PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 1

Philosophy of Education

TSL600

Amelia Kerton

Spring Arbor University

Abstract
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 2

In education, I begin with the belief that no student will care what you know until they know that

you care. From day one with a new class, my goal is always to make sure that students under-

stand that I care about them as a person. I care about their academic achievements; their lan-

guage acquisition; their improvement in reading and writing; and their growth as a friend, leader,

and member of the community. In my teaching of ELLs, this has been increasingly important as

many of my beginning ELLs have been recent immigrants to the United States. My first job is to

be welcoming and supportive as I teach them the English language. As an effective TESOL

teacher, I have proficient knowledge of Second Language Acquisition theories, and use a shel-

tered instruction approach to teaching ELLs. My role as an ESL teacher is to support my stu-

dents in any context that I can, which includes integrating my faith into my teaching.

Knowledge of Theories of Second Language Acquisition

When it comes to second language acquisition, I most often use sheltered instruction

strategies as I find them the most beneficial and applicable to any context. Sheltered instruction

focuses on clear, comprehensible objectives for each lesson. Not only is there a content objec-

tive, but there is also a language objective. The language objective focuses on how students will

be using the English language to learn the content. The focus on authentic reading, writing,

speaking, and listening regardless of topic really helps students practice the language. As op-

posed to historical approaches, sheltered instruction encourages language use. In the past, it

was prevalent for ESL to be taught using drills with a focus on grammatical perfection. Speaking

and listening in those contexts was often overlooked. Movements in ESL education have

changed as far as trying the “Silent Way” in which students do not attempt speaking until they

feel ready. As great of a focus as this has on listening, it does not encourage students to speak

in the beginning. I think it best to use sheltered instruction approaches that allow for students to
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use all four literacy skills from the very beginning in meaningful ways. I also appreciate how

within the classroom, sheltered instruction is beneficial to students regardless of language profi-

ciency. Clear objectives, academic vocabulary instruction, ties to background knowledge, activi-

ties focused on literacy skills, and appropriate formative and summative assessments help stu-

dents from beginning ELLs to native English speakers. Since ESL classrooms so often have a

large variety of ability levels, sheltered instruction is an effective method for ensuring that all stu-

dents are learning.

Approach to Teaching ELLs

In the past, approaches to teaching ELLs seemed to be one-size-fits-all. It seems as

though in the past, it was expected that all ELLs learn at the same pace and that strategies that

worked with beginning ELLs would work with advanced ELLs. It is good to see that those older

approaches have been replaced with more effective strategies. For instance, with beginning

ELLs, it is important to encourage them to practice using the English language. Helping stu-

dents feel comfortable making mistakes is important because if a student is worried about mak-

ing a mistake, they might never attempt the language at all. It is important to keep in mind that

students are not blank slates and that they come to our classrooms with a lot of background

knowledge already. As teachers, we can leverage that background knowledge to draw meaning-

ful connections for our beginners. It is also important to make sure that materials are age appro-

priate. I often work with high school students, and just because a student barely knows English,

does not mean that it is appropriate for me to have them reading simple picture books. Just be-

cause the language used within lessons is simple, does not mean that the content has to be. On

the other hand, when teaching advanced English learners, the teacher has an opportunity to

fine tune language usage. For example, the finer points of English grammar and pronunciation

can be focused on with advance English learners. Again, the older strategies of using drills to
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learn grammar concepts are not nearly as effective as strategies that use meaningful application

of skills or student guided corrective feedback. All in all, strategies for teaching beginning ELLs

are different than strategies for teaching advanced ELLs, but sheltered instruction strategies can

accommodate for learners of all ability levels.

Role of EL Professional

Currently, my setting is in a high school. Many ELLs I have worked with in the past have

been beginning ELLs who are not only responsible for learning English, but also need to acquire

enough high school credits to graduate before aging out. My role as the teacher therefore be-

comes one of facilitating English acquisition within content area classes. My current role has

been as an English Literature teacher who has ELLs of differing ability within a classroom of na-

tive English speakers. My objective is to make content as comprehensible as possible so my

ELL students are able to acquire both the language and the content. The greatest challenge is

the vast differences in ability level of students within the classroom. Instruction needs to be dif-

ferentiated for varying levels which requires a lot of time from the instructor. Meeting this chal-

lenge is most easily accomplished by collaboration with coworkers. Sharing knowledge and

strategies makes it easier to differentiate assignments. Another challenge is the limited amount

of time that I have with students. ELLs might be in my class for only a semester, but it is still my

responsibility to ensure that the student is able to gain that credit. I again find that using shel-

tered instruction strategies is the most effective way to meet these challenges and help students

gain both language and content.

Integration of Faith
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Throughout English instruction in my setting, I also find it challenging yet very important,

to integrate my faith. I work in a public school and really have a heart for public education. The

challenge with this is that I cannot openly express my faith or share it with my students. How-

ever, I have found that students quickly understand that there is something different about what

motivates me in the way that I treat others. My faith is core to why I teach and how I treat others.

I see each of my students as inherently valuable as children of God. This motivates me to show

them that I truly care for them. I have found that throughout the semester or year that I teach

students, slowly they begin to wonder why I continually show students grace. Often, they begin

to ask questions, which gives me an opportunity to share how my faith motivates me to treat

others with kindness. Faith is deeply intertwined with my goals and relentless pursuit in educa-

tion. Even though I cannot speak openly about it, there are still numerous ways that faith comes

up.

Conclusion

When it comes to teaching ELLs integrating the most effective strategies and latest re-

search is helpful in helping learners acquire English. Utilizing sheltered instruction strategies

has been the most helpful in my role as a high school English teacher who teaches a variety of

ELLs. My ultimate goal is to help all students acquire the English language while learning

course content. All this is done while ensuring that they each understand that I care about their

growth. I care about who they are when they walk through my door on the first day; and I care

about who they become when they walk out of my classroom on the last.