Scaffolding the Academic Success of Adolescent English Language Learners by Walqui and van Lier

The first chapter of this book is called, "A Pedagogy of Promise" followed by the subheading, "Helping Students Become What They Are Not Yet", and the text delivers both theories and methods based on this sense of optimistic pedagogy. While the focus of the title of the text is on English Language Learners, teachers of all students should consider implementing the instructional design outlined by the authors.

Vygotsky fans will get excited about this book because his theories are the root for the practice. The density of the first chapter made me want to read it twice and furiously take notes in the margin (although I had borrowed the copy, so I couldn't!). I'm a geek for theory. If you aren't a geek for theory, though, the first three chapters should be enough to convince you that the "sage on the stage" mentality of old-school teaching is not the most effective way to reach students.

The last three chapters of the book are dedicated to the actual practice of what they call "QTEL" or Quality Teaching for English Learners. These practices are rooted in these five principles quoted from p. 81 of the text (my computer is not letting me put quotes where I want them):

• Sustain academic rigor in teaching English learners
• Hold high expectations in teaching English learners
• Engage English learners in quality teacher and student interactions
• Sustain a language focus in teaching English learners
• Develop a quality curriculum for teaching English learners

 For me, personally, there were several lightbulb moments in the text. I need to spend more time in my class on the quality of my student interactions. I always struggle in that aspect. I want the kids to work together on tasks, but that is often reduced to one student doing the work and other students then copying from that one student. This book suggests several task-designs that would support more positive student participation.

I need to focus on giving students multiple opportunities to focus on both accuracy and fluency in the language. I use sentence frames a lot in my class, but that often limits what the students produce. And then there is a "right" or a "wrong" moment that doesn't support them thinking on their own. So I need to move beyond my focus on accuracy to giving them multiple opportunities for expression.

I also need to up my game in terms of academic rigor for the students. If I can get the first two pieces above in order, then I can certainly increase the rigor for the students. The expectations are high in my class. Often, the academic rigor is high, as well. But I think I can be doing more in terms of using the students' background to improve their opportunities to interact with higher-level thinking activities and to solicit the language needed to work through those activities.

There is a very clear, three-step design to units of study. The first step is to prepare the learners, the second is the scaffolding of their interaction with a text, and the third is in extending the ideas of the text. (That's the part that I personally loved!) Lessons are objective based. There are plenty of examples of "real-life" teachers using these methods, and teachers should walk away with some ideas that they can use in their classroom immediately.