Reflection

Volunteering at Rock Island High Schools, English Language Learner’s program (ELL) was an opportunity to witness firsthand the struggles teenage students, whose primary language is not English, have on a daily basis as they try to succeed in an English speaking high school. There is many different nationalities and cultures represented by the students in this classroom. Many of the students do not have high expectations to succeed. They come from families who perform manual labor and it is expected they will follow suit. The self-fulfilling prophecy is definitely at work in that many of the students frequently gave up when work was challenging. There were many barriers and obstacles students faced as they tried to complete homework. Lack of text books in the classroom would be a challenge to anyone, but more especially for those already struggling. Snap judgments and perceptions were made that these students are not very bright, but in reality they have such limited English and educational experiences, they just “don’t know what they don’t know.” Many didn’t know the rules of the game, such as how to find information in a book that corresponds with questions in a packet. When this basic concept was understood, the homework was quickly finished. Students responded enthusiastically when clues were provided to help figure out assignments. There seems to be a desire to affiliate with English speaking students.

The ELL classroom had a lack of consistency when the primary teacher was not present which occurred 3 times during my 12 volunteer sessions. The expectations present with the regular teacher were not there with substitute teachers and little was accomplished. Structure and consistency are important to promote learning across all cultures.

Language ability to speak and understand makes a huge difference in grasping concepts in school. Understanding the meaning of words is a daily struggle. Nonverbal communication often portrays the emotions, especially when frustration builds. Body language is another way in which emotions are displayed. The student who did not grasp the concept of using a book to find answers slumped in her chair as she spent the better part of a week trying to figure out the human growth and development packet.

As the result of this service learning project, I know I will be more sensitive to those who are non-English speaking. I will find ways to understand where they are and how I can best help them without taking over. Patience is an important virtue and I realize I need to conscientiously monitor my patience with others when they take longer to complete a task. I also recognize that I must try to understand the experience they have had and ensure I understand their perspective –whether it is in the form of verbal, nonverbal, display of emotions or when all else fails pantomime. My ability to interpret will help predict the quality of the communication. Occupational Therapists, the career I am pursuing, spend a great deal of time in interpersonal communication and this experience will help immensely as I communicate and attempt to understand others with diverse backgrounds. I will fondly recall assisting students in the ELL classroom and transfer that experience to interpersonal communication opportunities in the future.

Finding Ways to Conquer the Challenges of Algebra

As I am volunteering in the ELL program at Rock Island High School, many of the tasks and assignments that I assist students with bring back fond memories of my high school days. I can identify with them – not understanding an assignment has its set of challenges – I am feeling more comfortable interacting with the students.

A recent challenge occurred while helping another student with Algebra homework. It seems like many students in this program struggle with Algebra. The students appear to have few problem solving skills. Our text book describes intercultural competence and some of the behaviors needed to demonstrate understanding. Empathy is one such behavior. The student I was working with had trouble figuring out her assignment. I could empathize with her as I once struggled with the same concepts. When someone showed me how to create a number line strategy, I found success. This strategy was shared with the student. The smile on the student’s face was rewarding. I feel like the time spent is rewarding, again, the affiliation of students in the program. Their behaviors convey closeness and encouragement by each other.

Controlling Book Availability Creates Challenges

A recent experience in the ELL classroom had me stumped. I was asked to assist a student with an algebra assignment. It has been over 6 years since I had this type of assignment and I wanted to check my reasoning to make sure I was correct. The students in the classroom are getting used to us and are asking for help. The authors of our text book refer to this as affiliation – or a way to of evaluating a person’s willingness to approach or avoid. I would say approach is more like it right now. I asked the student to show me his book so I could check my solution. The student looked puzzled and I felt I was missing something. He then shared books don’t leave the classrooms. He had a packet, but nothing to verify this is correct. I viewed this as a control issue. I also recognize economics play a role, textbooks are expensive. However, the school system gives indications they want the students to succeed, but yet there are no textbooks to aid in their work. Other students who “know the system” might be better equipped to ask for help or borrow a book in order to do the assignment. Many of the ELL students are not yet comfortable in speaking up. The instructor understood the predicament, but didn’t have a viable solution. In the future, I will assist students to find a book. I will encourage students to ask teachers to borrow a book or make a copy of the page.

