Translanguaging in Middle-Level Education

• In Event: Exploring Middle-Level Education Structures, Programs, and Practices That Support Student Success

Abstract

With the changing landscape of American classrooms, teacher preparation programs and educators in the middle grades must continually seek ways to create welcoming and affirming spaces for all students, especially those whose languages and cultures differ from their own. This study explores the experiences of two teacher candidates (TCs) in PDS settings with emergent bilinguals. While valuing their bilingual student’s diverse linguistic backgrounds and language repertoires, the TCs (embraced but) struggled with layering translanguaging into their classroom practices. It also examines the middle grades program these TCs attended while centering asset-based thinking and culturally responsive practices. Overall, this study shows teacher education programs must include another critical layer to TCs’ experiences: building the toolkit of middle school cooperating teachers.

Authors

• Ellis Hurd, Illinois State University
  Presenting Author

• Helen D. Brandon, Bloomington Junior High School
  Presenting Author