Quote: "Teachers' attitudes about minority students and knowledge about how they learn a second language play a critical role in the effectiveness of instruction (Gay, 2000)" (Tompkins, 28).
Comment: I think it is very important that a teacher sees a student's accomplishments in whatever form they take. An ELL student that may appear to be falling behind in class could actually have a working set of skills that simply don't translate into the way the materials are presented. A teacher must recognize the importance of creating assessments that gauge a student's actual level of content knowledge, not just their ability to reproduce knowledge perfectly in the written form. Above all, a teacher must believe (and act accordingly) that all students have potential. Nothing is more damaging than a teacher that gives up on a student.
Question: What are some ways to present content knowledge in a way that is accessable to ELLs of all language levels?
As a teacher it is important to present knowledge and information in a variety of ways so that you can accommodate to the students. A few ways might include having students do activities with learning involving drawing, speaking, writing, sharing opinions with one other student. Doing activities that involve these aspects might make the students feel more comfortable and more likely to try hard and participate.
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