Who are my English Language Learners?
Most of my students come from several countries in Central and South America. They come with different linguistic and academic abilities. Some students have completed up to 11th grade in their countries or in the United states while some others have either never been in school or have just completed up to the 3rd grade. Since the students are in a detention setting, there are many emotional and traumatic issues that students come with and are going through while in the facility. In many cases students are awaiting deportation hearings, court sentences, etc. This year many of the students' average stay was 30 days with some exceptions of students who were in the detention center for up to 6 months.
Along with their academic abilities and skills, many of the students arrive at our school with very little knowledge of technology, many of them have never used a computer before. Others have used some technology such as IPADs or tablets and video games as well as computers for research purposes, entertainment, and communication. Despite their academic, technological and emotional levels, all my students share one thing: they want to learn. They want to be engaged, produce something, learn to speak English, improve their math skills, be a better person, succeed.