Anne Olson

Final Reflection: TEC 611-25: Education of Bilingual Children (3): Theory and Practice
Schools and education as a whole are depended on the current political leadership, which
determines shifts in educational policy. These policy shifts, however, are made and implemented
by politicians and social scientists who are out of touch with the realities of the modern
classroom. With each shift of the educational pendulum, districts and teachers scramble to attend
trainings and adjust their curriculum to meet new requirements and expectations. As schools
struggle to determine their identity through the ever-present shifts in educational policy, the
identity of students are left even more lost.
Education extends beyond the content of the curriculum. Schools are more than a location
where curriculum content is transferred from the teacher to the students. Rather, the content of
the curriculum is a vehicle through which educators can help mold their students to become
productive members of the society in which they life. Therefore, the core of education is the
student body. With each new education policy the jargon, the politics, and the polarization
the students are lost. Carlos Ovando discussed in his article, Bilingual Education in the United
States: Historical Development and Current Issues, the larger impact of educational policy on
ELLs. In contrast to the situation in numerous other countries, where language has been a
salient unifier and divider, the absence of a consistent language ideology in the United States has
enhanced the role of symbolic politics of language, creating resentment of special treatment for
minority groups. He continues, This, in turn, has tended to overwhelm pedagogical
considerations in making policy for language-minority education. (Ovando, 2-3). Furthermore,
English Language Learners (ELLs) who havent yet developed the language to navigate this
complex system are further polarized.

Being classified as an ELL goes deeper than spoken language. Some, perhaps most, ELLs
are also adjusting to a new culture and a changing society. Some may not have the comfort of
being with parents and other may have witnessed painful histories that mold who they are today.
Ovando highlights the greater context through which educational policy is determined. Ovando
explains, Educators, politicians, and policy makers need to understand how notions of
pedagogical effectiveness, symbolic racism or nationalism, instrumental efforts at social control,
struggles for minority self-determination and equal rights, and interethnic competition have
determined U.S. policies for educating language minorities. (Ovando, 18). The makers of these
policies dont see the pain of the faces of the students as they struggle to learn content while
simultaneously learning the language through which the content is taught. More over, these
policies can reinforce the social binaries, which control the social environment in these delicate
ecosystems, often placing ELLs as inferior to the dominant peoples.
The challenge of embracing the identity and unique individuality of each students can be
minimized by showing an authentic and genuine interest in each student. Ada Walqui
emphasizes in her article, Scaffolding Instruction for English Language Learners: A Conceptual
Framework, the interactive and social nature of language learning. In some classrooms, content
and curriculum are as a barrier between the teacher and his or her students. However, if a teacher
is able to consistently use the content of the curriculum not as a barrier to a personal connection
with his or her students, but instead as a vehicle to connect personally, embracing the
vulnerability of the students, perhaps ELLs will be more willing to buy into the classroom
environment and thereby not only learn the content, but also understand and absorb their new
cultural environment. Whereas as initially students may feel hesitant in classroom as a result of
their language barrier, Walqui explains, They will, however, feel legitimate if they recognize

that the expectation of teachers and other more capable peers is that they, too, will soon become
full-fledged members of that community as they become more socialized into it (Walqui, 160). I
am not so naive to think this a cure all. Maybe I am just naive enough to believe that for some, if
not most, ELLs it will have a profound impact on their learning experience. Reflecting upon my
past, educational and otherwise, the people who have most profoundly impacted the development
of my identity and of my unique point of view were teachers who genuinely showed interest in
me and my successes, both in and out of school.
In Kristina Rizgas book Mission High, the interview with Mission High student Darrell
revealed the impact teachers can have on students when they are genuinely engaged. Rizga
explains, Because Darrells teachers knew his intellect and his interests, they knew how to use
the content to tap his motivation, to push him to work hard, learn new skills, and persevere
through some of his toughest days, as he grieved over losing two of his brothers to gun violence
in the previous five years (Rizga, 61). This story, like many in the text Mission High, are what
makes the book compelling. It is easy to hide behind the politicization of education and claim
that an individual teacher does not have the power to make a change or help alleviate the barriers
ELLs face on a day-to-day basis in the schools. Darrell described the particular impact his
teacher, Mr. Roth, had on the development of his individual identity. Rizga writes, [...] it was
Mr. Roth who helped him develop skills to express his thinking voice, as he refers to it. Mr.
Roth would always say, Write in your own voice. Dont try to imitate anyone. Personalize it.
(Rizga, 61). Maybe it is overly optimistic or idealistic, but the experiences recorded in Rizgas
Mission High prove that its possible to break through the political barriers and make an impact
through education of each individual.

The challenges of English language learning extend far beyond the celebrating of each
students background and identity. However these remedies to minimize or alleviate these
challenges center upon being able to genuinely connect with students by embracing their
individuality and backgrounds. English language learning is challenging. Learning English in an
environment where politics and resources hinder the amount of instruction in the native language
adds an additional layer of difficulty to the process. Pauline Gibbons writes in her book
Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching Second Language Learners in the
Mainstream Classroom, The potential for learning is not finite or bounded. And the potential
for learning in school should not be restricted by a students lack of knowledge of the language
of instruction, because in this case [] ESL learners are denied the right to be full members of
the school community (Gibbons, 138). Teachers at Mission High, like Mr. Roth, are able to
support their ELL students succeed by using strategies like those presented by Gibbons and
Walqui to scaffold their instruction to meet the learning needs of their students. The first step to
remedy the barriers and challenges English Language Learners face is to embrace and build upon
their unique identity. The words of Maya Angelou reinforce the importance of the genuine and
authentic interest teachers should take in their student; People will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.