Building Systems of Support for Classroom Teachers Working With English Language Learners

Dual Language Teachers’ Use of Conventional, Environmental, and Personal Resources to Support Academic Language Development

“…This assumption may work against the goal of providing rich, valuable professional development to teachers. What is needed instead are ongoing opportunities for teachers to learn at a level that complements their existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences and consequently improves their instruction for language-minority children (Elfers et al, 2009;Gándara et al, 2005). Further research should also examine the role of personal resources that were not explicitly investigated in this study, such as teacher identification with an ethnic minority group or language-minority status.…”

“…Additionally, resources can both enable and constrain certain instructional practices. Previous work in the study of resources for the education of languageminority students has shown that this can be especially relevant in dual language school settings (Elfers et al, 2009), where resources may be unevenly distributed. An essential question guiding the current study was, "what resources matter, how, and under what circumstances?"…”

ESOL Urban High School Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Instructional Strengths and Challenges: A Qualitative Case Study

“…Similarly, extensive research shows that ESOL teachers face many instructional challenges in the classroom associated with the diverse learning needs and styles of their students (Baecher, 2012;Batt, 2008;Crandall, 1996;Elfers, Stritikus, Percy Calaff, Von Esch, Lucero, Knapp, Plecki, 2009;Light, 2006). Throughout the years, experts in the field have developed different manuals to meet the needs of diverse learners and to support the instructional practices of ESOL teachers (de Oliveira & Yough, 2015;Echevarría, Vogt, & Short, 2000;Hill & Björk, 2008;Rutherford, 2010).…”

Guiding Sixth Grade Language Development in Mathematical Content Acquisition through Student Centered SIOP Instruction

“…According to Elfers, Lucero, Stritikus, and Knapp (2013), general education teachers are facing new challenges in which they are now responsible for meeting the needs of EL students.…”

“…Regarding collaboration among staff, one cannot stress the importance that more heads are better than one. As Elfers, Lucero, Stritikus, and Knapp, (2013) stated that teachers are responsible for teaching the subject matter, as well as adapt their lessons to meet the needs of all students including ELLs. They mention working together with colleagues more likely improves instruction.…”