Sycamore classmakes students feel like they belong

By KATRINA J.E. MILTON |kmilton@shawmedia.com

Shellyara Maymi Hinojosa describes her favoriteclass as asafe space that makes her feel at home, even though the class is often filled with students speaking foreign languages.

Hinojosa, afreshmanatSycamore HighSchool, attends an English LanguageLearner classtaughtbyClaribel Robles. Hinojosa, whose mom is Puerto Rican and dad is Mexican, speaks Spanish at home.

There are 97 ELL students in the school district, said Robles, who is the ELL program director for Sycamore SchoolDistrict427.

“That means that theyspeak anotherlanguageat home that is not English,” Robles said. “We have students that speak Spanish, Arabic, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Gujarati,French andCreole.”

In Robles’ transitional program of instruction, students areimmersed in English, learningthe language and grammar. During class, they receive translationhelp with their homework and tests.

“It is asafe space wherestudentsfeelcomfortable learning newmaterial and wherethey can make sense and translateifneeded,” Robles said. “Bilingual students have two jobs in one: learning anew language and learning new content. Bilingualism is a treasure, andnot everyone has fluency in two languages.”

Robles teachesthreeELL classes at Sycamore High School and oneELL class at Sycamore Middle School.

“The students are reading in English, learning about U.S. history, culture and customs, and working on their Englishlanguage reading, writing, speaking and listening,” Robles said. “What they learn in their ELL class alsohelpswiththeir language comprehensionintheir other classes.”

Hinojosa said that herELL class has helped her betterunderstandthe English language

“Although sometimes Idomessup, Ican fixitand learn from my mistakes,” Hinojosasaid. “The class hasreally helped me alot.It’s taughtmehow much we canlearn from eachother and howdifferent the world canbe. Ialways feelcomfortableand loved in my ELL class.”

Robles’ guidancehas madea differenceinher education,Hinojosa said.

“Asateacher,she doesanamazingjob,”Hinojosa said. “Shemakeseveryone feel at home. She helps us understand and helpsusa lot. She’s likemy school mom, andI loveher so much.”

Robles said she was inspiredtobecome an ELL teacher after sheparticipated in abilingual program when she was in kindergartenthrough third grade.

“It’s helped me know how to read and write in Spanish,” Robles said. “It mademylanguage knowledge abig asset for me. I’ve been able to use it in otherfields, and Irealize the importance of having the abilitytounderstandbothSpanish and English.”

William Romero,ajunior at Sycamore High School,has taken ELL classes with Robles since he was in middleschool.Romero, whose familyisfrom Mexico, said he speaks Spanish at home.

“We all feel really comfortable in this room,” Romero said. “She doesn’t move on from atopic unless everyonegetsit. She answers our questions and makes us feelcomfortable. Theclasshas always been alot of fun. It helps us feel likewebelong.”