Page 47 - EdViewptsSpring2020

an assembly for our ELLs, at which I chose to tell and how they told them.
showed the film and explained what we This alleviated students’ worries that Through this experience,
were going to be doing. Students loved they would be pressured to reveal things our students have
the film, and immediately bonded with that were too traumatizing. Still, we
the characters, which became impor- ensured that our counselors and social evolved from seeing
tant as the project continued. workers were aware of the project, just their histories as a
Mr. Dissard is a film director by trade, in case anyone needed to work through source of difference
not a teacher, but he is skillful in getting their feelings. and difficulty to a
students to open up. He told them All students added a couple of points to
stories about moving from France to their timelines every day. By the second source of strength.
Arizona as a teen, asking them what visit, everyone had a full timeline,
stereotypes they had about French and we were ready to differentiate. At the time this article is being submit-
people. The students had many, Our newcomer/SLIFE students wrote ted, we are making arrangements for
ranging from that he should be wearing or spoke their stories in their first our final performance. We will be using
a beret and carrying a baguette under language, and then did drawings, trees, a historic local theater for the event. A
his arm to that he should be dressed and simple sentences in English or local photographer donated her time
more fashionably! He told them funny the first language as a visual project. to shoot portraits of each student. Two
stories about his adolescence in Our upper level students wrote their or three lines of the student’s choos-
Arizona. After giving them a chance memoirs. Mid-level students did ing will be added to the photograph
to focus on him, he told them that the trees with more extended sentences and made into a poster, such as the
way you take control of the prevailing and ample use of translanguaging example here. The posters will be dis-
narrative was by telling your story. strategies. The Heritage Spanish played at the event and in the school,
Mr. Dissard then had students draw a teachers helped the non-Spanish and then students will be given their
line from one end of a piece of drawing speaking ESL teachers of lower level poster to keep. Depending on how
paper to another, but told them that the students in developing those students’ many students wish to share stories
line could be anything but a straight stories in Spanish. As with everything at the event, the movie or excerpts
line. Students drew lines that rose, we do, we focused on the story from the movie will be shown, and
fell, and looped across the page. Mr. development and writing processes then students and families will get the
Dissard then told them that the line first, and the language second. Best opportunity to share their work and
they drew represented their lives, and of all, we had the pleasure of hosting speak about their experiences.
that the next step was to create points Brandon from the movie for that visit. Through this experience, our students
on the line representing events. He I don’t think the kids would have been have evolved from seeing their
provided strips of paper with thought- more excited to see Bradley Cooper! histories as a source of difference and
provoking questions about the past, One VHS Spanish teacher, Ada difficulty to a source of strength. They
present, and future for students to use DeJesus, had just published a memoir have discovered in themselves an
as prompts. Teachers then continued to of vignettes about moving to the appreciation for their resilience, and
have students fill out their timelines. continental U.S. from Puerto Rico as a even a sense of humor. They have been
I am fortunate to have a team of ESL young teen, and she also assisted the empowered to take control of their own
experts at Vineland High School who students in crafting their own narrative. narratives, and they have learned how
embraced this project. Prior to the start The students were so moved by her taking ownership of their stories can
of the project, we mapped out how the book that I ended up providing copies change other people’s perceptions and
activities and themes correlated with the to all of our ESL 4/5 students (who make the world a better, safer place.
curriculum and standards, and therefore loved the book so much they were If you are going to the NJTESOL/
what we could set aside in the regular sliding it into their bookbags and taking NJBE Spring Conference, there will be
curriculum that would be covered by it anyway. If they were that excited a showing of the film on Wednesday,
the project. This removed the feeling of about reading, I was more than happy May 27 following the last sessions,
having something extra piled on top of to give them a copy!) Having her there and a workshop with Mr. Dissard and
already demanding responsibilities. In to help them develop their stories by several students from the film on
addition, students were told that they example was a bonus that helped Friday, May 29.
were in control of what stories they make this process real for our kids.

About the Author
JoAnne Negrin, Ed.D. is Supervisor of ESL, Bilingual Education, World Languages, and Performing Arts for
the Vineland Public Schools. She is Chair of the NJPSA ELL Committee and Immediate Past President of
NJTESOL/NJBE. In 2019, she was awarded the NJPSA Visionary Award as Supervisor/Director of the Year.

Educational Viewpoints -45- Spring 2020