Ways Administrators Can Support ESL and Bilingual Instruction

There are many ways that administrators can support ESL and bilingual instruction. Here are a few of them:

• Advocate for funding increases at the district level
• Work with teachers to configure classes and class sizes to the benefit of English learners
• Appoint a lead or mentor teacher to help new teachers adjust to and meet the needs of English learners
• Monitor marking policies to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to receive high grades
• Give staff members who have expertise in English-language development or primary-language instruction time to be of assistance to other teachers
• Give teachers with English-language development or primary-language assignments an equal share of mentoring and supervisory assistance
• Set an example of respect and encouragement for diverse language abilities and cultures within the school

Source: Weed, K. Z. & Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2010) The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.