1. My Education Portfolio
David J. Gonzalez
EDF 2085/ Professor Qadri
ESE and ESL Observations
November 2012
Lawton Elementary – Oviedo, FL Parkway Middle-Kissimmee, FL

2. Reflection
Reflection on ESL/ESE/Ethnic Specific Students
Last year, I had the privilege to observe for fifteen hours at Oviedo High School in the
Biology and Anatomy Honors program. This year, it was quite different. It was not only a privilege, it
was an honor. I had the chance to work with fifth grade students in the ESE and ESOL program at
Lawton Elementary, and also observe the differences between counties in a seventh grade Social
Studies ESE classroom in a more Ethnic Specific (Hispanic) school, at Parkway Middle. Mrs. Kelly, Miss
Milan, Mrs. Scribner, Mrs. Goff, and Mr. Revell are part of and have created a multicultural
demographic and curriculum (p. 16,22,49) that I found healthy and serious to these students with
special needs.
What I noticed very much in general in all classrooms, was the inclusion program and
acceptance (p.160) of students by others that may be different to them. There was no such thing as
segregation or separation (p.119), of any sort. Groups were strategically placed and made so
students could be exposed to other students of different cultures, rather than staying amongst their
own dominant culture (p.341) of choice. For example, in Mrs. Kelly’s classroom, students sat in
groups of four- boy, girl, boy, girl; furthermore, a Florida native sat next to Priscolla, an Egyptian ESOL
student, and another Florida native English speaking student, sat next to Quiroles, another Egyptian
speaking ESOL student. Already at the fifth grade level, this allowed students and educators alike,for
their cultural pluralism (p.41) to bloom and cross-cultural awareness (p.228) to expand for the
better.
Proxemics and Ebonics, (p.272), were critical at both schools with different
demographics. You had an eighty percent Hispanic classroom in Osceola county, and the complete
opposite in of twenty percent along with special needs in Seminole county. Teachers had to create
IEP’s (p.400), sometimes weekly for fifteen to twenty individual students at a time for each individual
special need parents requested of the educator. The educator not only had become understandable in
their body language and tactics, she or he had to concentrate on behavior management programs
(p. 402) to keep the classroom in control. For example, separating them in small groups to read
together, or when it was becoming too loud, performing signals and verbal song and note to catch the
students’ attention to be quiet, need attention, or congratulations. Specifically Mrs. Scribner, Mrs. Kelly,
and Miss Milan for their ESE and ESOL students, they used the Kagen model very much so, in
cooperative learning (p.335).

3. This helped educators not only establish the direction of where the classrooms progress was
going with better responses from the students, it allowed them to create authentic
assessment (p.386) in preparation for state testing such as the FCAT that caters to the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001, (p. 436).
The accountability movement, (p. 450), was highly used where educators in
the mainstream courses needed assistance with special needs students with their
individualized education plans. They usually had a specialist or even just a volunteering
mentor to help read to the student at times when the ESOL student was overwhelmed with
students, or was working with one individual at a time. However, the administrative and
community involvement in Seminole County was higher than Osceola County, ironically when
the higher rate of students needing assistance was in Osceola. Bilingual education was
provided in Osceola county to make it easier for students to pass, however when it came to
language testing for English or FCAT reports, the student was not doing well- yet passed.
My experience was overwhelming across the board, noticing the areas of
constructivism and cognitive structures that need to be helped and created in both schools.
Attention was given to these students, but not enough to feed them academically. We are
seeing progress in acceptance in the classroom by students; now we need to work on better
and more authentic education from the more trained ESE and ESOL teacher in the inclusion
programs used.

4. Mrs. Kelly’s 5th grade ESL Inclusive
Classroom

5. Lawton Elementary – Mrs. Kelly
5th grade ESE/ Math & Reading
During my observations,
Mrs. Kelly performed many teaching
strategies that pioneered Kagan
cooperative learning styles. There was
not one moment where the student could
loose focus, because she had a way of
bringing back the student into the lesson!
Like the artifact to the right, the goal
board. The students would read together
in unison what the goal of the day was
during homeroom- then throughout the
day, during activity groups and lessons,
she would ask the students, “How do we
feel about our goal ?” And students
would raise their hand with the
corresponding number. Four meaning
great all the way to one meaning they
needed help.
Artifact 1

6. Lawton Elem.- Mrs. Kelly &Mrs. Scribner
5th grade ESE/ESL Reading & Social Studies
Artifacts 2-4: Social Studies newsletter, read
together in small groups in Mrs. Scribner’s class.
RULES- from Mrs. Kelly’s class read out loud during
homeroom. Encouragement poster found in the
hallway.

7. Lawton Elementary-Miss Milan
ESOL Teacher Grades 1-5
Artifacts 5-6: Miss Milan has 45-50
minutes with each group of specific
language students. To the left, each
student has to complete a Reading
log each week and present it on
Friday. To the right is a chart of
difficult letter combination sounds
that students say out loud together.

