by Valentina Gonzalez

We’ve all been there: we teach a lesson and then assess students only to find that the students didn’t understand it. We are left with questions like What happened? How did we fail them? What went wrong? Continue reading “Total Physical Response: Learning through Action!” →

by Nancy Motley

At the end of my first year of teaching, my principal asked what my plans were for the summer. After outlining my still-fuzzy summer agenda, she volun-told me to include getting ESL certified in those plans. She explained that it would be great for my career, that I’d earn a $500 stipend ($84.32 after taxes, right?), and most importantly, that she really needed me to help our English learners next year. Always up for a challenge, I agreed. Despite having had very little professional development regarding English learners, I was a good test taker and earned my certification. Upon returning to school for my second year, I had a class roster that included a majority English learners.   Continue reading “Target the Talk” →

by Nancy Motley

Doesn’t everyone want to be successful? I know I do! I spend the majority of my time trying to be better…a better parent, a better friend, a better employee, and certainly a better teacher. In fact I can honestly say, I have never met anyone who likes to fail. I have, however, encountered many students who, because of their previous school experiences, begin to expect failure. I see it in a defeated look, in a tear falling down a cheek, and in the “eye roll” of my most apathetic student. These students do not like being called on in class, because they don’t know the answer or maybe because they lack confidence. Either way, they expect that they will be wrong. Compounding their uneasiness is the knowledge that all of their peers will be watching them as they fail. Continue reading “Create Public Success for Students” →

by Valentina Gonzalez

Scaffolds are temporary supports meant to be released when no longer needed. Think of buildings that are under construction. When the building is in the early phases, more scaffolding is necessary to sustain the structure. As the building progresses, less scaffolding is needed. Finally, before the construction is complete, the scaffolding is removed. Continue reading “8 Ways to Scaffold Writing for English Learners” →

by Stephen Fleenor

It’s as simple as this: mastering academic vocabulary is essential for mastering content. Granted, this probably marks the one million and twenty-third time that statement has been said, but it merits repeating for three key reasons: first, academic vocabulary is the language by which content concepts are expressed; second, mastering today’s academic vocabulary is fundamental for mastering tomorrow’s content; and last but definitely not least, the ability of a student to master academic vocabulary is directly tied to his or her confidence in the subject. Continue reading “Mastering Vocabulary with Visuals” →

by Valentina Gonzalez

Do you feel like there is just so much curriculum to teach that you don’t have time to ask students to stop and talk? Let’s think about that. Why don’t we allow students to discuss the content we’re covering? Continue reading “QSSSA: More than Turn & Talk” →

by Lora Beth Escalante

Do you have a memory of being read to as a child or a student? Does a particular book come to mind? I can vividly recall coming in from recess during third grade, rosy cheeked and often sweaty, listening to the sweet voice of my teacher read aloud Charlotte’s Web to me and my equally mesmerized classmates. In middle school, it was To Kill a Mockingbird that really stuck with me; in high school, The Outsiders and Hamlet.

When I began teaching, I imitated my own positive experience. It was just a given that I would read aloud to my students. Now that I am an instructional coach, teachers often ask me if it is worth their time to read aloud to students, particularly English learners.

The answer is a resounding YES! Continue reading “The Quick Read Aloud: Creating Rich Literary Experiences for English Learners, 5 Minutes at a Time” →

by Valentina Gonzalez

I have to admit that when I first began my role as an ESL teacher years ago, I didn’t know much about ELs other than through my own experiences. My experience growing up as an English learner helped me form my beliefs about language acquisition and helped me as I worked with ELs in my general education classroom. Continue reading “What Do English Learners Need?” →

by Marcy Voss

“Juan is a newcomer from Honduras. I do not speak his language.  How can I tell if he is gifted?” the teacher asked, almost in exasperation.  

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a student is gifted, even if he or she speaks the native language. Identifying a non-native speaker as gifted can be even harder, but it’s not impossible. Teachers just need to do two things:  

1. Observe students with the behaviors of gifted English learners in mind
2. Create the classroom environment where these behaviors can be displayed

To carry this out effectively, teachers need to begin to think like detectives. A detective uncovers evidence and searches for clues to make determinations and discoveries. Continue reading “Recognizing the Gift: Identifying Gifted English Learners” →