SupportingTeachers of ELL Students

With the number of English Learners in Georgia on the rise, local schools are in a predicament, particularly in elementary schools where students are just being exposed to a second language and in rural areas, where sometimes the level of education and the amount of resources can be limited. Overall, there is a trend of negative perceptions towards ELL students that is the result of a lack or preparation, misconceptions, and general frustration with the demands placed upon teachers. These negative perceptions produce in teachers a reluctance to teach a specific group of students. While they may care about the students, oftentimes, they take on the “not in my classroom” approach that was described by Walker, Shafer, and Liams (2004). The purpose of this study was to explore strategies used by teachers when working with ELL students in one rural, southeastern Georgia elementary school. I reviewed district policy, school administration supports, individual teacher practices, and what does this looks like in the life of a student who is learning to speak, read, and write in English in within this environment. This case study is essential because there is an abundance of research regarding ELL students in urban schools and communities, but there is very little information regarding the experience of ELL students and their teachers for rural schools in Southeast Georgia