Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: New Circumstances Mrs. Stewart is teaching a fifth grade class again this school year. This will be her fourteenth year to teach fifth grade in the school where she began her professional career. Mrs. Stewart has been very excited about teaching in this school for yet another year. After thirteen years, she knows many of the actively involved parent volunteers who faithfully commit their time working in the classrooms. However, this will not be a typical school year for Mrs. Stewart. This particular year did not have a familiar start compared to previous years. One week after school began, an ESL (English as a Second Language) student moved into the high income neighborhood surrounding the school. A young girl from South America became Mrs. Stewart's new student. The Spanish speaking girl, Anna, would be hearing the English language for the first time in Mrs. Stewart's fifth grade classroom. Mrs. Stewart was told by the office Secretary that Anna had been attending public school for five years before leaving South America. Additionally, Mrs. Stewart learned that Anna and her family only speak Spanish in their home. Mrs. Stewart fears that her collective experiences teaching fifth grade for all of those years would not compare in complexity to her new circumstances. Questions: 1. After being so familiar and comfortable with her fifth grade lesson plans, will Mrs. Stewart need to change her curriculum? 2. Will the language barrier and cultural differences prevent teaching and learning from happening in the classroom? 3. How will Mrs. Stewart involve Anna's parents in school activities? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) Mrs. Stewart will need to differentiate her lesson plans for her new student. Anna will need assistance on assignments and will need modifications until she has acquired English and is very comfortable. I think it is important for teachers to incorporate new ideas and lessons and not use the same lessons for multiple years. She should add variation to the lesson plans, and by adding anna to the class will help this. The language barrier and cultural differences will not prevent learning and teaching from happening in the classroom. It will increase the learning and teaching. Anna may take time to adjust and will need more attention and assistance but there are many strategies that will allow for her to learn and develop. Not only will anna learn but Mrs. Stewart will learn from anna as well as the other students in the classroom will learn from anna. She will be able to tell them about her different culture. Mrs. Stewart will be able to involve anna's parents just as she was able to involve all of her other students parents. She must be willing and open and to allow for anna's parents to share different information about themselves and their culture. She should treat them like any of her other student's parents.                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: Rated On: February 25, 2013 7:32 pm Rated By: eMypur                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: If I were in this situation, I would exactly do this. Rated On: October 20, 2015 11:49 pm Rated By: RuTemu                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I agree Rated On: October 19, 2020 12:08 am Rated By: usuBuQ                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: I would use this in my classroom Rated On: October 17, 2022 3:15 am Rated By: NyXaze                 Rating The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes The suggested solution is original Yes Comments: . Rated On: November 6, 2023 4:56 am Rated By: TyXeDa