Two years ago, in search of more ways to help foreign students learn more effectively, the SHS administration found someone who has been committed to his job since day one. Recognizing his dedication to helping students learn despite obstacles, the school gave him the opportunity to teach a sheltered class.
New to this environment, social studies teacher Jacob Wormann entered this style of teaching blindly with no prior knowledge or experience of how it worked.
As his journey progressed and he adapted to this new style of teaching, he developed a passion for helping students from different parts of the world learn efficiently and effectively. Being able to see students face’s light up when they recognize their own growth gives Wormann the inspiration to move forward.
“I feel I’m able to reach students and see their reactions,” Wormann said. “That’s my favorite part of teaching anything, when you see a student actually click with it.”
Wormann plans to teach his kids about U.S history and social studies, but hopes to dive deeper. He also plans to find ways to figure out how to enhance his students’ confidence overall.
One vital teaching strategy that Wormann uses in many of his classes is the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Wormann uses this teaching strategy that encompasses the concept that students learn the most when they do things that they know with some guidance.
The ZPD is a psychological approach that compares a student’s learning progress with guidance, minimal guidance and no guidance. This strategy allows Wormann to ensure that the learning process is more suitable and easy for his students, which not only helps benefit the student, but also himself.
“It just gives me more intentional time to spend with them, and then I can raise the difficulty level of things in geography also, so it really benefits every student and helps me do what students need to learn more,” Wormann said.
Wormann says he uses ZPD when he’s asking his students questions about videos or notes that they have taken. He also uses it to make sure that the students are able to express themselves, fill in blanks for questions and also reduce the language barrier.
But, teaching a new type of social studies class comes with challenges. Many different components come together to make one class, and there are bound to be some bumps in the road.
Since Wormann doesn’t have a degree in EL, problems like dealing with the EL factors of his classes make adapting to sheltered learning a little more difficult.
Yet, not all problems are long-lived, especially when teachers collaborate. Worman credits his ability to overcome these challenges to support from other sheltered class teachers.
“All of those people I have definitely talked to,” Wormann said. “They’ve been very helpful to me.”
Fellow social studies teacher David Luers, who mentored Wormann in his early years of teaching, has been a
key source of guidance. Even now, the two continue to share teaching strategies and assignments.
Gaining inspiration and advice hasn’t changed much between the two, as Wormann and Luers still share tips and even assignments together.
Over time, Luers has come to admire Wormann’s passion and empathy toward his students.
“He really cares a lot about the kids to the point where last year … he took in one of the students,” Luers said
And with all of the effort and hours Wormann has dedicated to his classes, his biggest reward is the success and happiness of his students. Thanks to the support of his colleagues, he continues to thrive as an educator.
“When I’m a co-department chair, and we interview people to fill spots, he’s the person I think of in my head. I think, ‘This is sort of the model. Let’s see how closely we can get this person to Mr. Wormann,’” Luers said.
