“Just use pictures.” That was the well-intentioned, yet profoundly unhelpful, advice I received as a first-year eighth and ninth-grade math teacher in Washington, D.C. My classroom was a vibrant mix of students from El Salvador, Mexico, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal, and many other countries, all navigating the complexities of learning in a new language. The suggestion to simply “use pictures” came with the underlying message that truly supporting these English Language Learners (ELLs) was “not my job,” but rather the domain of the ESL specialist.
Fifteen years later, this “Not My Job” mentality remains a significant obstacle in effectively harnessing the incredible potential of our nation’s rapidly growing ELL population. This isn’t about blaming educators, who are already juggling countless responsibilities. Classroom teachers are expected to be instructors, counselors, data analysts, and trauma-informed specialists, among many other roles. In this context, providing comprehensive support for ELLs can feel like an overwhelming addition to an already overflowing plate.
However, what if we shifted our perspective and moved away from seeing ELL students as solely the responsibility of specialists? Projections indicate that by 2025, one in four students in our schools will be an English Language Learner. In states like California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois, this reality is already here. Yet, the “Not My Job” mindset persists. Professional development opportunities focused on ELL support often remain exclusive to specialists. Curriculum resources tailored for English Learners are frequently inadequate. This results in general education teachers feeling they are adequately supporting ELLs simply by “using pictures.”
To dismantle this limiting mentality and cultivate environments where all ELL students can flourish, educational leaders can implement three immediate shifts: 1) adopting an asset-based framework; 2) integrating practical ELL instructional strategies into professional development for all educators; and 3) ensuring equitable access to 21st-century learning experiences for ELL students.
From English Language Learners to Emerging Bilinguals: Recognizing the Value
“I regret mastering two languages,” – said no one, ever. Yet, our language often frames students learning English in terms of deficit. We label them “English Language Learners,” point to “Limited English Proficiency,” or refer to “English as a Second Language,” inadvertently suggesting a deficiency. Imagine the transformative impact of reframing these students as “Emerging Bilinguals,” a shift advocated by many leaders in the field. This simple change in terminology immediately highlights the immense assets these students possess. Emerging Bilinguals are, in essence, the global citizens that multinational corporations actively seek from our schools and universities. Acknowledging their linguistic talents provides a powerful “why” to motivate all educators to take action. Recognizing the value they bring to our classrooms and communities is the first step in ensuring their success.
Scaffolding Practical ELL Strategies for Every Educator: Equipping Everyone with the Tools
We cannot maintain a system where expertise in ELL instruction is confined to specialists. Requiring every teacher to undergo extensive TESOL certification is also not a practical solution. Instead, we must focus on scaffolding essential instructional practices tailored to teachers’ grade levels and subject areas. For science teachers, this could mean targeted strategies for academic vocabulary development, retention, and fluency. For English teachers, it might involve providing increasingly sophisticated sentence frames to guide English Language Learners in constructing complex arguments. By equipping general education teachers with a robust toolkit of practical strategies, we can redefine the specialist’s role to that of a consultant and resource for teachers and families, rather than solely a “fixer.” This distributed expertise ensures that supporting ELLs becomes an integral part of every educator’s job description.
Ensuring Equitable Access to Critical Thinking: Nurturing Potential in Every Role
From infancy, humans possess inherent critical thinking abilities. Babies communicate needs and assert preferences through sounds and actions. How, then, have we created educational systems where ELLs are systematically excluded from opportunities to fully develop this potential? How can districts with a significant number of non-native English-speaking teachers still see a disproportionately low representation of English Language Learners in gifted and talented programs?
Access to critical thinking development should not be considered a privilege. When instruction is rooted in the 4 Cs – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication – we are aligning with best practices for academic language development for English Language Learners. 21st-century learning opportunities like STEAM classes, robotics clubs, and mock trial provide ELL students with rich, meaningful contexts to practice speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension skills through authentic engagement. These experiences offer them invaluable platforms to contribute their unique perspectives, values, and judgment systems as they critically analyze information and articulate their arguments. This is not merely about equity; it is about respect. It is about intentionally designing educational spaces where the voices of our ELL students are valued, nurtured, and amplified across all aspects of their learning journey.
Student Success: An Undivided Responsibility
While my linguistic skills are limited to English and I lack specialized certifications in ELL support, I firmly believe that every student in my classroom deserves my unwavering commitment to help them reach their full potential. Even with specialized training, no single educator can possess all the strategies and tools necessary to support every unique learner. However, what remains constant is this fundamental principle: ensuring the success of every student is, and always will be, unequivocally “My Job.” This is not just the job of the ESL specialist; it is the shared responsibility of every individual involved in education, in every role, every day.
