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.