[eal-bilingual] Opening a discussion

I wonder if I could open a discussion on the way EMASS staff work across
the country?  It sort of follows on from previous threads on partnership
teaching and job descriptions.  

My question is this, what's the current, generally accepted view on how
a school based EMASS specialist should work?  Which way of working would
have the most impact for EAL pupils across the school?  Should I be
working with groups of children or should I focus all my energies on
peer coaching and training mainstream staff to support the EAL pupils in
their classes?  Or should it be a balance between the two?  I've been a
school based coordinator for almost 9 years now and have worked in a
variety of ways which have shifted to such an extent that I'm no longer
sure of what's best, what's the most valid use of my time.

Originally I worked almost solely supporting new arrivals, promoting
collaborative and speaking and listening activities, doing some
partnership teaching with those mainstream teachers who were comfortable
with it, working more like a 'good TA' with those who weren't.  I
volunteered to take on planning for literacy and for whole curriculum
areas, figuring that the best way to encourage busy teachers to provide
for EAL learners and include multicultural elements to their lessons was
to hand over lesson plans ready made.  I've made resources till they
come out my ears and some are well used and still in the planning, and
some were dropped the next time a new teacher came into school and
planned something new.  I've lead training - for mainstream teachers and
TAs, at staff meetings and dedicated sessions in and out of school.  My
emphasis has shifted away from new arrivals, who are now more or less
left to fend for themselves or, where lucky, to muddle along with the
special needs group, whilst I work with advanced bilingual learners.
Who have justified language needs too, of course, but who, let's face
it, are judged more likely to achieve a better result for the school.

It's not a case of not feeling appreciated - for the most part I DO feel
useful and appreciated, by the children and by the staff I work
alongside, (and if I didn't, I'd give up tomorrow).  It's about focus.
I'm part time, my small and dwindling team are part time, and I'd be
interested to hear how other professionals in a similar situation use
their time in school to best effect for ALL the EAL pupils who come
under their care.

Alison