8. LESSON PLAN

9. Inclusion Program
At the beginning of Mrs. Scribner’s Social Studies and Reading block
class, all students, no matter what disability, ADHD, EMH, EBD, (until
threatening to others), participate in an all reading together activity.
Once the reading is done, Mrs. Goff, ESE and ESOL specialist shows
up to the classroom to assist, and students are split up according to
their specific needs as shown above. The last picture below, are
individual learners- simply students needing more supervision than
mainstream students to keep focus. Mrs. Goff takes care of ESOL,
Mrs. Scribner, with ESE.

10. Compare & Contrast
Mrs. Kelly expressed that cooperative
learning allowed students to retain
knowledge better by vocalizing it more.
She allowed the children to teach. Then,
those students that were ESOL students
pictured on the right like Lydia, built her
confidence by speaking English and
teaching the class as well. However, notice
Mrs. Kelly giving her a little more
flexibility, empathy, and more explanation
afterwards during assessment.

11. Communication is key !
Quiroles and Priscolla are
ESOL students. They have
been in the US for three
months from Egypt, and
communicate with Mrs. Kelly
and share with the class
about their culture Maria from Colombia from
beautifully. the Roman Catholic faith
and Lydia of the Muslim
religion are the best of
friends and help each
other with their English!
Mrs. Scribner originally from the
Philipines, teaches students US
History, to an African-American,
Hispanic-American, and Swiss native
group!

12. Teacher Interview
with Mrs. Kelly & Miss Milan – Lawton Elementary (ESL)
1. What teaching strategies do you use to accommodate non-native
English speakers in your classroom?
My class consists of Hispanic, Egyptian, Persian, and Muslim students. In a inclusive
classroom- I limit the amount of paperwork, and do more activities which forces the non-
native to speak, and causes cooperative learning to bloom in the classroom.
2. What form of program is used? (bilingual, transitional, submersion, etc.)
How did it help the ESL student.
All students, including ESL, are inclusive. Only for 45-50 minutes
during reading time, they are sent to Miss Milan (ESL specialist) to
work with their reading skills. IE: Word problems are difficult.
3. What kind of assistive technology or other educational resources are
used for this particular group of students?
Interactive Whiteboard, Think central, Textbooks online (different
languages) available. Whiteboard is used to limit students from
doing paperwork, but to have students vocalize and teach the class.
Think central is a website that helps hispanic students for example
with compare/contrast reading.
4. What is your greatest challenge when teaching ESL students?
Miss Milan and I have a great partnership with the ESL students where there is no
consistent challenge. It really is only towards the beginning when the students are brand
new, are afraid, and aren’t used to norms of American elementary education.
The parents probably are the hardest to communicate with. Understanding school work.
5. What forms of assessment would be best for non-native English
speakers? Have non-native students to vocalize, “show me” for a moment. Flexibility. With
time, he or she will learn to write in English and do writing assessment with the others.

13. Teacher Interview
with Mr. Revell – Parkway Middle School (ESE)
1. What exceptionality do the students have? What grade level and what age are
they? I teach 7th grade Social Studies gifted students. The other half of the day, I teach
students who have ADHD,EMH, EBD. About 90 percent of my students at Parkway Middle in
Kissimmee, Florida are hispanic. They range from 12 to 13 years of age.
2. What needs do the children seem to have that are unique to this group? Common
to other children? What modifications in instructional approach are made? More visual
items in the classroom are needed. More items, for example, Science, not so much textbooks that
up to date, but field trips, desktops, labtops, to where the students can learn online research.
3. What recommendations does the parent have for you, regarding what you might
provide for children who have special needs? Sad to say, but most parents do not become
involved with their child that has special needs until they have become threatening to other
students or the child has received a low grade. Parents (very few), that do become involved with
their children that may have EMH, ADHD, etc. require an IEP specifically for them and require
students to go at their pace, rather than with the rest of the class.
4. How have you been affected by the education policy directed at children with
special needs. What modifications has the teacher made in teaching? What do you as
a teacher still feel is needed? Definitely, where the inclusion program is also included in the
Block scheduling in our classrooms per week. It is very hard to have the students with disabilities
answer questions, catch up with, or understand what mainstream is working on because
sometimes their ESE specialist that pulled them out for 50 minutes every other day could not
work with them completely on the coursework. IEP’s are a definite must. Modifications are made
in more group work rather than student assessment and paperwork.
5. What type of assistive technology do you use to accommodate the special needs
of your students There is a group of students that are hearing impaired where the teachers like
myself amplify our voices with a small microphone and surround system in the classroom.
Blackboard Learn is used for parents to keep up with assignments as well.

14. Verification Forms