English Language Learner Teacher
Position Purpose:
The English Language Learner (ELL) Teacher position identifies, screens, and assesses English Learners (ELs) to determine initial placement as well as ongoing learning needs. This position coordinates service delivery within a continuum of support and provides school staff with consultation and collaboration to better serve the unique needs of ELs. The ELL Teacher communicates with parents, arranges for interpretation and translation services, and advocates for ELs. The ultimate goal of the ELL service is to increase ELs success in their mainstream classrooms.
Essential Duties:
- Identification, Screening, and Evaluation
- Coordinate with district registrars to identify potential ELs via the Home Language Questionnaire
- Organize and administer WIDA ACCESS screening for initial placement
- Organize and administer annual WIDA ACCESS test; coordinate with District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) and technology contacts in each district to develop schedule of testing across districts
- Complete annual WIDA ACCESS test administration training and provide certificate of completion to each DAC
- Request early WIDA ACCESS scores from DACs in May to make exit decisions
- Provide classroom teachers and parents copies of individual student reports for WIDA ACCESS tests
- Coordination of Service Delivery
- Communicate with classroom and content teachers and determine appropriate times for service delivery
- Coordinate interpreters and translations for school to home communications and conferences
- Introduce students to regional career opportunities and cultural resources through an annual arts culture, and career-building field trip
- Provide services across a continuum of supports in a variety of settings
- Ensure that classroom and content teachers have the opportunity to improve teaching skills through participation in collaborative planning and ELL professional learning opportunities
- Develop and maintain an ELL professional lending library of print and multimedia resources
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Ensure educational equity and access for English Learners (ELs) through high-quality, evidence-based language instruction
- Develop standards-based curricula, particularly selecting lessons that match needs and interests of the students
- Provide direct instruction to ELs in reading, writing, listening, and speaking
- Plan literacy-based lessons that support vocabulary development, according to each EL’s needs and interests
- Prepare instructional plans based on individual student need along a continuum of supports (e.g., push-in, pull-out)
- Create a Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) Plan for each EL student being served
- Consultation and Collaboration
- Meet with teachers of ELs to present assessment results, provide recommendations for classroom instruction, accommodations and/or modifications, develop a plan for service delivery, and share LIEP plans
- Consult on ELs who are not making adequate progress within the mainstream classroom
- Advocate on behalf of ELs with administrators and teachers regarding cultural needs, curriculum and instruction, and social/emotional aspects for students learning in their second language and culture
- Professional Learning
- Engage in study of another language to gain first-hand experience with language acquisition
- Participate in professional learning opportunities (e.g., Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Minnesota Teachers of English as a Second Language (MNTESOL), Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC), The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA))
- Facilitate professional learning using effective adult learning strategies on a variety of EL-related topics for classroom and content teachers
- Meet twice yearly with English as a Second Language (ESL), American Sign Language (ASL), and World language teachers and provide professional learning in second language acquisition
- Other Duties as Assigned
- Perform other duties as assigned