Coping as a Line of Flight in a Linguistically Diverse Classroom: A Rhizomatic Perspective

• In Event: Stress and Coping of English Learners in the 21st Century

Abstract

Purpose

Little is known about the ways that ELs experience schooling in mainstream classrooms or how mainstream teachers support ELs’ inclusion and academic growth (Fenner, 2014). Many mainstream teachers have no preparation to teach ELs (Bunch, 2013) and minimal experiences with linguistic diversity (Villegas & Lucas, 2002). Given these factors, it is of critical importance to investigate how ELs negotiate placement in mainstream classrooms.

The purpose of this presentation is to shed light on how an EL and his teacher coped with multiple challenges in a mainstream classroom context. This presentation will discuss the experiences of Daniel, an EL and recent immigrant from Israel, and Jessica, his teacher, in a kindergarten classroom. Rhizomatic concepts will be deployed to interpret and theorize from a particular instructional activity.

Theoretical Framework

Rhizomatics is a collection of philosophical concepts proposed by Guile Deleuze and Felix Guattari (1987). Rhizomatic concepts facilitate investigations with attention to the interplay between and among a diverse host of elements (rhizomatic connections). Deleuze and Guattari maintained these connections as lines, including lines of flight (connections that veer away from the normal or routine and can transform status quo norms and practices).

Methodology

This qualitative study employed a case study approach. Analysis involved multiple rounds of reading the data sources. I employed open and axial coding to discern dominant themes in the texts (Merriam, 2009; Strauss & Corbin, 1997). I documented this process to record the connections between the emergent themes in the data with rhizomatic concepts (Wyatt, Gale, Gannon, & Davies, 2011).

Data Sources

Data sources for this study were transcripts of five interviews conducted with Jessica over the course of a semester, field notes of observations of instruction in her classroom, analytic memos, and a researcher journal. In addition, Jessica provided a written reflection on her practice.

Results

Given his inability to fully participate and understand in classroom activity, Daniel regularly engaged in play as a means of coping with instructional episodes that were linguistically inaccessible. Unable to grasp the meaning of what was being said, Daniel turned to his imagination and negotiated these instances by singing to himself, rocking back and forth, and at times physically isolating himself from the rest of the class. The inability to participate manifested seemingly off-task behavior, but for him, ineluctably surfaced as a line of flight. While such observable behavior in a mainstream student might suggest lack of interest in the topic or subject under consideration, for Daniel, it connotes a means by which he was able to persevere through an instructional context that failed to attend to his linguistic and academic needs.

Significance

This study suggests the affirmative inclusion of ELs in mainstream classrooms includes not only promoting academic and language development, but awareness of the affective consequences ELs experience when activities are not comprehensible. Teachers need professional expertise and inclusive dispositions with the skills to identify such nuanced considerations. Ultimately, all teachers need a professional knowledge base to facilitate equitable learning experiences for ELs in today’s increasingly diverse classrooms.

Authors

• Adrian D. Martin, New Jersey City University

• Kathryn J. Strom, California State University - East Bay