“Good Teaching” and Multilingual Learners

by Jesse Markow

“Proof Points: The paradox of ‘good’ teaching” (see the Hechinger Report website by Jill Barshay) raised several points that I could not help but relate to the experiences of teachers of multilingual learners (MLs) with K–12 education environments. The article itself focuses on a study, EdWorkingPaper No. 22-591, written by David Blazar of the University of Maryland College Park and Cynthia Pollard of Brown University, discerning the difference between teaching that increases test scores and teaching that improves student-reported engagement. It states that, “…teachers who had delivered more cognitively demanding lessons…tended to produce higher math scores,” which also led to less student engagement. 

The teachers in the study who had reports of high student engagement had reviews from students like, ‘“This math class is a happy place for me to be;” “Being in this math class makes me feel sad or angry;” “The things we have done this math this year are interesting;” “Because of this teacher, I am learning to love math;” and “I enjoy math class this year.”’

Whereas the teachers in the study who had reports of high test scores did not have reports of high student engagement. It truly seems like a tradeoff, according to Barshay, when analyzing the study.

I would like to get beyond questions about whether the tests were actually measuring what good teaching looks like, such as addressing big ideas, responding to individual student needs and abilities, SEL, and especially for MLs, language development within content areas, in this study that was mathematics, and more. Good teaching, and this point is also in the article, creates learning experiences that are challenging and, at times, uncomfortable.

While the study doesn’t seem to address MLs within its findings, the challenge and discomfort can only be greater when students are learning the language of a content area as well as learning the content.

Believing that teachers can impact students in ways that lead to higher performance and greater self-esteem has always been fundamental to the approaches that I’ve taken in my education career. So it was encouraging to read that six teachers among the 53 studied did accomplish both. These were identified as “doubly good” teachers, those whose students had both higher test scores and student engagement had certain practices in common. Those include routine, clear expectations, awareness of pacing. They used hands-on learning, collaborative grouping, tactile objects, and more. 

Barshay notes that the study shows that “teachers who incorporated a lot of hands-on, active learning received high marks from students and raised test scores. These teachers often had students working together collaboratively in pairs or groups, using tactile objects to solve problems or play games. For example, one teacher had students use egg cartons and counters to find equivalent fractions.”

What does this look like when we switch the focus to language teachers? No matter what program design, teachers of language proficiency must be at least “quadruply” (if there is such a word) good! Not only must they teach language development in ways so that students demonstrate proficiency on tests and student engagement, but also they must engage with content teachers in ways that achieve both of those outcomes in those content areas as well. 

And then let’s add an awareness of the current language proficiency levels of students and awareness of strategies to increase those levels. Given the language development standards systems and proficiency levels now extent in school systems, there is also the evidence that EL teachers have clear goals in mind when creating learning plans and experiences.

If you want to see a teacher who understands how to establish routines, clear expectations, use appropriate pacing AND employ hands-on learning, effective grouping, tactile resources, AND teach in a way that leads to higher test scores, observe an effective EL/ML teacher working with students. If the goals are student achievement and improved self-esteem, my hope is that these teachers are indeed observed and that those who do so see the value in what these extraordinary professionals accomplish.