Preservice Teachers' Reflections on Effective Strategies for Teaching Latino ESL Students

Abstract

Latinos represent the fastest growing population in U.S. schools, and teachers face an increasingly demanding educational context in which to teach. The goal of this article is to present vignettes drawn from classroom observations conducted by preservice teachers in urban areas. Preservice teachers capture the dilemma faced by many teachers who feel unprepared to work with the growing number of second language learners. Preservice teachers shared their in-class interactions with Latino students and documented follow-up conversations with urban teachers. By drawing on these reflections, teachers can appreciate the critical role of supporting Latino students in the mainstream classroom.

Key words:

• Latino
• ESL
• strategies
• reflections
• mainstream
• teachers