Meet some students from the IEP at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette!

It’s Not Half the Work, It’s Twice the Reward: Collaborative Teaching Ideas for the ESL Classroom Kristina Dixon, M.S. Mary Klaus, M.A. Intensive English Program University of Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana November 2007

What is Collaborative Teaching? Team Teaching: Teachers have equal responsibility Interdisciplinary Courses: ESL teacher works with content area teachers Parallel Teaching: Class is divided into two groups with one teacher for each group. Lead & Support: One teacher mentors another Haynes, J Two teachers can be better than one. Essential Teacher 4 (September 2007) 3: 6-7.

Collaborative Teaching IS NOT: A ‘ get-out-of-class ’ free card Spontaneous –Requires in-depth planning & preparation –Requires teacher communication & cooperation Chaotic –Activities structured around goals and objectives –All students are purposefully engaged

Benefits for Teachers: Learn from each other and provide support when trying new activities Improve instruction together Encourage negotiation; reduce territorialism (Choose the right teacher) Foster instructional creativity Provide momentum for extension activities

Benefits for Students: Opportunity to observe collaboration between teachers Shift to student-centered instruction and engaged learning Build self-esteem Motivate students to push themselves as interest in subject matter increases

Benefits for Students: Increase critical thinking skills and retention Develops a sense of community among students Positively effects students of various abilities and backgrounds Eases transition of international students into an American university

Activities For Collaboration Reading Writing Grammar Listening/ Speaking

Reading Storytelling at PJ ’ s Coffee House –Combine groups of students with mixed levels –Have students from one level tell the others about the novel/story they are reading –Allow everyone in the group to speak until the stories are finished –Great for assessing reading comprehension & oral proficiency

Reading LSAT Logic Puzzles –Use logic puzzles to challenge students ’ reading comprehension reasoning skills inferential thinking –Work collectively or in smaller groups

Writing Chain Stories –Each student writes the first sentence of a story, then passes it to a classmate, who adds another sentence –Students keep adding sentences until the last one ends the story –Have the original writer read the story to the class – and laugh!

Writing Short Story Group Picture Writing –Select a picture & study it for 5 minutes –Answer who, what, when, where, & why – Start to write about the picture without thinking. Look at the picture again. –Start writing again. –After a few minutes, a story develops! Adapted from Short Story Group at

Grammar Apples to Apples –Matching appropriate nouns with adjectives –Student ‘ judges ’ choose the best association –Builds vocabulary with adjectives & nouns Jeopardy! –Friendly competition within a class or between differing levels –Reviews & reinforces grammar concepts

Grammar – Take a progressive walk around Cypress Lake!

Listening & Speaking Student Debates Mafia! Murder Mystery Art Criticism Games –Taboo –Twenty Questions

Student Debates Students suggest & vote on topics that are of interest to them. Students either choose their ‘ side ’ or are assigned a particular view to argue. Once divided, introductions are given on both sides. All students share their ideas, with a ‘ free-for-all ’ at the end. Great for fluency, articulation, cultural assimilation, and confidence building.

Mafia Students are all members of a town - a doctor, a policeman, regular townspeople – and killers! Students are assigned an ‘ identity ’ based on a playing card. Each night as the town sleeps, a murder is committed, the doctor attempts to save a life, and the policeman does some detective work. During the day, the townspeople discuss the crime, make an accusation, arrest a suspect, and vote to jail (or execute) those they find guilty!

Murder Mystery Story – a murder has been committed by someone playing the game Students are given alibis & ‘ secrets ’ about other students Goals: –ask questions about others whereabouts –get ‘ secret ’ information to solve the mystery –find the killer! Skills: question formation, logical reasoning, listening & speaking

Becoming an Art Critic ….. Art critics help viewers interpret and judge artworks to construct meaning from them. Display sample art work representative of current museum exhibits. Consider the following questions before going to an art museum.  1. Description: What do I see?  2. Interpretation: What is the artwork about?  3. Judgment: Is it a good artwork?

Kristina Dixon & Mary Klaus SETESOL 2007 Au revoir Kentucky!