You will select a bilingual or ESL teacher to interview. They do not necessarily have to be the same teacher you observed in the classroom.
Develop questions of interest to you and engage in a dialogue with the teacher to gain insight into their background, philosophy, and instructional practices relating to educating bilingual and ELL students. Here are some questions you may wish to ask:
1) What made you decide to become a bilingual/ ESL teacher? What process did you take to become certified?
2) What is your philosophy regarding bilingual/ ESL students, and the instructional programs available to them?
3) What are some of the things that happen in a bilingual/ESL classroom that would not be seen in an English monolingual classroom? How do you see bilingual education and ESL as being different from mainstream classes.
4) What specific needs do you bilingual/ ESL students have? What instructional practices/ strategies do you use to meet their needs?
5) A) If you interview a bilingual teacher: How is what you do as a bilingual teacher different from an ESL?
5) B) If you interview an ESL teacher: How is what you do as an ESL teacher different from a bilingual teacher?
6) What are some of the challenges that you face in teaching your program?
7) How do you feel about the recent changes in Commissioner’s Regulations Part 154? How have you or your program been effected?
