3.

I Candidates advocate for ELLs and their families in multiple contexts within the school
and communities.
The goal of this competency is for the candidate to know how to communicate and
advocate for ELL students' families in a proper and effective manner. This is absolutely
critical for candidates because families play the most significant part in a student's life, and they
need to be informed about how they may be appropriately involved in their student's educational
efforts. Given that not all families have the expertise or resources to understand how to advocate
for their children, schools must serve as a resource for families so that they can support
their student when they are not in school. This can be done in multiple contexts through the
classroom, extracurricular activities, and home life. The two pieces of evidence I have provided
are my NNES analysis and reflection from TCH_LRN 333, and my sociolinguistic
autobiography from TCH_LRN 549.
The first piece of evidence I have provided is my sociolinguistic autobiography from
TCH_LRN 549. This was a graduate level course I had the chance to take due to a full ELL
elective that I needed. This course was by far the most influential in my time here at Washington
State. Anyone unfamiliar with a sociolinguistic autobiography must know that it is a first-person
narrative essay in which the writer reflects on the history of his or her relationship with language.
Once we understand our own journey, we are able to support others. This opportunity proves my
efficiency for 3.I through the richness of advocating in multiple contexts. Candidates must pay
close attention to something that many people take for granted: the words that our students
speak, what they convey, how they are produced, and how much they shape their identity. This
process cannot be completed unless we, as educators, are familiar with our own selves. This is
where my sociolinguistic autobiography came in handy. My sociolinguistic autobiography also
uncovered the importance of advocating for our students outside the classroom. The reason for
this was because I realized that the game of soccer is a language within itself. Being involved in
the game for so long I did not see the richness of language involved. No matter where you go,
individuals understand the soccer language. This universal language is seen through the tactics of
the game, and a cognitive understanding of gameplay. The students in my classroom will be
involved in extracurricular activities, and my role is to be there supporting in anyway needed.
Walking away from this experience I now know that extracurricular activities are considered part
of a well-rounded education because they provide a channel for reinforcing classroom lessons
and allow students to apply academic abilities in a real-world setting. I one day hope to coach
soccer as well, and for me nothing will change when it comes to language development. Students
can learn so much outside the classroom, and this opportunity reinforced that for me.
The second piece of evidence I have provided is my NNES analysis and reflection from
TCH_LRN 333. This assignment pertains to competency 3.I through having candidates sit down
with an English language learner and discuss their experience in the school system. This then
gives me fuel, and ideas to best support my future students. By being immersed in reality I am
able to plan how I am going to advocate for my students and their families. My biggest take
away from this experience is that numerous times throughout the interview Michael
(Interviewee) brought up the idea surrounding having to keep switching back and forth with
Spanish and English. That is not fair for any individual. Michael stated that not one of his
teachers took the time to figure out his home language, and work with him on it. This was
instantly a red flag. Everything seemed to be English or nothing. In my future classroom I will be
putting a strong emphasis on using home languages to excel in English language development. I
also strongly believe the use of students’ home language in the classroom can help promote a
smooth transition between home and school. All educators need to be strong advocates when it
comes to students first languages. This is also important to increase parent engagement in our
classrooms. Some families do not speak English at home which requires me to be effective and
deliberate with my communication. Communicating in two languages is a skill that needs to be
promoted not limited. This experience aligns with my courses at Washington State as well
through talking about subtractive bilingualism. When ELL and content instruction in English
pressure students to replace their home language, subtractive bilingualism occurs. Subtractive
bilingualism is when a new language replaces a student’s home language. This is exactly what
was happening to the students I interviewed. The knowledge, and information surrounding
advocating for our language learners is a lifelong process. I am excited to begin my teaching
career.
The two pieces of evidence reflected on above show my strong commitment and
efficiency for Competency 3.I. Through this reflective process I have come to find out the
importance of understanding our students as individuals, but also the importance of
understanding ourselves as educators. When we are not aware of our own beliefs, and values
then we can not be the strong advocate our students and families deserve. Learning does not stop
in the classroom which is an important take away from this reflective process. Being able to be
faced with reality through my NNES interview was awesome because I will have students just
like Michael in my classroom. Listening, and then analyzing Michaels experiences in our school
system I now know what needs to be fixed for my future students. Overall, I am grateful to have
had these opportunities. Each student needs a strong advocate and I feel prepared to be that
individual.