ELL students in the class room (post for January 31 readings)

Sorry this is just now getting posted guys I thought I posted it but I looked on here and it wasn't so if it is posted twice on yours please let me know.
During our discussion in class and through our reading I learned many things about ELL students. Many things I already knew but one thing came up that really got me thinking. While watching the Ivan cases the classroom teacher addresses many facts she knows about the different cultures in the world. Judy later discussed this a little more talking about needing to know about cultures because students can come from the same place but be from different sides of issues or even wars this could effect your classroom community. Well I was thinking about all this and it really got me thinking of something sally told our class last semester. She told us that once you become a teacher you are always a teacher that you will no longer plan vacations for the pure fact of just going to relaxing in the sun but you should (in between relaxing in the sun) ,do activities that will allow you more experience with something you teach (like visiting the holocust memorial center in DC), or picking up interesting shells and rocks to use as props. My SME teacher Jane told us how she has picked up road kill to have stuffed to use in her classroom as props. How does this tie into ELL students you may be wondering? Well as Judy talked about her family and all the cultural things she has learned from them I could not help but think what a valuable resource. It just shows that as a teacher anything you can learn makes you a better teacher. As teachers we will need to up to date on world affairs and current political climates, along with gathering as many resources on different cultures that we can.