SYDNEY REGION ESL NETWORK MEETING

1. SYDNEY REGION ESL NETWORK MEETING

2. The Role of the ESL teacher

3. Administration of the ESL Program ESL Student Data ESL teachers: • Identify ESL students from OASIS C4 report • Allocate an ESL Phase 1,2,3 • Prioritise ESL teacher support equitably • Maintain assessment information of ESL students • throughout the year in order to inform teaching • Maintain records of home language/s and other family background information of the ESL students e.g. citizenship, TVH, refugee,time spent overseas etc

4. Administration of the ESL Program Surveys and NAP funding Principals are responsible for the completion of ESL New Arrival & ESL Annual Surveys and applying for additional supplementation to the ESL program • ESL teachers assist: • in the completion of the ESL New Arrival & ESL Annual Surveys and should keep copies in order to inform their program in the following year • in the completion of applications for New Arrivals Supplementation applications • All surveys must be signed by the principal

5. Teaching ESL students Plan for language learning • Identify the language needs of their students • Identify the language demands in KLA programs • Create language resources that relate to the • language of the KLA program and support the outcomes • Include activities which introduce, practise and • consolidate language – i.e: controlled, guided and independent • Build on the language and experience of the students • Build in scaffolding • Determine appropriate modes of delivery • Develop a program for teaching

6. Teaching ESL students Teach for language learning • focus on language • use concrete objects and pictures to create a meaningful language experience in order to introduce new language. • organise group learning to stimulate interaction & facilitate discussion • provide opportunities for ESL students to demonstrate their language ability • scaffold language support at the point of need • move through the T&L cycle of listening & talking, reading & writing and back again to listening & talking • work collaboratively with classroom teachers • maintain a program of teaching

7. Teaching ESL students Assessment & Reporting • Identify levels of English language achievement according to The ESL Scales and the English K-6 Syllabus over time • Observe student participation in classroom activities • Use assessment tasks that have clear rubrics • Report ESL student achievement using The ESL Scales • Provide a separate ESL report for all PH1 ESL students • Providing ESL report comments for all students receiving ESL support • Inform class teachers of ESL student achievement • Use student achievement to inform future teaching

8. Sample ESL Report

9. Professional learning Personal Development ESL teachers: • should have the opportunity attend all training offered to mainstream staff in KLAs • should attend ESLIN meetings held each term • should attend any ESL regional training • may attend TESOL workshops held on Saturdays

10. Professional learning Staff development ESL teachers provide advice to staff on appropriate: • Placement of ESL students • ESL teaching programs and practices • Modes of delivery (team-teaching,withdrawal) • Assessment differentiation for ESL students • Reporting of ESL achievement using ESL Scales

11. School community Liaison ESL teachers liaise with • Parents of ESL students upon enrolment and when reporting on ESL student achievement • Teachers and executive staff regarding ESL student • progress and changes to ESL program • Clerical staff for data collection and survey • completion • The ESL Multicultural Consultant K-6 or 7-12 in their region for information on enrolment, teaching and reporting for ESL teachers

12. School community Multicultural Education It is the responsibility for all NSW Schools to ensure inclusive teaching practices which recognise and value the backgrounds and cultures of all students and promote an open and tolerant attitude towards different cultures, religions and world views. This is supported by the: Cultural Diversity and Community Relations Policy: Multicultural education in schools

13. Issues As an ESL teacher your role is to support the English language learning needs of as many ESL students as you can. It is not • to make class sizes smaller • to make group work easier • to support weak or new teachers • to release executive teachers for meetings • to provide RFF

14. Issues Your time is allocated to ESL students* who need English language support in order to achieve the curriculum expectations of their stage in all KLA’s not: • To teachers or • To teachers you like • To classes you like • To grades or stages you prefer to teach

15. What should be in an ESL Teacher’s Program? A guide for ESL teachers and ESL supervisors

16. 1. School ESL policy School’s ESL policy outlines the school’s commitment to and support of ESL education and how ESL is approached in your school.

17. 2. The ESL Guidelines

18. 3. School Enrolment policy School Enrolment policy – with particular attention to how ESL students are enrolled and placed in classes and how the ESL teacher/s can support this process.

19. 4. The school context The school context for the given year outlining: (maximum 1 page) • how many ESL students are in the school by phase and grade • specific learning needs of the ESL students • likely intake of new students with ESL need and procedures for their support • how many ESL teachers there are and their allocation • how the school ESL allocation will be organised to meet the needs of the ESL students in the given year

20. 5. ESL data ESL data (including the following from OASIS): • C4 List -detailing students by name • C4 report - detailing numbers of students by years in an Australian school • Class lists with phases (which should be given to all class teachers) (a definition of the phases is optional but may be useful in explaining ESL need)

21. 6. ESL timetable ESL timetable which shows: • Priority given to students with the greatest ESL need e.g. first phase students in primaryclasses are withdrawn for some time each morning (at least 3hrs pwk) • Consistent and on-going support for phase 2 students in yrs 2-6 classes • A flexible mix of withdrawal and in class teaching support for ESL students • Duty • Other duties do not detract from the ESL program • 2hrs of Relief from Face to Face teaching (RFF) *ESL students’ language learning needs will change over time and as a result your ESL timetable should reflect the changing needs of the students you support.

22. 7. Initial Assessment Initial Assessment of New Phase 1 students including information on: • Age, class, language spoken and level of previous schooling • Anecdotal information on what the student can do (see profomer) • ESL scales levels for oral, reading and writing • The assessment process

23. 8. Teaching and learning program Teaching and learning program • Student lists for all targeted students in each class or withdrawal group being seen • A brief context of the teaching learning program for each group with reference to the type of teaching (e.g. withdrawal) and the role of the ESL teacher.

24. Teaching and learning program e.g. TERM 1 Stage 3 First Phase group: withdrawn 1 hr x 4 mornings per week. Require specific language and literacy learning activities in order to develop the language skills to participate in the mainstream classroom and to negotiate school. The teaching program will focus on oral English needs of school to help students understand the school rules, practices and routines with reference to the wider community outside the school.

25. 8. Teaching and learning program • A language focus (Reference: ESL Steps) • English outcomes the students need to attain • ESL scales pointers in Oral, Reading and Writing specific to the language focus • KLA outcomes • An explicit teaching sequence of activities that introduce, practise and consolidate English language learning and show a balance of oral, reading and writing. • Reference: target language and grammar • Reference: resources used • Specific assessment tasks with clear rubrics in oral, reading and writing (reference to any differentiation for ESL students if working with whole class) • Evaluation of the teaching program (or provision for) • Some evidence of collaborative/planning with the mainstreamteachers

26. 9. Reporting Reporting - an ESL teacher is required to write an ESL report for all ESL students who have been in an Australian school for less than 1 year and are deemed to be First Phase. The ESL teacher’s program should have: • evidence of student achievement gathered over time in order to give an ESL scale level and comment on English language achievement in Oral, Reading and Writing • a general report comment for all students who are receiving ESL support on their English language achievement • a copy of the ESL report

27. “As an ESL teacher my role is to support the English language learning needs of as many ESL students as I can.”

28. Discussion In your discussion please consider the following: Positives: items you agree should be in any ESL program Negatives: items that either are not in your program because they don’t fit with your school or don’t exist Inclusions: What is missing? Items that should be included.