Assignment:
Megan recently accepted a job as a first year kindergarten teacher in a community that is primarily Hispanic. A majority of her students are second language learners and many have parents who do not speak English. Megan has never spoken a second language, ignoring two years of high school French that left her conversational but not very confident. She is worried and anxious about how best to bridge the language gap in her classroom. As she prepares for her first year as a teacher, she wants to be sure she does as much as possible to help make the transition easier and to facilitate clear communication between her and her students/their parents.
1.What initial steps can Megan take in order to determine what level of language capabilities her students have? What resources can she use to help her?
2.What strategies can she use on the first day of class to help determine the interests of the students in her classroom?
3.How can she include aspects of her students' language and culture in her plans for the school year?