States grow, native Spanish speakers in the classroom are going to become more and more common. While it is not realistic to expect all educators to speak Spanish, or a second language, it is important and completely possible to stay up to date with the best practices and strategies for teaching ESL students. Acceptance is key. All students should feel comfortable in the classroom and be allowed to learn in a way that is effective for them. If I had no knowledge of Spanish I would be really nervous about ways in which to teach Spanish speaking students. How do you connect and teach students who do not understand you? In a perfect world and system, support will be in place in the schools… Until then, all teachers must learn strategies that work for these students.