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Jun 26, 2021 · The single most effective strategy I have used and would highly recommend when teaching English-language learners is the use of sentence frames for writing and speaking, the productive skills ...
- Opinion Contributor
However, when educators in personalized classrooms are more strategic and design curriculum and instruction that takes into account both content and language needs, EL students are able to engage with the content in new and exciting ways. One example is to leverage students’ home languages in an asset-based manner. This can be done by:
- Essential Question
- Strategies: Getting to Know Students
- Strategies: Connecting Experiences to Learning
- Closing Thoughts
- Discussion/Reflection Questions
- More Recommended Resources
- Acknowledgements
As you read this article, consider the following essential question: In what ways can I build strong relationships with multilingual students this year?
1. Learn how to pronounce and spell students' names correctly
Show respect for your students by taking time to learn how to pronounce and spell their names correctly. Ensure that students' names are written correctly in student databases, especially as schools move to more online systems. A misspelled name can impact the services and instruction a student receives. 1. When you ask students to say their name, listen carefully and repeat it until you get it right. 2. Ask students to record their names for you so that you can hear their pronunciation. (You...
2. Get to know students' interests, strengths, and talents
What are your students' experiences, interests, hobbies, talents, goals, and strengths? Tapping into these "funds of knowledge" can: 1. foster relationships, friendships, and student confidence 2. make students' strengths more visible to peers and educators 3. engage students across the curriculum. For example, the children of migrant farmworkers might have a wealth of knowledge about agriculture, seasonal harvest, and different regions of the country. (You can learn more about "funds of know...
3. Let students know that their languages and cultures are welcome
You can welcome students' languages by learning a few words or phrases, such as a greeting or how to say "thank you," or asking them to teach you and their peers some words. They will appreciate the gesture and enjoy being the teacher (and the expert) for a change! This not only highlights the language skills that your student has, it celebrates the gift of multilingualism and gives other student a chance to think about what it is like to go through the day learning in a different language. (...
6. Engage students in planning their learning
Once you get a better sense of your students' life experiences, you can connect them to learning by: 1. looking for ways to connect these interests to the curriculum 2. asking students to brainstorm ideas on what they would like to study 3. using an inquiry-based or project-based learning approach that allows students to take the lead in identifying a question or problem to solve/research 4. assigning students research projects that focus on issues or concepts that apply to their own communit...
7. Provide students with opportunities to share their stories
Sharing personal storiescan be powerful experiences for students and their classmates as well. Provide opportunities for students to share their stories both privately and publicly, whether through artwork, in writing, or in conversation. If a student shares some difficult experiences, consider whether more support is needed through follow-up conversations with families or counseling. Notes of caution If you do invite students to share personal stories: 1. Attend to student cues on whether th...
8. Look for ways to embed social-emotional learning across the curriculum
There is a lot of attention on social-emotional learning right now for good reason. All students have experienced disruption to some level in their social and academic lives, and many students have also experienced hardship, loss, illness, trauma, and deep levels of stress and anxiety. As district leader Nathaniel Provencio notes in the video below, creating a supportive, nurturing environment for your students, regardless of setting, is a critical step in helping them navigate the uncertaint...
There will be a lot of trial and error in the coming year. As Kristina Roberston says below, if something doesn't work, go back to the drawing board and try again! Don't let those bumps discourage you from continuing to build the critical connections that you, your students, and your families need this year. They may just be what helps everyone get...
What is one takeaway that resonates with you from this article?What is one activity you might try?What strategies have you used in the past to build strong relationships with students? How might you adapt them this year?What will be hardest about building relationships this year with students and families?Culturally responsive teaching during COVID-19
1. How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning(KQED) 2. The Value of Culturally Responsive Teaching in Distance Learning(Edutopia) 3. Online Teaching Can Be Culturally Responsive(Teaching Tolerance) 4. The Culture Tree, featured in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brainby Zaretta Hammond
Social-emotional resources
1. 7 Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure(Edutopia) 2. 4 Strategies to Help Students Feel Calm During Distance Learning (Edutopia) 3. 3 Ways to Reduce Stress and Build Connections During Distance Learning (Edutopia)
Interactive strategies for building relationships & distance learning
1. Five Tips to a Great Start for the School Year: COVID-19 Edition(Carol Salva) 2. How to Build Relationships Virtually: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers(Albert.com) 3. How to Build Relationships with Students During COVID (Education Week) 4. Back to School for Teachers: Start with Relationships(Understood) 5. Building Trust with Students in a Virtual Learning Environment(Larry Ferlazzo Blog) 6. Principal's Plan: Personal Connections. Essential Standards(Middle Web)
Special thanks to Kristina Robertson, Becky Corr, Susan Lafond, Areli Schermerhorn, and Beth Skelton for their contributions to this article.
- Closed captioning isn’t just for the hearing impaired. If you’re showing video content, turning on closed captioning supports ELL students’ comprehension as well as everyone’s literacy skills.
- Voice typing in Google Docs (under the Tools menu) provides students with a voice-to-text option that can help learners who have some oral language but struggle with spelling and writing.
- Offer choices of what students can say if they’re called on and aren’t sure how to respond. This helpful anchor chart, for example, offers students options other than the ubiquitous “I don’t know.”
- Add gestures to reinforce communication. Remember that in order to communicate, we need to ensure that the sounds coming out of our mouth create a mental image or concept in our listener’s mind.
2. Be mindful of your communication. In order to communicate effectively with your students: Speak clearly and naturally, without going too quickly or slowly. Simplify language without "dumbing it down." Be mindful of your body language. Encourage your students through positive body language and expressions, especially when they make mistakes.
- Kristina Robertson
The teachers share insights on how to differentiate according to different language levels — how they've successfully modified materials or grouped students, examples of student learning using language related to content, and what works to help students who are still developing the academic language they need to communicate what they know.
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Apr 12, 2019 · To learn about these needs—and best practices for addressing them—I interviewed a range of educators and observers, including Larry Ferlazzo, an educator and author of The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide; longtime teachers of English as a second language (ESL) Emily Francis and Tan Huynh; and the journalist Helen Thorpe, who spent a year observing a teacher who works with ELLs.
