The eighth chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on the academic lives of English language learners (ELL). Not only are these students bombarded with the same challenges as other students, but they also have the weight of learning a new language on their shoulders. Also, it is not just their grades that are affected, their social lives suffer too.
I found this chapter alarming! What would I do if I had an ELL student in my classroom? As the teacher, it is your responsibility to provide equal learning oppurtunities to all students, but would I be able to handle such a task when provided with this? From the text, I learned a few ideas I could implement in such a situation, including: providing varied instruction, allowing these students to work through their thoughts in whatever language they choose, and providing texts that meet the curriculum without undermining their age or ability.
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