	March/April 2004
The Challenges and Joys of Teaching Migrant ELLs: One Teacher's Perspective By Michelle Adam, ELL Outlook™ Contributing Writer "The way the system is set up, we are not meeting the needs of our migrant ELL students," said Lisa Bohl. "We are doing the best we can do, but our best isn't good enough." Bohl has been teaching math to migrant ELLs, non-migrant ELLs, and mainstream students at Yakima Davis High School in Yakima, Washington, for the past seven years. As with so many teachers, she cares passionately about her students and wishes she could take the extra time required to address the needs of her ELL and migrant ELL students. But this past year, under the recent requirements of No Child Left Behind, Bohl has been particularly frustrated by the ways in which new standards and unrealistic time constraints are negatively impacting migrant ELL students. "We are putting them in a class and hoping that they will be at the right level," she said. "Some of these kids are at first- and second-grade reading levels and, as sophomores, wouldn't even be able to pass fourth-grade tests. Some of them have only been in this country for six weeks, and then they are tested within the year. This is not realistic." Bohl taught five math classes in grades 9-12 last trimester, and within them had about 30 to 40 migrant students. Most of the migrant students are ELLs; in some of her classes, they make up about 30 percent of the students. They also represent roughly a quarter of the school's population of about 2000 students. Most of Bohl's migrant students come with their families from different regions of Mexico to work on the land in Yakima. They usually stay for an entire school year or more. Those who move in and out of the system during the school year often lack basic English skills and are therefore placed in ESL classes, never making it into Bohl's class. "We need to think about who these students are and what we want them to achieve. What we are doing is not working. We know what we want in our outcomes, but our standards are not working with our kids. We skim the surface with so much curriculum that is above them, while we really need to see why we are not reaching these kids," said Bohl. "These students are failing miserably. I don't think the expectations are too high. I think these kids can reach that level but it's not going to happen in one year. They have to take it one day at a time." Although Bohl loves working with migrant ELL students-"they want to learn and have a thirst for learning," she said-some of the challenges she faces include poor English reading and writing skills, a lack of follow-through when they change classes every year, and the social/cultural issues that they bring with them to Yakima. "If I spoke Spanish, that would be my greatest wish," said Bohl, who is slowly learning Spanish through her classes. Since Bohl speaks minimal Spanish, she would especially like to have a set of texts, software, and ancillaries that offer a "true" Mexican Spanish translation and are designed from the outset for Spanish-speaking ELLs. "I think this would especially be useful for me and make me more confident. I could receive more instruction in learning languages this way." Bohl tends to take "the extra measures and walk the extra mile" with her migrant ELL students and, in doing so, builds a unique bond with them. But her students often move out of her class after a year. "That's not a good situation because I'm just getting to know the kids," she said. "It's frustrating." "In math we try to have them roll over into the same class again, but this often isn't possible in trying to arrange the schedules of about 2000 students," said Bohl. "If they work hard and stay with me I can move them ahead-most teachers can. We need to give them more time to complete something, be there to support them when needed, stay in touch with their parents and get translation for them, and show them that we'll go the extra mile if they go the extra mile." When working with migrant ELLs, Bohl uses a lot of manipulatives and study guides that are in both English and Spanish. Additionally, she helps migrant ELLs individually and sends them to tutoring if they aren't able to keep up with the mainstream students in class. "I use a lot of hands-on teaching, constructing meaning with my hands, using blocks and tiles to show the area of a space. The kids respond well. It seems to work well with them," said Bohl. "A big part of their difficulty is reading. That's why the manipulatives work." Her migrant ELL students are expected to work on the same kind of problems and homework as mainstream students in her class. In order to address their needs, however, Bohl will give them information ahead of time or let them receive help from older math students if necessary. "It's important to be patient and not forget to listen," said Bohl about her migrant ELLs. "And not be afraid to take risks and ask for help." Sometimes Bohl is faced with social conflicts between migrant students stemming from regional and tribal differences back in Mexico. One student, she explained, was frowned upon by other migrant students and was very shy and intimidated in her classroom. "They want to learn and have a thirst for learning, but these social barriers can get in the way," she said. While numerous migrant ELL students struggle though the system, Bohl has also had such students excel. One of her migrant students was a Gates Scholarship recipient, worked for Bank of America for three years, and is now going to college. "He was a worker-a steamroller. But his English was pretty good," she said. Another student, who was reading at a fifth-grade level when she taught him, ended up in pre-calculus math and is now in college. "I've seen him change," said Bohl. "The key was support. He had a lot of family and teacher support and the gift of being an outstanding soccer player." Seeing these students excel is what gives Bohl tremendous joy. "I'm not exposed as much as I'd like to be to these kids. I'd like to have a complete class of ELL students and do it bilingually. That would be a dream come true," she said. "They are wonderful students. They work hard and you see a lot of lights go on. That's really the neatest thing about teaching, when they learn something, when you've helped them learn something. It's a good feeling."
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March/April 2004

