Brianna Witt

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL/LEP

student(s)? Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL

student(s) or in whole class/small group instruction)

I am doing my observation on a previous observation at mid-valley. I worked one on one

with the students and tried to help them with mathematics. I tried to use many visuals

and I explained how to solve each question in different ways. I made lots of diagrams in

order to help the students follow along and by using a visual. If the students weren’t

totally understanding how to solve a problem I would try to explain how to do it in a

different way.

2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider “out of the ordinary”?

Please describe in detail. (This applies to both the ELL student(s) and other classroom

students)

There were other students that were also getting tutored and I noticed that these

students didn’t really interact with the ELL student and kind of excluded him from group

conversation. This was the only out of the ordinary behaviors that I saw from the

students.

3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom

students, and the teacher(s)? Please describe in detail.

I worked with the ELL student for most of the time. The students were split up so there

wasn’t time for interaction with them and the other students. I only noticed the students

didn’t include him in conversations. I was very patient with the ELL student and he was

very eager to succeed so it made it easy for me to work with him. I could tell right away

if he didn't understand the material just by the look on his face. I tried to re explain the

material in more than one way so that maybe he would have a better understanding. I

had to remind myself to be patient and not get frustrated with him if he didn’t understand

what I was saying.

4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please

describe in detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be effective?

Explain.

In order to help the ELL student I drew many diagrams and labeled every part of the

diagrams with math words so the student could keep referring to it if he forgot a word.

This seemed effective and helpful. Every time I explained how to do a problem and I just

used words to explain to the student it seemed as though he was very confused and

wasn’t able to follow along; however, when I drew diagrams and pointed at what I was

talking about the student was able to follow along and understand what I was

explaining.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)?

Please describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.
This was after school tutoring, and the student seemed pretty comfortable. The first day

he came to me he was a little quiet and shy and didn’t talk to many people. However

after he continued to come he started asking me more questions and told me when he

didn’t understand which makes me think that he started to feel comfortable with the

environment. He was still separated from the other kids, and I didn’t hear him talk to them as

much, but they were also kids that weren’t in his grade or class.

6. What’s the “comfort” level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English language?

What observations help you arrive at your decision? Refer to the Vocabulary

Performance Indicators. At what level would you place the ELL student? How did you

decide on that level?

The student I observed was pretty comfortable with the English language. He got

confused by the big mathematics words, but knew a lot of the basic words and could

communicate with me very easily. Once I drew a diagram for him he could follow along

perfectly. He got confused by idioms but after I noticed that I didn’t use them at all

around him. I would say he was toward the end of the ELL process and was very

proficient in English. He had a bit of an accent so that made it a little difficult, but overall

I was able to communicate with him.

7. If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher)

what type of accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student(s).

Please describe the types of accommodations/modifications that were discussed. Do

they appear on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are present/not present on

the checklist?
I didn’t have a cooperating teacher that I could ask if they made any accommodations or

modifications, but I noticed that the student did not struggle academically. He

understood my instruction I think he just needed a little extra help as do all students. So

therefore I don’t believe