Ground Lesson Plans in Equity and Acceleration to Address Unfinished Learning By Sonya Murray and Gwendolyn Y. Turner As educators gather the shattered pieces from a broken, unprecedented time in education, research suggests more students are experiencing unfinished learning. According to NAEP reading and mathematics data, scores
Imagine being a student who fled their homeland and relocated in the United States after the trauma of a natural disaster. What would you want your local, school, and classroom community to do so that you feel safe, supported, and valued?? We often begin our
The pandemic’s impact on teaching and learning environments has made us rethink our best teaching practices and adapt our traditional approaches to new digital-age learning options. As we enter the new year, I’d like to invite all educators to take a closer look at an
Crises often amplify inequities that are hidden from view-especially for historically marginalized students from linguistically and culturally diverse populations. Rather than focus on what we perceive is wrong or broken, we can achieve much greater success by tapping into the tremendous strengths and capacities of
Every school district across the country is acutely aware that English learner populations are growing rapidly. Often when I hear educators talk about needs of English learners, they have a tendency to focus on newcomer immigrant students. Yes, their language needs are important, but we
Our middle school ESL begins with the eighth graders arriving early at 1:25 pm. At 1:30, the seventh graders speed-walk in, followed by a burst of sixth graders who scramble to their seats. The students greet one another with daps and saludos in English and
Helping students develop the language of mathematics begins by helping them develop their conceptual understanding using the four language acquisition skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. [caption id="attachment_7164" align="alignleft" width="300"] Figure 1[/caption] As can be seen from the diagram in Figure 1, reading and listening are inputs
In 1983 I arrived in the US as a 9 year old worried about accommodating to a new context without my extended family. My first schooling encounter involved my third grade teacher, who asked my name on the first day and I replied “Eduar” (officially
Utilizing the "Educators’ Rubric for Support of English-Learning Students and Their Communities" in Promoting Their Academic and Social Well-Being English-learning students in our schools continue to encounter many challenges. Therefore educators must value students’ diverse backgrounds, instead of perceiving their language background as a troublesome obstacle.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) movement requires teachers to shift their instructional practices in several significant ways, which in turn necessitates practice and intentionality. Some of these key shifts include embedding language development across the curriculum; an increase in oral language and multiple opportunities