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Content Instructors
Most likely youve already been working with basic skills students, but
what does that mean? Basic skills students fall into three categories:
non-native English speakers (ESL), students who have not completed high
school (GED), and students who have not yet reached college level
academic skills. Often these three groups overlap. In your I-BEST
program, you will be working with a basic skills instructor to deliver
professional/technical training that also helps build the academic and
language skills these students lack.
So how do you do that?
Outside the
classroom:
How do you share the classroom with a basic skills instructor 50% of the
time?
What does your communication plan look like? Here are some tools to
help you in a successful teaching relationship.
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Communication is key - develop a communication plan with the basic
skills instructor to have regular meeting times either on the phone, by
email or in person
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Flexibility be prepared to change your lesson plan at the last minute
to fit the students immediate needs
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Be
clear with what you expect from the students with both students and
co-instructors.
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When
planning instruction, structure your lessons so that students become
more and more comfortable with the material before asking them to
produce. Here are some steps you can follow (adapted from
Facilitative Language Teaching by Dr. Nancy Tulare):
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Anticipation discuss with the students what they already know about
the topic.
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Reception go over the material three different ways before expecting
the students to produce answers or assignments.
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Production when doing assignments, move from teacher-led to
student-led activities.
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Evaluation develop assessments that test how the students would apply
the content in the real world.
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Extension when possible, assign outside activities that target the
content in a real-world environment, and have the students report their
experiences back to the class.
For more information on collaborative instruction, see the
Co-teaching page.
In the
classroom:
Here are some tips for working with basic skills students in the
classroom when the basic skills instructor is not there:
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Keep
lectures to a minimum students learn better when they are interactive
with the content.
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Insert
comprehension checks after lecturing over a couple of the main points.
Then add on new information.
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Keep
slang and big words to a minimum unless directly needed for the
field. For a video demonstration of what might confuse ESL
students, click
here.
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Be
aware of cultural references not everyone knows that keeping your
eye on the prize means keeping your goal in mind.
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Encourage discussion and questions.
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Pause
after asking a question basic skills students often need an extra
moment or two to process information.
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Provide
hands on activities.
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Repeat
instructions and assignments in several different ways in writing,
orally and by demonstration.
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Show
examples of what your expectations are for each project.
Do you think teaching an I-BEST class is a fit for you? Take a look at
these self-assessment
questions.
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