Earlier this week I set up a new email address to connect to this website. Easy right? I thought so. I confidently moved through the first few steps and then suddenly I was confronted with language I did not understand. Was it English? It was. But the technical terminology was completely foreign to me. I felt both frustrated and overwhelmed as I attempted to decipher the instructions. Ultimately, I couldn’t complete the next steps because I didn’t understand what I was being asked to do. (Thankfully I knew who to call…)
The experience made me think of the students in our classrooms who don’t understand the written or spoken words we are using. They too must feel frustrated and overwhelmed.
How can we ensure that our words are being understood by all? Which students might need more explanation of the tasks at hand? What scaffolds and supports do we have in place to prevent frustration and ensure understanding?
Remember, fair isn’t everyone getting the same thing… fair is everyone getting what they need.
This is such a great reminder! About a month ago an ELL student said to me, “I don’t understand because you were talking too fast.” So even if they understand the language, there are sometimes other factors that we forget about as well. I am very thankful for that student telling me and now I am more mindful about it and check to ensure they are understanding.
That is a great reminder as well! I know I am often guilty of talking too fast.