Possibilities and Challenges of Teacher Collaboration for English Language Learners: Middle-Grades Classroom Studies

• In Event: Navigating the Complexities of Middle-Level Education

Abstract

The increasing population of English language learners (ELLs) receive instruction from content/classroom teachers and ESL teachers, and their collaborative partnerships are vital for ELLs’ success. Drawn from larger data sets of two qualitative studies in different school settings on teacher collaboration for middle grades ELLs, the paper highlights the commonalities in these inclusive classrooms. The findings show that possibilities prevail over challenges in the collaborative process. Despite limited time, the teachers enacted roles in a flexible manner according to the needs of ELLs. Both groups acknowledged and maximized each partner’s expertise to meet ELLs’ needs. These findings refine existing studies on the power balance between ESL and content/classroom teachers. The study provides teacher education programs future directions for effective collaboration.

Authors

• Christine Uliassi, SUNY Cortland

• Bogum Yoon, Binghamton University - SUNY