Although I still lack 2 classes to complete my endorsement in ESL, I am very confident in saying that if you are at all interesting in working with ESL students, the add-on endorsement is a great option. I particularly appreciate that all of the work in fieldwork classes and others has been relevant and useful in my current classroom. Never once have I felt as though I was completing busy work assignments that would not help me become a better teacher. I think that this must certainly be rare in graduate studies. ;-)
I feel grateful to be able to finish my endorsement while also working to add a masters. Many other programs offer only the endorsement, but if I'm going to grow in my career, I need to be able to add a masters degree. The projects were also helpful because we have all created our own Wikis. They become a great resources for us and others. I know I will be using mine because how often do we forget something we have learned if we are not applying it constantly??? The Wiki is a great refresher even for those of us who have gotten our endorsement. I also am hoping to use the Wiki to help me organize my thoughts and processes for the Praxis exams.
If you are going to take on ESL, it is very rewarding. It's a huge challenge to work with students that are acquiring a second language while simultaneously trying to gain content area knowledge along with their peers. However, your life will be greatly enriched by all of the diversity that will come into your world. Enjoy your students and try to focus on doing what's right by them. Everything else will fall into place. :-)
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