Grateful Thanks and a Smile

Ready for my first volunteer session at Rock Island High School in the ELL program, I am reminded how times have changed. After signing in at the door, I notice students needing ID badges on their person at all times and security officers patrolling the halls. I am wondering how much this distracts students from learning, especially if I were a student who knew very little English.

After introductions to teachers and students, my assignment was to help a young lady with her child development homework. It seemed that she had struggled through it for several days. According to our reading in Foundations of Interpersonal Communication our perceptions affect our communication with others. One of the areas that we often fail others is our need to make snap judgments. My suspicion is several people thought this student was not very smart because she could not finish what seemed like a simple assignment. When shown how to find information in the text book, she quickly finished and demonstrated to all that a lack of understanding of the procedure was all that stood in her way of being successful. The obstacle she faced was not understanding how the packet and book corresponded. She found success when I showed her how to find the information in the book. Grateful thanks and a smile and we both felt good about what we accomplished.

Stepping Out

As a student in St. Ambrose University’s Interpersonal Communication’s class, I am required to complete a service learning project. Service to others is a great way to enhance interpersonal skills, positively impact the person’s life that receives this service and makes me feel good that I have helped another person. I have chosen to complete my project at the Rock Island High School, volunteering with their English Language Learner’s (ELL) program. My hope is to assist students with their homework. This may take some pantomime as we work to understand each other’s language. I hope my assistance makes a positive impact in their school experience when they are successful at completing homework which will help understand subjects and in the end help with their career goals. My future career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist. Much of the work I will do with patients requires communication. Some may speak a different language or have trouble understanding directions. This experience will help me improve communication skills with others, especially those whose primary langue is no English. The experience will also help me gain confidence in speaking with others outside my usual peer group.

My assumption is that Rock Island High School has a culturally diverse population of students in the 9^th-12^th grade. Rock Island, like the rest of the Quad Cities, is large enough to attract immigrants who are searching for a better life for themselves and their families. Students in the ELL program are there for extra assistance, as English is not their primary language, making school twice as challenging. I would also assume that their parents and siblings are also learning English and they might speak in their native language at home. I would also expect they have few to none English reference books or even reading books at home. These students are in need of assistance with written and spoken English as well as classwork and they might be intimidated by the English speaking students. My assumption is most will want help in order to improve their English. They will also want approval as they expand their English skills in weeks to come.

My assumption is the staff at Rock Island High School, in particular those working with ELL students are doing all they can to help them master the English language. They are most likely finding games and projects to help them learn English words. They are also offering study hall sessions. Our presence will help augment the number of people who can provide assistance. We are also closer in age to the students so they might enjoy having “teen” help.

My assumption is the school staff are helping students in 9^th-12^th grade. Some of these students might have had limited schooling and are not performing at grade level even without the difference in language. My assumption is there are students of many languages so it would be challenging to have experts in all of them. I would expect there would be more Spanish speaking students than any other language knowing there has been an increase in the mid-west of Hispanic people.

I recently graduated with an Associates of Science from Cottey College, an all-women’s liberal arts college in Nevada, Mo. We had students from 42 different states and 17 different countries. I lived in a suite with a student from Afghanistan. She spoke very little English when she arrived on campus. I watched her struggle with assignments. While she received help from the student success center, all of our suitemates helped her in learning English phrases and words as well as time spent explaining homework. I saw firsthand the positive influence we were for this student and I would like to be able to help others as well. I believe it is so important students I ELL master English quickly as they will soon want to get into college or technical schools. It will be easier as their understanding of English expands, which will improve career choice and future job prospects.

How does service relate to learning?

Service relates to learning in many ways. It provides a hands on opportunity to learn about other cultures, values and gives an appreciation to the volunteer of how these individuals are part of society. It is also a way to help others set goals and learn from our experiences. Service puts the needs of others before our own and helps people develop and perform to the highest level possible without doing the work for them. The volunteer would also have the opportunity to teach skills to others. Many who volunteer or provide service to others comment that they received as much or more benefit to themselves as the person or groups they have helped.