Teacher decision-making skills are an important factor in the effective instruction of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Teachers make decisions based on their own cultural experiences. Because of cultural differences, mainstream teachers sometimes misinterpret the behavior of their LEP students. Such misinterpretation occurs less frequently when language minority teachers instruct LEP students; however, the nation is in the midst of an acute shortage of such teachers. Since this shortage will probably not be remedied in the foreseeable future, a critical need exists to train mainstream teachers in classroom decision-making skills that will increase their effectiveness in instructing language minority students.
The foundation for improving teacher decision-making skills involves an understanding of teaching as an interactive process. In general, teachers comprehend new events by reflecting on their own personal experiences: " . . . the literature suggests effective teachers develop a personal and individual method based on perceptions of themselves, of their students, and of their work" (Martinez, 1992, p. 165). The interactive process between student and teacher is facilitated by mutual understanding, lack of ambiguity, and negotiation: in other words, it is important for the teacher to understand the child's perspective. The shared background and culture between language minority teachers and LEP students facilitates this interaction. Mainstream teachers often must acquire the tools for effective interaction through training: "Thus, the mainstream teacher's repertoire needs expansion and clarification to prevent cultural conflict leading to a stressful environment in the classroom" (Martinez, 1992, pp. 166-167).
Martinez (1992) suggests that the first step toward more effective instruction is to make mainstream teachers aware of the factors affecting their decision-making processes. This awareness can be ac...