ELL Geography Tutor
March 24, 2008
Today, my two ELL students and I worked on a geography assignment. The assignment concerned the Middle East and the production of oil. Today was not a day that we focused on rapport. Instead, we got right to work. We took turns reading out loud from the article and then organized the article into a graphic organizer. First, we started by writing down and pronouncing the most important vocabulary. We then formed sentences with the newly learned vocabulary. After vocabulary was learned, we worked on reading and the graphic organizer.
Today was a comfortable day with my ELL students. We did not focus on rapport like in other sessions, but their was an understanding of each other’s roles. The vocabulary exercise before the graphic organizer served as a great tool; it allowed us to keep reading when we came across it in the text. This gave us the ability to read for content instead of vocabulary. The graphic organizer served a good reading guide. It kept them focused on a goal, which was to complete it and develop understanding of the importance of oil in the middle east.
In reflection, today went really well. I felt a good academic connection my students. They stayed focused most of the time and I believe some information and concept will be retained. Next time, I would like to have them work more independently. A less direct teach may allow me to assess their knowledge a bit more.
Good reflection. It seems that the graphic organizer worked. Why do you think it was successful? Did you use pictures with it? Did you use just the key words?
I like your idea of using less direct teach for your next teach. This is exactly what teachers do. We start with lots of support (scaffolding) and then reduce the amount as time progresses. In essence, there is a gradual release of support. Nice thoughts!