The Challenges and Joys of Teaching Migrant ELLs: One Teacher's Perspective

By Michelle Adam, ELL Outlook™ Contributing Writer

"The way the system is set up, we are not meeting the needs of our migrant ELL students," said Lisa Bohl. "We are doing the best we can do, but our best isn't good enough." Bohl has been teaching math to migrant ELLs, non-migrant ELLs, and mainstream students at Yakima Davis High School in Yakima, Washington, for the past seven years. As with so many teachers, she cares passionately about her students and wishes she could take the extra time required to address the needs of her ELL and migrant ELL students. But this past year, under the recent requirements of No Child Left Behind, Bohl has been particularly frustrated by the ways in which new standards and unrealistic time constraints are negatively impacting migrant ELL students.

"We are putting them in a class and hoping that they will be at the right level," she said. "Some of these kids are at first- and second-grade reading levels and, as sophomores, wouldn't even be able to pass fourth-grade tests. Some of them have only been in this country for six weeks, and then they are tested within the year. This is not realistic."

Bohl taught five math classes in grades 9-12 last trimester, and within them had about 30 to 40 migrant students. Most of the migrant students are ELLs; in some of her classes, they make up about 30 percent of the students. They also represent roughly a quarter of the school's population of about 2000 students.

Most of Bohl's migrant students come with their families from different regions of Mexico to work on the land in Yakima. They usually stay for an entire school year or more. Those who move in and out of the system during the school year often lack basic English skills and are therefore placed in ESL classes, never making it into Bohl's class.

"We need to think about who these students are and what we want them to achieve. What we are doing is not working. We know what we want in our outcomes, but our standards are not working with our kids. We skim the surface with so much curriculum that is above them, while we really need to see why we are not reaching these kids," said Bohl. "These students are failing miserably. I don't think the expectations are too high. I think these kids can reach that level but it's not going to happen in one year. They have to take it one day at a time."

Although Bohl loves working with migrant ELL students-"they want to learn and have a thirst for learning," she said-some of the challenges she faces include poor English reading and writing skills, a lack of follow-through when they change classes every year, and the social/cultural issues that they bring with them to Yakima. "If I spoke Spanish, that would be my greatest wish," said Bohl, who is slowly learning Spanish through her classes.

Since Bohl speaks minimal Spanish, she would especially like to have a set of texts, software, and ancillaries that offer a "true" Mexican Spanish translation and are designed from the outset for Spanish-speaking ELLs. "I think this would especially be useful for me and make me more confident. I could receive more instruction in learning languages this way."

Bohl tends to take "the extra measures and walk the extra mile" with her migrant ELL students and, in doing so, builds a unique bond with them. But her students often move out of her class after a year. "That's not a good situation because I'm just getting to know the kids," she said. "It's frustrating."

"In math we try to have them roll over into the same class again, but this often isn't possible in trying to arrange the schedules of about 2000 students," said Bohl. "If they work hard and stay with me I can move them ahead-most teachers can. We need to give them more time to complete something, be there to support them when needed, stay in touch with their parents and get translation for them, and show them that we'll go the extra mile if they go the extra mile."

When working with migrant ELLs, Bohl uses a lot of manipulatives and study guides that are in both English and Spanish. Additionally, she helps migrant ELLs individually and sends them to tutoring if they aren't able to keep up with the mainstream students in class.

"I use a lot of hands-on teaching, constructing meaning with my hands, using blocks and tiles to show the area of a space. The kids respond well. It seems to work well with them," said Bohl. "A big part of their difficulty is reading. That's why the manipulatives work."

Her migrant ELL students are expected to work on the same kind of problems and homework as mainstream students in her class. In order to address their needs, however, Bohl will give them information ahead of time or let them receive help from older math students if necessary. "It's important to be patient and not forget to listen," said Bohl about her migrant ELLs. "And not be afraid to take risks and ask for help."

Sometimes Bohl is faced with social conflicts between migrant students stemming from regional and tribal differences back in Mexico. One student, she explained, was frowned upon by other migrant students and was very shy and intimidated in her classroom. "They want to learn and have a thirst for learning, but these social barriers can get in the way," she said.

While numerous migrant ELL students struggle though the system, Bohl has also had such students excel. One of her migrant students was a Gates Scholarship recipient, worked for Bank of America for three years, and is now going to college. "He was a worker-a steamroller. But his English was pretty good," she said.

Another student, who was reading at a fifth-grade level when she taught him, ended up in pre-calculus math and is now in college. "I've seen him change," said Bohl. "The key was support. He had a lot of family and teacher support and the gift of being an outstanding soccer player."

Seeing these students excel is what gives Bohl tremendous joy. "I'm not exposed as much as I'd like to be to these kids. I'd like to have a complete class of ELL students and do it bilingually. That would be a dream come true," she said. "They are wonderful students. They work hard and you see a lot of lights go on. That's really the neatest thing about teaching, when they learn something, when you've helped them learn something. It's a good feeling."