Advocating for Students with Limited or Interrupted Education (SLIFE Learners) — Spotlight on Judith O’Loughlin
“With languages, you are at home anywhere” — Edmund De Waal
Judith is a dynamic and passionate ELL educator. All you have to do is spend a few moments with her and you’ll hear her heart for children, especial ELL students. Here are a few highlights and excerpts from our conversation. Enjoy!
Judith B. O’Loughlin, M.Ed., a former K-8 ESL teach, provides PD for K–12 teachers, and teaches TESOL endorsement certification courses. She presents nationally and internationally. Her publications include the Academic Language Accelerator, and Students with Interrupted Formal Education: Bridging Where They Are and What They Need and Supporting the Journey of English Learners with Trauma with Brenda Custodio.
ELL students — the learning disability myth
One of biggest challenges for me, I’m often asked to work with classroom mainstream teachers who don’t know anything about English learners. The challenge is, teachers see students out on the playground, and they are having a great time talking to all the other kids, why can’t they read? Why don’t they understand their work? Do you think they’re faking it? Do they have a learning disability? It’s extremely frustrating. And it’s been like that throughout my entire career. That question of, do they have a learning disability? To speak a different language is absolutely not a learning disability. And it’s almost as if these students can be pigeonholed into a learning disability. If that happens that solves all of the teacher’s problems. But it doesn’t. Understanding different cultures and how American culture is not superior to any other culture, that’s what we’re facing in classrooms. These students are trying to merge two cultures together. That takes time.
Engaging ELL students during online learning
Teachers are struggling virtually with engagement for ESL students and also having needed resources and materials. There’s a whole learning curve being online and learning to use the technology and how to interact with teachers and students online. There is a grant at Ohio State University. One of their training modules is for parents and understanding that their student needs a quiet place to work without distractions and without background noise. I think that’s hard, that idea of not having teachers help these families understand that a quiet place is needed. Whether it’s an hour or two hours of online instruction. The student needs a quiet place to be interactive and be involved, and then also time and quiet, to do homework. Homework seems to be a very big issue too. High school students are going to parking lots near Starbucks or other coffee shops that have Wi Fi when they don’t have Wi Fi in their houses just so they can do their homework.
Meeting the language needs in classrooms
I am wrestling with how do you know whether a student can exit or does that student stay another year in ESL or move to a different group or to a higher level group? It seems I am always wrestling with these questions. It’s my life’s mission to make people understand who these kids are and what they need. Teachers are looking for strategies that will help them personally in terms of instruction, or they need some clarification on bringing the students into the classroom. What the guidelines are and how you identify them. Teachers always have one child that they’re thinking about. I have this child in my class, and then they tell you the story of that child, and what can I do about him? What do you suggest that we do? These are the things that I try and help teachers sort out.
To hear the rest of the interview with Judith, join us for the second Learning For Life Virtual Summit, March 31st and April 1st. Please take a moment to click this link to sign up for your FREE ticket to the Learning For Life Summit. Can’t wait to see you there!
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
― Frederick Douglass
The joy is in the journey!
Blessings and Peace,
Mary
