Preparing Teachers to Work with English Language Learners in Mainstream Classrooms

There is a growing need for knowledge and practical ideas about the preparation of teachers forEnglish language learners (ELLs), a growing segment of the K-12 population in the UnitedStates. This book is for teachers, administrators, and teacher educators looking for innovativeways to prepare teachers for ELLs and will position teachers to empower these students. Thisvolume will appeal mostly to those preparing teachers in contexts that have not have historicallyhad large numbers of ELLs, but have had a high rate of recent growth (e.g., Midwestern U.S.).This work is the combination of teacher preparation and ELL issues. This volume is unique intackling pre-service and inservice teacher preparation. Additionally, the chapters collectively aim to go beyond merely equippingteachers to meet the needs of ELLs, but to reach a level of effectiveness with the outcome of equity.The book highlights the knowledge, skills, and beliefs of teachers about ELLs. Part I addresses teacher perceptions of, and beliefsabout, ELLs and teacher preparation specifically addressing what they should know in terms of students' perspectives. Chapters attendto the experiences and beliefs of immigrant teachers about their roles, the role of service learning in teacher preparation, and thepotential of understanding home literacy practices to change teacher beliefs about ELLs. Part II focuses on skills necessary to teachELLs-writing skills teachers can draw on to inform their teaching practices, technological skills teachers need to develop, and skillsrelated to focusing on the Common Core State Standards for English language arts andmathematics. Each chapter explicitly addresses implications for teacher education orprofessional development.