SLMLopezAlyssa18

I have known the individual I interviewed, Andrea, for my entry 2 for quite some time. Ever since I found out she was a DACA recipient I was always very curious as to how Andrea grew up in the public-school system. Some of the questions I have already asked before out of curiosity but never quite in depth as in the actual interview.  Andrea’s first language was Spanish and wasn’t introduced to learning English until she came to the States which according to Wright (2015) makes her a “foreign born ELL” (p. 10). Her family settled into Spring Branch, a neighborhood that was predominantly Hispanic at the time and thus had majority ESL classes in the local elementary school. It wasn’t until she moved to Cypress, Texas when she was placed in a general education English classroom where she first recognized the language barrier she had with her peers and the curriculum.  I believe Andrea’s situation of being fully submersed in English by the 4 th grade is something that...

Hello! I am Alyssa Lopez and I am currently a student teacher at Mitchell Elementary School located in Houston ISD. I am also a senior at the University of Houston where I plan to graduate in May 2019. I am going into special education because I have always had a passion for helping the students who need the most support—including English Language Learners. Entry 1: Introduction-About Me I think the most important concept to carry with you as a teacher is that every student is different and will need different supports and styles of teaching. English language learners are students who need specific type of supports and accommodations since they are learning and mastering a completely new language because according to Wright (2015) an ELL is in the process of attaining proficiency in English. First and foremost, fining out exactly who my students are is the first step. I believe administering surveys that ask my students about the ways they like to learn, what they are...