Interdisciplinary collaboration in a teacher education preparation program:

As the population of Emergent Bilinguals/English learners (EB/ELs) in Texas public schools continues to rise, educator preparation programs face increasing pressure to ensure that all teacher candidates are adequately prepared to meet their diverse needs. This article highlights the mismatch between teacher preparation and the instructional needs of EB/ELs, particularly the limited integration of ESL strategies and accommodations into content-area methods courses. Drawing on research and a case study at Sam Houston State University, the authors explore how ESL faculty collaborated with content methods instructors to revise a common lesson plan template (CLPT) by embedding Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) components throughout. The resulting template, CLPT-ESL, requires teacher candidates to integrate purposeful language accommodations across all lesson plan stages, fostering more linguistically responsive instruction. Initial pilot results suggest the revised template increased teacher candidate engagement, deepened understanding of language supports, and enhanced lesson delivery for EB/ELs in field placements. The article concludes with practical recommendations for institutions seeking to embed ESL strategies and accommodations into general teacher preparation coursework, even in programs with limited stand-alone ESL courses.